Strandcamping Waging am See in Germany
On our way to Italy one summer, we decided to spend 5 days at Strandcamping Waging am See in Bavaria, Germany. We wanted to experience southern Germany and western Austria without all the hassle of staying in a big city and the boredom of hotels.
We wanted to pick the perfect place for camping that would give us plenty to do in nature with some picturesque views with opportunities to try local specialties. Being a short drive from Salzburg, Austria was also a bonus! Strandcamping Waging am See had it all and then some.
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Location of Strandcamping Waging am See
You will find Strandcamping Waging am See in the southern part of Bavaria, Germany near the Austrian border surrounded by beautiful farmland and distant views of the Alps. Strandcamping Waging am See gets its name from the small village that is nearby called Waging am See.
This town is your typical, Bavarian village equipped with its own Maypole and small statue of Christ on the crucifix. I love the charm of this area and the culture that exists in this part of Germany.
Check-in
As we approached the campground, we realized that we must have arrived during a busy time of day, since there were many other cars/campers trying to check in at the same time. It was close to 7pm, and we just finished a very long drive down from Playmobil Fun Park near Nuremberg.
My husband wanted to avoid the traffic in and around Munich, so we took medium-sized roads instead of larger roads, which is why we had somewhat of a later check-in time. While the boys and I walked a bit around where we were parked, my husband went to check in at the main building and get the site information.
Recycling is a priority in Germany
We noticed that the garbage containers were very close to the main building, which was good to keep in mind. I love that recycling is such a priority in Germany and that the campgrounds usually come equipped with means of recycling. It just makes things easier for people like us who are mindful (with a guilty conscience) of the environment.
Setting up the Tent on our Camper
The people in the main building said that someone would come out to our site to hook up our electricity, so we got the camper parked at our lot and put the tent up while we waited.
Luckily for us, we were parked just opposite of the playground, so the boys had plenty to do to keep themselves occupied. We had a perfect view of them as we put up the tent, so there were no issues (or guilty consciences) of them going across the “street” to play without us.
It might seem odd that the people at the campground needed to hook up the electricity for us, but it was under a lock and key. This was a very typical thing we discovered in other German campgrounds. I guess it just helped to keep people honest for only using their own electric outlet.
Restaurant at Strandcamping Waging am See
It was now close to 8pm, so we walked down the path to the restaurant to get dinner. Though the building looked very beautiful (very Bavarian), we decided to sit on the outside patio overlooking the lake. The weather was perfect for it.
The food was well worth the wait, in my opinion. It really felt like we were in Germany when we sat down to a nice, tall German beer and some delicious local specialties.
German Schnitzel and Beer
My husband and sons ordered the schnitzel with a cranberry sauce and, while the boys got fries, my husband had potatoes and sauerkraut. It was very difficult to see the difference in portion size for the kids’ meals. They got so much food, but it was perfect for my hungry little men. They had no problem cleaning their plates at the end of the meal.
My husband and I each tried a local beer while the boys ate ice cream. Oh, yes! They weren’t full from their large plate of schnitzel. Not my little guys!
Vegetarian Food at Strandcamping Waging am See
I, on the other hand, am vegetarian, and I was very pleased to see some vegetarian options on the menu. I had a very delicious pasta with green pesto and a small salad on the side. It was the perfect meal to have on our first night at Strandcamping Waging am See.
Watching the Sunset at Strandcamping Waging am See
We loved the views of the lake, and a beautiful sunset was just starting to show in the sky. It was very peaceful just to sit and relax after a good meal.
As we started to walk back to the camper, we stopped to have a look at one of the buildings. It was truly very beautiful with its design. Very Bavarian. Once we got back to the camper, we got ourselves ready for bed and fell asleep almost immediately.
The Playground at Strandcamping Waging am See
The boys were so excited to get back out to the playground when they woke the next morning. It was difficult getting them to eat breakfast and get dressed, since they would have gladly given up clothes and food for some fun! 🙂
After one of the fastest breakfasts in all of history, they quickly sped out of the tent and onto the playground.
The playground at Strandcamping Waging am See was really great. Everything was so well-designed and well-maintained. I also liked the variety of activities, because the boys had a lot of different options to choose from. They tried them all a few times.
Activities on the Playground
There were balance bars, a playground that looked like a pirate ship, a slide, swings, monkey bars, a teeter-totter, ping pong tables and more.
