Schliersee is a holiday and ski resort in Bavaria on the waterfront of the lake with the same name. It's on the edge of the Bavarian Alps, approximately 50 km (30 mi) south of Munich.
Understand
As most of the lakes in this area Schliersee lake was created by the melting glaciers of the last ice age. The water is of exceptionally high quality. The monastery of Schliersee was first mentioned in 779, probably destroyed around 907 and rebuilt. In 1140, the Schlier monastery was transformed by the Count of Hohenwaldeck and by Bishop Otto I of Freising into a Augustinian monastery with lay brothers. In 1808 the location became a self-standing political community, and it has had its own market since 1919.
This is also the gateway to the well-known hamlet and lake of Spitzingsee, where there is a ski resort.
Get in
By car
Autobahn A 8 Munich-Salzburg passes Schliersee some 15 km to the north. Coming from Munich take exit 98 "Weyarn" and follow the road to Miesbach, from where you follow the federal highways B 472 and B 307 to Schliersee. Coming from Salzburg or other places to the east take exit 99 "Irschenberg" and follow the federal highway B 472 to Miesbach, where you change to federal highway B 306 to Schliersee.
By train
Schliersee has two stations:
- 1 Schliersee station (in the center of the town on the northern end of the lake). A terminus station opened in 1869
- 2 Fischhausen-Neuhaus statio (south of the lake).
The stations are served hourly by Bayrische Oberlandbahn BOB (blue-white trains) from Munich Central Station (platforms 27-36) via Holzkirchen, Miesbach and further on to Bayrischzell. The train ride from Munich takes approx. 50 min.
Get around
By bus
The RVO (Regionalverkehr Oberbayern) runs local buses in the region.
By boat
The ship 'Schliersee III' has been running since 1993 and has a capacity of 120 passengers. It is heated during winter. It goes around the lake every hour, starting at Vitalwelt and stops at the island of Wörth, Fischhausen, Seestraße and then back to Vitalwelt. The ship operates year round as long as the lake has no ice cover.
See
- 1 Markus Wasmeier outdoor museum, Brunnbichl 5 (Next to Fischhausen-Neuhaus station), ☏ +49 8026 929220. Apr-Nov: Tu-Su 10:00-17:00. The old Bavarian outdoor museum was created in 2007 at the instigation of Olympic gold medalist Markus Wasmeier, who was born in Schliersee. On display is an old Bavarian village consisting of historic buildings, craftsmanship, and animals. A special part of the museum is dedicated to the topic of "Tourism at the beginning of the 20th century" with emphasis on winter tourism. The museum also has a shop, a tavern and a brewery. €7.
- 2 Parish church of St. Sixtus (Pfarrkirche St- Sixtus), Lautererstraße 1. The church was built 1712-15, incorporating parts of older churches on the same place. It has a very impressive ceiling fresco.
- 3 Schliersee folk museum (Museum zur heimischen Volkskultur), Lautererstraße 6, ☏ +49 8026 7317. Apr-Oct. The museum shows the architecture and life of the past in the Schiersee region. €2.
- 4 Schliersee Town Hall (Rathaus Schliersee), Rathausstraße 1. Built in the 15th century.
Do
- 1 [dead link] Alpine triathlon. This triathlon between Lake Schliersee and Lake Spitzingsee takes place every year during the late summer.
- 2 Cross-country skiing (Buses run from Schliersee station up to Spitzingsee). Around Spitzingsee there are cross-country ski-tracks. If the lake has a solid ice cover, additional tracks are groomed there.
- 3 Hiking. Hiking is a popular pastime activity of locals and travellers alike in the area. On weekends the mountains can get a little crowded, though, as day travellers from Munich flock to Schliersee. The most popular summits around Schliersee are Brecherspitz and Jägerkamp, both of which provide exquisite views over the Schliersee valley.
- 4 Mountain biking. There are several marked mountain bike tours around Schliersee. And you can explore the mountains with your bike off the beaten track as well.
- 5 Schliersbergalm cable car (Bergbahn Schliersbergalm), Dekan-Maier-Weg 10, ☏ +49 8026 6723, Ingo@schliersbergalm.de. Nov-Apr 8:30-18:30, May-Oct 8:30-22:00. The comfortable way to get a splendid view over the Schliersee valley is to go up Schliersbergalm cable car. At the top a restaurant and different activities (minigolf, trampoline, swimming pool) for kids wait for you. And if you would rather not ride the cable car back down, you can opt for the toboggan run back to town (see below). One-way €5, Round trip €8.
- 6 Schliersbergalm toboggan run (Sommerrodelbahn Schliersbergalm), Schliersbergalm (Take the Schliersbergalm cable car to the top). May-Oct 8:30-22:00. The toboggan run is the exciting alternative to the cable car to get back down to Schliersee. The 950 m (1050 yd) long run winds through 63 curves into the valley. Children older than 8 years are allowed to go on their own; younger children must ride with their parents. €2.
- 7 Scuba Diving. You are allowed to scuba dive in Lake Schliersee, but be aware of the rather cold temperatures of the mountain lake and the risks associated with lake diving.
- 8 Skiing, Lyraweg 6 (Buses take you from the Schliersee station to the resort at Spitzingsee), ☏ +49 8026 9292230, info@alpenbahnen-spitzingsee.de. Winter: Daily 8:30-16:20, Th-F 18:30-21:30. The Spitzingsee ski resort is one of the skiing spots in Bavaria with the highest probability of snow coverage. The season normally lasts from the end of November to the mid of April. The lifts are rather modern and some of them were built only recently in an effort to modernize the resort. Day pass: Adults €32, adolecents €29, children €16.
