There are few places I find more beautiful than the Pacific Northwest, but Bavaria has quickly topped the list of most beautiful places I’ve lived. I love having a European launch pad for traveling, but I’m trying not to neglect the adventure and exploration within my “home” country of Germany. I took the plunge and bought myself a bike three weeks ago, and life hasn’t been the same since.
The freedom that a bike provides is nothing short of magical.
The bike paths here are amazing and endless. The paths connect between multiple surrounding towns and are at the base of the alps. I often have to remind myself this is indeed real life. I have ridden my bike nearly everyday since I bought it, and have quickly forgotten about my bike back home.
I bought a mountain bike so that I could ride anywhere. Some of the trails I hope to ride on will be a bit rugged, and a mountain bike will allow me more opportunities than a road bike would. One of my go to spots for a quick adventure is Farchant, a town about five miles from where I live. It doesn’t take long, and there are lots of hiking trails around.
It’s just enough to feel like I’m getting away from Garmisch for a bit.
I went on a post work bike ride a bit ago while headings towards Farchant, and stumbled upon something I had wanted to see for a while. There are some old castle ruins nearby, but still far enough away that it would be a commitment to walk to. I didn’t plan to find the ruins on that post work bike ride, but I did! It was such a fun discovery, and this is exactly why I enjoy going for bike rides without a specific destination.
I went back again a week later with my roommate to enjoy the view.
Another bike adventure I went on led me back to the Partnachklamm in Partenkirchen, where last time I visited I had to take a bus. I parked my bike at the entrance, walked through the gorge, and wandered past the gorge on one of the trails that leads to Kaiserschmarrn-Alm, another awesome mountain hütte. The hütte gets its name from a Bavarian dessert called Kaiserschmarrn which is a shredded fluffy pancake with powdered sugar and is accompanied by things like apples or cherries.
One of these days I will eat some, until then I’ll enjoy the view.
The final town I will share in this post is in the opposite direction, called Grainau. The bike path leading to Grainau is beautiful, and the town is adorable. Grainau is a bit smaller than Garmisch, but the church and cemetery in Grainau has a better backdrop. Grainau is home to a beautiful lake called Eibsee, which I will have a separate post about soon!
Church backdrop.
Life in Bavaria is lovely, but it’s been even better with a bike. If I have a hard day, or I’m just feeling anxious or emotional I hop on my bike and ride. I used to be able to use running as my outlet, but that’s no longer an option for me so biking is a less stressful option for my body with similar mental relief results. It helps living in such a picturesque location.
Having an outlet is so essential for stress relief, or even just to distract my mind from itself. I am thankful for the opportunity I have living in Germany, but I still have days where I struggle. Life happens no matter where you are, and eventually the honeymoon phase of a new place wears off and life just becomes life again.
It’s important to continue to do self improvement no matter where you are in the world.
I’m excited to explore more of Bavaria as the summer months approach, and to continue to grow as I explore.
Q: Do you enjoy biking in new places?
