What I love about Munich is that it is so easy to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in the city centre. The parks are extensive and numerous and hopping on to a train can get to you a wealth of natural gems in a short time.
Lake Starnberg is one such beauty. The second largest lake of Bavaria and the fifth largest freshwater lake in Germany can be reached in just an hour or so by S-Bahn (suburban train) from the city centre.
The lake is around 20 kilometres long, five kilometres wide and up to 127 metres deep.
Strolling along the shore, you are mesmerised by the sheer vastness of this still mass of water bordered by the equally impressive moraine hills, flanked by the higher mountains of Benediktenwand and the Wetterstein mountain range in the background.
I visited the lake one cool, grey day.
Both sky and water appeared to merge in one hazy, misty hue. For one who is used to the far livelier sea, I always find lakes, which are far more stagnant, quite ephemeral.
Added to this, the fact that the water seemed to go on endlessly was almost hypnotising and so calming.
If you take the path that follows long stretches of the shore, you can also explore various sights along the way.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, the lake was very popular with the Munich court and the Wittelsbach rulers built and bought palaces where they held lavish, opulent festivities.
My trip this winter took me to the Bernried municipality, which houses the appropriately titled Museum of Fantasy.
Constructed out of wood, brick and glass, this almost fantastical building stands solitarily on the shore of Lake Starnberg.
Being the only building in this area of the lake, the beautiful structure has an air of other-worldliness to it.
Built on varying levels, the museum looks as if it is made of a few sprawling huts; in a way it resembles a pagoda with its many roofed floors.
For one who is used to the far livelier sea, I always find lakes, which are far more stagnant, quite ephemeral
In addition to the old trees and charming ponds, dotted around the surrounding green are surreal objects: some clay-like giraffe moulds, a metal sculpture of a battered car being attacked by an octopus and enormous sculptures of a football team standing inside a goal post.
The magical air that surrounds this area is also possibly due to the Expressionist works the museum houses.
It contains a world-famous collection of these works, especially from the art association Brücke.
The place is quite unusual in that it houses four museums under one roof.
Its founder and owner, Lothar-Günther Buchheim (1918-2007) – painter, photographer, publisher, author of art books and novels – wanted to go against the grain by pursuing a museum concept that reverses conventional divisions.
The idea behind the four museums – a painting gallery, a graphic arts gallery, a European crafts collection and a museum for ethnological art – is to mix and connect the individual, yet richly interrelated collection areas: a pan-cultural encounter and an exciting dialogue between the art of the Expressionists and their inspirational sources from Africa and the South Seas.
In addition to the standard fascinating collection, the museum has new collections every few months. From April 5 to June 22, view virtuoso wood sculptor Hans Schmitt’s Picasso-esque works and to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I, the museum dedicates its summer exhibition to the works of socio-critical painter and draftsman George Grosz (July 6 to November 2).
A word must also be said about its restaurant, Phoenix. Museum restaurants are a funny thing and I often find they try too hard to be artsy, cool and stylish.
But this one is simple, clean and unassuming. Perhaps the designers did not need to try too hard seeing as they had such a marvellous view to work with.
The glass walls let you look out across Lake Starnberg as you enjoy freshwater fish, yes, freshly caught from outside.
The lake is ever present in this museum and a unique architectural feature is the deck that is suspended 12 metres over it, providing museum visitors with a breathtaking view of the town of Starnberg and the Alps.
Do note that I travelled to the lake in mid-winter when the boat trips were not being organised.
The best way to get to know the sights at Lake Starnberg is a boat trip on the lake, either a grand three-hour round trip or a short northern round trip only including the stations of Starnberg, Possenhofen, Leoni and Berg.
The ticket allows you to get out at any station and continue the ride on one of the next ships.