This picturesque town in the south-east of Bavaria has been the spiritual centre of the state for over 1250 years. Home to the best-known shrine in veneration of the Virgin Mary in Germany, the town is a popular pilgrimage destination. The region surrounding Altötting can be explored by foot or bicycle on one of the numerous pilgrimage routes such as St. James Way or the Benedict Trail, connecting the places where Pope Benedict XVI spent his youth. The town also hosts a beautiful and traditional Christmas market where a unique, homely atmosphere prevails in the town centre welcoming its visitors in quite a special way to the "nicest holy day of the year". You can also enjoy a lovely series of Christmas carol concerts which are performed with traditional Alpine folk instruments on Wednesday and Saturday throughout December in the beautifully decorated Basilica of St. Anne.

Architectural highlights in the town include the twin-towered Stiftskirche, a late Gothic church erected in the early years of the 16th century in order to cater for the growing affluence of pilgrims, and the huge Neo-baroque Basilica, built at the beginning of the 20th century.

Altötting is also ideally located for visits to nearby Oberammergau, famous for its Passion Play productions and traditional woodcarving, and can also be combined with trips to Munich, Passau, Salzburg and Lake Chiemsee.

There are also so many other parts of Germany to discover. Check out our Leipzig city breaks or hotels in Sylt, for example.