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Hi, nice to see you again. Last time we drove around the
lake of Starnberg, the biggest one in the "5-Lake's-Area"
in Upper Bavaria. Today the second part or daytrip to the other four lakes
in Starnberg district is following. Connecting to part one we start now in
Starnberg directly. First we drive along the river Wuerm, one exit of the lake
of Starnberg, through a small and narrow valley. Just in the middle of it between
the woods is an old mill, a lovely place to stop, have a rest, original bavarian
country dishes and some beers.
But I guess, everybody had a good breakfast so we turn on
and the first village we reach soon is named Gauting. The first landmark you
see from that village is another mill, the "Reis-Mill".
About that a legend told, that the world famous German Emperor
Charlemagne should be born there, so the village shows up in its heraldic figure
a crown above a mill-wheel. More in the legend part about.
The village Gauting, beside Gilching and Starnberg
one of the biggest ones of the district, count back in history about 2000 years.
First the Celtics were settling there ( where in Europe they didn't do I want
know), than the Romans break over the Alps in that area. They had in Gauting
a station named "Bratanium". The bavarian tribes are documented since
500 a.J.Chr.
We follow now these old raids and reach a few miles later
the village Andechs with the same named monastery there. Here we will have
a rest, because that monastery on the "holy mountain" is really "a
must" for each visitor of Upper Bavaria.
On one hand the monastery of Andechs is still today a place
of pilgrimage, on the other hand a magnet for people liking countrysites, having
wellness through walking and biking and for nice rests a excellent beergarden
and beer, naturally.While some of you will visit the open facilities and the
church, renovated 1755 in marvellous Rokoko style, I will explain why this
monastery pulls more than eleven centuries thousands of pilgrims to here.
History said that the first area owner here was an aristocrat
named "holy Rasso of Andechs" and ancestor of the "Andechs Dynasty",
later on very mighty and with castles up there in the Kroatian country. This
"Rasso" had brought several relics from the crusades to his castle
in Andechs.
view in the marvellous Andechs church
In the castle chapel were stored i.e."three holy consecrated
wafers, some twigs of the thorn crown of Jesus Christ and other holy relics".
Around 1208 this mighty dynasty ran under suspension to be a knowing part of
the king's murdering in Bamberg.
So her opponent, the dynasty Wittelsbach, had nearly free
hand to attack the castles of the Andechs dynasty. After the conquer of Andechs
castle the chapel was the only undestroyed house on this place. But where were
the "holy treasures"? The defenders had hide them and, what a bullshit,
no one was alive to tell the hidden location. Several years later a small miracle
should have happened. While the priest hold the mass a small mouse slipped
through the church and lose a part of an old pergament. Thereon was the map
how to find the hidden treasures. Can you imagine what run of pilgrims appeared
soon after digging the holy relics out? I guess, so much like now beer lovers
too. In these old times the church was to small to catch them all, so Duke
Ernst of Bavaria first brought the relics to Munich in security.
Than he started to build, no, not himself, he "let
build" naturally, a new and bigger church, you can see now. Later on this
now still existing monastery was added to watch the relics and take care of
the pilgrims.
Monastery Andechs with view to the Ammersee
and the Alps
Hey, you are all back again? One beer more? No, ok, let
us start then to the nex nice place, it will be the village Herrsching directly
on the lake named "Ammersee". This is the second big one in our district.
It is also a very loved relaxing area to swim, sail, fish, surf, play tennis,
biking and so on. Business people visiting Munich find here good rooms to stay
over night and work without the big noise of the city.
The bavarian "white-blue fleet" offers turns over
the lake and restaurants for each taste you can find. If you sometimes look
for a nice vacation place, think about Herrsching too.
Remember, we talk about five lake. Next one will be the
"Pilsensee". The name is similar to a special sort of beer, I know,
but if this lake would be from that, believe me, no Bavarian would allow to
come in the near. In summertimes lots of Munich citizens come out here to relax
or use the sporting possibilities like on the Ammersee or the next one, the
"Woerthsee". Once these both lakes were owned by an aristocrat's
family living in the castle of Seefeld, you can see just from the road. Now
that castle is in the posess of Earl Toerring, a very popular man and beer
brewer too. He and his dynasty has not such bad history like the old castle
owner the following story will tell you.
