Starnberg is a town on the south western outskirts of Munich and sits at the head of Stanberger See. It can be reached by the S-Bahn or suburban train line so we set off with our Munich monthly ticket to explore.
Starnberger See is famous for its Buchheim Museum of Phantasie at Bernried and also for the many Schloss belonging to the Wittelsbach Kings. For a very reasonable cost you can take a cruise, which includes the entry to the museum and return, so we set off on the Seeschifffahrt in warm sunshine. We passed the
spot where poor King Ludwig II drowned, suitably marked with a memorial mausoleum and the on to Possenhoffen, and the Schloss, built by Max Joseph, Duke in Bavaria (as opposed to his relative King Max II of Bavaria – all these royals were either called Max or Ludwig). Here is where his daughter Sisi, later Empress Elisabeth of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was born in the early 1880’s. Sisi and Ludwig II, who drowned, were cousins and reputed to be lifelong friends.
In the background on our morning trip, were the fabulous Alps, still capped with snow. We left our Schiff at Bernried and wandered along the banks of the See under linden and beech trees till we reached the Buchheim museum. The museum was sponsored by Lothar-Gunther Buchheim, an artist, photographer, publisher and author (he wrote ‘Das Boot’), as well as a collector and philanthropist. His museum at Bernreid contains many of Germany’s impressionist painters, as well as artefacts Buchheim collected in Africa and Asia. We particularly like his collection of people in various poses of overconsumption.
After enjoying our packed lunch in the Bernreid park outside the museum, we wended our way back to the ferry terminal, hopped on the next Schiff and were back in Starnberg to catch the S-Bahn home, at 4pm, all for about $30 each.
Come wandering 