Lake Starnberg, south-west of Munich, is the lake where Bavaria's Fairy Tale King met his end. Ludwig II drowned in its waters near Berg in 1886, in circumstances that are still debated, and a cross stands in the lake where his body was found. On the opposite shore, near Feldafing, lies the small Roseninsel, or Rose Island, the only island in the lake. Ludwig's father Maximilian II had a little villa built there, surrounded by a rose garden, and Ludwig used it as a retreat, sometimes meeting his cousin, the Empress Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sisi, who spent her childhood at nearby Possenhofen.
The island is also listed by UNESCO for a much older reason. Around its shores lie the remains of prehistoric pile dwellings, part of the transnational World Heritage site of Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps. You will not see them, as they lie under water and mud, but they show that people lived on and around the island thousands of years before the kings.
Getting to the island is part of the charm. A small boat runs across the narrow strait from the shore near Feldafing in the warmer months, and the crossing takes just a few minutes. The villa can be visited on guided tours, and the rose garden is in full bloom in early summer. The park around Feldafing, with old trees and lakeside paths, is a lovely place to walk.
The roads around Lake Starnberg are pleasant but busy, particularly on summer weekends, when half of Munich heads out to the lakes. Traffic jams, cyclists and pedestrians are common, and speed limits are low and enforced. The real riding lies further south, towards the Alps: roads lead to Kochel, the Walchensee and the Kesselberg, a twisty mountain road that is a favourite of riders but has seasonal weekend restrictions for motorbikes because of accidents and noise. Check the current rules before planning a route.
Fuel and supplies are easy to find in Starnberg, Tutzing and Pöcking, all close by. Lakeside beer gardens serve Bavarian food, roast pork, sausages and pretzels, under chestnut trees. Sit by the water with a cold drink, and watch the paddle steamers glide by.