Tegernsee vs Schliersee: Which Bavarian Lake?
Two pretty Munich-area lakes a single ridge apart, with different price tags and personalities. Tegernsee is the elegant, spa-and-brewery choice; Schliersee is the smaller, quieter, family-friendlier one. Here's how to pick your Bavarian lake day.
The bottom line
If you read nothing else, here's the call.
Choose
Tegernsee
if you want the elegant lake day: thermal spas, a ducal brewery, and upscale lakeside dining.
Stays in TegernseeChoose
Schliersee
if you want the quieter, family-friendlier, better-value lake, with easy swimming and a summer toboggan.
Stays in SchlierseeWhere you’d sleep
Our verified pick at each budget in both towns; the full lodging guides go deeper.
Tegernsee
Budget Gästehaus Margarete A warm family guesthouse on a quiet Bad Wiessee lane: big breakfast, spotless rooms and the best rates on the lake. Check rates →
Mid-range Hotel Maier zum Kirschner A traditional lakeside house with real Wirtshaus soul on Rottach-Egern's Seestrasse, steps from the shore. Check rates →
Luxury Althoff Seehotel Überfahrt The lake's grande dame in five-star superior form, water at its feet and five restaurants, freshly renovated in 2026. Check rates →
Schliersee
Budget Gästehaus Hotel Maria Theresia Warm family hosts, a generous Bavarian breakfast and balcony mountain views at guesthouse prices, a minute from the station. Check rates →
Mid-range Terofal Hotel Schliersee The historic theater inn on the village square, gut-renovated and reopened in 2025 with oak-floored rooms and a proper restaurant. Check rates →
Luxury s'Quartier am Schliersee The highest-scoring stay on the lake: a timber-lodge B&B with two saunas and cows grazing outside, in lakeside Fischhausen one S-Bahn stop from the village. Check rates →
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. It helps keep our guides free. We only recommend what we’d book ourselves.
Tegernsee leads on 2 of 6
Schliersee leads on 2 of 6
Tegernsee
View guide →Schliersee
View guide →The winner, by traveler type
Couples & wellness
Tegernsee
Thermal spas, a ducal brewery, and upscale lakeside dining make it the more romantic, refined choice.
Families
Schliersee
Easier swimming, a summer toboggan at the Schliersbergalm, and a gentler feel suit kids better.
Budget
Schliersee
Noticeably friendlier on the wallet than upmarket Tegernsee.
A scenic day from Munich
Tegernsee
The bigger lake, the brewery, and the Wallberg views make for the more memorable single day out.
Experiences worth booking
The specific tickets and tours we’d reserve in each town, the ones that sell out, not a directory.
Tegernsee
- TEGERNSEE PHANTASTISCH Day ticketThe valley's own day ticket, the easiest way to organize a full Tegernsee day.
Schliersee
- Guided Panoramic Hike Near Munich: From Tegernsee to SchlierseeThe Prinzenweg panorama hike links the two lakes of this exact comparison.
The practical footing
Tegernsee
- Nearest airport: Munich (MUC)
- Rail access: 4/5, easily car-free
- Price feel: $$$$ · crowds 3/5
- Ideal stay: 2 nights
Schliersee
- Nearest airport: Munich (MUC)
- Rail access: 4/5, easily car-free
- Price feel: $$$ · crowds 2/5
- Ideal stay: 1–2 nights
Researched & written by
Jon Miksis
Jon Miksis is the founder of Alps by Design and an award-winning travel writer whose work has been featured in Forbes, HuffPost, Yahoo Travel, and The Boston Globe. He travels to all six Alpine countries at least twice a year and has been trusted by national tourism boards across Europe.
Every base on this page was vetted in person.
More about Alps by Design →Common questions
- Are Tegernsee and Schliersee close together?
- Very. They're separated by a single ridge, about a 20-minute drive apart, and both are under an hour from Munich on the Bayerische Oberlandbahn. It's easy to see both, or base at one and day-trip to the other.
- Which lake is better for swimming?
- Both are swimmable in summer, but Schliersee's smaller, shallower bays warm up faster and feel more family-friendly, while Tegernsee leans toward spa-and-boat relaxation.
- Which is the better day trip from Munich?
- Both are easy on the Bayerische Oberlandbahn in under an hour. Tegernsee packs more into a day, the ducal brewery, lakeside cafes, a boat ride, and the Wallberg above, while Schliersee is smaller and more about a quiet swim and a stroll. For a fuller day out, Tegernsee; for a laid-back one, Schliersee.
- Which is better for hiking, Tegernsee or Schliersee?
- Both offer gentle-to-moderate walks rather than high-alpine drama. Tegernsee has the Wallberg and Hirschberg with broad lake views; Schliersee has the Brecherspitz ridge and the Schliersbergalm above town. Neither is serious mountain terrain, but both make for lovely half-day hikes.
Not sure where to start?
Take two minutes to find the Alps base that actually fits your trip, then we'll send the route to match.
Or get the free 7-day starter route: