Benediktbeuern: Monastery Paths and Moorland Trails

In Benediktbeuern, trails of varying lengths are complemented by cultural and historical sites. For planning, you can choose between short loops around the monastery, longer routes across the moor and themed trails. This allows you to make your choice based on the time you have available and your interests.

Monastery, Customs and Local History

The meditation garden is on the western side of the Maierhof. Its layout is based on the floor labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral. The Documentation Center of the Bavarian Mountain Riflemen is also located at Benediktbeuern Monastery. It presents more than 500 years of Bavarian history, traditions and customs; check with the operator for current visitor information.

The Benediktbeuern audio trail is an audio guide with eleven stops and stories about the village. Its topics include Mariabrunn, Fraunhofer and the secret passage beneath the basilica. Check the audio guide’s current availability in advance. Another perspective on local history can be found along the Historic Mill Trail: its 17 stops trace aspects of life on and around the Mühlbach stream.

Monastery Loops and Moorland Trails by Duration

The “Around the Monastery” walk is about two kilometers long and takes around 30 minutes. It follows a flat path around the monastery, including along Spatzenpointweg on the monastery’s eastern side and through the biotopes. It is therefore quite different from the longer moorland loops.

Moorland Loop 2 is about six kilometers long and takes around an hour and a half. It starts at the monastery car park, heads toward the moor past the biotopes, then returns to the starting point along the monastery wall. This trail is also flat, but offers little shade.

For a longer outing, Moorland Loop 1 is listed as about ten kilometers long, taking around two and a half to three hours. From the monastery car park, it leads through the moor, along the Loisach and back to the monastery via the Lainbach Bridge. The trail is flat and offers little shade. A section along the Loisach River is used at your own risk. When planning either of the two moorland loops, take the limited shade into account.

Nature Trails with Different Themes

The barefoot trail is in the Erlebnisbiotope area, a few hundred meters west of the monastery, and is about 400 meters long. The loop passes over different types of rock, forest and moorland soils, as well as mud. Its topics include geology, soil types, vegetation and the use of natural materials. Dogs are not allowed on this trail.

The 2.5-kilometer-long tree and shrub trail runs through easy terrain and a moorland landscape with far-reaching views. More than 30 stops focus on native trees and shrubs. Wood puzzles, a magnifying-glass station, and hedge and animal detective activities complement the information. The trail thus combines a walk through the moorland with hands-on observation and puzzle stops.

Along the Lainbach, the Wildbach educational trail runs from Mariabrunn beside the stream to the unstaffed Söldner Alm. The one-way route is about four kilometers long. Ten information panels cover the geology of the Lainbach Valley, mountain streams and their engineering, as well as adapted plants and small animals. The destination is unstaffed.

More Trails and Current Trail Conditions

The Benediktusweg runs through the countryside around the monastery complex and has twelve stops with reflections inspired by the Rule of St. Benedict; stop 12 is currently inaccessible. Stop 12 is currently inaccessible. The Benediktbeuern–Kochel hike is about 16 kilometers long and takes around four to four and a half hours. The beginning has some short climbs and shaded sections; later, there is little shade. For this longer route, and when trail conditions are changeable, it is advisable to check the latest conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Reichersbeuern, Jachenau, Wackersberg, Eurasburg, Egling, Geretsried, Königsdorf, Bichl.

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