- 9 Spa Monte Mare (Monte Mare), Perfallstraße 4, ☏ +49 8026 920900, schliersee@monte-mare.de. M-Th 10:00-23:00, F-Sa 10:00-00:00, Su 10:00-21:00. The spa features a large sauna area, a wellness area and swimming pools.
Buy
Schliersee has several butchers, bakeries, cake shops, supermarkets, and grocers to meet the daily needs. The town even has a small pedestrian zone, although traffic isn't too heavy in general.
- 1 Destillerie Lantenhammer, Urtlbachstraße 1a, ☏ +49 8026 92480, info@lantenhammer.de. M-F 9:00-18:00, Sa 9:00-13:00. This destillery produces some of the finest liqueurs and brandies you can get in Bavaria.
- 2 Hennerhof, Hennererstr. 36, ☏ +49 8026 9229964, info@hennerer.de. Sa-Su 12:00-20:00. Farm shop, café, beer garden. The shop sells homemade products such as farm cheese, homemade sausages, herbs, milk, and cream.
- 3 SLYRS Bavarian Malt Whisky Destillerie, Bayrischzeller Straße 13, ☏ +49 8026 9222795, info@slyrs.de. This distillery produces Bavarian malt whiskey, although the distiller was originally a brewer.
- 4 Sport Berauer, Rathausstraße 17, ☏ +49 8026 60690, berauer.schliersee@intersport.de. M-Sa 9:00-18:00. If you came to Schliersee without skiing or hiking equipment, this is the place to get a new set. You can also rent equipment here.
- 5 Trachten Sterr, Seestraße 3, ☏ +49 8026 924499. Here you can buy original Bavarian Lederhosn and Dirndl. Prepare to spend a small fortune, though, as the original hand-made attire doesn't come cheaply.
Eat
- 1 Schliersbergalm, Schliersbergalm (Hike up or take Schliersbergalm cable car), ☏ +49 8026 6722, hotel@schliersbergalm.de. Nov-Apr 8:30-18:00, May-Oct 8:30-22:00. This mountain restaurant sits enthroned over Schliersee village on a picturesque alp on 1,061 m (3,480 ft). To get here you either have to hike up a slope of 300 m (1,000 ft) or take the Schliersbergalm cable car.
- 2 Wirtshaus im See, Insel Wörth (Only accessible by ship), ☏ +49 8026 9299588, info@wirtshaus-im-see.de. Days depend on season, 10:00-17:00. The café on Wörth island is open from March to November. During August it's open every day; otherwise, on weekends only.
Drink
- 1 Neues Spinnradl Spitzingsee, Spitzingstraße 12 (Lower terminus of Taubensteinbahn cable car), ☏ +49 8026 977939, info@neues-spinnradl.de. Th-Sa 21:00-03:00. The Spinnradl was a club with cult status for decades before it moved to the new location at the valley station of Taubensteinbahn cable car. It's packed on weekends. The guests are mostly locals from the surrounding areas and the odd traveller.
- 2 Spitzing Bar (aka. Original Spinnradl) (Hotel Gundlalm), Spitzingstrasse 8 (Basement of Hotel Gundlalm), ☏ +49 8026 920993, kontakt@original-spinnradl.de. Th-Sa 20:00-03:00 (only during skiing season!). This is the original location of the Spinnradl. If Neues Spinnradl is full or you just don't like the feel of a huge disco, just wander a few hundred metres along the street to the basement of Hotel Gundlalm. The parties here are still wild (and some say they are still more excessive than in the new location).
Sleep
- 1 Lido camping (Campingplatz Lido Schliersee), ☏ +49 8026 6624. Apr-Oct. This camping site is on the lakefront on the opposite side of the lake (from Schliersee). The downside is the noise from the close rail tracks (hourly service from 7:00-23:00) Caravan, car, power supply, 2 adults, one night €30.10.
- 2 Youth Hostel Schliersee (DJH Jugendherberge Schliersee), Josefsthaler Straße 19 (South of the lake), ☏ +49 8026 97380, schliersee@jugendherberge.de. Standard youth hostel, close to the ski resort. from €20.40.
- 3 Karma Bavaria, Kirchbichlweg 18, ☏ +49 800 589 4766, reservation@karmabavaria.com. Check-in: 16:00, check-out: 10:00. 82 alpine-style rooms or apartments with modern features, including an en-suite bathroom and LCD flat-screen TV, as well as restaurant and bar.
Connect
- 1 Wifi Hotspot Karl-Haider-Straße, Karl-Haider-Straße. Kabel Deutschland operates a free wifi hotspot in Karl-Haider-Straße since the end of 2013. The use is limited to 30 min per person per day, though. 30 min per day free of charge.
Go next
- Tegernsee — The town of Tegernsee at the lake with the same name is Schliersee's close-by, posher, and more famous sister. It's a weekend getaway for Munich's high society. The number of limousines with Russian license plates would surprise you.
- Munich — If you did not actually come from there, Bavaria's capital is definitely worth a day trip. Famous for Oktoberfest, the city has much more to offer and is one of Europe's big cultural centres.
- Salzburg — Mozart's birthplace and the scenery of the "Sound of Music" is probably what comes to mind first when you think of Salzburg, but that's not the only reason to visit this picturesque city.