Feldafing on Lake Starnberg

Lenné Park: A Landscape with History

Picturesque groups of trees, open meadows and streams define the character of Lenné Park as an English landscape garden. The walking paths follow the contours of the land, with unexpected views of Lake Starnberg and the mountains opening up along the way. The park offers more than a single attraction: its varied landscape features invite you to notice the transitions between open spaces, trees and waterways as you explore.

The park’s origins are marked by several significant dates. Peter Joseph Lenné received the commission to design it on 26 April 1854. The grounds were then laid out as a large English-style landscape park in southern Germany. Carl von Effner oversaw the practical work from 1855 to 1863. Part of the park has been used as a golf course since 1926; the Feldafing Golf Club (Golf-Club Feldafing e.V.) is located there. The park’s design and its later use as a golf course are both part of this place’s history.

Calvary Hill and the View

Calvary Hill features sacred art in an unusual form: it consists of 14 cast-iron Stations of the Cross shrines with painted limestone reliefs behind glass, as well as a Calvary group cast in zinc and iron. From the Calvary group, the view stretches southeast across Lake Starnberg to the mountain panorama from the Benediktenwand to the Wetterstein range. If you are interested in both art and landscape, you can make this a focus of its own, alongside the park’s walking paths.

The site was created over 25 years, between 1864 and 1892, and was inaugurated on 28 August 1892. Its 14 stations and Calvary group make Calvary Hill a place where the design of the individual shrines contrasts with that of the larger group of figures. The distant view offers a second perspective on the surroundings.

Rose Island: Crossing and Visitor Information

You can cross to Rose Island on a flat-bottomed boat from May through 15 October. Each crossing is limited to a maximum of 30 people. Strollers and wheelchairs are allowed; dogs and bicycles are not permitted on the island. If you are travelling with children or use a mobility aid, these specific rules about what you can bring along are important when planning your island visit.

The gardener’s house on Rose Island now houses a small museum and a ticket office. The prehistoric pile-dwelling remains on the bed of Lake Starnberg near Rose Island are also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. These offer two different historical points of interest during a visit to the island: the museum in the gardener’s house and the pile-dwelling remains in the lake. The seasonal crossing period is an important distinction compared with the sites in Feldafing that do not depend on this boat service.

Places of Remembrance and a Historic Lido

A documented 112 people who died at the Feldafing DP camp between May 1945 and June 1949 are buried in the Jewish cemetery in Feldafing. This place commemorates a specific chapter of the post-war period. For visitors wishing to learn about history, it provides a point of reference alongside the older grounds of Calvary Hill and Lenné Park.

The listed Feldafing lido is still largely in its original 1927 condition. Its historic character includes 150 changing cabins and long wooden buildings. The lido can also be included in your exploration of Feldafing as an example of historic bathing architecture.

Choose Feldafing for Your Holiday

You can reach Feldafing by public transport on S-Bahn line 6 towards Tutzing; get off at Feldafing. If you are planning a visit to the island, also take into account the period when the flat-bottomed boat runs and the rules about what you can bring along. The various historical sites offer specific topics to discuss together, including when travelling with children, and you can choose which ones to visit based on your interests.

More local guides: Krailling, Inning am Ammersee, Weßling, Gauting, Gilching, Starnberg, Wörthsee, Berg.

Return to the main travel overview: Starnberg.