Most people will chose the south of Munich when going on a bike tour. Riding along the shores of the Isar is really pleasant and the scenery around the Starnberg and Ammersee lakes is beautiful with those great mountain views. But in the north of Munich there are quite some beautiful sights to be found. One of them I have visited the last fall. The tour grew a big longer since I got lost at one point. You can shorten it when you take a train to one of the stations that are closer to the monastery. Along your way you can expect beautiful nature and small, sleepy villages. Since this <region is not that popular there aren’t that many people around.

• length: 65 miles
• difference in height: 4070 feet
• duration: 10 hours

By the end of september summer came definitively to an end. But on this day it showed itself from its best side. I decided to take advantage of this fact and go on a tour. But on this partcular day I didn’t want to go to the mountains and so I chose to hop on my bike and go on a somewhat more „relaxed“ tour.

A relic of the 1972 Olympics

A few weeks ago I bought beer coming from the monastery in Scheyern in the supermarket. I liked it and so I checked online, where it’s coming from. Google maps told me that it’s only around 25 miles away and so I had the idea to ride there on my bike one day. The landscape in the north of Munich is pretty flat and so it won’t get too strenuous. At least that’s what I thought.

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Soon I have left the nothern suburbs of Munich behind and reach the first sight along the route. The Regatta lake is an excavated lake and on its northern and western shores there are nice lawns with trees offering shade on a hot day. The southern part is a protected biotope. It’s fascinating to see that such a peaceful place exists just minutes away from downtown Munich. I have to admit though that this could be due to the fact that I am here early in the morning.

Just a few feet away is the course that has been built for the boat races during the summer Olympics in Munich. Today it’s a well liked destination for excursions. A lot of people come her for a run or a bike ride. On the water you will often see people rowing and go on with their trainig. A small part is open for swimmers. But if you go for a swim there you will have to watch out for the boaters. Next tot the grandstand where you can go swimming you will find during the summer months a beach club where you can chill and relax.

Passing the Dachauer Moos

After passing the course I have to follow the state road B471 for a bit. This is a very busy road but there is a bike path right next to it. After about a mile I can quit this and take a right turn direction Badersfeld. I continue through flat terrain, called Moos in Bavarian, and am surprised to still find here in the middle of all that green some houses. Up to now this is a pretty easy tour. But I just have accomplished a small part of it. Shortly after I come across this fish farm which is open only on the weekend. I will remember this one. A fresh trout makes a delicious meal.

A few feet onward sits this chapel called St. Mary in the Moos. This small church has actually been built only in 2009. It is part of the tiny village Hackermoos, which has been founded in the mid 19th century and was named after the Hacker brewery in Munich. The chapel was built by the inhabitnts of the village themselves. The land has been a donation of the neighbouring fish farm. If you stand in front of this chapel you wouldn’t think that it’s newly built. I like that traditional look of it.

The road passes the guesthouse Mooshäusl in the middle of nowhere and a few minutes later I reach this small pond, one of a good number of ponds in the area. This is a very idyllic place surrounded by a small forest. I don’t think you can swim in it, but it’s a perfect place to sit down on the shore and just relax. In the woods next to the lake I find this beautiful spindle tree. I love those cute flowers. Fall has its pretty sides.

A few minutes later I cross the river Amper in Hebertshausen. It runs calmly through the green landscape surrounding it. Looks very pretty what can’t be said about the village. At least not along the track on whoch I am crossing it. I didn’t bring a map, but have checked the route on google maps , so I know more or less where I’ll have to bike along. Unfortunately I can’t find a sign showing me the direction to Petershausen. Not much of a problem, I can still look on my smartphone. This is how find out that I will have to go to Lotzbach next.

Smooth hills and quiet villages

Shortly after Hebertshausen I am leaving the Dachauer Moos and have to climb a first hill. From here on that’ll be the case very often. The route leads constantly uphill just to run downwards right after the climb. I wouldn’t have expected such a hilly landscape here. I thought it’ll stay flat way far into the northern direction. The first climb is still rather flat but runs uphill for quite some time. To the left and the right there are large fields. With the exception of the corn fields they are all harvested by now.

Just like Biberach the small villages are hiding in hollows. Up to know the tour is still rather relaxed and I can use the bike path next to the road. I like that, since I don’t have to watch out for passing cars. Most of the time the first thing I can see of those villages is the bell tower of their church. Looks pretty quaint here. A few minutes behind Biberach I am somewaht surprised to arrive in Milbertshofen. Thats the name of my neighbourhood in Munich.

In one of those villages I come across this dove tree. In the past you could have seen them pretty often on old farms. Originally they were built to raise doves. The advantage was that the birds were safe from most of their enemies. The disadvantage was that they were rather difficult to clean and so it was the perfect spot for diseases to form. On top it is easy for every cat to climb up and enjoy a great fresh dinner. So these days those nice wooden huts are there for decoration purposes.

