Discover Murnau a.Staffelsee

When choosing a stay in Murnau a.Staffelsee, you can weigh up culture, local history and landscape as different areas of focus. Murnau Castle Museum explores art, literature, local crafts and traditions; the historic old town can be explored independently or on a guided tour. The Murnauer Moos lies south of Murnau. This places cultural attractions in town alongside a distinct natural area in the surrounding region.

Art and Crafts at Murnau Castle Museum

The museum displays works by Gabriele Münter, as well as works by artists of the New Artists' Association Munich and the Blue Rider. Artists represented include Wassily Kandinsky, Marianne von Werefkin, Alexej Jawlensky, Franz Marc and Heinrich Campendonk. With the largest collection of Münter’s works on public display, her art is a particular focus of the exhibition.

The museum also explores Murnau’s art and literary history from the first third of the 20th century. Other subjects include the distinctive features of the Alpine foothills and Murnau’s local traditions and culture. These themes frame the museum visit, connecting individual artists and works with local and cultural history.

Local culture includes feather-flower making and reverse glass painting, which the museum presents as traditional local crafts. The international Dammert collection complements this perspective with works from Europe and Asia, extending beyond locally made items. The traditional crafts mentioned and the geographically broader collection are thus presented in different contexts.

Literary History and Artistic Traces

Another focus of Murnau Castle Museum is its extensive documentation about the playwright Ödön von Horváth. He lived mainly in Murnau from 1924 until his politically forced departure in 1933. There, he wrote, among other works, the plays “Zur schönen Aussicht” and “Italienische Nacht” and began the novel “Jugend ohne Gott.” The literary walk through Murnau follows in his footsteps; advance registration is required to take part.

The Münter House offers insights into the lives of the artists associated with it. An art walk is another activity for visitors to Murnau. Alongside the museum exhibition, visitors can explore an artist’s home with biographical connections or take a walk focused on the artistic perspective.

Old Town and Murnauer Moos

You can explore Murnau’s historic old town independently or as part of a guided tour. The guided tour focuses on the old town, while the literary walk focuses on Ödön von Horváth. The two options therefore differ not only in format but also in subject: one explores the town’s historic character, the other the playwright’s literary traces.

The Murnauer Moos, the largest contiguous moorland area in Central Europe, lies south of Murnau. It provides a distinct landscape contrast to the cultural attractions in town. When planning your trip, you can therefore consider whether to focus on exhibitions and local history or also explore the landscape to the south.

Discover more destinations: Hechendorf, Seehausen Am Staffelsee, Bad Kohlgrub, Ohlstadt, Farchant, Krün, Grainau, Oberau.

Go to the overview of the wider region: Garmisch-Partenkirchen.