April 2004
Perfectly Placed
Three hotels in Bavaria that offer the ideal weekend getaway
ALPENHOF MURNAU
Address: Ramsachstrasse 8,
82418 Murnau am Staffelsee
Tel. (08841) 491-0
Fax (08841) 491-100
E-mail: info@alpenhof-murnau.com
Website: www.alpenhof-murnau.com
Manager: Didier Morand
Number of rooms: 80, including six suites
Arrival time: From 3 pm onwards
Checkout: Until 12 noon
Prices: Double rooms range from
€ 176 to € 273
Method of payment accepted:
American Express, Mastercard, Visa,
EC-card and Eurocheque
How to get there: By car, take the A95 towards Garmisch-Partenkirchen, getting off at the Murnau/Kochel exit. Continue in the direction of Murnau for 8 km, until you reach the main junction in the center of town, then turn left and head towards Garmisch-Partenkirchen for another 500 m. Turn right into Ramsachstrasse and look out for the Alpenhof Murnau sign on the right. By public transport, take a regional train from Munich-Pasing directly to Murnau (about 50 mins.). If arranged in advance, hotel staff will collect you from the station.
Alpenhof Murnau, though only a short journey from Munich, feels like a world away. Bordering the largest uninterrupted nature reserve in Europe, the Murnau Moors, and overlooking the Alps, this chalet-style hotel is the perfect location for a weekend stay. It is decorated in the alpine country style and all rooms have a south-facing balcony with a view of the breathtaking landscape. The clientele is extremely diverse and guests of all ages are welcome (you can even bring your dog at an extra charge of € 16 per day). There are three sizes of room: 23 square meters (standard), 32 square meters (comfort) and 40 square meters (deluxe). All rooms are equipped with the same facilities: minibar, safe, satellite-TV/radio, digital telephone, modem, analog and Internet access. Prices are per room per night and include a generous breakfast buffet and VAT (half board is also offered). The manager, Didier Morand, and his staff of 90 speak excellent English and provide the top-quality service you would expect of a hotel in this league. The hotel offers a number of services, from a babysitter to a rental car to a horse-drawn ride through the surrounding countryside.
Sports lovers choose this hotel for the many well-maintained hiking and cycling trails nearby. Hotel Alpenhof is close to Riegsee and Froschhauser lakes, and only a 30-minute walk away from Staffelsee and even the spectacularly located Walchensee is accessible to anyone with a car—about a 20-minute drive away. Bikes can be rented at the hotel for € 5 per day, or € 10 for mountain bikes. For culture vultures, the hotel is an ideal base for visiting the castles of Linderhof, Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, as well as numerous monasteries and churches. The Blue Rider (Der Blaue Reiter) artists’ group was founded in Murnau in 1911, and aficionados can trace the history and take in the scenery that inspired the artists. The Münter-Haus, home to Gabriele Münter and Wassily Kandinsky from 1909 to 1914, can be visited daily, 10 am–5 pm, except Mondays. The Schlossmuseum in the center of Murnau is a good place to view paintings of the Blue Rider artists. The Franz-Marc-Museum in nearby Kochel, which is devoted to this Blue Rider artist, is also a worthwhile destination (visit the Website
www.franz-marc-museum.de for details on opening times.)
For guests who have simply come to the Alpenhof Murnau to relax, the hotel offers superb wellness facilities. There is a doctor on site in the health center, a massage and cosmetic studio offering a wide range of treatments and the Moosberg Thermal Spa, which includes a swimming pool (15 m by 4 m), a sauna, a tepidarium, sun beds and a gym. The heated outdoor pool is open from June to September. As the spa area is open only to guests staying at the hotel, or private members who pay an annual fee, you can be sure that it will seldom be crowded. As well as the people drawn to the Alpenhof Murnau for culture, nature or relaxation, about 35 percent of visitors stay there for business; the hotel has very good conference facilities.
The hotel has two restaurants, the Reiterzimmer and Hofmanns. The Reiterzimmer, which earned one Michelin star in November 2003, has an intimate atmosphere as it seats only 25 people. It is difficult to find places that combine outstanding gourmet food and top service with a relaxed atmosphere, but these restaurants succeed. If you need guidance navigating your way through the 600-strong wine list, there is a sommelier on hand to advise you. By prior appointment, it is possible to participate in a private wine tasting in the cellar, where some 3,000 bottles are stored. The restaurants are open to anyone, so even if you are not staying here, the hotel is an excellent location to know about. It has also earned a reputation for its spectacular array of cakes served with afternoon coffee from 2:30 pm to 5 pm. And what better place to enjoy that than on the large terrace of the Alpenhof, which is certainly one of the most beautiful in Upper Bavaria?
