baVARIA
Die Fraueninsel: 1948 schrieb Erich Kästner hier sein „ Doppeltes Lottchen“.
Herrenchiemsee Palace and its park grounds cut a swath through the island’ s nature setting.
Lake Chiemsee
Lake Chiemsee, also known as the“ Bavarian Sea”, at 81 km ² the largest lake in Bavaria. It was created by a glacier dating from the last Ice Age. Both the Celts and the Romans had settlements on the shores of this lake, which was known for its wealth of fish. The lake was truly“ discovered” by the artists of the early 19 th century, who set out from Munich to travel through the Alpine foothills and the Chiemsee area. Herrenchiemsee and Frauenchiemsee islands are still inhabited to this day. The third and smallest island, the Krautinsel, is uninhabited and was earlier used as the vegetable and herb garden of Frauenwörth Convent.
PriEN [ 13 ]
Main village on the Chiemsee, painted façades on many houses. Assumption of Mary parish church, late Gothic; interior décor from 1732 – 1739; Rococo church. Renowned frescos on the ceiling, 1730( naval battle – Lepanto against the Turks), stucco decorations, beautiful pulpit, paintings of the Way of the Cross – all by J. B. Zimmermann. Next to Baumburg, the parish church in Prien is one of the most important rococo creations in the Chiemgau. St. James’ Church in Urschalling, south of Prien, on a moraine hill over the lake: Gothic-Romanesque fresco cycle, 12 th and 14 th cent.; most important church paintings north and south of the Alps. Gallery in the old town hall; ancient and more modern art, special exhibitions. Local museum in a farmhouse, 1837; Chiemsee train: 2 km, from the station in Prien to the Chiemsee harbor in Stock; built in 70 days in 1887, with Herrenchiemsee Palace open to the public since 1886; oldest narrow-gauge railway in Germany. Nostalgic train: Steam locomotive from 1887 and saloon car with petroleum lamps, Chiemsee ferry service and the“ Ludwig Fessler”, the only paddle steamer in Bavaria.
HerreniNSEL [ 14 ]
240 ha island; old castle: founded in 765 by Tassilo as an abbey for the Benedictine order, taken over later by the Augustinian canons; dissolved during the secularization of 1803; Baroque building with four wings, library and imperial hall with wall paintings. 1873: Ludwig II bought Herreninsel Island and built the new palace, 1878 – 1886, the state castle of King Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, 1864 – 86; architect: Dollmann( Royal Director of Buildings). It was intended to become King Ludwig’ s“ Versailles”,“… a temple of glory, where I will celebrate the memory of King Louis XIV”. State hall with carvings and gold embroidery; 77 m mirror gallery with 32 gilt lamps and 33 crystal chandeliers for 1,000 wax candles. Gardens with figures and trick fountains. King Ludwig II Museum. www. schlosshotel-herrenchiemsee. com
FraueniNSEL [ 15 ]
Convent founded by Duke Tassilo III in 782; Benedictine nuns, hence the name“ Women’ s Island”; The Augustinian canons were on the“ men’ s island”; therefore“ Frauen( women)” – und“ Herren( men) – chiemsee”. Minster, 12th cent., with detached octagonal tower; served as protection during wars; Murals from the 9th and 12 th cent.; outside Romanesque, inside Late Gothic; 11 Baroque altars; grave in the minster of the first abbess – Irmengard, great granddaughter of Charlemagne, who died in 866; Irmengard Chapel behind the altar. One of the few convents to have existed for the last 1200 years.