König-Ludwig-Weg Gesamttour Landroute

The wonderful combination of the landscape that Ludwig loved so much and the cultural treasures it holds is a real treat. Everywhere there is plenty to look at and marvel at, to admire and enjoy. All this is embedded in a dreamlike landscape with idyllic lakes and unique panoramas such as from the Hoher Peißenberg, the highest point of the trail at 988 m above sea level. From Starnberg via the world-famous Andechs Monastery, this trail leads to the Marienmünster in Dießen am Ammersee and on to the Wessobrunn Monastery, over the Hoher Peißenberg (988 m above sea level) and through the Ammer Gorge to Rottenbuch. The Wieskirche church, the Guelph Minster in Steingaden and the royal castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau form the conclusion of this scenically impressive and culturally eventful hike.

The route is divided into five easy to hike daily stages:

1st stage: Berg - Dießen, 8 hours, 32.6 km

2nd stage: Dießen - Paterzell, 4:45 hours, 17.2 km

3. Stage: Paterzell - Hohenpeißenberg, 3:45 hours, 13 km

Stage 4: Hohenpeißenberg - Rottenbuch, 4:00 hours, 13 km

5. Stage: Rottenbuch - Prem, 6:00 hours, 22.4 km

Stage 6: Prem - Füssen, 6:45 hours, 24.6 km

Of course, the royal castles in Schwangau and Hohenschwangau near Füssen are particular highlights of this long-distance hiking trail. Nature enthusiasts will get their money's worth in the Ammerschlucht - the Grand Canyon of Upper Bavaria - between Peiting and Rottenbuch. Another highlight is the UNESCO World Heritage Wieskirche near Steingaden.

Hiking without luggage

King service - just enjoy, no ballast. Your luggage will be transported to the hotel reserved for you by the tour operator. You can discover the magnificent Bavarian Alpine foothills without a care in the world.

The King Ludwig Trail is offered in four variants with 6-9 overnight stays, the LechErlebnisWeg with 6 overnight stays. The package deals with accommodation, luggage transport and hiking maps can be booked at:

• Feuer und Eis Touristik GmbHTM, Südliche Hauptstrasse 33, 83700 Rottach-Egern, Tel. 08022-66364-0, hallo@feuerundeis.de, www.feuer-eis-touristik.de/wanderreise-koenig-ludwig-weg
• Alpenland-Touristik, Postfach 101313, 86833 Landsberg a. Lech, Tel. 08191-308620, Fax 08191-4913, www.alpenlandtouristik.de, info@alpenlandtouristik.de

Stage 1: Berg - Dießen, 8 hours, 32.6 km

The trail starts in Berg am Starnberger See at the Votive Chapel and leads along the idyllic lakeshore past Berg Castle to Starnberg. It continues through the romantic Maisinger Gorge up to Andechs Monastery. After a refreshment stop, the route leads through the Kiental valley to Herrsching. You finally reach Dießen by excursion steamer.
Variant Herrsching-Dießen: Take the alternative country route from Herrsching south along the shores of Lake Ammersee and via Raisting with its impressive earth station to Dießen. Alternatively, the route continues directly from Raisting to Wessobrunn. (Herrsching-Dießen: 19 km, Herrsching-Raisting: 14 km, Raisting-Wessobrunn: 11 km)

2nd stage: Dießen - Paterzell, 4:45 hours, 17.2 km

Past the Dießen Marienmünster, the trail leads through dreamy forests and meadows to Wessobrunn. Worth seeing here are the memorial stone to the "Wessobrunn Prayer", the monastery and the Tassilo lime tree. The route then continues along a romantic stream ditch up to Schönwag and over a spring slope to Paterzell with the largest yew forest in Germany.

Stage 3: Paterzell - Hohenpeißenberg, 3:45 hours, 13 km

This slightly longer stage begins with a climb through the hillside forest to St. Leonhard and continues up the Hoher Peißenberg with a magnificent panoramic view of the Alpine chain.

4th stage: Hohenpeißenberg - Rottenbuch, 4:00 hours, 13 km

The route continues down into the wild and romantic Ammertal valley. The hike through the Ammer Gorge is one of the scenic highlights of the entire tour. Leaving the Ammer gorge, the trail climbs once again and leads up to Rottenbuch.

Stage 5: Rottenbuch - Prem, 6:00 hours, 22.4 km

The trail leaves Rottenbuch through the southern gate building and continues over gentle hills to Wildsteig. Alternating between forest and meadows, the route now reaches the Wieskirche UNESCO World Heritage Site. From here, you first cross the Wiesfilz on the "Brettleweg" and pass through the dark owl forest to Steingaden, which has many places of interest (Welfenmünster, cloister, monastery garden). The route continues over a small hump with a magnificent view of the Alpine chain to Urspring and through a beautiful moor to Prem. Alternative: From the Wieskirche church, you can also hike further south towards the mountains. After the Birnbaumer Filz and smaller hamlets, this variant finally ends in Trauchgau.

Stage 6: Prem - Füssen, 6:45 hours, 24.6 km

The trail continues to meander along the Lech and always with a view of the Alpine chain, across lush green meadows and past small bathing lakes. At Kühmoossee lake, the trail rejoins the variant via Trauchgau and continues between Forggensee and Bannwaldsee lakes to the Pöllatschlucht gorge at the foot of Neuschwanstein Castle. Via Hohenschwangau Castle, Schwansee Park and the Kalvarienberg, the trail leads to Füssen's old town and Kaiser-Maximilian-Platz, the end point of the King Ludwig Trail.

Hiking map of Pfaffenwinkel, scale 1:40,000, HW-Verlag, nominal fee EUR 1, available from the Pfaffenwinkel Tourist Office, www.pfaffen-winkel.de