Situated at the gateway to the Bavarian Alps, Althoff Seehotel Überfahrt is a luxurious home for visitors to the "Hamptons of Germany."

by Bridget Williams / Photos courtesy Althoff Hotels

I could nearly hear the gears grinding as my brain began firing on all cylinders to etch a core memory as I walked along the shore of Lake Tegernsee in Rottach-Egern, about 31 miles north of Munich, Germany, this past spring. With rising temperatures signaling that winter's icy grip had finally loosened but still cool enough that a confectionery dusting of snow still clung to the highest alpine peaks, people (and their four-legged friends) were out in droves, strolling, sipping, paddling, dining, and smiling as they basked in the warmth of the sun's pinky promise that summer was rounding the corner. 

With stringent building codes creating a cohesive Bavarian storybook scene, complete with folksy painted shutters and murals on the whitewashed building exteriors, a town center chock-full of upscale shopping and dining, a plethora of luxury cars lining the streets, and some of the priciest real estate in the country, this area is frequently called "The Hamptons of Germany." My steps were made even springier knowing that my accommodations—a dreamy two-story lakefront Maisonette Suite in an iconic 5-star hotel— meant I could play this glorious day on repeat for the duration of my stay.

I must admit that my fellow travelers and I giggled like elementary schoolers when we pulled up to the hotel and spied the signage with the hotel's full name— Althoff Seehotel Überfahrt—although I am confident we weren't the first or the last Americans to do so.   Überfahrt, we learned, means "crossing," a nod to the resort's location at the narrowest part of the lake, which has made it a vital boat crossing from the 15th century onward. At over 200 feet deep, the four-mile-long Lake Tegernsee, one of the cleanest in Bavaria, is a remnant of a long-gone Ice Age glacier. Its crystal-clear water (due in part to a ban on motorized watercraft) is fed by five rivers and morphs into a beguiling shade of "Tiffany Blue" during summer. Although the lake doesn't freeze over in winter, the water temperature rarely eclipses the seventy-degree mark, making a dip particularly refreshing in summer.  

The Althoff Seehotel Überfahrt, a sprawling resort embraced by the lake on two sides and with mountain views all around, has proudly flown the Althoff flag for the past 15 years. The Althoff Hotel group, a Cologne-based business founded in the mid-1980s by self-made hoteliers Thomas H. Althoff and his wife Elke Diefenbach-Althoff, is known for its three-pillar corporate philosophy that reflects the founders' passions: fine dining, architecture and interior accouterments, and service. 

Upon arrival, guests are greeted beneath a glass portico that melds into a green roof, a dramatic installation that preserves unobstructed lake views from inside the lobby. Public spaces, including five restaurants and the 176 rooms and suites, display ethereal elegance with a calming and quiet color palette enlivened through tactile details.

My third-floor, two-story suite was a stunner. Piped-in classical music in the vestibule made me feel like I was being welcomed like royalty. A first floor living room opened to a large terrace overlooking the lake and the nearby church of St. Lawrence, whose pointed belltower dominates the cityscape and provides a lovely soundtrack throughout the day. At the top of the stairs in my room, an enclosed solarium (ideal for sunrise yoga), provided access to another walled terrace with enchanting Bavarian Alps views and an alfresco dining area, making it easy to enjoy the crisp mountain air without lacing up your hiking boots. A highlight of the sprawling bathroom, outfitted in Rojo Alicante marble, was the Swarovski "starry sky" light installation above the tub that reminded me of the starlight headliner in a Rolls-Royce.

During my visit, the hotel had just ended a ten-year run with a 3 Michelin-starred chef at the helm of its fine dining offering, Restaurant Überfahrt. Before the announcement that Cornelia Fischer, a native of Lower Franconia, would take the helm as Executive Chef, Restaurant Überfahrt hosted a series of pop-up dinners with prominent-starred German chefs. The restaurant's interior was enchanting, with sumptuous channel upholstered walls in deer leather (from which the finest Lederhosen are crafted) and dreamscape-like black and white Lake Tegernsee photographs.  

Charismatic and prominent German celebrity chef Alexander Hermann was in the kitchen during our visit, serving a menu highlighting the "greatest hits" from his restaurants, including two Michelin-starred Aura by Alexander Herrmann & Tobias Bätz. Amply demonstrating his made-for-television looks and personality, Hermann had the German clientele enrapt when he emerged from the kitchen to describe each course. If this was just a placeholder experience, I can only imagine the fine dining fête that Fischer, who honed her skills at some of the finest restaurants in Germany and Switzerland and was named "Female Chef of the Year 2024" by Schlemmer Atlas, a preeminent German gourmet guide, will provide.

Memorable dining moments aren't limited to the fine dining restaurant, as I learned at breakfast on my first full day. The buffet-style spread, complete with live cooking stations, was a sight to behold. And, since I've convinced myself that calories consumed in Europe are calculated differently from those stateside, I dove head-first into a late lunch replete with authentic Italian cuisine at Il Barcaiolo (awarded 2 toques from French restaurant guide Gault et Millau). The chef, who hails from Lake Como, travels to Italy twice a month to source staples for the kitchen, and it shows.  

I also went all-in for an authentic Bavarian feast at Restaurant Bayernstube, donning a dirndl I procured from a shop in the town center earlier that day. The focal point of the dining room is a blue-and-white tiled kachelöfen, a type of masonry heater used in this area for centuries. We washed down our "Bavarian mezé" of 12 vegetable side dishes accompanied by meat and cheese fondue with Herzoglich Bayerisches beer, brewed on the shores of Lake Tegernnsee since Benedictine monks founded the distillery in 1050.

You can bring a taste of Tegernsee home by attending a class in the hotel's "Genusswerkstatt," a cooking school that’s operates from a freestanding contemporary glass box with a rustic interior and top-of-the-line GAGGENAU appliances. 

Althoff Seehotel Überfahrt's spa and fitness offerings are comprehensive. The 28m indoor pool is a piscine palace outfitted with enough marble to rival a Roman bath. Elke Diefenbach-Althoff devised the holistic treatments for the 4 elements spa, which are carried out in spacious, light-filled, garden-facing rooms.

As the gateway to the Alps, the area is a haven for hikers, including hut-to-hut hikes. The Tegernseer Hütte trek, a nearly 6-mile route with 2,900 feet of elevation gain, is considered the pinnacle experience - and not for the faint of heart). An easier option for chasing a mountain high is the Wallbergbahn gondola. In winter, the lift provides access to Germany's longest and most challenging natural sledding run. A horse-drawn carriage through the surrounding area with champagne in hand is an elegantly easy way to enjoy the landscape. With such an expansive playground at your fingertips, recreation opportunities are limited only by guests' imagination. 

While Easter through October is considered high season, a robust schedule of annual events makes the area ideal for a visit any time of year. A complete calendar of area events can be found at tegernsee.com/en/events. So, whether you choose winter schussing or summer sipping at the Althoff Seehotel Überfahrt's lakefront Dom Pérignon bar, a haute Heidi experience awaits. For more information visit althoffcollection.com/en/althoff-seehotel-ueberfahrt/the-hotel.

Sidebar:

We traveled to Germany in style and comfort, departing from NYC's JFK airport aboard Condor's new A330neo. While the aircraft's planet-friendliness, cabin quietness, and Condor's top-drawer lie-flat Business Class experience are undoubtedly attention-grabbing, it's their fleet's lively and colorful beach umbrella-style striped paint job that turns heads on the runway. I arrived rested, well-fed, and ready to commence an ambitious itinerary (condor.com).