Discover Hechendorf

Hechendorf can be explored through several distinct themes: the former rafting trade on the Loisach, the Catholic branch church of St. Anna, Molo Park and a bike tour through the Murnau Moos. The themes range from a historic occupation to architecture and landscape, each offering a different focus for planning your trip.

Rafting on the Loisach

The Loisach flows directly past Hechendorf. A distinct profession of raftsmen developed here. From April to September, Hechendorf’s raftsmen regularly travelled between Oberau and Schönmühl near Wolfratshausen. Raft traffic on the Loisach came to a complete end in 1892. The months and places mentioned give the history of rafting a specific timeframe and setting: it was a seasonal activity along a named route. Hechendorf is known as a former rafting village. Information about rafting is provided along the Loisach Cycle Path, making the town’s history one of the route’s themes as well.

St. Anna: construction phases and architectural features

The Catholic branch church of St. Anna is a Baroque-style hall church with a recessed choir and a mansard-roofed tower on the north side. Its core dates from the mid-15th century. The church was extended and altered in the mid-17th century. St. Anna is considered probably the oldest church building in the Murnau parish and, at the same time, a rare example of a consistently early Baroque church. Romanesque and Gothic masonry has partly been preserved in its core.

Its construction history thus spans different periods: a medieval core, alterations in the 17th century and an early Baroque character. Its exterior features are also clearly defined: a hall church, recessed choir and mansard-roofed tower on the north side. For travellers interested in church architecture, St. Anna offers more than a single stylistic label; its various architectural elements and phases can be considered together.

Molo Park: gardens and remembrance

Molo Park is a garden estate covering more than four hectares in Hechendorf. It was created between 1932 and 1934. A gravestone in the park commemorates Walter von Molo. The estate’s date of creation and the memorial are two distinct points of reference for understanding the site: the park was established in the 1930s, while the gravestone commemorates Walter von Molo.

Cycling through the Murnau Moos

A bike tour through the Murnau Moos first follows the cycle path along Olympiastraße to Hechendorf, then continues along the Loisach. The route passes through the largest contiguous raised bog in Central Europe. For planning purposes, the route’s sequence and landscape are its defining features: it first leads to Hechendorf and then continues along the Loisach, passing through the Murnau Moos. On this described route, Hechendorf is also linked to a specific history as a former rafting village.

Art and literature in the wider destination of Murnau a.Staffelsee

In the wider destination of Murnau a.Staffelsee, the Murnau Castle Museum displays works by Gabriele Münter as well as works by artists from the Neue Künstlervereinigung München and Der Blaue Reiter. These include works by Wassily Kandinsky, Marianne von Werefkin, Alexej Jawlensky, Franz Marc and Heinrich Campendonk. The museum also houses the largest publicly exhibited collection of works by Gabriele Münter. An extensive section of the museum is devoted to the playwright Ödön von Horváth.

Horváth lived mainly in Murnau from 1924 until his politically forced departure in 1933. There he wrote, among other works, “Zur schönen Aussicht” and “Italienische Nacht” and began the novel “Jugend ohne Gott.” The Murnau Castle Museum also showcases the local crafts of feather flower making and reverse glass painting. The international Dammert Collection complements these themes with works from Europe and Asia.

Other attractions in the wider destination of Murnau a.Staffelsee also have their own focus: the historic old town can be explored independently or as part of a guided tour. A literary walk follows in the footsteps of Ödön von Horváth; advance registration is required to take part. An art walk is another visitor activity. The Münter House offers insights into the lives of the artists associated with it.

For the wider travel overview: Murnau Am Staffelsee.