2018-06-03Our «home route» through the wonderfully beautiful Alpine foothills. Starting from Munich and heading south towards the mountains. But not directly — of course there will be a treat or two along the way. And the first one is Lake Starnberg. It is beautifully situated where, on a clear day, the Alps tower majestically in the background. This is where King Ludwig II of Bavaria drowned under mysterious circumstances in 1886 — although at that time it was still called «Würmsee». From Starnberg the route continues in the direction of the Andechs Monastery, which is now well known outside of Germany, too, not least because of its superb beer. It was built from 1423 to 1427 and still houses Benedictine monks today. Ammersee lake is situated a few kilometers further. It is slightly smaller than Lake Starnberg but boasts the same impressive panorama of the Alps. After one last look across the lake we continue to Kochel via Weilheim. Here, in the picturesque surroundings between the Kochelsee and Walchensee lakes, is where one of the most famous motorcycle routes in the south of Germany starts: the Kesselberg. Wide turns alternate with narrow hairpin bends, a climb of 240 m over 9 km — in short: a perfect track. No wonder then, that car and motorcycle races took place here at the beginning of the last century as well as in the 20s and 30s. Today, drivers take the route in a more relaxed way enjoying the turns and, above all, the view which opens up on the left-hand side to show the Walchensee lake. Definitely worth a picture! Please be aware though, that the Kesselberg route is closed to motorcycles at weekends and public holidays. A few more kilometers uphill, a right turn towards Garmish-Partenkirchen, the last straight (definitely don't miss the view of the Kochelsee lake!) and we arrive in Garmish-Partenkirchen.
Author: sjeberg
Tourstart.org
alpine, munich, lake, starnberg, alps, king, ludwig, ii, bavaria, andechs, monastery, germany, benedictine, kochel, weilheim, kochelsee
