Lakeside Murnau – beauty too good for a king
The legendary King Ludwig II had an eye for the most attractive places in his Bavarian Heimat . If he could have had it his way, one of his fairy-tale castles would now grace the island Wörth in Staffelsee. The fact that the council of Murnau, the small town on Staffelsee that was to decide on the fate of the building project, dared to refuse such an honor must have been an unexpected blow for the king. Offended, he never again set foot in Murnau. The council’s wise decision has saved the Staffelsee region from having to contend with the masses of visitors that descend upon nearby Neuschwanstein and Linderhof castles every year. Even though it may no longer be an insider’s tip, Murnau and Staffelsee have preserved their charm and originality. It is a paradise for art connoisseurs, nature lovers, families and spa guests alike.
An old Staffelsee song praises the extraordinary beauty of the lake: “ Es liegt ein See so wunderschön, mit sieben Inseln, sieben Höhn, an Fischen und Seerosen reich, sein Wasser rein, so mild, so weich ” (There is a lake so beautiful, with seven islands, seven heights, rich in fish and water lilies, its water pure, so smooth, so soft). Indeed, with an 18-km-long shoreline and seven wooded islands, Staffelsee is like a piece of Scandinavia in the middle of Bavaria. Wörth is the largest of the tiny islands, easily recognizable from the land by its chapel peeking out from behind the treetops. Connected until the 18th century to the small village of Seehausen by means of a wooden foot-bridge, it can now be reached only by boat. One should especially note the historic importance of the island. In 1992, archaeologists from Munich’s Prähistorische Staatssammlung (State Collection of Prehistoric Art) discovered relics of a Carolingian monastery and church from the seventh century, which had been destroyed by the Hungarians in the tenth century. Excavations also unearthed ceramics from prehistoric times. The small local history museum in Seehausen exhibits a selection of Celtic and Roman artifacts found on the island.
An ideal starting point for discovering the Staffelsee region is Murnau, a picturesque village that today has almost grown together with the much smaller Seehausen to its north. Situated on a natural terrace on the shores of the lake, it is surrounded by the flat plain of the Murnau moor, while set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Alps — a panorama that never fails to enchant. In Roman and medieval times, Murnau gained importance as a stopover on the trade route connecting Italy with Augsburg. In 1332, it was elevated to the status of a market town by Emperor Ludwig IV, called the Bavarian. A walk through town does not necessarily reveal its age, since three major fires (the last one in the mid-19th century) have destroyed most of its oldest buildings. Nevertheless, Murnau’s center, which was restored in the early 20th century, sports many listed houses, whose owners compete for the best-kept facade. The old market road, Ober- and Untermarkt, is now a charming pedestrian zone lined with small shops and boutiques, cafés, inns and restaurants. If you are interested in buying local arts and crafts or original Bavarian Trachten , there are several shops worth visiting. Wood-carver Ludwig Wölfel (Untermarkt 41) features a large selection of handmade, wooden creche figurines, statues of saints, crosses and wind chimes in all sizes, both painted and in plain wood. Off the main shopping street, around the corner of the Schlossmuseum, Trachten Berger (Pfarrstr. 10) offers exquisite traditonal clothing and accessories, including Hirschfänger (hunting knifes), silver apron and corselette clasps and garnet jewelry for very reasonable prices. This is not the kind of place that offers kitsch to tourists, but one where the locals shop. On the culinary side, one eatery merits special mention: the Griesbräu, a restaurant-cum-brewery that is steeped in tradition. Overlooking the historical market road, this sprawling complex (Obermarkt 37) dates from 1835. After brewing had been discontinued for eighty years, the Griesbräu began brewing and serving its tasty beer again in 1997. The restaurant, with its warm, darkwood interior, serves Bavarian specialties in generous portions. On a recent visit, the daily menu featured, among other delicious dishes, venison ragout in juniper sauce, Swabian onion roast and an excellent joint of pork with red cabbage and potato dumplings.
