Grassau, market municipality in Bavaria
Grassau is a market municipality in the Traunstein district of Bavaria, set in the Achen valley along the Tiroler Ache river, not far from the Alps. It covers several smaller settlements, including the village of Rottau, and sits between forested hills and open meadows on the valley floor.
Grassau was first recorded in medieval documents as a farming settlement in the Achen valley, and it later received market rights that gave it a more central role among the surrounding villages. Its position along the Tiroler Ache also linked it to trade routes running toward the Alps.
The name Grassau is thought to derive from an old term for grassy, wet meadowland, which fits the low valley setting along the Tiroler Ache. On market days, the central square fills with stalls selling local produce, giving the place a rhythm tied to the land around it.
The center of Grassau is easy to walk around, and the surrounding area is best explored by car or bicycle since the villages and natural spots are spread across the valley. Staying overnight is worth considering, as it allows time to visit both the valley and the nearby Chiemsee lake area at a relaxed pace.
Just outside the village lies the Kendlmühlfilzen, a large raised bog that is one of the few of its kind still intact in the Alpine foothills region. A marked trail runs through it, and on clear days the walking path offers open views toward the mountain ridges to the south.
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