Monasteries, art and views of the Alps
Enjoy sweeping views, rolling hills and idyllic lakes on this cycle tour between Weilheim and Dießen, visit the historic Wessobrunn Monastery and enjoy a picnic along the way.
Weilheim
5 h
40 km
Gentle hills, sweeping views of the countryside, even as far as the Alps, fields, ponds, lakes and floodplains. The landscape is uniquely beautiful. Time and again you come across small places of worship, chapels and churches.
The tour leads from Weilheim to Dießen via Zellsee and Wessobrunn. On the return journey, you follow the Ammer-Amper cycle path to Weilheim. The route is moderately difficult, with around 300 metres of ascent. An enjoyable tour for e-bike riders.
You can hire e-bikes from (E)Radel.de. The bike will be delivered to and collected from the railway station for an additional charge. You should register your requirements with the bike hire company at least two days before the start of the excursion and arrange pick-up and drop-off times.
As restaurants and inns in the region often only open in the late afternoon or early evening since the pandemic, it would be a good idea to pack a small picnic.
A cycle tour for nature lovers and culture vultures
Arrive relaxed and hire bikes from local hire companies. The capacity for taking bikes on the trains is limited and, depending on capacity utilisation, it is not possible to guarantee that you will be able to take your own bike with you.
Start and end station
Bhf. Weilheim
40 km / 5 Stunden
Bhf. Weilheim
Our tip: Please make sure to check your train connection and the expected capacity before you start your journey.
Schedule
Tour starts on Bhf. Weilheim
Direction
DB bicycle service Weilheim station
There are 564 bicycle parking spaces and a DB Fahrrad Service Station in the immediate vicinity of the station.
DB Fahrrad Service Station is the place to go for independent minor repairs to your bikes, which can be carried out free of charge. The station has air pumps for all common valve types as well as tools for small repairs.
With the DB Rad+ app, you can collect kilometres cycled in participating cities and then exchange them for discounts or rewards with exclusive partners.
Bahnhofplatz 1
82362
Weilheim
Direction
The bike hire company (E)Radel.de will deliver your bike to Weilheim station by prior arrangement and will also collect it from there by 18:00.
E-bike hire (E)Radel.de
If you are travelling as a group and need several bikes, the agency eradel.de, based in Murnau, will deliver e-bikes to Weilheim train station during the summer season and pick them up again there. The daily price for an e-trekking bike is 36 euros, for an e-mountain bike 40 euros. There is also a delivery charge. Please enquire about the daily availability of bikes and opening hours before travelling.
Bahnhofplatz 1
82362
Weilheim
Direction
From the railway station, you first cycle along the banks of the Ammer. After crossing the Ammer bridge at Unterhausen, the route heads towards Zellsee.
On the Egerlandstraße, you pass the facilities of the German Aerospace Centre, which are used for communication with spacecraft.
Three kilometres before Wessobrunn, you pass the Zellsee along the ST2057. The lake was dammed in 1414 for fish farming. St Martin's Chapel, which was built in the early 19th century, is located on the northern shore of the lake. The village of Zellsee originally belonged to the possessions of the Wessobrunn monastery.
Wessobrunn Monastery
Wessobrunn Monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in the Pfaffenwinkel region. In 753, Duke Tassilo III is said to have had a dream vision in the area one night, which prompted him to order the construction of a monastery right here.
The Benedictine monastery of Wessobrunn was once an important centre of theological scholarship with an extensive library. Among other things, the oldest surviving Old High German Christian poem, the "Wessobrunn Prayer", was kept here. In the 17th century, the monastery was home to the most important stucco workshop in Europe at the time, the "Wessobrunn School".
From 1803, in the course of secularisation, the monastery was expropriated and partially demolished. 100 years later, Benedictine nuns resumed monastic life in Wessobrunn. Between 1954 and 2001, they ran a spa and therapy centre for children and young people here.
Today, the monastery is home to Martina Gebhardt's organic natural cosmetics company, which has privately owned the monastery since 2014. Nevertheless, guided tours of the monastery take place regularly.
If you are interested in group tours, please contact the parish office on 08809 222 or visit www.pfarrei-wessobrunn.de.
Guided tours are regularly offered from April to October, Wednesday to Sunday at 15:00.
Klosterhof 4
82405
Wessobrunn
Direction
From Wessobrunn, you cycle straight northwards. You will be able to enjoy wonderful views of the countryside and immerse yourself in shady forests before you reach Dießen.
Catholic parish church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, "Marienmünster"
The parish church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was originally the monastery church of the Augustinian canons' monastery in Dießen. It was built from 1720 onwards on the site of two older predecessor buildings. Important master builders and plasterers from Munich, Augsburg and the Wessobrunn school were involved in the construction and decoration work. The ceiling frescoes depict the Virgin Mary surrounded by saints. They are considered to be the main work of the painter Johann Georg Bergmüller, who presumably portrayed himself in the part of the painting depicting St Mechthild's entry into St Stephen's Abbey.
In the course of secularisation, the monastery church was rededicated as a Catholic parish church. In 1988, the building was given the status of a cathedral. The most recent renovation work dates back to 2010.
Klosterhof 14
86911
Dießen am Ammersee
Direction
Take a look at the former monastery courtyard, the baroque-style grounds of today's clinic, before heading towards the lakeside facilities for a short break.
Lake facilities Dießen
The Dießen lakeside facilities combine the beauty of Lake Ammersee with lovingly designed recreational facilities. The facilities have recently been renovated and will be fully usable again in 2023. There are benches in the shade of tall deciduous trees where you can take a break and enjoy a picnic with a view of the lake. The lakeside kiosk, which has been located in the smart new building directly on the steamer jetty since 2019, offers hot and cold drinks and snacks. A mini golf course provides fun and a pub is available as a wellness oasis. There is a beautiful view of the lake and the Dießen shore from the Dampfersteg. The lake facilities are accessible at all times.
Opening hours of the lake kiosk:
In the summer months from 09:00 to 22:00
otherwise from 10:00 to 20:00
Direction
Cycle past the Kneipp facility out of the lakeside facilities and finally out of Dießen, initially along the Mehring-Weilheim railway line, until after approx. 2.5 kilometres you turn right over the railway tracks to Schacky Park.
You can park your bikes at the entrance or take them with you as you walk through the park. However, cycling is not permitted in the park. The walk through the grounds is definitely worthwhile and delights visitors from home and abroad.
Schackypark
In 1905, Ludwig Freiherr von Schacky auf Schönfeld (1849-1913) and his wife Julia (1852 - 1910) discovered the idyllic spot near Dießen with its meadows and sweeping views of Lake Ammersee and the Alps. Both fulfilled a lifelong dream at an advanced age and had a landscape garden created here according to their ideas. To this day, the park is a special gem in Dießen in terms of landscape gardening and cultural history.
On a clear day, visitors can see as far as the Alps from the elevated temple-like monopteros. Several fountains, duck ponds, the tea house and sculptures based on ancient themes enchant visitors and transport them to a seemingly paradisiacal world.
There are display boards in the park which, in addition to the printed explanations, link to an audio guide via a QR code. This allows visitors to delve deeper into the history of the park.
Vogelherdstraße 2
86911
Dießen am Ammersee
Tour ends on Bhf. Weilheim
Direction
Via Raisting and the Ammer-Amper cycle path you now cycle comfortably back to Weilheim, where you have organised your bike return and take your train home.