Just a few minutes’ walk away from the market street up a small hill, two of the town’s highlights tower above the houses below — the parish church and the Schlossmuseum. The Church of St. Nicholas is a landmark of Murnau and a genuine Baroque jewel. It combines an Italianate facade with a typical Bavarian onion dome. The church, which was erected in the early 18th century, has an octagonal layout, a large ceiling fresco depicting the Last Judgment, a beautiful white-and-gold pulpit and ornately carved wooden confessionals. Nearby is Murnau’s Schlossmuseum (open Tues.-Sun. 10-17:00). Until secularization, the massive medieval fortress with a merlon-topped gable and 16th-century annexes served as the seat of office and residence of the ecclesiastical judges of the nearby Ettal monastery. Before it was turned into a museum, in 1993, it was used as a private residence and a school. On four floors the museum houses exhibits on the history of Murnau and the castle, reverse-glass painting, the playwright Ödön von Horváth and paintings by artists of the Blue Rider group, including a special section on Gabriele Münter.
The Blue Rider — the famous artists’ group that paved the way for Modernism in the early 20th century — is closely connected with Murnau. The beautiful landscape of the Staffelsee region, local folk art and the intense light of the sub-Alpine region, which reveals colors and contours of landscape and buildings with unusual clarity, all this fascinated a group of painters in search of a new mode of expression. They captured street and country scenes in a new, fluid style and vibrant colors, thus pioneering the revolutionary shift from figurative painting to abstraction. Two of the Blue Rider’s moving spirits, Gabriele Münter and Wassily Kandinsky, even bought a house in Murnau. Here, they spent most of the summer months, from 1909 to 1914, and Münter continued to live here from 1931 until her death in 1962. The so-called Russian House on Kottmüllerallee became an important meeting place of the avant-garde, including such painters as Franz Marc, August Macke, Marianne von Werefkin and Alexei Jawlensky as well as composer Arnold Schönberg. In 1998/99 the house was painstakingly renovated, and, based on old building plans, sketches and period photographs, returned to the state it was in before World War I, when both Münter and Kandinsky resided here during the crucial years of the Blue Rider movement. Now a museum (open Tues.-Sun. 14-17:00), the Münter House houses a precious collection of Blue Rider works, including a series of Kandinsky’s designs for the cover of the Blue Rider Almanac , within the original setting of rooms. A tour of the museum reveals how the artists turned the house itself into a veritable work of art, painting the furniture, even the stairway banister, with colorful motifs inspired by local folk art. Palettes and brushes sitting on a bureau or Kandinsky’s frock-coat and hat hanging beside his bed give the impression that the artists might return home any minute.
To explore the beautiful landscape that inspired the artists of the Blue Rider, follow the Kottmüllerallee behind the Münter House on the “Drachenstich” footpath. After only a few minutes’ walk you will leave the houses of Murnau behind and pass through a long avenue lined with oak trees, past meadows and pastures. A small elevation provides a gorgeous view across the sweeping moorlands below. From here you can see the small Ramsach chapel, which is an ideal starting point for a hike or stroll through the Munauer Moos. The moor is a nature reserve and, covering an area of 33 square kilometers, the largest moor in the Alpine region. Different moor types — marsh, fen and high moor — alternate, with small lakes and brooks sprinkled in between. Before the dramatic backdrop of the Alps, this is a unique landscape, ideal for hiking or riding. Home to some 1,000 different varieties of plant and 3,000 species of animal, the Moos is an ecological paradise. Visitors will have to remain on hiking trails, so as not to disturb the natural habitat of rare flora and fauna. Immersing yourself in a mud bath is another good way to enjoy the moor. The fresh peat from the Moos is known for its healing properties, attracting many spa guests to the “Luftkurort” (health resort) Murnau.
Embedded in an unspoiled environment, Murnau and the Staffelsee region are ideal destinations for both day trips and long vacations.
HOW TO GET THERE:
>>> By car: approximately 70 km
from Munich on the A9
>>> By TRAIN: hourly connections to
and from Munich’s Hauptbahnhof
>>> FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
AND RESERVATIONS:
Verkehrsamt Murnau
Kohlgruber Str. 1
82418 Murnau am Staffelsee
Tel. (08841) 61 41 11
Fax (08841) 34 91
verkehrsamt@murnau.de
www.murnau.de
www.staffelsee.de
