A short 40-minute ride on the S8 Bahn out of Munich gets you to Seefeld-Hechendorf, gateway to the Benedictine monastery in Andechs that has been brewing beer for over 500 years.
The landscapes were gorgeous on the ride. (Just don’t zoom in on the barn.)
Our hosts for the day were Wolfgang and Angelika Schmidt, who split their time between Houston and Bavaria. Both Seefeld and Hechendorf (now a united municipality) were darling Bavarian towns.
The Duke even built a modest, but defensible castle.
The day we picked to go was June 21, the longest day of the year. It was a breezy 70° F. Absolutely gorgeous.
The locals I met at the monastery spoke of hiking from Hechendorf, 10 km, to make up for the beer. The monastery was incredible.
Then I got an unexpected surprise. In a small chapel off the principal worshipping area was the grave of Carl Orff. Musicians will know him from his pedagogy and from his famous opera, Carmina Burana. I had no idea he was buried up here.
The action is outside, but inside there is a substantial hall. At the end of the hall, the racks are not wine, but beer steins with locks on them. They are a hot commodity and Wolfgang has one.
Outside was hopping. Even though a sign said “Singing and noisemaking forbidden,” the energy was high. I met Gerd and his bowling group from further north. Their English was excellent, having travelled in the US.
We enjoyed the local beer, ginormous pretzels, fried pork, sauerkraut, potato salad and more.
After lunch we enjoyed a boat ride on Lake Amersee, followed by a long and leisurely dinner at the Seehof, enjoying the longest day of the year, day that seemed like two. Pictures cannot capture the beauty of the day or the setting.
In this next picture, if you look carefully, you can see the faint outline of the Alps in the distance.
9:30 at night, there is still fading light in the sky. The sun disappears to rise again at 5 am.
