Any traveler enchanted by classic fairy tales will find a lot to love in Bavaria, Germany, where the atmospheric natural landscapes and charming small towns all feel straight out of a storybook. And clients who are up for going a bit off the beaten path can spend a few days exploring the region using the resort town of Bodenmais as their base of operations for a taste of local life.
Travelers should note that by getting out of Bavaria’s main tourist hubs (such as Munich and Passau), they will encounter fewer fluent English speakers and may need to rent a car to get around. That said, they will be rewarded by the gorgeous forest environments that draw Germans to the area for active opportunities, wellness escapes and immersion in nature.
Where to Eat
Restaurant Das Franz, located at Camping Resort Bodenmais, surprised me with its design-forward space and upscale cuisine (I admit, I wasn’t expecting it from a property dedicated to camping). The menu offers a variety of familiar dishes, such as wiener schnitzel and currywurst, as well as rotating specials. Standouts of my meal included a silky pumpkin soup perfect for the autumn season and kaspressknodel, a crispy-on-the-outside, cheesy-on-the-inside bread dumpling.
A plate of kaspressknodel from Restaurant Das Franz
Credit: 2025 Kelly Rosenfeld
In nearby Lam, travelers can break up a hiking day with a lunch stop at Zum Oedbauern, a charmingly rustic Bavarian restaurant that resembles a cabin in the woods. My delicious plate of cheesy spaetzle (essentially a German take on mac and cheese) came piping hot in a cast-iron dish — just the thing to warm me from the inside out post-hike.
Where to Stay
At Bodenmais’ wellness-focused Hotel Hofbräuhaus, clients will find an idyllic retreat. The hotel’s comfortable guestrooms have a minimalistic, contemporary aesthetic. Exposed-wood wall paneling and furnishings remind guests of the forest setting just outside; balconies also offer views of the town and surrounding nature (my autumn stay offered particularly vibrant scenes of the forest’s fall colors).
Hotel Hofbrauhaus is a wellness-focused retreat.
Credit: 2025 Hotel HofbrauhausEven better are the extensive wellness facilities, including multiple saunas, two indoor pools, relaxation rooms and an outdoor deck with a third pool and an expansive grassy area outfitted with loungers, overlooking a stunning panorama. Guests can also book spa treatments such as massages, facials and wellness baths — an ideal interlude between active days spent in nature.
What to Do
A must for any visitor to the area is Treetop Walk (or Baumwipfelpfad) Bavaria, located in the Bavarian Forest National Park in Neuschonau (about a 45-minute drive from Bodenmais). Here, elevated wooden pathways through the forest lead to a towering, egg-shaped structure. Once inside, travelers follow a path that winds upward around its perimeter, with open walls offering beautiful views with every step. And the 360-degree panoramas of the magical, misty forest from the open rooftop were so delightful, I didn’t even mind the rain that fell as I enjoyed them.
Clients can go for picturesque hikes in Lam.
Credit: 2025 travelpeter/stock.adobe.comFor a ground-level Bavarian forest experience, the municipality of Lam — located in the beautiful Lamer Winkel valley — is a great spot for hiking, with trails that wind past storybook cottages; traditional farms; and wooded areas filled with colorful mushrooms, vibrant green moss and winding streams (hiring a local guide is advisable).
