Dossier 05 · Bavaria
Tegernsee: the Alpine lake house
A lakeside grand hotel with three Michelin Keys, a restaurant with a Michelin star and a spa that reopened this August, and a state casino in Bad Wiessee on the same lake. The most scenic of the six, and the one where the casino is the least documented.
- 3 KeysMichelin Keys, third year running
- 1 starRestaurant Überfahrt, 2026
- 21playing age in Bavaria
- 60 kmfrom Munich centre, per the hotel
Photo: Collin Croome / Unsplash
Our verdict
Who it is for
Choose Tegernsee for the lake and the hotel; treat the casino as an evening add-on.
The Althoff Seehotel Überfahrt reopened on 27 February 2026 after a renovation, its restaurant won and kept a Michelin star under chef Cornelia Fischer, and its 4 elements spa was redesigned and reopened in August. The casino, Spielbank Bad Wiessee, is in Bad Wiessee on the same lake (we could not verify a distance); the playing age is 21.
Know before you book: the Bavarian state casinos publish their hours, tables and menus on a site that needs JavaScript, so we could not read them. We give the rules we could verify and the numbers we could not as "ask the casino". Several hotel venues are also closed this autumn: the Bayernstube until 20 December, Restaurant Überfahrt on 8–17 November and Fährhütte14 on 12 November – 6 December. The lake boats do not run between 9 November and 24 December.
The casino
Spielbank Bad Wiessee opened in 1957 in the former Café Bauer and has stood on the site of the former Winner-Hof since 2005; the Winner's Lounge inside it stages comedy, cabaret and music. It is one of the Bavarian state casinos run by the Free State, which are limited by law to spa and recreation towns. In 2023, casino.org reported 158,100 visitors and gross gaming revenue of €38.0 million, first of nine Bavarian casinos; we found no 2024 or 2025 figures.
The state's official site could not be read, so every rule below is the best verified source we found, and all hours, table counts and menus should be confirmed with the casino.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age and ID | 21 to play. Adults of 18–20 may be admitted only at the casino's discretion and with a companion aged 21+, and may not play. Minors are barred. A valid official photo ID is required. |
| Entry | Free, per the state's casino magazine for December 2023 to May 2024 (dated; confirm). |
| Dress | The state magazine asks for neat clothing and welcomes Tracht. A third-party listing says men wear a jacket and shirt and can borrow a jacket at the cloakroom; we could not confirm either rule. |
| Hours | Not verified. The law allows opening between 12:00 and 04:00. |
| Games, counts and menu | Not verified. Ask the casino. |
| Closed | 24 December (per the dated magazine). |
| Shows | The Winner's Lounge hosts shows; earlier listings gave ticket holders free entry, €4 in VIP chips and a prosecco (November 2024). |
| Poker | The Bavarian poker championship final was not held here; it takes place at Spielbank Feuchtwangen. Bad Wiessee hosted the Bavarian and German dealer championships in 2025. |
Rooms & spa
The Althoff Seehotel Überfahrt on Überfahrtstraße has 174 rooms and suites: 51 suites and 123 rooms (Michelin's page says 173). Sizes: Elegant Nature rooms about 35 m², Deluxe about 42, Junior Suites about 50, the Wallberg Suite about 72, the Maisonette Seeblick Suite about 80, the Tegernsee Suite about 90 (three balconies) and the Signature Suite about 220 m² (two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchenette and two balconies). Most rooms have a balcony or terrace; the hotel does not say all do. A 260 m² Presidential Suite was announced for spring 2026, and we could not confirm that it has opened.
The hotel was closed for renovation and reopened on 27 February 2026. Check-in is guaranteed from 15:00 and check-out is at 12:00, with a 24-hour reception. The garage has 110 spaces at €25 per 24 hours and three EV chargers. Dogs cost €45 a night and are not admitted to restaurants or the spa. Public areas and restaurants are step-free, and two rooms are accessible. Bookings online allow two adults per room and up to five rooms; phone +49 8022 6690.
The 4 elements spa
The spa is not new: the existing 4 elements spa was "completely redesigned" and reopened on 6–8 August 2026. The hotel gives 3,000 m² on its own site only. The facilities include a 28-metre indoor pool, which the press release calls "one of the largest hotel pools in Germany", a hot pool, a heated 17-metre outdoor pool (from 20 June 2026, summer months), Finnish (90 °C), clay (55 °C) and herbal (65 °C) saunas, a steam bath at 42 °C, a Reformer Pilates "core room", a 24-hour Technogym gym, a Silence Lounge, treatment suites from 38 m², a concept store and a Kids Club for ages 3–12 (10:00–16:00). The water and heat areas are open 07:00–20:00. Hotel guests use the spa free; treatments cost extra.
The day spa starts at €135 (age 16+) and closes from 23 December 2026 to 10 January 2027. Membership since 1 September 2026 is €3,500 for six months or €6,000 for twelve. Hotel guests have private lake access and a beach (07:00–20:00 in summer); no boat rental is mentioned.
History of the hotel
Josef Höß opened the Gasthof zur Überfahrt in 1873; the hotel names Ludwig Thoma, Leo Slezak and Prince Rainier among early guests.
The kitchen
The hotel runs six restaurants and bars, plus a bistro in the spa: Restaurant Überfahrt (one Michelin star), Il Barcaiolo, Egerner Bucht, the Bayernstube (closed until 20 December), the Überfahrer Bar and, a separate lakeside hut, Fährhütte14. Along the lake are Dichter (two stars) and Haubentaucher (one star).
