Geretsried: Historical Trails, Culture and Moorland
Accommodation in Geretsried
Geretsried offers several ways to explore its history: the town museum, two historical trails and historic buildings each highlight different aspects. Parts of the Babenstubener Moorlands also lie in the south of the municipal area. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Geretsried, these destinations can help you tailor your trip to your interests, with room for history, culture and landscape.
File:Die Isarauen aus einer kiesbank am Isardam in Geretsried.jpg
Photo: Salvador Escriva via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Historical Trails with Different Themes
The northern historical trail in Geretsried is a 10-kilometre circular route with 27 stops. It focuses on the armaments industry and reconstruction after 1945; images, plans and texts provide information about each location at the stops. The Gelting historical trail is longer at 14 kilometres and has 19 stops. It begins at the village square at Wolfratshauser Straße 2. This makes it possible to compare two different themes: the northern circular route covers the armaments industry and reconstruction, while the Gelting trail explores the area’s history.
The Museum of the City of Geretsried brings together several chapters of the town’s history. It traces developments from the Geretsried estate to the founding of the municipality in 1950, and also covers the horrors of the Nazi regime, the DAG and DSC armaments factories, as well as flight and expulsion and the expellees’ former homeland. The town gallery on Elbestraße has around 160 square metres of space for art exhibitions, exhibition openings and cultural events. The exhibitions change, so each visit to the gallery offers different content.
Historic Traces in Gelting and Geretsried
Gelting is home to the Baroque church of St. Benedict, built between 1631 and 1649; an earlier church on the site is documented as far back as 1315. The Nikolaus Chapel in Geretsried offers a different architectural detail: this octagonal building has a tuff-stone dome dating from the 18th century. Both buildings make different periods of local history tangible.
During the “Bunkers in the Woods” guided tour, the history and operations of the German Explosives Chemistry works are explained using the ruins. In southern Geretsried, visitors can see demolished bunker buildings and underground passages. For safety reasons, the passages cannot be entered; the guide explains them during the tour. Check the provider for tour availability before planning your visit.
A recurring annual event takes place at the historic blacksmith and wagon workshop in Gelting: it opens on the second Sunday in September for Open Monument Day. A master blacksmith demonstrates how to work with fire and iron. If you plan to visit, check the date for the relevant year.
Moorland, Town Forest and Pilgrimage Route
Two parts of the Babenstubener Moorlands Natura 2000 site lie in the south of the Geretsried municipal area. This complex of moorlands extends across parts of the municipalities of Geretsried, Eurasburg and Königsdorf and is considered characteristic and particularly valuable to the pre-Alpine moraine landscape. Alongside its historical attractions, the area also offers a distinctive natural landscape.
The outdoor fitness trail is located in Geretsried Town Forest and is free and open to the public at all times. The Way of St. James cycling pilgrimage route offers another perspective on Geretsried: since March 2025, the “Passau–Lindau” route has passed through the town. Karl-Lederer-Platz and St. Peter’s Church are stops along the route. The historical trails, pilgrimage route and fitness trail serve different purposes; when planning, you can choose based on whether you are more interested in historical topics, a cycling pilgrimage route or exercise in the town forest.
Geretsried in the Wider Destination of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen
The wider destination of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen offers other excursion and transport options that are not among Geretsried’s attractions. The Tölzer Land health climate park features 37 routes on a network of more than 340 kilometres between Bad Heilbrunn, Bad Tölz, Kochel am See, Wackersberg and Lenggries. Express bus X970 connects Bad Tölz, the Isar Valley, Geretsried, Wolfratshausen and Starnberg; you can get off at various stops to visit local sights. Check current route and service details before travelling.
When choosing a holiday apartment, it may help to first decide which destinations and themes you are interested in: the historical trails and museum, historic places in Gelting, the moorlands or attractions across the wider destination. This way, you can guide your search by the experiences that matter to you during your stay, rather than by a general idea of the location.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Benediktbeuern, Bad Tölz, Schlehdorf, Dietramszell, Bichl, Königsdorf, Eurasburg, Sachsenkam.
Go to the overview of the wider destination: Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen.
