Discover Lake Tegernsee from the shore, along marked trails and on a boat tour. It covers around nine square kilometres, is six kilometres long and about one and a half kilometres wide. There are numerous swimming spots around the lake; Lake Tegernsee also has drinking-water quality. A boat tour on one of the distinctive Tegernsee ships offers one way to explore the lake and its surroundings. Along the way, you’ll encounter different perspectives on the water and landscape.
Monastery History and Culture in the Tegernsee Valley
According to tradition, Adalbert and Otkar founded Tegernsee Abbey in 746. In the Middle Ages, it was an important spiritual and cultural centre. Until 1803, the parish church of St. Quirinus served as the abbey church of Upper Bavaria’s most important Benedictine abbey. The foundation story and the church’s former role offer two historical perspectives on monastic life at Tegernsee.
Since 1999, the Tegernseer Tal Museum has used 17 rooms and around 850 exhibits to present the culture and history of a region of Old Bavaria with a rich heritage. The collection includes objects from the 14th to the 20th century. This takes the historical view well beyond the medieval history of the monastery, encompassing many centuries of regional culture.
Trails Between Lake and Mountains
For hiking, the Tegernsee mountains offer more than 650 kilometres of marked trails. For more specific guidance, there is the Tegernsee Höhenweg: it is a section of the 34-kilometre Panoramaweg around Lake Tegernsee.
The Höhenweg is an easy hike along a ridge about 100 metres above the lake, passing through forest and meadows to Gasse in Gmund. The information answers different planning questions: the more than 650 kilometres describe the marked hiking network in the Tegernsee mountains, while details of the Höhenweg include its terrain, elevation and destination. When planning, consider which of these points of reference will be useful for your hike.
A Look at the Wider Region
In the wider region, the Wallbergbahn takes visitors comfortably and safely up the scenic Wallberg. From there, panoramic views extend across Lake Tegernsee and the Alps. The cable car is a major attraction for the Tegernsee holiday region. It welcomes local residents, visitors from the surrounding area and holidaymakers, including day-trippers, families with children, experienced mountain hikers, nature lovers and paragliders. The Wallberg offers another way to experience the mountains, complementing what you can discover during a stay around the lake.
Art and Winter Balloon Flights
The Tegernsee Art Exhibition has been held annually since 1949. The Tegernseer Tal Montgolfiade has also been part of the local winter programme for more than two decades. It attracts numerous balloonists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland each year. Passenger flights offer views stretching from the Tegernsee mountains to the main Alpine ridge. If you’d like to plan your trip around an exhibition or the Montgolfiade, check the current dates and programme details in advance.
Getting Here and Exploring the Lake
The RB 57, operated by Bayerische Regiobahn, runs from Munich Central Station via Holzkirchen to Tegernsee. Before setting off, check the current timetable and any service disruptions to plan your journey.
You can also explore the surroundings on the water: a boat tour on one of the Tegernsee ships is one option. If you’re planning a trip, check the current timetable. That way, you can take both the train connection and a possible boat trip into account when planning for your travel date.
Discover more destinations: Regensburg, Freising, Forchheim, Eichstätt, Rhön-Grabfeld, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Neustadt A.D.Aisch-Bad Windsheim, Aichach-Friedberg.
For the main travel overview: Bavaria.
