Classic Car Tour 3: Southeastern Bavaria

Over mountains and past lakes from Munich to Berchtesgaden

The southeastern part of Bavaria and the Chiemgau offer endless opportunities for filling the best weeks of the year with endless pleasure. For example, by exploring Lake Chiemsee and its surrounding area, one of the most beautiful regions in Bavaria.

The route

The starting point for any tour through the southeastern part of Bavaria is Munich. The Bavarian state capital offers visitors so many attractions, historic buildings and cultural sites that you could easily spend a week here.

However, if spending time amongst the hurly burly of the state capital is not what you are after, not far from the city it is possible to experience true Bavaria in all its original essence – for example in the charming hotel in Aying with its rustic Biergarten. From there, exquisitely beautiful country roads meander in the direction of Grafing, where you can spend the night in comfortable rooms in the direct vicinity of Eichbichl Castle near Frauenneuharting. The route then continues in the direction of Wasserburg am Inn and then in a southeasterly direction with Lake Chiemsee your next destination. It is well worth taking a short break on the way at Seeon Abbey in the municipality of Seeon-Seebruck, which also houses a hotel and restaurant.

At Lake Chiemsee, often called the “Bavarian Sea”, take some time to explore the charm of the surrounding countryside in the foothills of the Chiemgau mountains. The islands on the lake, in particular the two larger ones, Herren and Fraueninsel, are also spectacular. On the Herreninsel you will find a mini version of Versailles, known as the Herrenchiemsee New Palace. The charms of the Fraueninsel are also not to be missed. If you would like to get a sense of the size of the island, it is possible to circumnavigate its 1.5 kilometres along the path that borders its banks. In the interior of the island there are numerous historical buildings that you can visit, in particular the Kloster Frauenwörth, a Benedictine abbey, whose nuns were a major feature of life on the island for many centuries. And if you book in good time, it is also possible to spend the night on the island. Then you will have plenty of time to find a stylish souvenir to take home with you, perhaps from the Klampfleuthner island pottery, for example.

Less than 50 kilometres to the south-east of Lake Chiemsee, close to the border with Austria, you will find the Bavarian Spa Town of Bad Reichenhall. This picturesque little town offers numerous attractions to visitors, including the Salt Museum in the Old Salt Mine. The brine springs, which enabled Reichenhall to be elevated to the status of Bavarian State Spa, are also famous. On from Berchtesgaden the twisting and highly scenic Rossfeldpanoramastraße provides you with the motoring highlight of the day, before your destination is reached in the idyllic surroundings of Lake Königssee.