The isle of mouse
You must know, in earlier times folks named the "Woerthsee"
also "mouse lake", on our times only the one existing island therein
kept the prename "mouse". And this is the legend:
Once one of the Seefeld aristocrats was rich, miserly
and cruel. He hated the poor people and one day he let catch a lot of beggars
and put them in a barn. There they were burned with the whole house through
his knights. As they cried and screamed the aristocrat was mocking about them
with the words "do you hear the whimpering mice and rats?"
old pic from the Seefeld castle
That was too much for the good strength in heaven. A
few days later thousands of real rats and mice suddenly appeared in his castle,
eating and attacking everybody and every thing. The bad guy escaped to the
Woerthsee, set over to the island hoping the animals cannot follow him. But
in the contrary, from all sides the rats and mice swam over the lake to his
last refugee. Fully desperated the man fell on his knees, begged the Lord for
apologize and promised foundations for the poor people. After that all animals
disappeared.
But back to the presence. Next village with the last one
lake of our five-lakes-area is Weßling and the lake has the same name
"Weßlinger See" (lake of Weßling). The picture shows
the lake and the characteristic size of an "onion-church-tower".
He is the smallest one and long time people were afraid
that he will "die". But some enginees made an experiment by pumping
oxygen in the deep levels of the water because this lake has no river coming
in to do that. And the result of that very expensive try - the lake is now
clear and fresh again, it makes fun to swim there and a lot of fish found a
new home.
Leaving Weßling the next town would be Gilching,
but we take the entrance to the highway to Munich. We have just passed the
German Center of Aerospace and these halls, you see now on the right hand side,
belong to the area of RUAG in Oberpfaffenhofen. This company is a big service
company in the airplane brand.
You see, the five-lakes-area in the Starnberg district connects
a marvellous vacation area with modern industry, very fine included in the
landscape. I guess now, you want see our famous Bavaria in reality, please
come, I will wait for you with my airportshuttle service on Munich airport.
Till the next virtual trip
sincerely yours
George
For the fans of "Charlemagne" here the legend
of his birth in the mill of Gauting:
Around the year 740 the franconian king Pippin stayed
in a castle near the village Weihenstephan. To there the king of the Bretagne
sent a legation with a picture of his girl Berta with the hope king Pippin
perhaps will like and marry her. And so happened, king Pippin was enjoyed of
that picture and sent his housekeeper and adjudant to fetch that girl. But,
his mayor domus had himself a daughter and the plan to get more might by engage
her with his king. So, as the envoy was near Gauting on the backway he gave
the order to his knights to kill the poor Berta.
His knights are not so cruel, they let her run and killed
instead a dog to bring a bloody heart as a prove back to their master. The
poor girl found after some days in the big wood that small mill and stayed
there. How things happen, seven years later king Pippin was hunting in that
area. In the evening he rested in that mill, saw the girl and saw another main
important thing. She weared a special ring, what he had sent once to her as
a gift for engagement. So he discover what had happened. People told, in the
same night Berta was pregnant by the king. He leaved her in the mill, went
home, punish his treacherous housekeeper, throwed his wife (the girl of that
housekeeper, you remember) out of his castle and then he went back to pick-up
Berta.
But you know, in the old times roads were long and bad.
So all things need time and to clean off all friends of the treator in the
king's castle too, I guess. The legend tells, in the meantime Berta had born
a little son and so this "little Charles" was set in that world what
later on named him "Charlemagne".
I hope, you had some fun by the story (or my bad translation,
what shalls). Take care till our next meeting in Bavaria
again your George from the Munich Airportshuttle
A view at the Ammersee with the bay of Herrsching
Script by J.W.Lohfink, for any mistakes in
spell or grammar I apologize as a precaution, corrections, questions or comments
please mail to me.
And last but not least, if you like to search on my page
more or in the internet,
then you'll find at the bottom the marvellous search-help
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