Prien am Chiemsee

Known as the "Bavarian Sea," Chiemsee, set in a serene landscape, is one of the most beatiful lakes in the Bavarian Alps. In the south, the mountains reach almost to the water. Resorts line the shores of the large lake, but the main attraction is its two islands, Frauenchiemsee and Herrenchiemsee.

Herrenchiemsee (or Herreninsel) is home to the outstanding attraction, the fantastic Neues Schloss, begun by Ludwig II in 1878. Never completed because of the king's death in 1886, the castle was to have been a replica of the grand palace of Versailles that Ludwig so admired. When work was halted in 1886, only the center of the enormous palace had been completed. Surrounded by woodlands of beech and fir, the palace and its formal gardens remain one of the grandest and most fascinating of Ludwig's adventures, despite their unfinished state.

Frauenchiemsee (or Fraueninsel) is the smaller of the lake's two major islands.  On its sandy shore stands a fishing village that holds an elaborate festival at Corpus Christi (usually in late May)  The fishing boats are covered with flowers and streamers, the fishers are outfitted in Bavarian garb, and the young women of the village dress as brides.  As the boats circle the island, they stop at each corner for the singing of the Gospels.  The island is also the home of a Benedictine nunnery, Frauenchiemsee Abbey, founded in 782, which makes it the oldest in Germany.  The convent is known for a liqueur called Kloster Likör.  Sold by nums in black cowls with white-winged head garb, it's supposed to be an "agreeable stomach elixir."