[Facts & Directions] [Ammersee - Eastern Shore] [Ammersee - Western Shore]
"Summus finis" (‘the ultimate goal’) reads the gravestone of the composer and musical educationist Carl Orff (1895-1982), whose final resting place can be found at the monastery of Andechs. During his lifetime, Orff could see the Tower of Andechs across the Ammersee Lake through his window at home. With its enchanting aura and moraine hills intertwined with moor land, the third largest lake in Bavaria influenced him from an early age. "Whatever my close and broader home has given me has gone into my work and so bears witness to where I come from all over the world". A more beautiful testimony to the area around the Ammersee there simply is not.
The enchanting trip to the lake is just a half-hour by car away from Munich. In Herrsching, shingle beaches invite you to bathe in summer and to take a walk around the lakeside in winter. The lake emits a unique tranquillity at any time of year. This peacefulness is arguably disturbed by the area around the "Heiliger Berg" (Holy Mountain), the summit of which entertains thousands of thirsty pilgrims every year in the famous brewery at the Andechs Monastery.
By the way, if you happen to be in the Ammersee area, a trip to Kaltenberg Castle is a must. The castle is home to the world-famous annual "Ritterturnier’"(Jousting Tournament). It is also popular for family gatherings, weddings and other major events.
The historic market community of Diessen bears the mark of a colony of artists and is traditionally regarded as a focal point for modern art. Traces of master craftsmen who found inspiration along the western bank of the Ammersee go back as far as the early medieval period. Potters are still aplenty in Diessen today and exhibit their goods on a pavilion at the lake. Once a year – around the time of the "Christi Himmelfahrt" (Ascension Day) festival – the famous ‘Diessen Pottery Market’ takes place on the shore.
Not far from the lake, one can descend into a completely different world at Herrenstrasse 17. Located here is the two-hundred year old "Zinngießerei Babette Schweizer" ("Babette Schweizer Pewterers"). One can imagine oneself in the adventures of Alice in Wonderland, as she drank from the bottle which transported her into a world of miniature. Behind glass cabinets stand both painted and unpainted tin figures, about a hundred times smaller than life-size, all of which are lovely to look at. They come complete with miniature tableware and everything the heart could possibly wish for a doll’s house. In the accompanying café with its green interior and Italian flair, you can find home-made cakes (the cheesecake without a base is heavenly!) and freshly brewed coffee. You can lose yourself amongst the clockwork toys and classic children’s books, the likes of which you just can’t find anywhere else.
To conclude the tour, there has to be a stop at the "Alte Villa" (Old Villa) in Utting. It’s best to go on a Saturday or Sunday and have a glass of wine accompanied by the jazz or Dixie-Live music which plays from dusk ‘til dawn. Only now do we grasp Carl Orff’s heartfelt declaration of love for the Ammersee.
By Inés Berber
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