Bernried am Starnberger See: Park, Trails and Culture

Bernried am Starnberger See offers several clearly distinct themes to consider when planning your trip: Bernrieder Park, regional trails, historic churches and the Buchheim Museum in the nearby area. If you are looking for a hotel in Bernried, you can first decide whether landscapes and outdoor activities or art and local history are more important for your stay. The following places and routes differ both in theme and location: some are in the town, while the museum lies to the north of it.

Park and trails

Bernrieder Park lies south of Bernried am Starnberger See. It covers approximately 80 hectares and is protected as both a landscape and a historic monument. Its size and dual protection status give the park a different role from the trails, whose routes and activities are each specified.

The eastern loop, “Reflective Waters,” of the Heilige Landschaft Pfaffenwinkel Pilgrimage Hiking Trail passes through Weilheim to Bernried, then continues via Seeshaupt, Penzberg, Benediktbeuern and the Osterseen lakes back to Peißenberg. The art loop of the Upper Bavaria Water Cycle Routes follows a different course: as a connecting route, it runs from Gauting through Starnberg, along Lake Starnberg and through Bernried, then via Seeshaupt and the Osterseen area to Murnau. The difference between a loop and a connecting route helps with orientation: the eastern loop returns to Peißenberg, while the art loop continues as a connecting route to Murnau. This lets you assess the different routes according to whether a loop or a connection between several places is more relevant to your plans.

Bernried also has a Nordic walking technique trail: it is 1.4 km long and rated easy. This adds a local option to the longer-distance routes. Check the current trail conditions locally before your visit.

Churches, art and local history

The parish church of St. Martin in Bernried was renovated between 1652 and 1663. Its notable features include a choir screen slab dating from the Carolingian period and a Gothic winged altarpiece from a Munich school, dated to around 1500. The dates refer to different elements: the renovation took place in the 17th century, while the altarpiece is dated to around 1500 and the choir screen slab dates from the Carolingian period. This brings works from different eras together in one place.

Built in 1362, the Hofmark Church has a crypt chapel containing a Gothic Vesperbild, a Pietà and an example of 14th-century Bavarian woodcarving. Another point of interest in Bernried is the monastery courtyard, an ensemble featuring large, old plane trees. The religious buildings and the monastery courtyard offer different points of interest if you would like to include local history and art alongside the trails in your travel plans.

Buchheim Museum in the nearby area

The Buchheim Museum is in the nearby area, north of Bernried in Höhenried Park on the shore of Lake Starnberg. The Expressionist collection includes paintings, watercolors, drawings and prints. The collection also encompasses decorative arts from around the world, Bavarian folk art, cultural objects from Africa and other non-European countries, and works by Lothar-Günther Buchheim. The collection’s diversity is evident in both its art forms and its different cultural influences. At the Laboratory of the Imagination, children and adults have the opportunity to try out artistic techniques for themselves. Check with the museum to see whether this activity is available during your visit.

Discover more destinations: Pöcking, Gilching, Inning am Ammersee, Seefeld, Feldafing, Andechs, Herrsching am Ammersee, Allmannshausen.

For the broader travel overview: Starnberg.