Your city trip to the picturesque village of Berg amidst beautiful nature on Lake Starnberg will be a journey into the history of the Free State of Bavaria.
The former farming and fishing village of Berg is located on the northeastern bank of Lake Starnberg. Berg and Aufkirchen once were the Hofmark of two patrician families from Munich until the Wittelsbach family, one of the oldest German noble families, gained more influence in the 17th century. The jagged peaks of the Alps are not far while Lake Starnberg invites you to relax on a boat ride during your city trip to Berg. Landing stages are located in Berg and in the Leoni district.
During your mini break, enjoy a stroll through the gardens of Berg Castle, built in 1640 in the tradition of Italian villas of that time. During the 19th century, King Ludwig II. Of Bavaria used the castle as his summer residence. A cross looms out of the waters of Lake Starnberg not far away. On 13 June 1886, the corpses of Ludwig II. and his doctor were found here on the bank of the lake. The circumstances of their death remain a mystery until today. A decade later, prince regent Luitpold laid the foundation for a votive chapel in honour of Ludwig II. The neo-romantic chapel is surrounded by enormous trees and home to a memorial service on the anniversary of the death of Ludwig II.
The district Leoni is perfect for a short trip. It is highly impressive how the enormous Bismarck Tower rises into the sky. The memorial was designed in honour of the Prussian Chancellor by the German architect Theodor Fischer and was inaugurated in 1899, one year after Bismarck’s death. The mighty rectangular pedestal, sixteen round arches and an imperial eagle made of stone serve as reminders that Bavaria joined the German Reich thanks to Bismarck’s initiative.
The parish and pilgrimage church Mariä Himmelfahrt (Ascension) Aufkirchen is visible on a hill not far away. While enjoying your city trip, be sure to visit the late Gothic structure with a red gabled roof. It replaced a smaller chapel in the year 1500 which was no longer able to serve the number of pilgrims coming to pay worship since the Middle Ages. In 1896, the old presbytery was transformed into the Abbey of the Discalced Carmelites.
In Aufkirchen, you will also come across the Christian-Jutz Observatory Berg, undisturbed by any impeding lights. It lies surrounded by a natural reserve and can be your destination of a short walk. As long as the night skies and temperatures permit, public observation nights invite you on Tuesdays and Fridays (except on holidays) to marvel at the skies. Group tours are possible with a previous reservation.
