Home to some of the world’s oldest and finest Christmas markets, Bavaria is the German region touching Lake Constance and the Austrian and Czech borders. Although evoking images of beer, lederhosen and fairytale castles, it’s much, much more than that.

Famous for Oktoberfest, its capital Munich has impressive architecture lining squares and parks, and several luxury Bavaria hotels on Booking.com. To the north, Nuremberg is a city of 2 halves: a picture-postcard old town and grandiose Nazi rally grounds housing a sensitive museum.

With a stately palace and gardens, Erlangen is on the Regnitz River which continues to beautiful Bamberg where one of the half-timbered buildings hovers above the flowing river. Bayreuth is well-known for opera performances of Wagner, a former resident, while Regensburg on the Danube River has a beautiful, medieval centre.

Unsurprisingly, most romantic Bavaria hotels are on the Romantic Road between Würzburg, with its hilltop castle, and Füssen in the foothills of the Alps. Neighbouring Hohenschwangau has 2 royal castles, one of which – Neuschwanstein – inspired the Disney castle. Oberammergau has frescoed façades and hosts a 10-yearly Passion Play, and nearby Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a top German ski resort, with Tyrolean-style houses overlooked by Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain.

Back on the Romantic Road, Augsburg has colourful buildings, and Rothenburg ob der Tauber is like stepping back in time.