North end of the Königssee ("King's Lake") where the town of Königssee sits amidst the German Alps. The larger and more widely known Bavarian resort town of Berchtesgaden is about 20 minutes to the north.
by Donald A. Klosterman, Ph.D., Dayton, Ohio, USA
Monika, a lovely woman with a most colorful and compelling Bavarian accent, models a traditional Bavarian garb. Her accent was very pleasant to hear in German and in English. She worked in the national park information center in Königssee where I bought a topographical map before hiking in the Alps that day. She pointed out on the map that I would see a "Bopp-oont-Rrrrrrodelbahn" on my way to the trailhead. She couldn't translate the word into English, although it sounded most fascinating, so I was quite curious as to just what the heck I was going to see on my hike.
Here it is ... the "Bob-und-Rodelbahn" (Bobsled run) along a steep hill above the town of Königssee. The hiking trail lay just further up this paved hill. However, it was quite a hike just to get to this point. This track must be REALLY fast in the wintertime with snow on it.
Nice Bavarian "haus" on hillside overlooking Königssee
Alpine meadows above Königssee. The trail leading up to this point and beyond was very steep compared to those in American national parks. You'd really be in good shape if you hiked these every day.
View of the fjord-like Königssee from St. Bartholomä. This lake is 8 km long, averages less than 1 km in width, and is up to 200 m deep. At St. Bartholomä the lake is only 200 meters wide! The sheer rock walls produce an echo. At one point, the tour guide stops the boat and plays a traditional Bavarian tune on his trumpet in a series of brief segments. It is quite surprising to hear the segments faithfully returned, as if a second trumpeter is playing on the shore!
Lakeside chapel with twin Moorish turrets at St. Bartholomä. This chapel was built in 1724, although a chapel had stood on this site since 1134. Adjacent is a pleasant beer garden (not really seen in the photo).
Quaint shop front in Ebersberg, the last stop on the S5 line out of Munich (heading east). This proved to be quite a pleasant village in the Bavarian countryside, about 30 minutes from downtown Munich.
Pastoral field along Geltendorf S-bahn stop (notice the train pulling away in the distance). I walked by this lovely field on my way to St. Ottilien Monastery on a peaceful, clear Saturday morning. The Geltendorf stop is the last on the S4 line out of Munich (heading west), about a half hour ride from the Hauptbanhauf.
Fantastic house near the Geltendorf stop.
Spectacular house near Geltendorf stop.
Soft, waving field, immediately adjacent to green field seen above. Both of these fields lay along a one-kilometer, tree-lined gravel road to the St. Ottilien Monastery complex. It was a most pleasant walk.
Chapel and gardens located within the monastery complex.
St. Ottilien steeple rises from the confines of the monastery complex. There was no good shot of this large Baroque cathedral, even with a wide angle lens. However, it was well worth the visit. The interior was as beautiful as the exterior. Luckily I wandered into the cathedral around noon during a Bach organ recital. It was a very muggy day, so I was overjoyed to spend some time resting in the cool sancturary, listening to the energetic mind of Bach thundering within the cavernous interior walls.
Gothic exterior of the church at the Andechs monastery. The church dates back to the early 1400s. Many people make a pilgrimage to this Benedictine monastery not only for the church and fine view of the surrounding coutryside (near the Ammersee), but also for the famous beer brewed here. Andechs is a few kilometers from Herrshing, which can be reached with the S5 line heading west out of Munich.
Crowds of people enjoying beer in the outdoor beer gardens on a Saturday afternoon at Andechs monastery. It was a lively atmosphere, although group singing (i.e. drinking songs) is prohibited.
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