Overview
The “Bavarian Ocean” — Chiemsee — is the largest lake in Bavaria, covering roughly 9¼ square miles. Its shores and islands form one of Bavaria’s most popular recreation areas. The autobahn runs along the flat, marshy southern bank, while the northern side once carried an important Roman road between Salzburg and Augsburg. A Roman settlement existed here at the same time that the first Bavarian monasteries were being founded.
The Fraueninsel
The smaller of the two inhabited islands is the Fraueninsel (“Ladies’ Island”), home to a convent that has operated almost continuously since the 8th century. Apart from a brief closure of about 30 years in the 19th century, religious life here has been unbroken for more than 1,200 years. The convent church is recognisable from afar by its 17th-century onion dome. Archaeological work in 1961 uncovered much older structures, including 11th-century towers and the coffin of Blessed Irmingard, a great-granddaughter of Charlemagne who served as abbess in the 9th century.
The Herreninsel and Herrenchiemsee
The larger island is known as the Herreninsel (“Lords’ Island”). King Ludwig II purchased the entire island in 1873 both to preserve its forests and to construct another of his extravagant castles. A visit to Versailles in 1867 had deeply impressed him, and Ludwig sought to create a Bavarian homage to Louis XIV. Construction of Herrenchiemsee began in 1878 and continued until 1885, consuming some 20 million marks and exhausting the treasury.
Ludwig spent only one week in the palace. It remained unfinished; roughly half the planned interior decoration was never completed. Visitors today first walk through the unfinished section — bare masonry and an incomplete staircase — before entering the spectacular completed rooms, where rough structural walls have been transformed into shimmering stucco “marble.” The homage to Versailles is unmistakable, especially in the Hall of Mirrors overlooking formal French gardens.
Versailles had returned to prominence in 1871 when the Second German Empire was proclaimed there and Wilhelm I became Emperor. Although the empire was theoretically federal, it was dominated by Prussia. Bismarck granted Bavaria several special privileges: Bavarian regiments kept their traditional uniforms in peacetime, Bavaria issued its own postage stamps, and a Prussian Embassy operated in Munich. Bismarck also channelled funds to Ludwig for his building projects.
In 1978, for the centenary of the palace’s cornerstone, the music written for Ludwig’s never-realised marriage was performed, and the building was illuminated by 4,000 candles.
Earlier History of the Herreninsel
Long before Ludwig, the Herreninsel held a Benedictine abbey founded in the early 8th century. It was destroyed by Hungarian raiders and later re-established in 1130 by the Archbishop of Salzburg. The abbey remained under episcopal authority until secularisation in the early 19th century. Portions of the former Bishop’s palace now serve as a hotel.
Tourism and Recreation
In summer, the Chiemsee region fills with visitors. Motorboats carry tourists to the islands and lakeside villages. Large areas are devoted to camping and trailers. Private motorboats are limited, but private sailing boats are unrestricted. Windsurfers are now especially prominent; the Chiemsee Windsurf Club is among the most famous in Europe, and its jackets are considered something of a style item. The lake is also home to a large yachting school and numerous regattas.
Sailing, however, is a relatively recent tradition. Until the 19th century local boats were rowed, not sailed. Early “tourists” — painters from northern Germany — described North Sea and Baltic sailing vessels to the locals. Curious but unconvinced, Bavarians challenged them to a race between a rowing boat and an improvised sailing boat rigged with a tablecloth. A favourable breeze ensured the sailing boat’s victory, and the locals were instantly persuaded of the merits of sail.