Bernried on Lake Starnberg: Park, Trails and Culture

Lakeside park and protected landscape

Bernrieder Park lies south of Bernried, directly on Lake Starnberg, and covers about 80 hectares. It is protected as both a landscape and a historic monument. Its lakeside location and dual protected status make it a clear point of reference for anyone who wants to make the landscape part of their trip. The park’s approximate area gives it a distinct scale within the description of the town and sets this focus apart from the individual churches and works of art.

Routes with different itineraries

The eastern loop, “Reflective Waters,” of the Pilgrim Hiking Trail through the Pfaffenwinkel Sacred Landscape runs via Weilheim to Bernried, then continues via Seeshaupt, Penzberg, Benediktbeuern and the Osterseen lakes before returning to Peißenberg. This sequence of places makes Bernried one stage on a longer loop, rather than its sole destination. If you are planning a trip that takes in several stops, this places the town along the eastern loop.

The Art Loop of the Upper Bavaria Water Cycling Routes follows a different itinerary. Its cross-connection runs from Gauting via Starnberg, along Lake Starnberg and through Bernried, then via Seeshaupt and the Osterseen area to Murnau. The routes’ shapes help distinguish them: “Reflective Waters” is an eastern loop that returns to Peißenberg, while the Art Loop is a cross-connection that continues to Murnau. If you are including a longer route in your travel plans, you can consider the different itineraries, rather than just the section they share through Bernried.

The Nordic Walking Technique Route in Bernried offers a shorter option: it is 1.4 kilometres long and rated easy. Compared with routes that pass through several named places, this is a shorter, locally based option with a specified difficulty level.

Churches, art and monastery courtyard

St. Martin’s Parish Church was renovated from 1652 to 1663. Its furnishings include a chancel screen slab from the Carolingian period and a Gothic winged altarpiece from a Munich school dating to around 1500. The different periods offer tangible points of interest for anyone interested in cultural history: the slab refers to the Carolingian period, the altarpiece to the Gothic era and a Munich school around 1500; the renovation provides another point of reference in time.

Built in 1362, the Hofmark Church has a crypt chapel containing a Gothic Vesperbild, or Pietà, and an example of 14th-century Bavarian woodcarving. Together with the details about St. Martin’s, these features add more than just a date of construction: the works of art and their historical context also shape Bernried’s cultural character. The monastery courtyard complements the churches and artworks as an ensemble featuring magnificent old plane trees.

Buchheim Museum north of Bernried

The Buchheim Museum is located in Höhenrieder Park on the shore of Lake Starnberg, north of Bernried. Its collection includes Expressionist paintings, watercolours, drawings and prints; applied arts from around the world; Bavarian folk art; and cultural artefacts from Africa and other non-European countries. It also includes works by Lothar-Günther Buchheim. The museum adds a wide-ranging collection in the surrounding area to the art-historical themes found in the town.

At the Laboratory of Imagination, children and adults can try out artistic techniques for themselves. Contact the museum to check whether this activity is currently available. The opportunity to experience art not only through collection pieces but also through your own creative experiments adds a hands-on activity to the cultural offerings.

When looking for a holiday apartment, you can use your preferred pace of travel as a guide: a shorter local trail, art and architectural history, or a route through several places.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Herrsching on Lake Ammersee, Gilching, Starnberg, Andechs, Wörthsee, Allmannshausen, Weßling, Gauting

Back to the main travel guide: Starnberg.