Winhöring: Isen Reservoir and Nature

Winhöring draws attention to the River Isen and the Isen Reservoir. Here, a specific choice of route, a shoreline shaped by an orchard meadow and waterbirds, and the role of water in generating electricity come together. Those who like to combine their stay with landscapes and a technical background will find more than one way to experience the place.

Alternative routes along the Isen

An alternative route leads across the Isen to Schokoripperl. On the opposite bank, it runs either through the “Eichenwäldchen” nature monument or along the shore of the Isen Reservoir, through Winhöring’s western district, to the Isen Bridge.

The choice therefore concerns the section on the opposite bank: one option follows the path through the nature monument, while the other runs along the lakeshore and through the western district. This gives the two options different landscape experiences along the route, without changing the destination or river crossing. Check current trail conditions before setting out, as they can change.

The lake and its technical function

The Isen Reservoir serves as a water buffer for the turbines of the hydroelectric power plant, which was built in the early 1920s. This function allows the power plant to generate electricity year-round. The reservoir is therefore part of both the landscape and Winhöring’s specific technical history: here, water is linked to electricity generation.

An orchard meadow lines the north shore of the Isen Reservoir. Various waterbirds stay on the lake throughout the year; individual sightings may vary. Nature and technology themes thus come together at one body of water, while the orchard meadow and birdlife each add their own distinctive touches.

If the nature and cultural themes of the broader travel destination of Altötting are also relevant, include this additional connection as well.

Altötting: further landscape and cultural themes

The broader travel destination of Altötting adds another landscape dimension. Altötting district lies along the Inn and Salzach rivers. Its landscape is characterized by a plain about 10 kilometers wide, through which the Inn flows; lush green hills border it to the north and south. The river and lake scenery of Winhöring thus sits alongside a broader landscape perspective.

Altötting district, together with Mühldorf district, is part of the Inn-Salzach tourism region. Visitor information for the region includes cycling and pilgrimage routes, museums, and swimming lakes. This range offers different focuses for travel planning: cycling or walking pilgrimage routes, visiting museums, or spending time at a swimming lake.

One notable nature feature is the internationally significant wetland and nature reserve “Lower Inn between Haiming and Neuhaus.” It provides a habitat for migrating, overwintering, and breeding marsh and waterbirds; more than 25 species associated with aquatic and wetland habitats breed there. Alongside the waterbirds at the Isen Reservoir, the broader travel destination also brings different phases of the bird year into focus.

Altötting’s Basilica of St. Anna provides a cultural highlight. It is the city’s largest church and can accommodate more than 8,000 people. The octagon of the Chapel of Grace probably dates from around the year 700 and is believed to be Germany’s oldest centrally planned building. Another historical highlight is the Golden Pony in the Altötting Treasury, made in the Paris court workshops in 1404.

Discover more destinations: Neuötting, Haiming, Töging Am Inn, Feichten, Tüßling, Marktl, Garching An Der Alz, Emmerting.

Go to the broader travel overview: Altötting.