The wider travel region around Rosenheim combines landscape history with cultural destinations and seasonal experiences. This offers a range of themes to focus on when planning your trip: geotopes and moorland, historic sites, museums, or activities on the Wendelstein and at Hartsee. Tourism in the district of Rosenheim and its municipalities is promoted jointly under the Chiemsee-Alpenland Tourismus brand. If you are looking for accommodation in Rosenheim, you can start by deciding which of these themes you would like to shape your stay.
Ice Age Traces, Moorland and Rock
East of the Fischbach district lies the “Gletscherschliff,” a natural monument and geotope. The Ice Age Inn Glacier left behind smoothed rocks here; the well-preserved rock formations can be visited. Hikes in the “Freimoos” landscape conservation area are considered particularly appealing. The moorland educational trail, established in 2010 between Amerang and Halfing, explains how the moorland landscape formed after the Ice Age and which animal and plant species are native there.
At the Hinterhör millstone quarry, by contrast, the focus is on the use of the rock: from 1572 to 1860, the area was used to quarry sharpening and millstones. The quarry is now considered a tourist highlight because of the distinctive surface texture of its rock walls, and is one of Bavaria’s 100 most significant geotopes. Together, these sites illustrate two different chapters in the history of the landscape: natural formation by ice and the later extraction of rock.
Wendelstein: Cave, Trails and Bus Route
At 300 metres long, the Wendelstein Cave is Germany’s highest show cave. Four interactive information stations explore geology, biology, psychology and philosophy. This mix of topics combines natural history with questions from other fields of knowledge.
For hiking, themed Wendelstein trails lead to the mountain from Brannenburg, Bad Feilnbach, Bayrischzell and Fischbachau; there are also routes to nearby peaks and a geology loop trail on the mountain. One challenging option is the Wendelstein-Hochsalwand circular hike BR1: it starts at the valley station of the Wendelsteinbahn in Brannenburg, passes through the Zeller Scharte and reaches the peaks of the Wendelstein and Hochsalwand. As conditions can vary, check the latest conditions before setting out.
The Wendelstein Ring Line, MVV route 349, serves numerous hiking trailheads around the Wendelstein and connects, among other places, Flintsbach am Inn, Brannenburg, Bad Feilnbach, Fischbachau, Bayrischzell and Schliersee. It operates from 1 May to 8 November; check the latest timetable before travelling.
Market Squares, Castles and Museums
Every summer, the annual market illumination in Neubeuern transforms the historic market square into a festival of lights with thousands of candles. It is one of the traditional events in the Upper Bavarian Inn Valley. The “In the Footsteps of the Boatmen” Schiffleut hiking trail has eleven stations and recalls the history of shipping on the Inn. The museum in the Kulturhaus im Markt provides information about Neubeuern’s past.
Hartmannsberg Castle serves as a cultural venue and hosts concerts and exhibitions. It is not open to the public and cannot be visited outside of events. Concerts are also held at Amerang Castle. Its 900-year-old architecture and three-storey arcaded courtyard provide acoustics regarded as unparalleled. The museum in the castle offers insights into the architecture of the castle and the history of the noble family.
The Amerang Farmhouse Museum of the District of Upper Bavaria showcases farmhouses, craft buildings and technical installations from the Chiemgau region. The Amerang open-air museum offers individual guided tours and group activities. Advance arrangements may be necessary, so confirm your preferred offering before visiting. Another collection, EFA Mobile Zeiten, is dedicated to milestones in German automotive history.
Seasonal Differences and Local Public Transport
Activities at Hartsee change with the seasons: in summer, the lake is a great place for swimming. The Hartsee recreation area has children’s play equipment, two beach volleyball courts, a basketball court and a mini football pitch. In winter, visitors go ice-skating and play Bavarian curling on Hartsee. You can therefore plan your trip around summer swimming and ball games or winter activities.
Guest cards can also be important when planning local public transport: in the district of Rosenheim, they allow overnight guests to use public transport in their region free of charge under certain conditions. Within the MVV network, this applies to all integrated transport services as well as second-class regional trains. Whether this arrangement applies to your stay depends on the guest card you receive.
Discover more destinations: Oberaudorf, Bernau am Chiemsee, Brannenburg, Wasserburg am Inn, Rosenheim, Rohrdorf, Rimsting, Prien am Chiemsee, Nußdorf am Inn, Neubeuern, Kolbermoor, Eiselfing, Halfing, Frasdorf, Feldkirchen-Westerham, Bad Endorf, Eggstätt, Bruckmühl, Bad Feilnbach, Bad Aibling, Gstadt am Chiemsee, Riedering, Rott am Inn, Flintsbach am Inn, Schechen, Chiemsee, Kiefersfelden, Aschau im Chiemgau, Höslwang, Raubling, Breitbrunn am Chiemsee, Samerberg, Stephanskirchen, Pfaffing, Albaching, Amerang, Babensham, Edling, Griesstätt, Großkarolinenfeld, Prutting, Ramerberg, Söchtenau, Soyen, Tuntenhausen, Vogtareuth.
For the main travel overview: Bavaria.