INSELHOTEL ZUR LINDE
Address: 83256 Fraueninsel im
Chiemsee Obb.
Tel. (08054) 903 66
Fax (08054) 72 99
E-mail:
hotel.linde.fraueninsel@t-online.de
Website: www.inselhotel-zurlinde.de
Manager: Sebastian Obermaier
Number of rooms: 10 double and 4 single,
all with shower and lavatory
Arrival time: From 3 pm onwards
Checkout: Until 12 noon
Prices: Double rooms cost either
€ 110 or €115, including breakfast for two;
single rooms € 60, breakfast included
Methods of payment accepted:
American Express, Mastercard, Visa,
EC-card and Eurocheque
How to get there: By car, take the A8 from Munich towards Salzburg, getting off at the Bernau/Prien exit. From there you turn left to get to Prien. The road takes you through Prien and on to Gstadt, from where you take the ferry to the Fraueninsel. You can see the hotel from the ship and it’s no more than a couple of minutes’ walk to the building. By public transport—certainly the better option, as the Fraueninsel is traffic free—there is an hourly train connection between Munich Central Station and Prien and the journey takes between 50 and 60 minutes. During the summer months (July, August and September) a tiny three carriage train, the Chiemsee-Bahn, takes visitors down to the little habor in Prien-Stock, from where the ferry leaves.
There can be few places lovelier than the Fraueninsel on Chiemsee. If you have not yet visited this tiny Eden, then it is time to plan a trip before the hordes descend for the summer season. The Hotel zur Linde, situated on the highest point of this tiny, traffic-free island, has been in business since 1396 and once belonged to the adjacent Benedictine monastery. You will receive the warmest possible welcome from manager
Sebastian Obermaier and his staff, who all speak sufficiently good English for communication not to be a problem. The hotel has recently undergone extensive renovations and there is nothing much to compare with the pleasure of waking up in one of their comfortably appointed rooms with a view out to the deep blue waters of Chiemsee. Visiting the Fraueninsel is not a spa-style experience: this is a location for those seeking quiet hours with a good book and—weather permitting—a bathing suit and towel; or for anyone who wants to discover Chiemsee and a little of the surrounding countryside. So after one of the hotel’s delicious breakfasts you can take a stroll around the island and visit one of the many craft shops before settling down on the public beach for some relaxation. Alternatively you can take a ferry boat out to the neighboring Herrenchiemsee and visit Ludwig II’s glorious imitation of Versailles, the palace of Herrenchiemsee, the building of which was begun in 1878. The palace is open daily from April 1 to October 31, from 9 am to 6 pm (for winter opening times check the Website
www.herren-chiemsee.de), though you will need to join a guided tour. The palace also has a small restaurant/café, where visitors can enjoy a light lunch while looking out on to the formal gardens.
If you are more inclined to sporting activities, why not tone up those pecs with a little rowing. The hotel will organize a boat for you to hire and give you details of prices and times. On a hot sunny day nothing could be more pleasurable than rowing a little way out from the island and taking a cooling swim in the crystal clear waters of the lake. Hikers may like to use the island as a base and take the steamer to locations on the shores of Chiemsee (for destinations and times of all boats visit
www.chiemsee-schifffahrt.de).
One excellent outing can be made from the Fraueninsel to Übersee/Feldwies on the southeastern shore of the lake—this is suitable for children from toddler age upwards, provided you have a stroller. The boat trip takes about 25 minutes and you will alight at the Dampfersteg Übersee, that lies on the Feldwies peninsula. There is a footpath around the peninsula that takes you past a long beach and the nature reserve where the Tiroler Ache River flows into Chiemsee. For lunch you can either stop off at the small hotel and restaurant Sonnenhof or walk on to the Gasthof Alpenhof, a converted farmhouse a little further inland. Also within walking distance is the house of painter Julius Exter (1863–1939), a member of the breakaway Munich Secession group of artists. Part of this picturesque house has been turned into a museum and though it is open only two hours a day (from 5 pm to 7 pm, Tues.–Sun.), visitors cannot help but be entranced by his vivid paintings, which span three genres: Symbolism, Neo-Impressionism and Expressionism.
Then stroll back to the jetty at Übersee/Feldwies, take the boat back to the Fraueninsel and have a delicious dinner at the Hotel zur Linde. One of the special pleasures of an evening on the island is that though it may be crowded during the daytime, especially during school holidays, once the last guests have boarded the ferry back to the mainland, the island becomes wonderfully quiet and you can enjoy a stunning view from the terrace of the Hotel zur Linde undisturbed.
