König Ludwig Way (Königsweg)

The König Ludwig Way runs 120 km through the foothills and low Alps of Upper Bavaria, linking Starnberg on Lake Starnberg to Füssen near Neuschwanstein Castle. The trailhead at Starnberg is reached directly by S-Bahn line S6 from central Munich, making the start easily accessible without a car; the finish at Füssen has a regional rail connection back to Munich via Buchloe. No permit is required, and the route is waymarked throughout with the Bavarian blue-white diamond (Rauten) symbol, so navigation is straightforward for anyone comfortable following a long-distance trail. Most hikers complete the full distance over five to eight days, covering roughly 15-25 km per stage with a cumulative elevation gain of about 4,200 m; individual days involve rolling hills rather than sustained alpine climbs, and the technical difficulty stays in the moderate T2-T3 range with no exposure or scrambling. Underfoot the surface alternates between farm tracks, forest paths, and short stretches of quiet asphalt through villages, with shade varying from open pasture to dense forest along the Ammer Gorge. Notable landmarks along the way include the Ammerschlucht gorge, the baroque monastery at Kloster Ettal, Linderhof Palace and its former royal hunting grounds, the Tegelbergbahn cable car, and the Alpsee lake at the foot of Neuschwanstein near the finish. Hikers who cannot commit to the full multi-day route can use the rail network to hike individual stages and return to a base, effectively turning the trail into a series of day walks. Water and food are available in the villages passed each day, and overnight accommodation is in Gasthöfe (village inns) along the route rather than mountain huts, so no wild camping or hut booking system is involved. Because there is no true wilderness section, a sensible turn-around point on any stage is simply the next village with a rail or bus connection.