Bavaria used to be an independent kingdom and you can visit the royal castles built by the former kings in the mountains. It joined the German Empire in 1861 and has been part of Germany ever since. It is the largest federal-state in contemporary Germany. Bavarians are generally more conservative than other Germans and the traditions of the past generations are alive and well in this scenic region of Central Europe. Roman Catholicism also plays an important role in local customs and culture and the Bavarian Alps are home to many beautiful churches and shrines. In particular the road side shrine is a common site as in neighboring Tyrol. http://wikitravel.org/en/Bavarian Alps