The Königssee (King’s Lake) is one of Germany’s loveliest Alpine lakes. It is also one of the cleanest with water of drinking water quality.
We first saw the lake from the Kehlstein peak when visiting Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. From high up in the mountains it is easy to appreciate this lake’s lovely location. It is not that big – only 8 km (6.4 miles) long by up to 1.2 km (0.7 miles) wide but up to 190 m (600 foot) deep – but is fjord-like and almost completely surrounded by mountains. The Watzmann, at 2,713 m (8,899 ft) Germany’s second highest mountain but with a much more memorable profile than Zugspitze (2,962 m), at times drops straight into the lake with a 1,800-m (6,000-ft) sheer cliff wall rising up from the lake. These rock walls make it impossible to hike around the lake. The few tiny land enclaves between the lake and the rocks are only accessible by electric boat or by climbing the mountains (and by walking on the few occasions that the lake freezes over in winter).
Seeing from the mountains the lovely lake as well as the tiny St Bartholomä chapel that would be our destination really got us excited for our late afternoon trip on the lake. However, the first part of the trip is far from the natural beauty promised from afar. We entered the national park via a monstrosity of a gate that reminds more of the entrance of a toll road on a busy commuter highway. Visiting in the off-season allowed us to easily find parking in the huge parking lot but thereafter we had to struggle through a large commercial area with garish souvenir shops and unappealing restaurant the likes I had never before or since seen in Germany. I had previously seen numerous similar situations in Japan where you have to make it past the rows of vending machines and the most hideous shops before being required to mentally tune out these disturbances and enjoy a small area of often outstanding natural beauty.
We kept faith and were not disappointed. The lake is simply stunningly beautiful, the water crystal clear, and the air fresh. The electric boat sailed serenely quiet towards our destination. The guide pointed out in unashamedly Bavarian only a few notable sights without ruining the trip with constant banter. About halfway towards St Bartholomä, the boat stopped for a few moments allowing the guide to demonstrate the perfect echo of the appropriately named Echo Wall. A few notes on his trumpet were answered perfectly by the mountains. The cruise resumed; the guide explained the trumpeting is not included in the fare and blowing one makes one thirsty. Trinkgeld (literally drinks money) is duly collected and split equally between the captain, trumpeter, and “the colleague in the mountains.”
Moments before landing, the boat leaned sharply to the right as everyone tried to capture an image of the chapel for those few seconds when all three round apses are in perfect symmetry. There is not that much to see at the landing. Taking in the chapel takes only a few minutes and you cannot wander off much before heading into the mountains. Fortunately, the former monastery now houses a large guesthouse serving mostly Bavarian cuisine. We had a fine meal but had to rush to catch one of the last boats – miss the last one of the day and you are in for a cold night or will have to pay around €200 to charter a special one to come and collect you.