Travel tips for your golden years

Independence is simply fantastic. If you’re not a fan of organised senior trips, it’s very convenient and easy to visit the most beautiful corners of Bavaria by train. Here are the best travel tips for people over 50.

Fans of crime fiction will enjoy going on the Kluftinger guided tour in Kempten – named after the famous fictional Bavarian detective from the books and films of the same name. The crime tour is particularly interesting; it includes viewing original settings and readings of passages from the books. The tour starts every first Friday of the month at 16:00. Arriving by train is easy: it is a 20-minute walk from the station to the town hall where the tour begins.

Therme Erding is the largest covered thermal bathing complex in the world and a paradise for sauna enthusiasts. Seasoned sauna-goers can climb the Celtic throne in the middle of the room in the Kelten-Thron-Sauna (Celtic throne sauna). The Rosensauna (rose sauna) features a sea of real roses, which release a beguiling fragrance into the warm environment. In the 60-degree Backstubensauna (bakery sauna), the scent of freshly baked bread wafts through the room, while in the Russian banya, visitors can experience a Russian sauna tradition – including the famous Wenik infusion with birch branches. In the Zirbelstube (pine room), bottles of non-alcoholic beer are distributed every two hours. This is a men-only area though.

A visit to the nature information centre in the Karwendel mountain range is definitely worth it – it’s also only a ten-minute walk from Mittenwald station to the Karwendelbahn cable car. Once you reach the top you get off right next to the nature information centre. Entry is free by the way. We highly recommend a visit to the information centre followed by a hike along the panoramic trail around the Karwendel trough. The trail goes all the way to the border between Bavaria and Tyrol. As the elevation is minimal, the hike only takes about an hour.

The Donausteig hiking trail begins in Passau and is a long-distance hiking trail. At 450 kilometres, it goes along the riverbank through Linz all the way to Grein, Upper Austria. Numerous paths into the hinterland branch off from the picturesque main trail. There are also trails suitable for occasional hikers here. If you prefer travelling by bike, you can rent an e-bike right from Passau station and take it through the Inntal valley all the way to Schärding. From there the cycle route takes you through Neuburg back to Passau.

If you’re interested in culture, you will discover so much at the Germanisches Nationalmuseum (Germanic national museum) in Nuremberg. German art and cultural objects have been displayed there since 1852. The architecture of the building is also worth seeing: elements of a medieval Carthusian monastery meet the simple, clean lines of the Bauhaus style. Looking for fortification after all that culture? Make a pit stop at the Handwerkerhof (artisan yard) on your way back to the station. The little half-timbered buildings are bustling with craftspeople selling their wares and rustic businesses offering Franconian dishes.