Prien am Chiemsee: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
The Chiemsee is the largest lake lying wholly in Bavaria, and the locals call it the Bavarian Sea. Two of its islands could hardly be more different: on Herreninsel a king's unfinished dream palace, on Fraueninsel a nunnery older than most of Germany's cities. The boats leave from Prien-Stock, and you can reach the harbour on a steam train. Give it a whole day; the last boats back leave in the early evening.
A short history of Prien am Chiemsee
Prien lies on the western shore of the Chiemsee, the largest lake in Bavaria, known as the 'Bavarian Sea'. On the small island in the lake, Frauenchiemsee, there is a Benedictine convent dating back to the 8th century. On the large island, Herrenchiemsee, King Ludwig II began building a palace inspired by Versailles in 1878, but when he died in 1886 only a small part of it was finished, and in one wing work stopped halfway. In 1887 a short steam tramway began running between Prien railway station and the boat pier, and it still operates today. The village itself lives mainly from tourism to the islands.
The ten best sights in Prien am Chiemsee
1Herrenchiemsee New PalaceKing Ludwig II's Versailles; tours are timed, so pick your slot as soon as you land
2Herrenchiemsee Old PalaceThe former monastery where the German constitution was drafted; a short walk from the pier
3Frauenwörth AbbeyNuns still live here; buy their liqueur and marzipan at the abbey shop
4Church of the Assumption, PrienLook up: the baroque ceiling shows a sea battle
5Prien Local MuseumLake fishing, farm rooms and costumes in an old house; an hour
6Gallery in the Old Town HallChanging shows of the Chiemsee painters, by the market square
7Seeon AbbeyA monastery on a lake island joined to the shore, 20 minutes north; summer concerts
8Wasserburg am InnAn old town almost surrounded by a loop of the Inn; park outside and walk in over the bridge
9FraueninselA car-free island of fishermen; walk round it in 30 minutes and eat smoked fish on the pier
10PrienaveraPool and slides on the lakeshore, indoor and outdoor
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Prien am Chiemsee →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Prien am Chiemsee:
Free walking tours in Prien am Chiemsee
The islands of the Chiemsee
The Chiemsee is the largest lake lying wholly in Bavaria, and the locals call it the Bavarian Sea. Two of its islands could hardly be more different: on Herreninsel a king's unfinished dream palace, on Fraueninsel a nunnery older than most of Germany's cities. The boats leave from Prien-Stock, and you can reach the harbour on a steam train. Give it a whole day; the last boats back leave in the early evening.
- Chiemsee Railway · The steam tram opened in 1887 to carry visitors from the station to the steamers, and it still runs its original route of under 2 km. It is one of the oldest narrow-gauge steam railways still working in the world.
- Herrenchiemsee New Palace · Ludwig II bought the island in 1873 and began a copy of Versailles in 1878 to honour Louis XIV. When he died in 1886 it was far from finished, and he had slept in it only about ten nights. Its hall of mirrors is longer than the one in Versailles.
- Herrenchiemsee Old Palace · Before the king it was a monastery of Augustinian canons. In August 1948 a group of experts met here for two weeks and wrote the draft that became the Basic Law, the constitution of West Germany and then of united Germany.
- Krautinsel · The smallest of the three islands has no houses. Its name means cabbage island: the nuns of Fraueninsel, short of space on their own island, grew vegetables and herbs here.
- Frauenwörth Abbey · The Benedictine nunnery was founded in the 8th century, and its Carolingian gate hall is among the oldest buildings in Germany. Its best-known abbess, Irmengard, was a great-granddaughter of Charlemagne; she died here in 866 and is buried in the church.
- Fraueninsel village · Only about 300 people live on the island, many of them in old fishing families. There are no cars, and the catch of the day — whitefish called Renke — is smoked and sold straight from the fishermen's houses.
Romans, monks and the Inn
The quiet north of the Chiemsee is a land of small lakes, farms and church towers, and few visitors drive it. The route follows history: a Roman bridge town, an island monastery, old farmhouses moved into a museum, and two baroque masterpieces on the Inn. The roads are easy and the stops are close together. End in Wasserburg for the evening light on the river.
- Roman Museum Bedaium, Seebruck · Seebruck stands on the site of Bedaium, a Roman settlement where the road from Salzburg to Augsburg crossed the river Alz as it leaves the lake. The small museum shows the stones and finds dug up in the village.
- Seeon Abbey · Benedictine monks settled on this island in the Seeon lake at the end of the 10th century. Mozart came here as a boy, and the abbey is now a cultural centre of the Upper Bavaria district, with concerts in the old rooms.
- Eggstätt-Hemhof lakes · This cluster of small lakes in the forest was left behind by the Ice Age glacier that also dug out the Chiemsee. It was made a nature reserve in 1939, one of the first in Bavaria.
- Amerang Farmhouse Museum · Old farmhouses from across the region were taken apart and rebuilt here, with their barns, bakehouses and gardens. On some days there are craft demonstrations and the bread oven is lit.
- Wasserburg am Inn · The Inn curls almost all the way round the old town, which grew rich on the salt trade carried by river boats. The narrow bridge gate is still the main way in, and the arcaded streets look much as they did in the Middle Ages.
