Travel

Tegernsee

Tegernsee is a lake in southern Bavaria just inside the foothills of the alps, not far from the Austrian border. It’s about an hour outside of Munich, and an easy day trip by car. The town is pretty touristy, but for good reason. The scenery is gorgeous, the air is fresh, and there’s tons of activities for everyone. The town has shopping, hiking, biking, lake sports and other outdoor activities. There’s a good selection of restaurants, hotels, and Gasthofs as well, several have spas.  Tegernsee is pretty fantastic in any season, though I’m partial to fall for the foliage colors.  You can find more information on their tourism website here: Tegernsee.

The fog kept rolling in and out while we walked around the lake.

Canoe out on the lake at Tegernsee with the fog rolling out.

Castle on the hill.

Duck on the water.

Across the lake from Tegernsee including the abbey.

Tegernsee Abbey

The abbey in Tegernsee (also known as the Imperial Abbey of Tegernsee or Kloster Tegernsee in German) is a former Benedictine abbey. It was originally founded in the 8th century, and has undergone a number of renovations over the years. The castle was eventually handed over to the Wittelsbach family, and was renamed Schloss Tegernsee (Tegernsee Castle) when it ceased to be an active abbey. It is one of the homes of Prince Max of Bavaria.

The abbey looked unassuming from the outside, and I wasn’t expecting much when we went in. I was so wrong.

I loved the details in this church, right down to the flowers on the pews.

And the ceiling. Just look at the ceiling

Ridiculously stunning, right?

Especially when you contrast it with the church pews. I loved the juxtaposition of the ornateness and the simplicity.

Tegernsee Bräustüberl

Next to the abbey there is a restaurant and brewery called the Tegernsee Bräustüberl. The Bräustüberl has indoor and outdoor seating. It has the authentic German restaurant feel, with long wooden tables, waiters carrying large beers to and fro, and a Bavarian band playing a variety of music, including traditional folk songs.  I was in a snacky sort of mood when we ate there and had the leberknödlsuppe (liver dumpling soup) and shared some baked Camembert topped with cranberries, along with a beer. It was good, and after walking around the lake and doing some shopping the hearty food they offered hit the spot.

These little ducks were getting ready to jump in for a swim outside. I just thought their march from the brewery to the water was adorable.

Apologies for the flare on the camera lens, but it was the only picture I had of the outdoor seating area with the view in the background. The chairs have blankets on them so you can keep warm while sitting outside in the fall weather.

I didn’t get many pictures inside but they have a tour of the inside of the restaurant on Google maps. Check it out:

Have you ever visited Tegernsee? Do you have a favorite lake town?