Andechs Monastery And Brewery Overview

Andechs, atop Heiligenberg hill on the Ammersee, has been a pilgrimage destination since the Middle Ages, due in part to its valuable collection of reliquaries. Its first cloister dates to 1392, but it gained notoriety in 1455, when Albrecht III founded a Benedictine monastery here. Albrecht is buried at Andechs, along with a number of 20th-century Wittelsbachs. Shut down during the 1803 secularization of all church property, Andechs was bought back by Ludwig I for an outrageous sum and reopened in 1843. Twenty-three monks are current members of the monastery; seven of them live on the hill. Guided tours of the sanctuary run M-F at noon. (Free. Group tours in English (min. 10 people) available by advance request; €4.50 per person.) The beautiful sundial and onion-topped domes of the pink and white Andechs Church sit stately atop the steep hill leading up to the monastery. The church was built after a fire in the 17th century destroyed its predecessor and refurbished in spectacular, full-blown Rococo for the 1755 tercentenary. The sprawling ceiling frescoes and gold accents complement the mural above the altar by Johann Baptist Zimmermann. (Free. Tower with panoramic view open M-Sa ­9am-­5pm, Su ­12:15-­5pm. €1.)

Modern-day pilgrims are motivated by the monks’ famous Andechs brew, whose sale has financed the Benedictines’ good works since 1455. German-language tours of the brewery, which produces 100,000 hectoliters of beer a year, take place Tu-Th at noon (€3.50). Andechs beer is delicious but uniquely strong: the Helles has an alcoholic content of 11.5%, and Doppelbock Dunkles reaches a dizzy 18.5%. Join the imbibing crowds of locals at the boisterous atmosphere and panoramic views of Bräustüberl 2 , featuring a terrace and savory pork cuts from €1.75 per 100g. The beer (Maß €5.20) is cheaper than in Munich, and the fresh-baked pretzels with butter from the monks’ dairy farm are delicious. (☎081 52 37 62 61. Enormous pretzels €2.70, butter €0.70. Open daily ­10am-­8pm; hot dishes ­11am-­6:30pm. AmEx/MC/V.) If you prefer seated service, the Klostergasthof 4, offers entrees for €10-16 or a Maß €3.60. (☎08152 930 90. Open ­10am-­11pm; kitchen open until ­10pm. MC/V.) The monks also make their own spirits, in four varieties (herbs, apples and pears, berries, and honey; €13.75 each). They’re available at the Klosterladen, open Feb.-Dec. M-F ­10am-­5:30pm, Sa-Su ­10am-­6:30pm. Mind the Kien river on your way back. If you are still on your feet, gaze at the Ammersee from one of the ferries departing from Herrsching or take the bus to the Starnberger See , home to the highest per capita income in the whole Federal Republic.