A day on the Camino | Four elements

A day on the Camino (The Way of St. James)

Enjoy a day of walking along a magical stretch of the Bavarian Camino and experience the legendary long-distance pilgrimage route, Bavarian style. Start the day with a Bavarian “Weißwurst” breakfast – (white sausage – vegetarian options available) at the beer hall-garden of the Benediktbeuern Monastery, the oldest monastery in Upper Bavaria, dating back to the 8th Century. Finish on the shores of the spectacular Kochel Lake, below the famous Herzogstand and Heimgarten peaks of the Bavarian Alps.

Tour Highlights

Bavarian “Weißwurst” breakfast at traditional Bavarian Monastery beer hall.
Guided walk through the Loisach wetlands – an area of natural beauty and protection, along the Loisach river banks with panoramic views to the Bavarian Pre-Alps.
Finish at the famous Kochelsee lake – the majestic lake at the foot of the Herzogstand mountain.
Backdrop to the Expressionist “Blauer Reiter” (blue rider) expressionist group and many of their paintings
Bavarian Coffee & Cake stop at local Farm Café.

Activity level

This is an easy walking tour mostly on wide, gravelly, flat trails. The walk itself takes around 2.5-3 hours.

Distance: 9 km

Ascent: 15 hm

Itinerary

If you are travelling from Munich, we will meet you at Benediktbeuern Train Station at 10:00am. We will start with a wander around the grounds and gardens of the Benediktbeuern Monastery before our Bavarian Breakfast stop in its atmospheric “Klosterbräustüberl”. After this wholesome start we will then hit the Camino, leading us through the scenic wonderland of the Loisach – Kochelsee wetlands - an area of rich natural beauty and protected wildlife habitat. We walk along the Loisach river towards the Kochel See Lake with mountain views on the horizon and the backdrop for many expressionist paintings.

We end our tour on the shores of the Kochel Lake- with time to relax and dip our toes in its cool waters and stop at a local café for some delicious coffee and homemade cake. This is the Camino Bavarian style!

If you are traveling back to Munich you can hop on the train from Kochel on the same ticket you arrived on (Regio-Ticket Werdenfels).

Included

Bavarian Breakfast (Pair of Weißwurst (white sausages) or vegetarian equivalent, 1 Pretzel, 1 drink)
Guided walk
Tour photo album

Not included

Travel to/ from start/end (Can be organised upon request)
Further food, drinks etc
Tips

Travel

The simplest way to get to Benediktbeuern is from Munich Hauptbahnhof. Trains are direct and run every hour with a journey time of an 1 hour.

From Munich we recommend getting the Regio-Ticket Werdenfels. This costs €22 for one person, plus €7/person extra for every extra person you add on up to 5 people.

Region

Benediktbeuern

The small Bavarian town is famed for its monastery dating back to the 8th Century. The distinctive onion domes of its church are a prominent feature which can be seen from all surrounding peaks. Still to this day it is a hive of spiritual and cultural activity, as well as a centre for environmental and cultural learning. The surrounding wetlands of the Loisach – Kochelsee provide a habitat for many birds, animals and plants – making it a wonderful area to explore.

Kochel am See

With the majestic peaks of the Jochberg, Herzogstand and Heimgarten as a backdrop, the village of Kochel also adds an idyllic lake to its setting. Originally life came to Kochel through fishing in the lake and its history goes back over 1250 years.

The beauty of Kochel am See made it a popular spot with abbots, kings and artists, who retreated to the area often for rest, relaxation and inspiration.

Today it's a popular spot with hikers, art lovers (particularly fans of the expressionist era and Franz Marc), and water sports enthusiasts.