The Isar River starts in the border between Austria and Germany and passes trough 8 german cities in Bavaria including Munich and flows into the Danube River on arrival in Deggendorf. In the european summer, descending down the Isar River with an floating boat drinking beer and having fun with friends is a must-see program.
Renting, buying or borrowing a boat
There are two ways to do the program, either renting a boat in several of the companies that offer this service or make it on your own. Whether you buy a boat on sale – you can find one that holds 3 people for up to 15 Euros in Flea Markets – or met a German that has a boat to lend, which was my case.
Where to start
The most famous route begins in Icking and to get there you just take the S-Bahn (fast train system) number 7 towards Wolfsratshausen and get off at the penultimate station. Take your boat without air in a bag, enough food, water and beer (preferably can, to reduce weight in the boat). Some Germans carry bottle crates and attach to the boat in a float, which may be an alternative solution. In addition to taking the weight off the boat, the water chills the beers.
Arriving at the station, you should head towards the Isar Way, a small 15-minute trail in the woods to reach the river. Next to the river, you must fill your boat, by the way, the most annoying part of the ride, as it may happen that there is a hole in the boat, which was my case … (Do not forget to take Silver Tape, for emergencies!)
How to go down
With the boat inflated, time to do the first test in the river and see if it does not sink. With nothing critical, it’s time to paddle or relax, depending on what’s on the way. During the journey there are some stopping points where you can see crowds of boats. These spots are usually good for relaxing a bit and soaking in the water.
During the trip there are several areas where people practice nudism, so do not be surprised to find the uncle taking a tan without clothes. In addition, it is important to keep an eye on the power stations – we passed by 3. There are signs of auxiliary channels to deviate from these stations and then return to the river.
What to keep in mind
The ride is relatively quiet and in some points it is important to be aware of the current to deviate from trees and rocks in the way, but in the great majority of the 20 kilometers, is a journey to relax and have fun with friends. You can also find funny boats, people dressed up and drunks.
We started the tour in 2 boats of 3 people at 12 o’clock in Icking. We stopped twice to dive at 3PM and 5PM. The tour ended at 7PM at Thalkirchen, where we emptied the boat, threw the 20 cans of empty beer out, and returned home pretty happy and tipsy.
You can also surf in the Isar river, check out here how.