Germany’s biggest state has an even bigger tourism offering with a new International Dark Sky Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, plus 365 days of festivals.
While arts and culture has always been a great reason to book a flight, travelling in search of unique food and drink offerings is on the rise, too, as is astrotourism.
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If you pick the right destination, there’s no reason to choose between them – which is exactly what Bavaria is proposing.
The biggest state in Germany, Bavaria has a big offer of “everything”, Claudia Mitchell, Partner and Network Manager at Bayern Tourismus Marketing told Euronews Travel at the ITB Berlin travel trade show.
“It has everything from nature, to culture, to cities, to quaint villages,” she said. “Plus, there’s always something going on. Even in winter, you’ll find festivals and traditional events.”
Light pollution-free stargazing
Best known for its nature offering, visitors head to the state for both the Bavarian Alps and the Bavarian Forest. But in recent years, visitors have cottoned on to a bonus feature of hiking out in nature: Away from the cities, you don’t encounter as much night pollution, making stargazing a possibility.
The state has worked to improve the experience for visitors, too – in 2025, Bavarian Forest Nature Park and Bavarian Forest National Park were recognised as an International Dark Sky Reserve after the state worked to reduce light pollution.
“There’s so little light there, it really is wonderful, it’s like a Sternenhimmel [starry sky] show more or less,” Mitchell said. “It’s really not disrupted by any city lights, and that’s beautiful.”
Embracing Bavarian culture in the beer houses – and palaces
Even those who have never been to Germany will have heard of the state’s capital and biggest city, Munich, and its annual Oktoberfest.
The city has a real love affair with beer, which is best enjoyed while wearing traditional dress like dirndl or lederhosen.
“It’s not that we put on our dirndl dresses and put up the beer benches as a show for tourists – the locals really go there,” Mitchell said.
“There’s this resonance between the locals and the tourists, it’s like diving into Bavarian culture during your holiday, and I think that is really unique.
“It’s not that you sit in a traditional beer restaurant on your own, you can always join people on the big tables and start a conversation. That’s what people take home in their memories, together with the beautiful countryside and the really wonderful cities”.
To learn more about this in 2026, be sure to check out the Bayerische Landesausstellung exhibition in Freyung.
Held annually in different cities, this year it is themed around music, and visitors can learn about the history of the different dances and the local customs associated with them.
Plus, another element of Bavarian culture hit the headlines last year, with the Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria being named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The palaces include Neuschwanstein, the inspiration behind Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle, as well as Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee.
365 days of festivals
While Oktoberfest is an obvious choice for when to visit Bavaria, there’s no bad time to hop on a flight or train to the state.
Highlights include the Christmas markets, which can be found in all the bigger cities and towns, as well as the summer festivals where you sit outside on beer benches and soak up the atmosphere.
“We always recommend trying to participate or be there when there are Bavarian festivals, because then you can really dive into the culture,” Mitchell added. “That’s what makes Bavaria so special – the Bavarian lifestyle.”
