Description: The Königsee or King's Lake is located in Berchtesgaden National Park about 15 minutes out side of the town of Berchtesgaden. The Königsee is the deepest lake in Germany and resembles a fjord because of the steep mountain walls surrounding it. The water is very crisp and clear, due in part, to the exclusive use of electric boats in the lake. In fact, the boats have been running on batteries since 1909!
After parking your car in the large lot, you'll walk through a series of shops and hotels until you get to the lake and the dock, where you can take a boat ride on the lake. Tickets can be purchased to take you to St. Bartholomä, about half way across the lake, or to Salet, completely across the lake. Brochures are available in German and English describing the routes and prices. When we visited, the round trip to Salet was €14. Boats run continuously throughout the day so you don't need to worry about missing your boat... you can just catch the next one.
The highlight of the boat ride is the trumpeter. The boat will stop on the right side of the lake at a spot called the Echowand. The captain will then lean his body towards the Echowand and play the trumpet producing a beautiful echo that can be heard throughout the lake. There are also two waterfalls that can be seen on the boat ride: the Königsbachfall, which is on the left side of the lake before St. Bartholomä, and the Schrainbachfall, which is on the right side on the way to Salet.
A round trip across the lake to Salet and back without getting off the boat takes about 2 hours... but you really should get off the boat and see the sights!
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