Surprised doesn’t quite cover the reaction I had about the cute lil’ town of Waging am See. And I, yet again, learned something new about my beloved Germany.
Knowledge, by the way, that I’m always happy to pass on to the rest of you. ;-)
Waging am See lies along the Waginger See, one of the warmest lakes in all of Bavaria, with an average temperature of around 27°C or 80°F. That’s pretty darn hot for being in Upper Bavaria along the Bavarian Alps.
Waging also lies within an area known as the Rupertiwinkel, a landscape that stretches all the way to Austria — which isn’t all that far from here, come to think of it. Either way, it’s named for St. Rupert, a medieval saint.
St. Rupert isn’t the only big name around here, BTW. Waging lies along the Mozart Radweg (a bike route that’s all about the famous composer), the holy Benedict Trail, and is the starting & end pint of the Bajuwaren-Radweg.
Back to the lake for a minute… If you love fishing, you’ll love the Waginger See and its connected buddy, the Tachinger See, that’s full of pike, carp, and trout.
Don’t fish? It’s OK, you can sail, swim, or pedal boat ’til you can’t do it no more. ;-)
You can go from the water to the skies in Waging, as you’ll find a museum dedicated to birds. The Vogelmuseum has all sorts of bird exhibits, as well as other animals found in the region.
The other museum in town is the Bajuwarenmuseum (Bavarii Museum), with all types of exhibits on Germanic Tribes and Settlements, Romans, and archaeological finds.
All this activity makes you hungry; and there ain’t no place better to grab a bite than the weekly Bauernmärkte on Saturdays from 8am to noon. You’ll find all kinds of goodies like locally made cheese and baked goods.
I have the feeling I’ve left something out… Museums. Check. Waginger See. Check. Rupertiwinkel. Check. Farmers Market. Check. Festivals. No check.
Ah, that’s what I left out — and there are plenty of them too. How about the Maibaumfest on May 1st, the Wine Festival in June, the Parish Church Festival in June, the Seefest in July, the City Festival and Summer Festival that are also in July, the Market Festival during the same month, and the Village Festival and another Seefest in August?
Just because the weather starts to get cooler in Autumn, there still are more events going on. Besides the Fall Bazaar in September there’s also the Apfelfest (Apple Festival) in October.
Besides festivities, you’ll certainly eat good cheese here as the famed Bergader Cheese Factory have its headquarters in this town (see webcams!).
Oh boy, I’ve gotten this far, and haven’t even mentioned the whole “wellness” part of Waging. You’ll find a Spa Garden with over 500 kinds of plants and trees — a true “Garden of Eden,” as its called.
And for those die-hard castle-loving fans, you’re not all that far from the posh Herrenchiemsee Castle. C’mon, did you really think I wasn’t gonna find a castle?
Heck, I even surprised myself on that one. There’s so much to do that I didn’t think I’d find the time to go castle hunting. Looks like Waging am See surprised me in more ways than one. ;-)
