The Bavarian Alps are paradise for the avid hiker.  There are several stunning, long distance trails like the Maximiliansweg, where you hike from Lake Constance to Berchtesgaden, or the popular Heilbronner Höhenweg in the Allgäu Alps. The best part of such high-level hiking is that you don’t have to interrupt your journey every evening to descend into the valleys, thanks to a network of mountain huts with accommodation run by alpine clubs and private companies.

The German Alpine Club or DAV (Deutscher Alpenverein) has over 300 such huts throughout Germany, many of them spread throughout the Bavarian Alps. Members of the Alpine Club get many benefits, including discounts on accommodations and cheaper meals and booking preference, but their huts are open to non-members as well.

The DAV huts are subdivided into three categories, starting with the most remote. Category One huts are generally at least an hour’s hike away from any mechanical transport, such as a chairlift. Members may book beds in these huts ahead of time, but non-members may not. (DAV states on its website that it is general practice for all its huts to keep 25 percent vacancy until the evening so that they can provide accommodation to hikers in case of emergency). If you are staying at a Category One hut, they will only have a small food and drink selection, so you should plan on bringing extra refreshments.

Category Two huts are generally less rustic and have more meal options. They are also closer to mechanised transport. Members still have booking priority over non-members, but non-members may book ahead of time.

Category Three huts are the most accessible by road or mechanised transport, have limited overnight accommodation and generally cater to day visitors.

The Alpine Club’s sleeping arrangements vary from dormitory style, to bunk beds (four to a room); some even have private family rooms and double rooms. In the private rooms, there’s usually bedding provided, although it’s best to check. But in the dormitory-style rooms (Matratzenlager) which only have mattresses on the floor, and sometimes accommodate up to 40 people, you need to bring your own sleeping bag. Prices range from €10 to €25+, with cheaper fees for children and students.

When planning your hiking itinerary, it’s important to call and find out if the hut will be open and has availability. Huts nowadays have phones and most of them even their own website (just Google the hut’s name) and hut guardians usually speak some English. There’s no central agency, so you have to call the hut directly, as only they have the latest availability records.

A few huts are open year round, whilst most others are only open from late spring to early autumn. Some are closed one day a week.

The German Alpine Club has information on membership, and a database of alpine huts.

Magdalena Seifert is a seasoned traveller, enthusiastic walker, nature lover and a qualified Mountain Leader, originally from Bavaria. Her website offers a directory of hiking-friendly accommodation throughout Germany in general, and also about the German Alpine region, particularly for the English-speaking market.

Did you have any previous experience of travelling in Germany?

Only passing through airports until I went to Berlin for the first time about five or six years ago. I am completely captivated by this effervescent vital city – I love the contrasting architecture, the nightlife, the art scene and the people.

Can you pick a favourite from all the places you explored for Wanderlust?

The Baltic coastline really stands out in my mind.  Prora, Hitler’s Holiday camp is something that you’ll never forget once seen; the colossal ambition and size of the project is breathtaking.  The stunning chalk cliffs that Caspar David Friedrich so loved to paint are stunning.

You’ve been hiking literally all over the world. Was there anything on your German walks that particularly stood out?

The Amselfall in Saxony – a coin operated waterfall!

Your walks were themed around Romanticism. Were there any indications during your trip that the Germans are more romantic than the British?

An artist we interviewed is convinced that Germans became a great nation because of the Romantics, who looked at England, Italy and France as the great cultural nations. The poor Germans were burdened by a harsh climate and strict moral codes, “no wine, women and song” , so where could they get their inspiration from? The Romantics drew their inspiration from strolling through the countryside. Perfect. Personally, I didn’t notice any overtly romantic gestures while I was walking through the hills and nobody surprised me with flowers…

Why should British ramblers consider Germany as a travel destination?

Most Germans understand and are willing to speak English, it’s easy to reach and the Germans are very hospitable. Culturally it’s interesting because we’ve actually got a lot in common, but we’re quite different. There are so many beautiful spots to discover, which are quite untouched by mass tourism.

Please complete: Germany is Wunderbar because …

… they make splendid cars, frothy beer and a great Schnitzel – as long as you get to the restaurant before 8pm. And there are so many fairytale castles, it is ridiculous!

See our pages on the Baltic Coast, Bavaria, and Saxony for more on Julia’s stamping grounds.

Personalised Wanderlust DVDs are available from Julia’s website, www.juliabradbury.com

Bavaria may be the home of BMW and Audi, but there are still some age-old rural traditions that surprise even visitors from other parts of Germany. One of which is the annual festival which celebrates the return of the prodigal cows, the Viehscheid. Because here the cows really do come home, every autumn, after having spent their summers up in the mountains.

The leading cow is adorned with flowers and spruce

The Viehscheid (and its close partner the Almabtrieb) are part and parcel of the same thing, and both are particularly celebrated in the alpine region of the Allgäu. At the beginning of the summer, when the vegetation has really started to grow up in the mountains, cattle are herded up into high alpine pastures, where the herbal grasses are particularly good for their physical condition. Here they’ll be looked after by a cowherd or team of cowherds and their dogs, who’ll continue to do all the daily milking, fence mending etc necessary, and sometimes also offer milk, cheese and other forms of refreshment to passing walkers. This tradition of almost nomadic pastoralism, still very widespread in eastern Europe, involves around 50,000 cows in Germany.

Come the end of September, when it starts to get colder, the herdsmen bring them down again (the Almabtrieb). To celebrate that there were no cattle injuries or losses during their stay high up in the mountains, the leading cow is adorned with flowers, spruce, and sometimes a cross or mirror to deflect evil spirits. All the cows wear big cowbells, polished especially for this occasion. Upon arrival at the village green, the cows are separated from each other (the Viehscheid), the herdsman calls out the name of the owners and each owner takes care of his cows, presumably grateful that his investment has been returned, safe and sound, and hopefully considerably fatter.

There is always a big party when the cows come home, with a large beer-tent, an orchestra playing, etc. One of the specialities served will be the Hirtenkäse, a distinctive cow’s cheese from the milk of the cows who participated in the Almabtrieb.

And, like many rural rituals, this is an excuse for romantic reunions; after a long hot summer in the mountains, the herdsmen are usually desperate to talk to anything female that doesn’t moo or have hooves.

Overview of Viehscheid dates (site in German only).

For general information on the Viehscheid in Bavaria and travelling there see www.bayern.by and www.allgaeu.info.