One area was a zip line of sorts which we often see commonly in Denmark. The boys enjoyed this as well. I just love seeing campgrounds that are filled with children.
The boys may have been a bit confused a times, since they were the only ones who didn’t speak German, but they never shied away from playing with other kids. I loved that they were getting exposure of kids from different countries and not letting a little thing like a language barrier get in their way of having fun.
Ping Pong / Table Tennis
After our time at the lake, my older son played Frisbee with two German boys who had a camper next to ours. These boys allowed me and my younger son to borrow their ping pong paddles. I love how ping pong tables are everywhere in Germany and Denmark. They are all metal, so they can be left outside all year round. Many school yards have them, as well. We will have to invest in some paddles for ourselves. It was a lot of fun!
Grocery Store at Strandcamping Waging am See
We were very happy that Strandcamping Waging am See had their own grocery store. This meant that we didn’t need to go far to get food for the camper. The size of the store was decent, and the selection was quite surprising.
German Butcher at the Campground
They even had a deli where you could get fresh meats. Since we knew that Germany tended to have different sausage specialties in various areas, we opted for getting some from the butcher. I was equally as happy to find a good selection of packaged veggie meat in the cooler. It looked like we would all be getting sausages for supper that night!
Other Specialties at the Grocery Store
They also had their own baker, which was perfect, since I was itching to get some pretzel buns for lunch. After stocking up on the bare essentials, we also made sure to get some different beers that were made locally, as well as different juices for the boys.
One thing that was as equally strange as it was wonderful was that outside the store, they had a popcorn machine!! I had never seen anything like it!
Perfect Place to Get Some Exercise
After lunch, we went back over to the playground where we checked out the outside exercise area. This was next to the playground, but we didn’t walk all the way down there earlier that day. I love finding places like this. It is often hard to find ways of fitting exercise into your camping trip, so it is nice to have an option.
After a bit of exploring, we also found an indoor gym at the shower/kitchen building. This would have been a nice option had we felt the need for it on this trip. We had other activities planned that would allow us to get plenty of exercise, and I had a few mornings when I would go for a run around the area and into the nearby village.
Perfect Path for Bikes and Scooters
After the outdoor workout area, we decided to take a walk and check out the campground. The boys were actually happy for the walk, because they were able to ride their scooters. I highly recommend having these when you go camping.
We weren’t ready to go on a long trip with bikes yet, so the scooters were great to have. They were also lightweight for packing and easy to store! The views of the lake were so great especially since the weather looked so clear.
Vacation Apartments at Strandcamping Waging am See
The campground had much more than just the restaurant and grocery store. It also had a larger building that housed vacation apartments, and a section of cabins and campers for rent.
I had never stayed at a campground that catered to so many different types of guests. It really made it accessible to all who wanted to stay, and it made the whole place feel more like a resort because of it.
Campground Gift Shop and Entertainment
Near the restaurant was also a gift shop, which had everything you may have forgotten to pack for your time on the lake, like hats, swim suits, and floaties.
Strandcamping Waging am See also had a cafeteria and bar/beer garden.
From a sign that was up in the main building, I discovered that there were many events that took place at the campground. Everything from music evenings, dances, flea markets and special events. They really made it so that you wouldn’t need to leave the campground to find excitement. If you want a full list of all the events taking place this year at Strandcamping Waging am See, check out this website: www.strandkurhaus.de.
Kids’ Club at Strandcamping Waging am See
Another reason why the campground felt like a resort was the fact that they had a fantastic children’s program. The Kinderparadies, or children’s paradise, was a building that focused only on children.
It had a children’s program where parents (or grandparents) could drop off their children for two hours for a small fee. In exchange, the parents could have a little bit of relaxation time while the children had something fun to do with other children and paid staff.
I just loved seeing all of the kids’ bikes parked outside. How cute!
Since we had lots of family time planned in and out of the campground, we didn’t take advantage of this service. We have used something similar on another vacation, and they are great ways to offer a bit of extra benefit for all members of the family.
Making Supper
We were very excited to cook our fresh sausages on the grill and try the yummy local brews that night for supper, so “eating in” was our plan.
The boys loved their round sausages, and the beers were very nice for mom and dad! They were called Chiemseer Bier, which were very local to that area. We ended up getting two different ones to share between me and my husband.
