The TV series "Rosenheim-Cops": criminalistics the Chiemgau way? None of that. Here you will find extremes: established police officers meets his new nonnative colleague in a beautiful environment. Rarely they go far from the historic town centre and the lovely court. Certainly not by accident.

The open-hearted Rosenheimer know of the extraordinary location of their city, its vicinity of the mountains and of Munich. If you sit in one of the lovely cafés at Nepomuk fountain you will get in touch easily and find out that the Romans had already been here. They built streets and customs facilities at a strategic point by the Inn river. The settling quickly developed as a busy reloading point for cattle, cereal, salt and arms. The transport of the latter was much safer on the Inn river than on the bumpy streets.

During the 19th century the city saw an economic boom. Brine was brought from the salt-mines near Reichenhall to the Rosenheimer salines via a wooden pipeline. Here you had sufficient fuel like turf and timber which was needed to boil the salt. Rosenheim was a centre of the Bavarian salt production until the saline's closing in 1958.

A white rose on red ground decorates the city's coat of arms. It reminds of the peak of the Inn-skippers who told of the numerous beauties of the town here and there. And since some had lost their heart to a blooming rose (as the girls were called back then) it is likely that the city inherited its name from the boatmen: "home of the roses" or "Rosenheim".

During the bloom at the turn of the century gorgeous middle-class houses were built in the Inn-Salzach-style. The city centre around Max-Josefs-Platz with the lovely access balconies and a number of shops and the Gillitzerblock attest to that. The restaurant sign of Stockhammer-Haus near Heilig-Geist-church shows that Rosenheim was initially populated by boatmen. If you are interested in shipping history you should visit the Inn-Museum.

Although suffering from post-war architecture Rosenheim captivates with its amazing surroundings and its interesting museums. Above the Mittertor, which once separated the inner and the outer market, the Städtische Museum presents its unique collection from the Romans until now. The city's coat of arms can be seen at the facade towards the Ludwigsplatz.

A sepcialty among Bavaria's museums is the "Lokschuppen" which scores with  qualified themed exhibits like "Nobility in Bavaria" (April-October 2008). "Kunstmühle" at Mangfall canal comes up with contemporary artists and urban gastronomy.

Rosenheim is the gate to the Chiemgau area. Mangfall river and Kolbenmoor lure with extended walks and bike tours. Simssee and Chiemgau mountains are close as well. Thus the city has become a popluar destination for art and nature form a perfect couple here.

by Karin Nagl