Merkel had hoped to use the picture-book setting of lush Bavarian meadows and magnificent mountain peaks to showcase the homely side of Europe's biggest economy while searching for consensus on a catalogue of pressing global issues.
Instead, the event threatens to be overshadowed by two leaders who are absent, said the Munich daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung, referring to Tspiras and Putin.
A day after thousands protested against the G7 in largely peaceful rallies, a handful of protesters staged a sit-in Sunday to block the main access road to the castle, meaning journalists were transported by helicopter to the location.
The protesters told AFP they had managed to sneak through the woods unnoticed by police, despite the presence of over 22,000 officers who set up a ring of steel around the summit venue.
afp
