Day 1: Gauting to Sachsenkam

June 1, 2021

I am now writing up our tour a good month after the fact. I wrote hasty notes in the evenings but I will rely mainly on my pictures and the gps route to recreate the days we were on the road.

We set out on a sunny but windy morning. Even for three days we manage to fill our panniers, much just-in-case stuff, like rain pants and rain jacket. And then the electronic paraphernalia is now demanding more space than in the old days. So if we travel for three days or thirty, the load remains basically the same, we need it all. At the start it feels heavy, but then I shift down and slow down and all is well.

Starting at the front door means riding frequently traveled roads before we are in new territory. I can't complain, though. We have no city streets to cope with and it's not long before we are on a forest path.

On our familiar route we pass some examples of chainsaw art. In a couple of years this one, too, will have decayed.

In Wangen the cows are out to greet us. It has been a cold spring and just recently they have been let out of the barn to graze in the pastures.

In Wangen Janos and I briefly lose each other after agreeing to meet at a landmark that I don't locate. We get things straightened out and are reunited thanks to our cell phones. After passing through the farming village of Wangen comes a stretch of about eight kilometers on a bike path next to a not too busy highway that takes us to Schäftlarn. From here we plunge down to the valley of the Isar.

About half way down is Schäftlarn Abbey (Kloster Schäftlarn), a Benedictine monastery with a magnificent abbey church. The church of Saint Denis is a beautiful example of southern German Rococo architecture. We stop for a visit.

The Schäftlarn Abbey church - the sober exterior is deceptive.

The ornate interior in delicate late baroque - The Schäftlarner monastery church is probably one of the most successful late baroque sacred buildings in southern Germany. Some of the most prominent artists of the time participated in its construction and design.

We can follow the Isar canal, for a while on a bike path and then on a quiet road with little traffic. We are getting hungry but we don't see any inviting places to stop to eat our sandwiches that we packed from home. Eventually when we leave the Isar at Ascholding a comfortable, shaded bus stop presents itself.

The Ickinger Wehr, a bridge and damn on the Isar near Wolfratshausen.

Easy pedaling on a quiet road parallel to the Isar

In Ascholding - the perfect bus stop shelter for our picnic

We climb out of the valley and have a lovely landscape of fields of grain and gentle hills.

St. Leonhard's in Harmating: The chapel is a protected monument. The baroque octagonal central building has a tent roof and in the west is the tower with a pointed helmet. (Wikipedia)

In Dietramszell we stop for the Monastery Church of the Assumption of Mary.

Built between 1717 and 1741, the interior of is flooded with light. The entire church is richly decorated with stucco work, altarpieces and frescoes by Johann Baptist Zimmermann, an outstanding representative of the Upper Bavarian late baroque, who lived from 1680 to 1758.

Detail from the interior - Sacred baroque architecture is often very sensual.

No more stops until we reach our destination in the village of Sachsenkam. Why Sachsenkam? It was about the right distance for a day's ride and also near Reutberg Abbey, which is worth visiting for its location and excellent beer garden.

Beer was an essential part of the monks' diet and many monasteries have a long tradition in beer brewing. During lent strong beer or Lenten beer was traditionally drunk, a compensation for the reduced diet. The first fasting beer was brewed by monks in Bavaria in the early Middle Ages. At that time the rule was: "Liquid doesn't break a fast". To this day, the strong beer season in Bavaria is celebrated as the fifth season. Numerous strong beer festivals take place starting Ash Wednesday. (source)

Sachsenkam is a small farming village, its two hotels probably benefit from the proximity to the popular Reutberg Abbey beer garden. Our room in Gasthof Pension Neuwirt is simple but adequate for our needs for two nights. After settling in, we sit outside in the beer garden of Pension Neuwirt and do a bit of journaling. At five it's kind of early for our evening meal, but the menu looks tempting and several people are eating already.

Something I appreciate in Germany, by the way, is that restaurants serve evening meals early. When touring in Italy or France I am starving by the time restaurants open and we are usually the first guests sitting between empty chairs and tables.

We finish our non-alcoholic fizzy drinks and order a proper Bavarian meal - with beer. Tomorrow we'll go to the Reutberg beer garden.

Our bicycles are safe in a storage room for the night.

Pension Neuwirt's simple beer garden with a horse chestnut in bloom. Later on the beer garden filled, it seemed to be very popular with the locals.

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Today's ride: 53 km (33 miles)
Total: 53 km (33 miles)

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Rachael AndersonI can’t wait to get to your neck of the woods!
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2 years ago

Gregory GarceauIf I ever get to Germany for a bike tour, it will definitely be during the Fifth Season. And next time I go on a fast (which is not likely to ever happen) I will definitely remember the phrase "liquid does not break a fast."
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2 years ago

Sandra LawnHi Suzanne and Janos
Good to see you both in good health and on the road. It’s winter in New Zealand and now I have 40 days of your journal to follow as you add pages. I have a large map of Germany, will be getting it out and mark all the stunning places you have visited.

Great beer and food information

Cheers
Sandy
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2 years ago

Suzanne GibsonTo Sandra LawnHi Sandy, good to hear from you! You might have 5 days to follow, with a big gap in between! I am posting two short outings here. Hopefully there will be another trip soon!
Cheers,
Suzanne
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2 years ago

Suzanne GibsonTo Rachael AndersonI'm looking forward to it, too!
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2 years ago

Suzanne GibsonTo Gregory GarceauGreg, if you don't make it for Lent, there are some other seasonal beers as well. You'd think I drink a lot of beer, but I don't, usually only when we go out to eat. But I still find the subject interesting.
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2 years ago