Bodensee - Königssee long distance cycling tour

Long Distance Cycling Tour 2007, part 1

Day by day description; part 1: Bodensee - Königssee.

Day 1:
Hergensweiler - Kranzegg

Day 2:
Kranzegg - Trauchgau

Day 3:
Trauchgau - Ramsau

Day 4:
Ramsau - Au bei Bad Aibling

Day 5:
Au bei Bad Aibling - Siegsdorf

Day 6:
Siegsdorf - Königssee

Map

For the return route through Austria see part 2 of the detailed description.

Day 1.

Hergensweiler (520 m) - Oberstaufen - Immenstadt - Kranzegg (855 m).
72 km, 1355 hm (hm = meters uphill).
The quiet village of Hergensweiler was chosen as starting point because it offers a better place to safely leave the car behind than the busy and tourist Lindau. The route passes a friendly, hilly environment. Close to Gestratz (24 km from Hergensweiler) the B-K signs indicate another route than indicated on the Esterbauer Radtourenbuch maps. The new, signposted, route avoids the fairly step climb to Grünenbach. Old and new route meet each other at Schönau. Finding your way out of Immenstadt is rather difficult; some sign are confusing or missing. Esterbauer's inset map of Immenstadt helps.
Accommodation in Hergensweiler: Hotel Sonne, Dorfstrasse 7; in Kranzegg: B&B (Zimmer mit Frühstück) at Alpweg 3.

Left: view at the Rottachsee from Haag; right: Neuschwanstein castle near Füssen.

Day 2.

Kranzegg (855 m) - Haag, near Oy (927 m) - Füssen - Trauchgau (800 m).
62 km, 695 hm.
The "roof" of the route towards Königssee, with Haag as highest point, offers magnificent views. Shortly after the nice, but overcrowded town of Füssen you will see the famous King Ludwig II fairy-tail castles Hohenschwangau and Neuswanstein.
Accommodation in Trauchgau: B&B at Reichenstrasse 21.

Left: Hoher Trauchberg region; right: crossing of the river Ach.

Day 3.

Trauchau (800 m) - Kochel am See - Bad Heilbrunn / Ramsau (635 m).
76 km, 595 hm.
The first 12 km of the route belong to one of the most beautiful parts of the B-K tour. A well maintained unpaved road along the Hoher Trauchberg crosses a lovely forest and offers at several spots stunning views at the surrounding mountains. North of Kochel am See a large peat moor area is crossed.
Accommodation in Ramsau (near Bad Heilbrunn): Gasthaus Ramsau (the spa resort Bad Heilbrunn itself offer mainly accommodation to people seeking for health).

Important tools for finding your way: signs, maps and occasionally some luck or equivalent.

Day 4.

Ramsau (635 m) - Bad Tölz - Hausham - Au bei Bad Aibling (512 m).
68 km, 740 hm.
Ramsau is situated at an alternative B-K route that connects Bad Heilbrunn with Oberfischbach (close to Bad Tölz). The alternative stretch is less easy going (goes frequently up and down), but worthwhile; certainly much more rewarding than following the main road. The old town of Bad Tölz is an nice place for a short break. However, finding your way can be difficult; also here Esterbauer's map helps. The route from Bad Tölz to Gmünd am Tegernsee is choice. The next lake Schliersee - can be admired from a the lovely, quiet road along the west side of the lake.
Accommodation in Au bei Bad Aibling: Gästehaus Huber, Hauptstrasse 9.

Left: Bad Heilbrunn mainly focusses on walkers; right: view from the pumping-station of the "Soleleitungsmuseum".

Day 5.

Ai bei Bad Aibling (512 m) - Aschau - Grassau - Siegsdorf (615 m).
70 km, 435 hm.
For those who are interested in the history of applied sciences it is recommended to visit the Soleleitungsmuseum "Brunnhaus Klaushäusl" shortly before Grassau (along the B-K route). It tells the story of saltwater (Sole) transport from Bad Reichenhall to Rosenheim. The water from sources near Bad Reichenhall contained 24% salt. For salt winning water had to be boiled. Eventually, this practice resulted in a severe shortage of wood for burning fires. Since salt was a very profitable article it was decided to relocate the refinery to a place where wood was still available. For this purpose a ca. 100 km wooden (!) pipeline was build in the early 19th century. The pipeline had to cross several mountain ridges. Therefore a number of pumping-stations were build. The system functioned from 1810 to 1958. Brunnhaus Klaushäusl is the only pumping-station that has not fallen into disrepair.
Accommodation in Siegsdorf: Gasthof Edelweiss, Hauptstrasse 21.

Left: five long distance routes meet in Traunstein; right: one of many typical forest roads.

Day 6.

Siegsdorf (615 m) - Traunstein - Bad Reichenhall - Berchtesgaden - Königssee (603 m).
68 km, 585 hm.
Between Traunstein and Bad Reichenhall the route gives you not only a close view of the Munich - Salzburg motorway, but far more interestingly you also pass the charming village of Anger. According King Ludwig I the most beautiful village of Bavaria. Bad Reichenhall is above all a luxury spa resort. For those who have enjoyed Brunnhaus Klaushäusl (see day 5) it is recommended to visit the "Alte Saline" museum, with its giant paddle wheels that for a century and a half have driven the sole-pumps. The subterranean part of the museum offers a view of the ingenious pumping constructions that allowed the collection of sole from various sources. After a last, quit hefty climb through a forest at the German-Austrian border the half-way goal was reached: Berchtesgaden and then Königssee.
Accommodation in Königssee: Pension Siegelhaus (Königssee-Dorf), where we stayed two nights.

Map.