Tegernsee's culinary tradition still drawing in the tourists

By Detlef Berg Sep 7, 2010, 4:43 GMT

Tegernsee, Germany - Tegernsee is a spa town situated on the banks of the Tegernsee lake about 50 kilometres south of Munich and within the Bavarian Alps. Not surprisingly for a Bavarian town, eating and drinking are part of Tegernsee's tradition.

'Whoever doesn't drink at least one beer stein hasn't experienced even the least hallowed form of Bavarian life,' Bavarian poet Eugen Roth wrote about the royal brewery at Tegernsee.

Benedictine monks first began brewing beer at Tegernsee in the 8th century and received their licence in 1675.

The sweet and tasty beer attracts visitors to this day where other Bavarian specialities such as white sausage, pork knuckles or apple tart are also in plentiful supply.

Every day, locals and tourists vie for seats under the town's arches while in good weather terraces with lake views are the prime location.

'What's really great about Tegernsee is the culinary variety here,' explains Sandra Weiss from the area's tourism office. 'The choice ranges from cozy beer gardens to mountain inns and right the way up to fine restaurants offering high-class regional cuisine.'

Four Michelin stars have been awarded to restaurants situated around the lake with two of them belonging to Christian Juergens. 'His hideaway is located in the Ueberfahrt lake hotel in Rottach-Egern,' says Weiss.

Ferry skippers gave the hotel its name and, to this day, a boat makes a daily trip to the Ueberfahrt's jetty.

Juergens uses meat sourced from organic farmers, vegetables that grow in the surrounding fields and trout from the Tegernsee lake or the royal fish farm in nearby Kreuth. Smoked fish, meanwhile, can be sampled at the fishpond in Wildbad Kreuth.

'We get lots of hikers and cyclists stopping here in good weather,' says Dominik Blees, who farms trout, whitefish and char. 'Every morning we have freshly beech-smoked fish.'

Blees reveals that the fish are at their tastiest when still lukewarm after coming out of the smoking oven.

Kreuth is the starting point for a lot of hiking routes that take walkers along Weissach to Wolfsschlucht.

The Siebenhuetten mountain inn offers overnight accommodation and smoke is already rising from the hotel's chimney before noon.

'I've just taken a cake out of the oven. It's for the afternoon coffee guests but we're trying a piece now,' says the waitress, who recommends going to Max Hagn's Enzianhuette as an insider tip.

'Everything began over a century ago as my great grandmother distilled her own schnapps,' explains Hagn. 'Later we offered homemade bread as well as a bottle of mountain enzian schnapps to take away.'

Over time, the distillery has given way to a restaurant. The shelves now stock local honey in elegant jars as well as Slyrs Whisky from neighbouring Schliersee. The distillery still be visited as well as the newly opened natural cheese dairy in Kreuth, which has the support of the local farmers.

'Ertl Georg's Kaiserschmarren dessert is known throughout Germany,' says Weiss. It's served at the Kreuth Hausberg, located at an altitude of 900 metres at the foot of the Hirschberg.

The wild game on offer at Cafe Aibl is also of the highest standard. The meat is always fresh as it is sourced from local hunters.