Water Activities School and Rentals
On our next day at the campground, it was nice enough weather to try out the lake. If you like to explore the lake by kayak or paddle boat, you are in luck, because Strandcamping Waging am See has a water-activities school where you can rent items and learn new tricks.
We were looking for more of a relaxing day of splashing in the water and playing in the sand, so we decided against the other options. The weather was perfect!
There was plenty of space for sunbathers and a small playground that was just right for the little ones.
Harbor with Small Boats
Every morning and each time we sat in our tent for a meal or a calming cup of coffee/tea, we had a fabulous view of the lake and a small harbor of sailboats. How we got so lucky with our spot is beyond me, but I am very appreciative for the view.
We walked down to see a closer view of the boats and the lake a few times during our stay. It was truly a breathtaking spot and so peaceful to be out in nature!
Kitchen and Bath
It is, of course, important to mention the kitchen/bath areas, since we visited there more than any other place. Because it is much easier to do dishes at a kitchen sink than in our camper, all of our dishes were washed here at one of these outside sinks. We never had bad weather when needing to do dishes, so I quite appreciated the fact that I wasn’t stuck inside to wash them.
Inside this building, there were two floors of bathrooms. It was quite unbelievable at how many toilet and shower stalls there were. This meant that there was no waiting in line to use the toilet or shower or even to wash dishes in the sink. I really liked that convenience. They also had children-sized showers which my boys enjoyed using.
Mini Golf
The campground also had tennis courts, soccer golf and mini golf, but I’ll tell you about the mini golf later! 🙂
Every camping trip needs some time spent on the mini golf course in my opinion. If you have read any of my other posts on camping, you would know that my husband and I are a bit competitive when it comes to mini golf.
It is nice to have something that we enjoy doing together, and yes, we also include the kids. (In the golf, not the competition.) My kids could care less about winning this game, which allows my husband and I to keep our game faces on! Bring it on!
We really loved the mini golf course at Strandcamping Waging am See. It was perfectly located under some shade trees, which really helped on a warm day. Though there was an extra charge to play, the course was well-maintained and easy to use.
There are many campgrounds that we have been to in Europe that have metal mini golf courses. WHY??? 🙁 Though they may be easier to maintain for the campground, they are horrible to play on. We were glad that the course here was not a horrible one. It was actually one of the best we have seen!
Billiard Golf
In the middle of the course, there was also a section that was separate from the rest of the mini golf and appeared to be more of a “billiard golf”. I had never seen anything like it. Instead of standing on the course and playing like you would normal golf, the courses were up higher like in billiards or pool.
If you were wondering about our little competitive match, you would be happy/sad to hear that my husband won the game by two points. 🙁 Until we meet again, villain!
Dog Park and Dog Shower
Now, we don’t have any pets, so this next section wasn’t something we used. I have to say, though, that I loved the idea. So many people take their dogs with them on camping trips, that it would seem quite appropriate to have a section just for them. It really showed just how top-of-the-line Strandcamping Waging am See was.
Not only was there a very nice, fenced dog park, but there was also a fun doggy shower room. It was quite impressive!
Overall Impressions
Overall, we loved staying at Strandcamping Waging am See in southern Germany. It truly had everything we needed and offered a very relaxing time. We loved the access the the lake and options for great food in the restaurant and grocery store.
The trees all throughout the sites were nice to block out the sun, and we enjoyed the quiet and peaceful atmosphere with friendly campers and clean grounds and facilities. We would gladly return for a longer stay in the future!!
Day Trips from Strandcamping Waging am See
There were a few days during our trip when we explored the areas around the campground. Below, you will find a list of places to visit and things to do outside of the campground, which we enjoyed or would have liked to have had more time to do.
-Hiking and Biking around Waging See
-Chiemsee, Germany
-Bad Reichenhall, Germany
-Berchtesgaden, Germany
-Munich, Germany
-Salzburg, Austria
Getting in Touch with Strandcamping Waging am See
Website: www.strandcamp.de
Address: Am See 1, 83329 Waging am See, Germany
Telephone: +49 (0)8681 45010
Email: info@strandcamp.de
Fax: +49 (0)8681 45010
Click here for a full, online brochure of Strandcamping Waging am See
Directions to / Maps of Strandcamping Waging am See
Click here for a site map of the campground.
Click here to get directions to the campground.
Where are you going on your next camping trip? Do you have a favorite campground? Tell me about it in the comments! 🙂
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