Bad Tolz grows from the Isar, the river that rushes down from the Alps toward Munich, and the town's main street, the Marktstrasse, climbs a steep slope above the water, lined with painted houses with gabled fronts and carved signs. At the top stands the Kalvarienberg, a hill with a baroque chapel and a view across the roofs to the Alps. The name Bad means spa, and it was the tapping of iodine-rich springs in the nineteenth century that gave the town its status, though the mountains and the old town are the real draw.
Bavaria is full of traditions, and Bad Tolz keeps one of the most colourful: every year on 6 November, the Leonhardifahrt, a procession of decorated wagons pulled by teams of horses, climbs the hill to the chapel of Saint Leonard, the patron saint of livestock. Men in traditional dress, women in dirndls and brass bands fill the streets, and the horses wear garlands and ribbons. The town is also known for its boys' choir, the Tolzer Knabenchor, one of the best in Germany.
For riders, the town sits at the entrance to the Bavarian Alps, and the roads leaving it are among the finest in Germany. To the south, the road leads to Lenggries and the Sylvenstein lake, with views of the Karwendel range, and farther on to the Walchensee and Kochelsee, where the road rises and bends beside deep, green water. The surface is excellent, traffic is heavy on summer weekends, and speed limits are enforced. The Blomberg, a hill with a summer toboggan run, is a popular family outing.
Bad Tolz has about 17,000 people, so there is fuel at several stations, supermarkets, bakeries and restaurants. A weisswurst breakfast, with sweet mustard and a pretzel, is a local ritual. Rooms fill quickly in summer. Early morning is the best time to ride, before the day-trippers arrive from Munich, and the evening light on the mountains is beautiful.