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.
Choose
Schliersee
if you want the quieter, family-friendlier, better-value lake, with easy swimming and a summer toboggan.
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.
Where 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.
- Mid-range Hotel Maier zum Kirschner A traditional lakeside house with real Wirtshaus soul on Rottach-Egern's Seestrasse, steps from the shore.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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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.
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