Getting there
The railway operator is BRB (the BOB name ended on 1 June 2020). Trains run hourly from Munich to Gmund or Tegernsee, then bus or taxi; we could not verify journey times, so check bahn.de. By car, take the A8 to exit 97 (Holzkirchen), then the B318 and B307. The hotel gives 60 km from Munich's centre and 95 km from Munich Airport; the tourist board says about 50 km and about an hour from the airport. Local buses are free with the guest card.
The hotel has its own lake-boat stop, "Rottach-Egern Überfahrt", on lines CC and DD, which also serve Bad Wiessee Abwinkl and Ortsmitte. Rottach Strandbad to Wiessee Ortsmitte takes about 28 minutes (derived from the timetable). We could not verify the distance or taxi time from the hotel to the casino.
| From | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Munich | Train to Gmund or Tegernsee, then bus or taxi | Hourly trains; journey time not verified |
| Munich | Car, A8 exit 97 | 60 km to the centre; about 45 min per the hotel's English page |
| Munich Airport | Car | 95 km; about an hour per the tourist board |
| Bad Wiessee | Lake boat (line CC/DD) | About 28 min Strandbad to Ortsmitte; no service 9 Nov – 24 Dec and 11 Jan – 19 Mar |
Summer sailings run 1 May – 4 October. A winter timetable runs 5 October – 8 November 2026, 25 December 2026 – 10 January 2027 (line CC only) and 20 March – 30 April 2027. There is no boat service between 9 November and 24 December 2026.
48 hours in Tegernsee
- Friday 15:00
Check in, then the spa
The water and heat areas are open 07:00–20:00. The hotel's lake beach is open in summer only.
- Friday 18:30
Dinner at the hotel
Il Barcaiolo serves dinner daily 18:00–22:30. Restaurant Überfahrt dines Wednesday to Saturday from 19:00 (closed 8–17 Nov).
- Friday 22:00
The casino
Confirm hours with Spielbank Bad Wiessee first; the law allows 12:00–04:00. Bring official photo ID.
- Saturday 10:00
Breakfast and the lake
Breakfast is 07:00–11:00 in Egerner Bucht and is included with every stay. In summer, take a boat to Bad Wiessee.
- Saturday 12:00
Lunch
Haubentaucher serves lunch Wednesday to Saturday 12:00–14:00 (book by phone).
- Saturday 15:00
Piano and cake in the Überfahrer Bar
Piano Friday to Sunday 15:00–17:00; cake and waffles from €8, with waffles at weekends and on holidays 14:30–17:00.
- Sunday
Spa and a late lunch at Il Barcaiolo
Lunch Tuesday to Sunday 12:00–14:00.
What's on
Official dates, verified 20 October 2026. Advent markets, the Almabtrieb and the 2027 Rosstag were not yet published; the Chef's Table runs on the first Thursday of each month (dates not published, so confirm).
- 24 Oct – 19 Dec 2026
Tegernseer Volkstheater
In the Kulturzelt, Tegernsee.
- 8 Nov 2026
Wallbergbahn summer season ends
The season began on 3 April; winter and maintenance dates are not verified.
- 12 – 17 Nov 2026
Literaturfestival Gmund
Literary festival on the lake.
- 20 – 22 Nov 2026
Pilates Weekend Escape
At the Althoff Seehotel Überfahrt.
- 30 Jan – 7 Feb 2027
Tegernseer Tal Montgolfiade
Hot-air balloon festival.
- 7 Feb 2027
Winterseefest, Rottach-Egern
13:00–19:00; held every two years and cancelled if it rains.
- 13 and 27 Jul 2027
Seefeste
Seefest in Rottach-Egern on 13 July and in Tegernsee on 27 July.
How it compares
Choose Tegernsee if…
- you want a lake, mountains and a grand hotel with a starred restaurant
- the spa and the setting matter more than the casino
- you will drive or take the hourly train from Munich
- you are 21 or older and plan an evening at the tables
Choose another if…
- you want published casino hours and rules: Wiesbaden, Baden-Baden or Bad Homburg
- you are 18 to 20 and want to play: Berlin, Wiesbaden or Bad Homburg
- you want a city: Berlin
- you want the Bodensee: Lindau
Against Lindau, the other Bavarian lake house, Tegernsee is the larger and more luxurious stay; both casinos run under the same Bavarian state rules.
Questions
How old do I have to be?
21 to play. Adults of 18–20 may enter only if the casino allows it and a companion aged 21+ accompanies them, and they may not play.
Is there a dress code?
The state's casino magazine asks for neat clothing and welcomes Tracht. A third-party listing says men wear a jacket, which we could not confirm. Ask the casino.
Do all rooms have a balcony?
The hotel says "most" rooms do. Only the Tegernsee Suite (three balconies) and the Signature Suite (two) are specified.
Is the spa new?
No. The 4 elements spa was completely redesigned and reopened on 6–8 August 2026.
How far is the hotel from the casino?
We could not verify a distance or taxi time. The Überfahrt has its own boat stop with services to Bad Wiessee in the boat season.
Do the boats run in winter?
Only on a limited winter timetable: 5 October – 8 November 2026, 25 December – 10 January (line CC) and 20 March – 30 April 2027. There is no service 9 November – 24 December.
Sources
Facts checked 2026-10-20. Confirm opening hours and prices with the venue before you travel.
Althoff Seehotel Überfahrt · 4 elements spa · Spa reopening, press release · Michelin Keys, press release · Tegernsee tourism: getting there · Lake boat timetable · Winner's Lounge · Bavarian casino ordinance (BaySpielBO) · casino.org: 2023 figures