The Bavarian Alps – My Temporary Substitute for the Himalayas (For 30 Years!)

I love tropical places, but mountains have always had a place in my travel daydreams too. Nepal stayed on the wish list for decades. In the meantime, Munich had given me access to the Bavarian Alps—a very good reason to go outside, and occasionally a very convenient excuse to keep postponing the Himalayas.

First Love: The Bavarian Alps

As an accounting student in Munich, I took opportunities to get out to the mountains. Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Mittenwald and Berchtesgaden offered different combinations of peaks, lakes and towns. They were manageable trips from the city, even if “nearby” did not mean every journey was equally short.

I remember the Wetterstein scenery around Garmisch, the Königssee near Berchtesgaden and Mittenwald’s painted houses. The photographs below bring those places back more clearly than a list of rankings or must-see claims could. A day out could include a walk, a lake and time in town, rather than requiring a summit every time.

Lizz’s First Time in the Alps

When Lizz first visited the Bavarian Alps, we walked around Garmisch and Mittenwald. She had not been hiking before and took to it well. Cable cars helped with some of the climbing and descending, which was a useful way to choose the part of the day we wanted to spend on foot.

I do not think of that as cheating. The point was to enjoy the landscape together. Lautersee, the mountain backdrop and a walk through Mittenwald could make a satisfying day without anyone needing to prove a particular level of toughness.

The Young and the Restless (a.k.a. My Younger Self)

My younger self was rather more enthusiastic about covering distance. I would walk 30 kilometres in a day, then spend the next day discovering exactly which muscles had participated. At the time it felt like part of the achievement. These days, I am more willing to appreciate a fine view without making the following morning unnecessarily difficult.

The Substitute That Ignited the Dream

Those early Alpine trips gave me a love of mountain landscapes and helped create the curiosity about Nepal in the first place.

Having somewhere wonderful within reach made the years of waiting far more enjoyable.

When I wrote this, Nepal was still ahead of us and family circumstances had changed our plans. The Europe-first note explains that moment. These Alpine memories stood on their own: student days, walks with Lizz, lakes, towns and the occasional impressive complaint from my legs.

Have you had a place close to home that kept a distant travel dream company? I would love to hear about it.