It has been written that when checking into the Romantik Hotel Platzl, a traveler can be forgiven for mistakenly thinking they have stumbled into another place and time. Located in the heart of Munich’s historic center, the Platzl is a traditional gem and has been a Munich favorite since 1906.

A short stroll will bring you to Munich’s magnificent city hall and the city’s most elegant shopping district. This evening, a short walk will bring us to our favorite traditional restaurant here in Munich. Discretely hidden, it has been a favorite of Munich’s diners for more than 150 years.

We step into the full bustle of a Munich morning. Bakeries, food shops and boutiques brim with life. Yet after just a few minutes, we pass underneath an arch and into the serenity and beauty of the Royal Rose Garden. A variety of playful fountains dot the way as we follow the intricate pathways that lead us to one of this city’s most distinctive features.

The English Garden is one of the largest metropolitan parks in the world—larger than Hyde Park in London or Central Park in New York—and it borders every important neighborhood in Munich.  It offers the rare pleasure of a country walk in a European city center.

This evening, we will experience the delicate cuisine of one of Munich’s newest and most innovative chefs. This is not the fare you remember from your last visit to the Oktoberfest!

It is hard to believe that a mere 30 minutes will deliver us from the hustle of city streets to the silence of fields and forest. On a clear day, the Alps hover invitingly in the distance. On misty mornings, fog shrouds dense growths of pine and frames the farmhouses in a feathery glow.

Here we wander along silent country lanes through an ever-changing landscape as we make our way to a classic Bavarian guesthouse for lunch. Many of the cheeses, meats, fruits and greens served at our table come from the very farms that we passed along the way.

It is a short walk to our lakeside hotel in Ambach. As we approach along a bubbling stream, the waters of Lake Starnberg shimmer on the horizon.

Lake Starnberg, just a few miles southwest of Munich, is a calming surprise, reminiscent of the lakes of northern Italy. Lovely villas (both historic and modern) dot the shoreline, and the surrounding villages hum with peaceful energy. The only way to truly appreciate the splendor of the area is on foot, ambling from village to village and villa to villa.

Our path also passes the new and vital Buchheim Museum, which houses one of the world’s most important collection of Expressionist paintings. A visit here is a must! We also explore the Bernried Natural Park on our way to the lake’s southernmost tip.

This evening, we enjoy our final dinner on Lake Starnberg as the Austrian Alps beckon in the distance.

After just a short ride in our private van, we find ourselves at the end of a country lane surrounded by towering peaks on all sides. This is the Austrian Tyrol, and our walk today explores some of its lesser-known corners.

In between the shear rock walls of these peaks and the valley floor lies a region of lush, alpine woodland. Our path ambles along clear running streams and through mossy glades, and also passes by the occasional emerald green lake. It is a fairytale environment.

Just past midday, we break free of the woods. The vast expanse of the Inn Valley spreads out 2,000 ft. beneath us. It is a stunning view, and one that we will enjoy throughout lunch at a perfectly located mountain hut.

Our afternoon walk leads us past the ski jump of the 1976 Olympic Games and into the heart of Seefeld to our new home, the five-star Spa Hotel Klosterbrau.

Seefeld is a thriving resort village, beloved by Austrians, Germans and Italians alike. Shops, cafes and restaurants hum all day long. But just a few kilometers away, over a narrow pass, lies the unforgettable valley of Leutasch.

Beginning at the pass, a forest path leads us down to the valley floor where we exit these dense woods into a world of sweeping panoramas. As we wander from village to village, our perspective constantly changes as new groups of mountain peaks reveal themselves. The village life of Leutasch remains much the same today as in centuries past.

One last massage? A relaxing sauna or dip in one of the hotel’s pools? A little more people watching? It’s all possible in the hours before our final special meal together.

Seefeld offers convenient train connections to Innsbruck and Munich.

Whatever your travel plans, we will go over them with you and make sure that your continuing journey is as easy and effortless as possible.

Auf wiedersehen!