For anyone out there who appreciates the clean air of Upper Bavaria, then I’d suggest to you the town of Brannenburg, located on the edge of the jagged Alps, through which the German Alpine Road runs.
Ohh, is that Austria I see? It sure is. However, there’s too much to do right here to worry about that. ;-)
Yeah, sure, Brannenburg’s got the traditional sightseeing of old churches and lots of festivals, of course. And just so you know, it offers so many outdoor recreational activities that’ll keep yourself beyond busy — no matter what season it is.
For the sake of this conversation, we’ll hit up the old buildings, OK?
The Church of the Assumption is a good starting point, it was built in 1772. St. Margaret’s is way older than that — this Grande Dame has been here for more than 500 years. And the Pilgrimage Church of St. Mary Magdalene has had pious visitors come visit for centuries.
Speaking of religious treks, Brannenburg falls along the Way of St. James; you know, that route for Pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. You’ll know when you’re on it, because you’ll keep seeing the blue sign with the yellow shell.
I’d also suggest you visit the Artist Colony, which has been around since the 19th century. There’s always something going on around here to tickle your inner artist, with everything from art exhibits to poetry readings.
It’s quite easy to tap into your artistic side here — the craggy mountain peaks of the Alps will do that to you. You will, however, have to have some sense of adventure if you’re going go mountain biking or mountain climbing on them. The marked hiking trails will take anywhere from an hour up to good eight hours. Or, for some biking on more level ground, have a go on a portion of the Innradweg (Inn Bike Trail) along the Inn River.
Rather spend that time doing something else? How about Nordic Walking, a guided Orchid Hike, swimming, tennis, or learning something new on the Naturerlebnis-Pfad (Nature Adventure Path)? Ha, and I haven’t even gotten to the winter sports yet — there’s cross-country skiing, tobogganing, sledding, and snowshoeing.
Forget it, I’m heading to the Beer & Wine Festival (every May), or the Spring Festival (April), or maybe to watch the Corpus Christi Procession. And the moonlight rides on the Old Railway are quite romantic.
Didn’t I tell you there was too much to do here to worry about Austria? ;-)
