You knew Bavaria because of its cars, beer, leather shorts and the October festival. But did you know that Bavaria has some of Germany's most impressive landscapes. The German Alpine Road known for its castles and fresh mountain lakes passes right through this southern German state. I drove along the alpine foothills of this scenic road on my 3-day, 2-night trip. In this post, I have short-listed my favorite six Bavarian lakes ordered good to better to best that will leave you just dumbfounded.
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6. Hopfensee
At spot 6 is the Lake Hopfensee. It is located in the north of Füssen in East Allgäu. The banks of this lake offer panoramic views of the Allgäu and Ammergau Alps. I chose to pose on a wooden jetty to create a moment matching my desktop wallpaper requirements. The nearby town called Hopfen am See is a year-round popular spa and leisure destination. This lake flows into the neighboring Forggensee lake, another gorgeous lake which you may also want to include in your Bavarian itinerary.
6. Lake Hopfensee
5. Walchensee & Kochelsee
I will rank the twin lakes Walchensee (the outer images below) & Kochelsee (the central image below) at number 5. These two mountain lakes are connected by the Kesselberg pass summit. Both lakes together are ideal for a day trip or weekend excursion because of the advantage that they are not far away from each other. If you like to hike, then you can also use several hiking trails available between the lakes. Both lakes are equally popular due to their proximity to the Bavarian capital Munich. There is no shortage of accommodation options on the shore of these lakes. The prettier Walchensee is bordered by the massifs of the Herzogstand and Jochberg in the north and by the Karwendel mountains in the south. Due to its turquoise color, my pictures came out stunning which fit perfect on my Instagram grid.
5. Lakes Walchensee & Kochelsee
4. Königssee
At the fourth position is the popular Königssee lake. They call it the King of all Mountain Lakes. The beauty of Königssee can be fully enjoyed only if you take a boat ride across the ~8 km fjord-like lake. As the boat arrives at the echo point, one of the boatmen plays his trumpet for the guests and while the sound echoes impressively against the mountain walls, you forget all your sorrows. The church St. Bartholomew's is the first stop of the electric boat ride. With its red domed roof, the church provides a unique perspective over the emerald-green waters. The east face of Watzmann, the third highest mountain of Germany, is visible behind St. Bartholomew's. If you arrive early at Königssee, then you can also plan to visit the neighboring Lake Obersee which is also only accessible via a boat.
4. Lake Königssee
3. Hintersee
Hintersee ranks at number 3 in my list. This idyllic lake is located a few kilometres behind the Bavarian mountaineering village of Ramsau at the foot of the Reiteralpe and the Hochkalter massif. Hintersee invites you to enjoy its crystal-clear waters and take a walk along its banks flanked with mossy rocks; some bigger ones that are overgrown with tiny pine trees. The lake is a very popular motif among landscape photographers. A number of sign posts around, narrate stories of 19th century painters who created beautiful art here.
3. Lake Hintersee
2. Geroldsee
Geroldsee is dream-like and can under no conditions be ranked lower. Also known to the locals as the Wagenbrüchsee, it is one of the most beautiful moor lakes in the Bavarian Alps. The rich meadows, dense pine forests and a majestic backdrop of the Wetterstein and Karwendel mountains look dreamy. I was so glad to have finally made it here. The lake is located in the tiny village of Gerold. Since the village has limited parking spots, I recommend that you arrive early to ensure a hassle-free tour of the location.
2. Lake Geroldsee
1. Eibsee
At number 1 is everyone's favorite, the lake Eibsee. It is the Caribbean dream of Bavaria offering the most beautiful photo motif in the German alps. The lake lies directly under the highest German mountain Zugspitze. There are numerous rock formations along Eibsee which probably resulted from rockslides originating from Zugspitze. If you either hike up to the summit or take a cable car, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the lake. Eibsee belongs to the municipality of Grainau and is privately-owned.
1. Lake Eibsee
Since there are 109 known lakes in Bavaria, you have a wide range of alternative lakes to choose from that you can include in your itinerary. Please feel free to contact me in case you have questions related to other places of interest in Bavaria. I hope you enjoyed reading my article. Keep watching this space to get updates about more hidden gems of the world.
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