Murnau am Staffelsee is a market town in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the region called Oberbayern in Bavaria, Germany. The market originated from the 12th century around the castle Murnau. Murnau is situated on the edge of the Bavarian alps, approx. 70 km south of Munich. Directly to its west is the Staffelsee lake and to the south are the summits and burrs of the Ammergauer Alps beginning with the Hörnle up to the Ettaler Manndl which is located in the southwest of the Wettersteingebirge. This mountain range is formed by the Zugspitze and the Alpspitze in the south as well as the Estergebirge with its striking Kistenkar and the Walchensee mountains including Heimgarten and Herzogstand in the southeast. During the last ice age (Würmeiszeit) Murnau was covered by an almost 600 m thick icecap. The Staffelsee borders directly on the western edge of the town. In the south, the Murnauer Moos is the largest closed moorland/wetland of its kind in Central Europe.HistoryMurnau was first documented in 1150. It received the right to hold markets from Louis V, Duke of Bavaria, in 1350 and retains the title of "Markt" ("market") until today.11th century and beforeThe area around Murnau was already settled in pre-Christian time. From the reign of Septimius Severus there was a Roman road called via Raetia which led above the Brennerpass and Seefelder Sattel through the upper Isar- Loisachtal all the way to Augsburg. The Road had continuance under the name via Imperii as an imperial street and trade route until the 19th century. Even signs of Celtic and Romans settlements have been found on the meanwhile outworn moss area around the Moosberg in the Murnauer Moos. At that time Murnau was not more than a postal station with the name Murau or Mureau. The name from which late Murnau has been formed referred to the current Murnauer moss (land slide) and the Loisachtal (meadow).