A Bavarian Alpine Village in the misty morning .. Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast part of the country .. it's one of the oldest states of Europe .. it was established as a duchy in the mid first millennium .. in the 17th century, the Duke of Bavaria became a prince elector of the holy roman empire of the German nation .. the Kingdom of Bavaria existed from 1806 to 1918, and Bavaria has since been a free republic state .. modern Bavaria also includes parts of the historical regions of Franconia, Upper Palatinate and Swabia..