Fraueninsel in winter

A tiny island of nuns, fishermen and an onion-domed bell tower, sitting in the Chiemsee about an hour from Munich. In summer it’s heaving. Go when there’s snow on the ground and you’ll have it nearly to yourself.

FRAUENINSEL: Most people come to the Chiemsee for Ludwig II’s fake Versailles on the big island, Herrenchiemsee. The Fraueninsel, its little sister, gets an afternoon tacked on at the end. That’s a shame. It deserves more than an afternoon, and I’ve seen it in deep snow, when it looks like the inside of a snow globe.

ALMOST THERE: The Fraueninsel and its bell tower from the ferry on a grey winter afternoon. Picture: Stu Anderson

An island of nuns

Duke Tassilo III founded a convent here in 782, which makes the Benedictine abbey of Frauenwörth more than 1,200 years old. There are still nuns here today, and they make their own marzipan, which you can buy in the abbey shop.

The oldest building on the island is the gatehouse, the Torhalle, said to date from the founding of the convent. The real landmark, though, is the freestanding, eight-sided bell tower of the abbey church, probably from the 12th century, with an onion dome that was added in 1626. You can see it from right across the lake.

THE LANDMARK: The abbey’s octagonal bell tower under a fresh coat of snow. Picture: Stu Anderson

OLD STONES: Abbey buildings on a snowy afternoon. Wrap up, the wind off the lake bites. Picture: Stu Anderson

Inside the church, look for the chapel of Blessed Irmengard, an abbess who died here in 866. Pilgrims still come to her, and she’s said to be a good saint to ask if you’re hoping for a baby.

Walking round

The path round the island is only about 1.4km, so you can do a lap in half an hour, and there are no cars. About 200 people live here year-round, and a handful of families still make their living fishing the lake. In winter the lakeside beer gardens are buried, the boats are pulled up, and it all goes very quiet.

QUIET SEASON: The island’s shore with the beer gardens packed away for winter. Picture: Stu Anderson

COLD SHOULDER: A garden statue that drew the short straw. Picture: Stu Anderson

Hang on until the light starts going. The sun sets over the water, and the sky can do things that make you forget your feet have gone numb.

WORTH THE WAIT: Sunset over the Chiemsee from the island. Picture: Stu Anderson

LAST BOAT: The island’s houses and boathouses as the light fades. Check when the last ferry goes. Picture: Stu Anderson

The island Christmas market

On the first two Advent weekends, the Fraueninsel hosts one of the prettiest Christmas markets in Bavaria. The market was close to being dropped a couple of years ago when its old organiser pulled out, but a new one took over and it’s still going.
• 2026 dates: Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 November, and Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 December.
• Times: Thursdays 3pm to 8pm, Fridays to Sundays 12 noon to 8pm.
• Entry: The market itself is free, but you pay for the ferry.
• Ferries: Boats run from Prien-Stock and Gstadt every half hour on market days. You can’t reserve, so expect queues, and take cash for the boat.
These dates come from listings rather than the organiser’s own site, so check before you set off.

If you’re staying in town, my Munich Christmas markets page has the city ones.

Don’t forget the big island

SNOWED IN: Herrenchiemsee Palace on the same winter trip. The gardens were a white desert. Picture: Stu Anderson

The ferry from Prien calls at the Herreninsel too, so you can see Ludwig’s palace in the morning and the Fraueninsel in the afternoon. Everything you need is on my Herrenchiemsee Palace page.

Getting there

• By train. Prien am Chiemsee is on the Munich to Salzburg line, roughly an hour from Munich Hauptbahnhof. Regional trains are covered by the Bayern-Ticket.
• To the boats. From Prien station it’s a walk or a bus to the harbour at Prien-Stock. The little old steam train, the Chiemsee-Bahn, runs on some days, including the Christmas market Fridays to Sundays.
• From Gstadt. The quickest crossing, about ten minutes, is from Gstadt on the north shore. Handy if you’re driving.

ALL ABOARD: One of the Chiemsee ferries, out on the lake in winter. Picture: Stu Anderson

Checked October 2026. Times and prices change, so check before you go.

Pass it on

Share this page: Facebook | X | WhatsApp | Pinterest | Email

Or follow us on Facebook: