For most excursions from Munich, you have to plan a whole day, as the journey alone can take one to two hours. And the more castles, villages, and sights you have already seen in the surrounding area, the further you have to drive to discover something new – or so you would think. But only about 40 minutes by car from Munich is the pilgrimage site of Mariabrunn, whose water is said to have healing properties.
From world fame to oblivion
In 1662, Stephan Schlairböck was unsuspectingly chopping wood in a forest and going about his daily work. When he was overcome by thirst, he discovered a small bubbling spring and drank from it. Over the following week, he drank from the water again and again and soon realized that the pain from his hernia, which had tormented him for 18 years, had disappeared. Convinced that the water was the reason for this healing, he placed a picture of the Virgin Mary at the spring. Word of the healing properties of the water spread quickly, and from then on, people flocked to Mariabrunn. Finally, in 1669, they built the pilgrimage church of the Annunciation and, a year later, the bathhouse.
The doctor’s wife Amalia Hohenester acquired the bathhouse in 1863 and had it expanded. This marked the beginning of Mariabrunn’s heyday, when nobles from all over Europe, such as the Austrian Empress Sisi, came to the pilgrimage site to be treated with the spring water. Hohenester also used various herbs and teas to promise relief. At times, she employed up to 80 people at the spa. However, Mariabrunn’s success lasted only 15 years, because then Hohenester died.
Recharge your batteries in Mariabrunn
The pilgrimage church of the Annunciation is hidden in the forest between Röhrmoos and Ampermoching. The baroque round church is now privately owned, which is why you cannot enter it completely. However, you can step up to the door grille and look inside to see the magnificent high altar and the richly decorated works of art. Even from the outside, the small round building with the lantern on the roof is impressive, even if it may not be as imposing as the Wies pilgrimage church in Steingaden. In front of the chapel is the former fountain house, which is now overgrown with ivy. The fountain still provides water today, and you can drink from it. And who knows, maybe it will actually heal your ailments.
After your detour to the church, you can stop off at the Schlosswirtschaft Mariabrunn restaurant. It has a spacious beer garden that can accommodate up to 800 people and is open from April to September. The restaurant serves Bavarian cuisine with dishes that change with the seasons. Of course, you can also bring your own snacks. Relax under the trees and enjoy nature while the children let off steam in the adjoining forest playground .