Organ culture at the Old Castle, hiking tours along the Mangfall, and other options for culture and activity give a stay in Valley a range of different focuses. There is also a collection of stone sculptures, a golf course, brewery tours, and cross-country ski trails. For your planning, the first question is whether you are mainly interested in history and architecture or would like to set aside time for outdoor activities. The train stations in the districts of KreuzstraĂźe and Darching are also useful reference points for your journey.
Getting there: two train stations in Valley
Valley has a train station in the district of Kreuzstraße on the Mangfall Valley Railway. A second station is in Darching. There, the Bayerische Oberlandbahn operates the Holzkirchen–Bayrischzell line every hour. If you are travelling by train, check which of the two stations is the best fit for your destination in Valley. It is also worth checking the timetable for your travel day when planning a specific journey.
Organ Centre and castle history
The Organ Centre in Valley’s Old Castle is considered the world’s largest organ museum. The collection includes more than 60 organs, 24 of which can be played. Tours of the historic rooms offer insights into the organ’s significance in world history and its technology. If you would like to explore these topics in greater depth, you can make the Organ Centre a cultural highlight of your stay; check the date in advance if you would like to take a tour.
Valley’s Old Castle houses the oldest secular building in the Miesbach district and one of Bavaria’s oldest courthouse buildings. From the High Middle Ages until 1848, the courthouse served continuously as the court and administrative office of the County. The Zollinger Hall also has its own history of use: from 1923 to 1999, it served as a sawmill hall, and in 2001 it was relocated to Valley’s Old Castle. Since 2003, it has served there as the organ museum’s music and event hall. Today, the Old Castle serves as an organ museum, regularly hosting highly acclaimed cultural and musical events.
The Mangfall, hiking, and sculptures
The Mangfall winds through Valley’s landscape on the Munich gravel plain, described as unspoilt and pristine. Relaxed hiking routes follow the river, passing mills and unspoilt nature. This lets you combine a cultural focus with time in the landscape, while keeping the two experiences distinct: at the castle, the focus is on organs and architectural history; while hiking, it is on the Mangfall and its surroundings.
Another cultural stop is the SKULPTUR-LICHTUNG in Hohendilching. More than 20 monolithic stone sculptures by sculptors from around the world are on display there. Comparing it with the Organ Centre makes the different themes clear: here you encounter individual works in stone; there, an extensive collection of instruments and insights into organ technology.
Golf, brewery, and cross-country skiing
Golf Valley in Valley offers a 27-hole championship course amid the Upper Bavarian landscape. Its practice facilities include a spacious driving range. The Valley Castle Brewery regularly runs brewery tours and beer seminars, offering a different way to experience the town than its museum or nature attractions.
In winter, Valley has cross-country ski trails with views of the nearby mountains. The trails add a seasonal activity to the options; if you plan to use them, check the current conditions in advance. This lets you choose between culture, hiking, golf, brewery tours, and cross-country skiing rather than trying to fit every activity into one stay.
Discover more destinations: Mitterdarching, Irschenberg, Fischbachau, Schliersee, Rottach-Egern, Weyarn, Warngau, Bayrischzell.
To the main travel overview: Miesbach.
