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Bavaria's King Ludwig II built a magnificent palace on the island of Herrenchiemsee. Here he sought seclusion in the middle of Bavaria's largest lake - Chiemsee. The smaller island of Fraueninsel has long been prized as a place of meditation and artists' colony.

All year long, excursion boats take tourists to the islands from Prien on the lake's western shore. Among the sights on Fraueninsel is Kloster Frauenwörth, a Benedictine convent. A boat trip around the lake is an especially good way to enjoy the scenery in the warm spring sunshine.

From the deck you can see up to the still snow-covered mountain peaks. You can also cycle around the lake without having to deal with steep gradients or high hills. And there are plenty of inviting Bavarian beer gardens and cozy restaurants if you want to stop along the way.

The beauty of the countryside was captured in the works of 19th-century artists known as the Chiemsee painters, and it's still just as enchanting - even if nowadays there are more motor boats than fishing vessels on the lake.

Painter Lars Hönigl finds motifs and motivation right at his own front door here. Click on the video below to join him on a tour of the region, stopping at the lakeside promenade, Fraueninsel and Chiemgau Hof's beer garden.

Text: DW-TV
Editor: Kate Bowen