Ski Germany

Ski Schliersee and Spitzingsee

Scenic Skiing Above the Lakes

The Schliersee and Spitzingsee are two lakes located in the higher end of Upper Bavarian mountain valleys and the Spitzingsee-Tegernsee ski area is one of the favourite Bavarian resorts for local residents.

Non-Germans could be forgiven for never having heard of the ski area, but the easy access from Munich (by train and road) and the scenery of the ski runs surrounding a small lake make it an attractive option for a quick German ski break.

Schliersee

Schliersee is by far the larger of the two settlements. It is located on the lake of the same name and the road through to Bayrischzell which skirts the eastern side of the lake.

It is an old 'kur' resort - which basically means that people came here to benefit from the mountain air and to enjoy what would now be termed a spa or wellness holiday.

And, like many kur resorts, lots of older grander hotels can be seen in the towns and villages in the area.

The Schliersee is a popular destination in the summer months, but its access to regular train connections to Munich makes the village a perfect winter getaway. Skiing is available up at the Spitzingsee, while other winter activities can involve walking around the Schliersee on cleared trails, snowshoe trails up into the hills, ice-skating on the lake, or sampling the massive VitalWelt wellness and spa centre right on the lakeshore.

Of course, most visitors to this site will be interested in the skiing, and the Schliersee can proudly point to one of Germany's top skiers as one of their own who learnt his craft on the local slopes.

Markus Wasmeier grew up in Schliersee and eventually, at the age of 30, won two gold medals at the Lillehammer Winter Olympics.

View of the Schliersee in winter

Spitzingsee

The Spitzingsee is a far smaller lake higher up in the mountains at the foot of the two ski areas.

It is reached by passing through or, to be more precise, around the settlements of Fischhausen and Neuhaus and taking the turning for the ski area access road from the local road that leads on to Bayrischzell.

The smaller Taubenstein area is on the left of the lake as visitors approach it, while the larger Stumpfling area is on the right and connects via lifts through to Rottach-Egern above the Tegernsee in the next valley to the west.

Although very convenient for the ski areas, the Spitzingsee has only a small number of tourist establishments and those who are looking for something a little bit more lively will probably prefer to stay in Schliersee and make the 20-minute journey to the slopes daily.

Schliersee is easily reached via public transport - it has a centrally-located station on the convenient Bayerische Oberlandbahn (BOB for short) - while the motorway between Munich and Rosenheim is not too far away.

Spitzingsee Germany

Schliersee