10 Small Towns In Bavaria, Germany You Shouldn’t Miss

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Picture quaint half-timbered houses of varying colors, every other one with some kind of mural or design painted on the side. A local bakery with windows full of freshly baked pretzels and the smell of bread wafting out into the quiet, cobble-stone streets. Just two very good reasons why you’ll want to visit these small towns in Bavaria and why this region of Germany needs to be on your travel bucket list.

Where is Bavaria?

Bavaria is a huge region in Germany more or less covering the southeast part of the country. Stretching from just outside of Frankfurt all the way to the Austrian and Czechia borders, it is perhaps the prettiest area of Germany.

The famous cities of Nuremberg and Munich both fall within the beautiful state of Bavaria. However, there’s more to Bavaria than big cities. It’s the land of fairytale castles, cute little villages and stunning countryside as well as the gateway to the Alps.

While you might be tempted to set up base in somewhere like Munich – and I encourage you to spend some time there – it’s the small towns in Bavaria that deserve your attention. Pick one of two to stay in along the way, and tour as much as you can all around them.

Getting to Bavaria is easiest from Munich, with its busy international airport. However, I recommend you spend some quality time in this region and rent a car to drive around. On my recent trip I flew into Frankfurt, and out of Munich and explored everywhere in between.

Small towns in Bavaria – what to expect

Despite ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand inhabitants, most small towns in Bavaria have one thing in common. You won’t want to leave any of them.

Some are bustling little towns full of fun tourist shops, and brimming with family-run hotels. Others are incredibly quiet with not much to do except saunter from street to street immersed in the ornate paintings and pretty colors painted on the buildings.

The style is very similar to that of the picturesque Alsace villages of eastern France. The half-timbered style of houses that scream Disney movie village. But a lot of the bright colors of the French villages gives way to subtle pastels and off white in Germany – but with a lot of intricate artwork on top of the base color.

Most importantly the people are friendly, the bakeries delicious and the views always epic. You’ll always need more time than you think to explore, and each one has that little something that makes it uniquely memorable.

10 Incredibly beautiful towns in Bavaria

It would be almost impossible to list all the beautiful small towns in Bavaria, so I won’t even try. Every few kilometers you’ll want to stop again because you spot something you like the look of.

So instead, I’m sharing some of the the most amazing small towns in Bavaria I came across on my trip. Those that had a little extra special something to them that will make you want to visit.

Michelstadt

With the haphazardly leaning wooden beamed buildings, ancient town walls and medieval prison accessed by a wooden bridge over a moat, and the gutters of water running through the town, Michelstadt feels like you’re still in medieval times.

It’s not a hugely busy place, but it’s fun to explore. And there’s free parking just outside the city walls which makes it an easy stop on your road trip. Located only an hour outside of Frankfurt it is one of the most unique northern small towns in Bavaria.

The historic town hall is the most impressive building by far. But don’t miss out on exploring the smaller side streets as you never know what gems you’ll find.

Rothenberg ob der Tauber

Rothenberg might be the most famous of all of the small towns in Bavaria. It regularly crops up on lists of places to visit for good reason. That many people just aren’t wrong. Don’t let the hype deter you, it’s stunning and such a worthy town to visit.

However much time you have don’t leave without a trip up the Rathaus tower. It’s a steep climb with some questionable WTF moments, but the view is unparalleled.

The buildings are charming, the tourist shops intriguing and the cafés and restaurants plentiful yet busy. Crane your neck to see the nesting storks perched high upon Markusturm tower. Or visit the Käthe Wohlfahrt store where it is eternally Christmas, even in July.

Oberammergau

Despite just being incredibly fun to say, this cute little town was busy enough without being overwhelmingly touristy. I loved the fun shops, the winding streets, the impressive artwork on the buildings, and of course the mountain views peeking out from behind them.

Oberammergau is known for its wood carvings so see if you can see some unique artwork around the town. Or find some souvenir versions to take home.

The town is best known, however, for its epically long religious Passion Play put on only every 10 years. This theatrical performance about the life and death of Jesus takes place each decade since the 1630s as a thank you to God for sparing them from the bubonic plague.

Tickets aren’t cheap, and you’ll need stamina to get through the all day performance. But a sizeable intermission with lunch service will help you get through.

Erbach im Odenwald

Combine this with a visit to Michelstadt. They’re not far from each other, but Erbach is much more plentiful in places to eat and enjoy a nice lunch. This is one of the prettiest small towns in Bavaria, made only more magnificent by its stately buildings.

Erbach palace is a site worth seeing. While you might prefer to skip the ivory museum, the palace itself is wonderful. A guided tour is needed to see a large part of it, and the palace is closed for the first two months of the year, but is otherwise a cheap way to spend an hour or so.

Visit Erbach im Odenwald during the winter to experience some small town European Christmas markets. Or visit in summer when the colorful flower baskets adorn the riverside bridges and walkways.

Augsburg

The city of Augsburg is a little larger than a lot of places on this list. But I did find that it had a bit of a small town feel, and as one of the country’s oldest cities, it’s a special enough place to include.

The Town Hall is huge, and stands tall over the Rathausplatz in the center of town. It’s a great place to sit outside on a nice day and have lunch or a beer.

My favorite part of Augsburg was the market. The stadtmarkt has fresh produce vendors, little trinkets and hot food – and is made up of indoor market and outdoor stalls.

