Walking, Tasting and Cooking Holidays in picturesque Bavaria in Germany
The Flavours of Bavaria is not only a cultural, foodie and walking holiday but also an opportunity to discover one of Germany's most stunning regions. Located throughout the northern Alpine foothills, Upper Bavaria is home to pristine lakes, impressive mountain peaks, lush woodlands and the discovery of a culture that is renowned in the world for its charm and warm-heartedness.
Everyday life has been minutely recorded through the many household items, tools, and pieces of clothing displayed in various museums of local history, including cake tins, snuff boxes, and the infamous Bavarian 'wolpertinger', a creature made up of the fur, claws, teeth and horns of many different species.
We discover the many sights around Lake Tegernsee, an area whose far-reaching history has left many awe-inspiring traces. Artists, musicians, statesmen and nobility have lived in the fine houses that appeared after the first monks settled in the valley.
We enjoy the « gemutlichkeit » of a real beer garden expérience while sitting with the locals and savour regional beers.
Our breathtakingly beautiful walks lead us along lakeshores, through idyllic meadows, forests, valleys and into the surrounding mountains.
One of the many highlights is the herbal walk with Wastl, a nationally recognized herbal educator. It is an interesting excursion into the rich world of wild herbs and fruits and Wastl will tell us everything about medicinal and poisonous plants and the importance of water. He will teach us something about the history, culture and food culture - the versatile use of herbs, shrubs and the trees. We walk to Wastl's "Herb Kitchen" at the romantic Mangfall River where he prepares some of his finest concoctions and dishes like soups, wild vegetables and herbs, vinegar, soft drinks, jellies, salads and more.
The Hasenöhrl-Hof is a 500 years old Bavarian farm reconstructed into a "state of the art" event location where we learn about the Bavarian food. During our "event" cooking course we find out many secrets of the Bavarian kitchen which spoil us with fresh, regional and seasonal food.
Other activities include a visit to a distillery of Bavarian single malt whisky, an organic dairy, a ride on a horse carriage, an open-air museum and a cooking class in a flower cladded traditional house.
Our final day takes us to the Austrian city of Salzburg and on our way we travel along the beautiful Chiemsee. There are several islands in the lake - the most famous is the Herreninsel. It has a palace built by King Ludwig II in 1878 called Herrenchiemsee, which was never completed but was meant to be a replica of the Palace of Versailles.
Our Hotels and Cuisine
The first two nights we stay in a charming hotel just above the Tegernsee Lake with a unique panorama view of the lake and the surrounding mountains. In the evening some culinary surprises are waiting for us. The next 4 nights we stay in a beautiful mountainous landscape at the foot of the Wendelstein Mountain, in the German Alps. It has a delicious restaurant, an indoor pool and excellent spa facilities.
The two dinners during our 2 days of cooking will be in the cozy dining rooms of our two private farm houses, enjoying our efforts from the day, together with some excellent local wines.
Walking Tour Combination
Departure dates have been arranged to allow both the "Flavours of Bavaria" and "Flavours of Provence" walks to be combined.
I recently spent a delightful 8 days in gorgeous Bavaria on the 'Flavours of Bavaria' walk. It was such an enjoyable 8 days spent with 2 wonderful guides, Nicole and Margret, both local Bavarian women. They shared their knowledge of their special place in Germany so we really got a feel for life there. The food was delicious, the cultural experiences both interesting and often fun. The day spent on the horse carriage meandering through the countryside near Schliersee was something I will never forget. I have always loved the Bavarian Alps and Lakes countryside but this walk made it even more special. It was truly a lovely way to spend 8 days in Europe. Thank you so much." Sandy from Melbourne VIC, Australia [2019]
We had a wonderful holiday. Margret and Nicole were fabulous guides, lots of fun and laughs. Both had incredible knowledge of the area as they lived there. There was much more than the walking though, being a Gourmet Walkabout Tour. We had some great meals and experiences in the countryside. We would recommend this holiday to anyone." Mary from Jamberoo NSW, Australia [2019]
Absolutely wonderful ladies-Nicole & Margrit! They showed us their beautiful Bavaria and went out of their way to accommodate everyones' needs and interests. The gourmet part of the trip was delicious and the walking was spectacular too! It was our first Gourmet Walkabout tour so we are pleased we could explore this region with true locals. The cooking classes were a lot of fun even though we think we have eaten enough dumplings to last us a lifetime! Thank you to everyone for making this trip so full of happy memories." Meredith & Mike, Canberra ACT, Australia [2017]
We were very satisfied with the two leaders, they tried to satisfy our needs, especially as I was not well." Deirdre, Centennial Park, NSW Australia [2017]
The week in Bavaria was very special indeed. We really enjoyed the company so much, you could not have chosen better companions. The little group blended so well and it was quite sad saying goodbye at the end after so much fun and laughter. It was a real bonus having Bavarian companions. Normally when touring one sees the country through different eyes, you see local people but never really have much contact with them. We enjoyed meeting and being with you, Anita, Margret, Nicole and Birgitta and learning a little about Bavarian customs and way of life. One special memory was the visit to the charming house where four generations of one family lived. It was special being invited into a typical Bavarian home and the dinner setting was quite romantic and reminded us of Chekov's play ' A Cherry Orchid. 'The cooking in the kitchen was homely (especially with the youngest member of the family, Helena, assisting). The meal was good (8 or 9 out of ten) but was eclipsed by the excellent meal we enjoyed at the second cooking event, which was quite different in style and had a slightly better more colourful menu (10+ out of 10)! The beauty of having these two cooking events with very different venues and styles made it more enjoyable and the order in which they occurred was good - from fairly simple but good to more elaborate and sophisticated. It would be a pity not to take other groups to experience the 'flavour' of a family meal and atmosphere and then to experience a sophisticated restaurant meal. Peter also appreciated chatting to Bavarian Peter at the private home. We also appreciated the visit to Margaret's home, which was not only attractive but also had a historical aspect too. Here too there was a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The little boat trips and ride with the horse and cart were all lovely surprises and the walks were pleasant especially the walk where we collected herbs and the lunch where we included the herbs in the various dishes. The best walk of the week was to Birkenstein. It was beautiful walking over the meadows and along tracks under the shady trees and this was a very fitting walk for the final walk and the weather too was kind to us on that day. This was a wonderful holiday - a week of delicious food, fabulous cooking events, great walks with magnificent scenery, visits to places of interest and private homes and little surprises every day. The best part of the week was the laughter and fun we experienced in the company of our Bavarian companions who together with Gabriela made our holiday so very enjoyable. Thank you Gabriela, Brigitta, Anita, Nicole and Margret for making this the most remarkable and memorable holiday." Peter and Heather from Melbourne VIC Australia [2016]
Flavours of Bavaria 
