Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
strasse north and turn right on Schenkendorfstrasse. Then take the A9 north and the A92
to the Freising-Mitte exit.
Starnberger Fünf-Seen-Land
Once a royal retreat and still a popular place of residence with the rich and famous, the
Fünf-Seen-Land (Five Lakes District) is set in a glacial plain and makes a fast and easy
escape from the urban bustle of Munich. Organised tourism in these parts is very much a
seasonal affair, but any time is good for hiking and cycling.
The largest lake is the 21km-long, narrow and much-loved
Starnberger See (Lake
Starnberg)
, nicknamed Munich's bathtub and ringed by a necklace of resorts, including
Starnberg, Berg and Possenhofen. The road linking all these communities can get terribly
clogged, especially on summer weekends. It also rarely skirts the lake shore, much of
which is privately owned. There is, however, a paved trail dedicated to biking and walk-
ing along the shore. Circumnavigating the entire lake (50km) takes about 12 hours on foot
and four hours by bike.
The other lakes - Ammersee, Pilsensee, Wörthsee and Wesslinger See - are smaller and
offer more secluded charm. Swimming, boating and windsurfing are popular activities on
all lakes, and the district is also criss-crossed by a whopping 493km network of bike paths
and 185km of hiking trails.
This area has long been a favourite with Bavarian nobility. The 19th-century fairy-tale
king Ludwig II had a soft spot for the Starnberger See. That is until he mysteriously
drowned in the lake on the eastern shore. Ludwig's bosom buddy, Empress Sisi of Austria
(1837-98), spent many a summer staying in Possenhofen on the western shore. The lakes
area is still a favourite stomping ground for central Europe's estateless nobility. The
present head of the Wittelsbach family, the art-loving Duke Franz, still uses Ludwig's
former palace in Berg.
Sights
STARNBERG
The century-old town of Starnberg is the northern gateway to the lake district but lacks
any lasting allure, meaning most visitors head straight on to other towns or sites along the
lake's edge. The train station is just steps from the cruise-boat landing docks, pedal-boat
hire, the regional tourist office and the
Museum Starnberger See
( 08151-772 132;
www.museum-starnberger-see.de
;
Possenhofener Strasse 5, enter on Bahnhofsplatz;