Fritts Pommesliebe is a must visit for some fancy fries, and you can’t leave without trying some delicious baked goods from Irenas Stadtmarkt Spezialitäten.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

One of the most attractive of all the small towns in Bavaria, Garmisch-Partenkirchen is quite the mouthful to say but worth the effort. The villages of Garmisch and Partenkirchen joined forces to make one super town that isn’t easily beaten for popularity.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen makes a great base for some local sightseeing – Neuschwanstein Castle, many other popular Bavarian villages and the Austrian border are all nearby.

The town is full of really good restaurants – Werdenfelser Hof has live Bavarian music and yummy local specialties. And Wolpertinger is a cozy traditional tavern with really friendly owners and a great menu.

The town has a fun mini golf course, as well as access to the Zugspitze (Germany’s highest peak) which can be accessed by an exhilarating cable car ride.

Bad Windsheim

Bad Windsheim is a pretty sleepy town, one of the quietest smalls towns in Bavaria I visited. I know you likely won’t spend long here, but if you have the time it might be an interesting stop to make.

There are some really nice buildings and lovely things to look at as you do a whistle-stop walk through Bad Windsheim. The town has a number of nice restaurants, although shops are fairly limited. The Rathaus (Town Hall) is delightfully ornate and a treasure to come across in the middle of this quiet town.

There’s an interesting Open Air Museum with some historic buildings that make you feel like you were dropped back in the 1500s. For anyone who’s ever visited Beamish Open Air Museum in northern England, this is a similar idea and really worth seeing if you are looking for things to do in the area.

Füssen

Anyone who’s visiting nearby Neuschwanstein Castle – the illustrious castle that inspired the Disneyland castle – needs to also visit Füssen. It’s a popular place, but don’t let that put you off. It’s a much better spot to grab lunch than anywhere else near the super touristy castle.

Wander the cobbled streets, where eating on the go is your best way to avoid the throngs of people at the cafés and restaurants.

Check out Hohes Schloss, the ancient castle right in the heart of the town. Or spend a day at Forggensee, the huge lake just a short distance away.

Markt Erlbach

Not far from Nuremberg is the quiet little town of Markt Erlbach. Wander through the lower gatehouse as you enter the town and stroll down the cobble-stoned roads. A mixture of typical German timbered houses, and older and plainer, just on the good side of “run down” buildings line the main streets.

There isn’t much to do here, but it’s a nice little stop on a long road trip, and a good place to stretch your legs. Sparsely peppered restaurants through the town, or a couple of supermarkets on the outskirts might fuel you for a longer journey ahead.

A welcome break from some of the busier small towns in Bavaria, I like to mix it up by stopping at the smaller ones where the buildings are just as nice.

Mittenwald

If there isn’t the most incredibly pretty town just a few kilometers from the Austrian border. Mittenwald has some lovely little churches (St. Peter & Paul is incredible), and a busy main street with lots of great shops. But it also has another unique claim to fame: Mittenwald is just crazy about violins.

The town has a violin museum, a violin statue and plenty of violin makers. It’s even said that the personal violin of Mozart was made here in Mittenwald. As a violin player myself I found this amazing town to be perfectly up my street.

It doesn’t hurt that Mittenwald is heart-achingly pretty. If you have some time to spare, hike from the two to Leutasch Gorge for some gorgeous scenery. Fun fact: the trail runs back and forth over the border so part of your walk is in Austria.

Top tips for making the most of your time in Bavaria

Overwhelming, lots to see and do, easy to want to see everything and rush around actually seeing nothing

• Pick a few places as a base – Move around, and use larger places as a base to explore smaller neighboring towns without as many amenities;
• A car rental is the best way – Buses and other transport may get you from one main place to the next, but you’ll miss a lot of the smaller, less popular places in the middle;
• Allow plenty of time – Keep your schedule open to changes and less planned out. Some towns we found were better than expected and we spent a lot longer there, others were pretty quiet and we were eager to move on;
• Buy good snacks when you find them – Not all the small towns in Bavaria have lots of shops or places to eat, some are merely villages. If you find somewhere with a nice restaurant or bakery, take the time to enjoy it;
• You can’t see everything – There were so many other places I wanted to see, but you really can’t stop everywhere. Pick your route, have a few loose ideas and adapt as needed. But don’t cut time short in a place you’re enjoying for the sake of a “potential” goldmine further away.

Too many pretty towns in Bavaria

Way too many to name them all. Some you’ll spend days in, some only an hour. All have charm and something special about them.

Whether you are in an area for a few days and are planning day trips, or you’re moving from place to place and looking for stops along the way, you’ll want to pick one or two must stops. Somewhere you’ll get lunch or find some activities to do. I say this only because many of the small towns you see really don’t have a lot going on.

They’re lovely and you’ll want to see them, but they might not help if you’re expecting lots of restaurants or things to do and they don’t have either.

I really could spend so much time driving around Bavaria. There’s so much beauty in this region that it’s hard to leave. Despite visiting in May I found it wasn’t overly busy in many of the places. I’d love to return in the winter and check out some of the Christmas markets.

Whichever small towns in Bavaria you visit you’ll have plenty to snap pictures of, lots of food to enjoy and great beer to wash it down with. Try some local delicacies, mostly carb-heavy, cheese-laden epically huge plates of food, but all the walking around these unmissable towns will help you walk it off.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you visited any of these small towns in Bavaria, or do you have any others you’d recommend?