RENAISSANCE RIESSERSEE HOTEL
Address: Am Riess 5,
82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Tel. (08821) 75 8-0
Fax (08821) 75 81 23
E-mail:
info@renaissance-riessersee-hotel.de
Website:
www.renaissance-riessersee-hotel.de
General Manager: Peter Rudert
Number of rooms: 155, including 53 suites
Arrival time: From 2 pm
Checkout: Midday
Prices: Double rooms range from
€ 161 to € 187
Methods of payment accepted:
American Express, Diners Club, Mastercard,
Visa, EC-card and Eurocheque
How to get there: By car, take the A95 to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, drive straight through Oberau, through the Farchant bypass tunnel, past the church on the left towards Hausberg. Turn left at the next traffic light towards Riessersee. By public transport, take the ICE or regional train to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which leaves the Hauptbahnhof approximately every hour (the regional train also stops in Pasing). From the train station one can take a taxi to the hotel or a shuttle bus, which leaves at 10 am and 3 pm and must be arranged in advance with the hotel.
The Renaissance Riessersee Hotel is only a little over an hour’s drive south of Munich, and a short uphill drive from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and it is exactly this location that, says General Manager Peter Rudert, makes this four-star hotel so special. Garmisch, a tourist destination of international renown, is close enough to be reached easily—only two kilometers away—while for travelers in search of that “away from it all” feeling the hotel is sufficiently isolated to give the impression of being out in the country. From the north side of the hotel guests are greeted with a good view of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the valley below, while the south side offers the quiet panorama of Riessersee with mountains as far as the eye can see.
The hotel itself is also steeped in this best-of-both-worlds feel thanks to its traditional Bavarian Alps architecture and excellent service. The exterior of the hotel has dark wooden balconies set against white stucco walls, while the interior is mostly modern and decorated in cream and beige. Rooms are furnished in a modern rustic style and the price of an overnight stay includes a full breakfast buffet, use of indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna, gym and garage, as well as VAT and service charges. All rooms have a balcony/terrace, bath/ shower, lavatory, mini bar, safe, phone and TV, including Pay-TV.
There are two bars in the hotel: the Bobstüberl, decorated with old-fashioned Bavarian trimmings and the more modern Riessersee Bar, offering a warm and comfortable atmosphere with a pool table and a table-football in one corner. The restaurant is housed in a stunning winter garden and the extensive menu features both Bavarian and international cuisine, and changes on a weekly basis. On Sundays between noon and 2:30 pm the restaurant offers a family lunch buffet for € 22.50 per person, and fondue night every Tuesday from 6 pm to 9 pm costs € 23 a head.
As the American Forces Recreation Center is located nearby, many of the guests are Americans and for this reason most of the approximately 70-strong staff speak excellent English. The guests are generally families and couples who come here simply to relax. Business travelers are less common, though conference rooms are available for hire. And for those guests who can’t stay away from their e-mails but have left their laptops at home, the hotel offers free Internet access at the Business Center near the reception.
There are plenty of activities for guests to indulge in, both inside and outside the hotel. In addition to the indoor pool, whirlpool, fitness room, squash court, sauna and sun beds inside the hotel, there is also a special Wellness Center offering everything from massages and aromatherapy to acupuncture. Massages range from € 20 to € 75, and two- to seven-day Beauty Farm programs can be organized for between € 155 to € 500.
Hiking, such as in the spectacular Partnachklamm in summer, Nordic walking, mountain-biking, swimming in the Riessersee are just some of the sports on offer to guests. If you want breathtaking views with the minimum of effort why not take the nearby Zugspitzbahn to the top of Germany’s highest mountain. There is also an 18-hole golf course and both indoor and outdoor tennis courts close by. And if that’s not enough to keep you busy, then the hotel is more than happy to organize nearly any other activity for you, from rafting and kayaking to hang gliding and balloon trips over forests and castles. If you get a taste for the countryside visit the hotel in the winter months and enjoy 1,500 kilometers of prime skiing pistes and trails–—there is a special ski room for storing your equipment. Whether downhill on Germany’s famous Kandahar run, or cross-country on over 100 kilometers of well-maintained trails, skiing is the number one outdoor sporting activity in the area from December to March or even April.
The motto of the hotel invites you to “Enjoy a piece of Bavaria,” and at the Renaissance Riessersee Hotel this couldn’t be easier.