With a detour to the final destination

In the next village, Kollbach, I am passing two churches. The smaller and nicer one is a memorial chapel for fallen soldiers. It sits right on the main street. I like this village. There is quite a bit to see. Leaving Kollbach the road runs downhill on a pretty long stretch into Petershausen. If you want to shorten this tour you can take the suburbian train from Munich. It‘ pretty easy to take a bike on those trains. Petershausen is one of those small towns that aren’t very pretty.

You can see clearly that it is a small town that has developped into one of those more or less modern sleeping towns for people that work in Munich. But the surroundings do offer quite some interesting things. Like a bike path bringing you to the Hohenkammer castle or one that leads to the Indersdorf monastery. The good thing of those tours is that starting point and final destination are stops on the Munich railway system. Right now I’ll have to find a road that brings me to Jetzendorf. At a roundabout I see a gravel road leading in the right direction. This way I don’t have to watch out for passing cars.

This path leads through a long drawn-out valley and starts climbing slowly towards the end where it runs into the woods. It’s nicely cool in there. On the map the distance through the woods dind’t look that long but it’s draging on for a while. And almost all the time it’s rising slowly. That’s abit strenous but very idyllic. The silence in the forest is a real pleasure. The only sound I hear is a bird from time to time. When I finally leave the woods I can see the Ilm valley below me. A small road runs along the hill to Jetzendorf.

Jetzendorf is again one of the more beautiful villages along the route. In the center there is a beautiful church and a few nice old houses. There is also a castle but the outside wall looks a bit run down and so I decide not to look at it more closely. When I come across this sign on one of the houses telling me that it’s only about six miles by bike to Scheyern I am rather happy. Looks like I have almost made it. Meanwhile I feel the effort of biking in my legs and can’t wait to get to a nice beergarden to have a cold drink and a restoring snack.

The road leading out of Jetzendorf runs again along a long climb uphill. After about half of it there is a sign asking bikers to take a left turn. Good idea to have a bike road that doesn’t run along the main street with all the traffic. So I am biking on even ground for a while passing through a residential area before I have to take a right turn leading again uphill. Once I have reached the top there are again signs. Unfortunately none of them shows the way to Scheyern. I have the choice of riding back towards Jetzendorf or continue direction Gerolsbach which sits north of Scheyern. Going back can’t be the right way. So I hope that when following direction Gerolsbach I will come to another crossing bringing me to Scheyern. That was a mistake that brought me a detour of almost 10 extra miles. If I would have turned right direction Jetzendorf I would have come across the turn at the Waldkletterpark and could have been in Scheyern within a few minutes.

Finally reaching the destination

At least this detour is bringing me through a quaint hilly scenery with a few idyllicly situated farm houses. The turn I was hoping for doesn’t come and so I find myself in Gerolsbach a short time later. There is a lady with shopping bags on the street. She looks local so I guess that she can tell me where to go. Again I have to bike uphill for a rather long time into the woods. About 30 minutes later I finally reach my destination. To my great joy I see that the beergarden is open. That means it’s time for a rest. Allthough the beergarden of the Klosterschenke sits right on the street it’s rather cosy here under the old trees offering shade. The non-alcoholic beer I am having doesn’t come from the neighbouring brewery but a beer with alcohol would knock me out right now. And I have to ride back home.

The salad of sausages is sensational, mainly due to the very tasty dressing. They don’t use the regular cheap vinegar and so it does taste different from the ones other outlets do serve. I will have to come back and try the other things on the menu. But then I won’t bike the whole distance. Freshly restored I can go and visit the monastery. With those red and white walls it looks very friendly and inviting. The monastery is actully still run by monchs from the bendictine order. On its grounds there is a school and a dormitory for scholars. In one of the chapels next to the cloister you can visit the graves of the first princes of Wittelsbach. The family that later became the royal family of Bavaria.

The long way back

Meanwhile it’s after 3 p.m. and I decide to start riding back. This time it’s easier to find the right way. Just behind the monastery a sign shows downhill. Supposedly that’s a bike path to Jetzendorf. But it is a rather badly maintained gravel road with deep holes and a lot of loose pebbels. I can recommend this one only when you have a good mountain bike. After I have reached the road again I decide not tot take any further detours or shortcuts anymore on this tour. Just follow the road. The good thing is that here in the countryside there is not so much traffic. It takes me only about 30 minutes to get back to Jetzendorf. That was the road I should have taken on my way coming to Scheyerrn. Would have saved me some miles of biking. On the way back on about every climb uphill I wish I would have an E-bike. That would make it a lot easier. Since I am pretty tired by now I push my bike on some of those climbs uphill.

Very exhausted I reach my appartement in Munich a few hours later. I wouldn’t have thought that this tour will be so strenuous. Well, I could have taken the suburban train in Petershauen, but my pride didn’t allow me to do so. And in times of the Corona pandemic I didn’t want to spend more time than necessary in badly aired trains. When I reach my home base I am looking back at an eventful and varied tour and congratulate me for having accomplished this.