- Rott am Inn · The former abbey church of Rott was rebuilt in the 1760s by Johann Michael Fischer, one of the great architects of Bavarian rococo. The Bavarian politician Franz Josef Strauss is buried in the churchyard.
The mountains above the lake
From the shore at Prien the Chiemgau Alps look close enough to touch, and they are: the first peaks start half an hour south. This route trades the lake for a castle, two cable cars and a mountain village, with the water always in view from above. Choose a clear day; the views are the reason to go. Good shoes are enough — no climbing is needed.
- Chiemseepark Felden · At the south end of the lake the Munich–Salzburg motorway, built in the 1930s, runs right along the shore. Its old service station at Felden, the Rasthaus am Chiemsee, was one of the first motorway rest stops in Germany.
- Hohenaschau Castle · The castle has stood on its rock above Aschau since the 12th century, guarding the way into the Prien valley. It was later rebuilt in baroque style, and the chapel and halls can be seen on guided tours.
- Kampenwand cable car · The gondola from Aschau uses tiny cabins for four people that swing up the mountain one after another. It saves about 800 metres of climbing and drops you near a hut with a terrace over the lake.
- Kampenwand summit · The ridge of limestone towers reaches 1,669 metres, and its summit cross is one of the largest in the Bavarian Alps. The last stretch to it needs hands on the rock, but the path along the ridge is easy.
- Sachrang · The last village before the Austrian border remembers the Müllner-Peter, a miller's son of the early 19th century who became the village choirmaster, composer and healer. A small museum keeps his music and his herbal remedies.
- Hochfelln cable car · The cable car from Bergen climbs the Hochfelln in two sections, changing cabins at a middle station. From the top the whole Chiemsee lies below, with all three islands.
Getting to Prien am Chiemsee and getting around
- Prien am Chiemsee Station · On the Munich–Salzburg line, about an hour from Munich; buses leave from the forecourt
- Chiemsee Railway · A little steam train from the station down to the boats; summer only
- Prien-Stock harbour · The boats to both islands leave from here; one ticket can cover both
Cheap eats in Prien am Chiemsee
Around the Chiemsee the cheap, fast lunch is fish: Renke or char from the lake, smoked or fried, in a bread roll at a fisherman's hut. The rest is Bavarian — pretzels, Leberkäse rolls from the butcher and big slices of cake in the afternoon. Many kiosks and island stands close from October to Easter. Prices are a little higher on the islands than in Prien.
- Chiemsee-Fischerei Engelbert Stephan · Fisherman's shop; a smoked-fish roll about €4-6
- Bäckerei Konditorei A. Müller · Bakery on the market square; pretzel and coffee about €4-5
- Kurcafe Heider · Café-bakery with cakes on the square; slice and coffee about €7-8
- Bäckerei und Café Miedl · By the station; rolls and coffee to go, about €3-6
- Imbiss-Kiosk at Stock · Snacks at the harbour before the boat; sausage about €4-6
Museums in Prien am Chiemsee
- Herrenchiemsee New Palace · The King Ludwig II Museum is inside the palace, included in the ticket
- Old Palace and Constitution exhibition · The rooms where the Basic Law was drafted, and a gallery of paintings
- Prien Local Museum · An old farmer-fisherman's house, small and friendly
- Gallery in the Old Town Hall · Chiemsee painting from the 19th century on, in changing shows
- Amerang Farmhouse Museum · Whole farms rebuilt in a park; half a day with children
Nature and day trips near Prien am Chiemsee
- Eggstätt-Hemhof lakes · Paths between the lakes; a few have small swimming spots
- Kampenwand · Ridge walk from the top station; the summit itself is a scramble
- Simssee · A smaller, warmer lake west of the Chiemsee, with free bathing places
- Chiemseepark Felden · Lawns on the south shore with the best view of the islands and the Alps together
- Krautinsel · Seen from the boat between the two big islands; no landing
Things to do in Prien am Chiemsee with kids
- Chiemsee Railway · Steam, whistles and an open carriage; short and cheap
- Prienavera · Slides, a wave of fun and a lake view from the pool
- Prien lido · Shallow entry and lawns for a picnic
- Amerang Farmhouse Museum · Animals, old tools and room to run
- Hochfelln cable car · Two cable cars and a summit for a picnic above the lake
Where to eat in Prien am Chiemsee
- Mesnerstubn, Urschalling · Country inn by the old church of Urschalling, just south of Prien
- Ludwig Fessler · Restaurant at the Stock harbour, with fish from the lake
- Westernacher · Lakeside terrace at Stock; Bavarian food and sunset views
- Wieninger Bräu · Beer-hall food and local beer in the town
- Schlossblick · By the harbour with a view to Herreninsel
- Zum Sterzer · Traditional inn in the centre of Prien
Frequently asked questions about Prien am Chiemsee
What is there to see in Prien am Chiemsee?
The top sights in Prien am Chiemsee are Herrenchiemsee New Palace, Herrenchiemsee Old Palace and Frauenwörth Abbey. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Prien am Chiemsee?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Prien am Chiemsee without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Prien am Chiemsee?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Prien am Chiemsee, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The islands of the Chiemsee.
How do you get to Prien am Chiemsee and get around?
The main ways are Prien am Chiemsee Station, Chiemsee Railway and Prien-Stock harbour. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Prien am Chiemsee, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Prien am Chiemsee that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Prien am Chiemsee for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.