Round trip with a view of the Alps around Bavaria's third largest lake
In autumn, things become noticeably quieter and cosier at the Ammersee in the Fünfseenland region. The people of Augsburg and Munich still like to make a pilgrimage to the lakeshore, but in smaller numbers. The lidos and beer gardens are closed and the White Boat Fleet takes a winter break from mid-October. But don't worry, there are plenty of rustic inns for hungry cyclists along the almost 50-kilometre loop around the lake, which was once formed when ice-age glaciers melted.
You can start cycling almost anywhere, but those travelling by train or S-Bahn usually start the lake tour in Dießen or Herrsching. The quality of the cycle paths, whether asphalted or paved, is consistently good. If you are not travelling by e-bike, you should be aware that there are some slightly more challenging, hilly sections along the way where the cycle route does not run along the lakeshore.
Andechs Abbey is definitely worth a detour. Not only for devout Catholics, but especially for beer lovers. The monastery brewery ("There, where the prayer book has a handle") is world-famous for its delicious beer. But be careful! The Doppelbock, in particular, is quite something and has caused many a cyclist to push their bike home. And then the five kilometres through the Kiental valley from Andechs Monastery to Herrsching S-Bahn station can be really long.
The GPX track for retracing the tour around the Ammersee is available free of charge on the MYBIKE tour portal:
Arrival
The best option is to take the S-Bahn from Munich to Herrsching or the DB to Dießen am Ammersee.
Tour combinations
Ammer-Amper cycle path, Wörthsee loop from Inning am Ammersee, Pilsensee-Weßlinger See loop, Kloster Andechs-Weßlinger See loop
Refreshment tips
Alte Villa beer garden in Utting, www.alte-villa-utting.de
Seehaus Schreyegg in Stegen, www.seehaus-schreyegg.com
Restaurant Ammersee-Blick in Herrsching, www.ammersee-blick.com
Overnight stay
Hotel Seehof in Herrsching, www.seehof-ammersee.de
Literature / Maps
Compass map "Ammersee - Wörthsee - Pilsensee", 1:25,000,
Kompass cycle map "Munich's South", 1:75,000.
More info
Holiday region Fünfseenland, www.sta5.de, www.fuenfseenland.de;
Ammersee-Lech Tourism Association, www.ammersee-lech.de
The "Autumn tours" tour planner with the Ammersee tour was featured in MYBIKE issue 6/2018.
You can view the output in the MYBIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or in the DK-Shop order.
