The
Königssee is a
lake located in the extreme southeast of the German State of
Bavaria (Bayern), near the German-Austrian Border. Lying near the Bavarian town of
Berchtesgaden in the municipality of
Schönau am Königsee, just south of the
Austrian city
Salzburg in the German
Alps, the Königssee is the deepest lake in
Germany. The lake was formed by
glaciers during the last
ice age. It is 7.7 kilometers long and about 1.7 kilometers across at its widest point. Except at its outlet, the Königsseer Ache at the village of Königssee, the lake is surrounded by steeply rising flanks of alpine mountains (2.000 m), including the fabled
Watzmann.
A subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp was located nearby.
The literal translation appears to be
King's Lake, but this is not correct. While
König does indeed mean
king, the name of the lake comes from the first name
Kuno, which appears in several historical sources, and it was formerly called
Kunigsee.
[1] The lake is noted for its clear water and is advertised as the cleanest lake in Germany. For this reason, only
electric driven
boats,
rowboats and pedal boats have been permitted on the lake since 1909. The lake and surrounding parklands are very popular with
tourists and
hikers.
In addition, the lake's position surrounded by mountains creates an
echo, which is known for its clarity. On boat tours, it has become traditional to stop and play the trumpet to display the echo.
St. Bartholomä, a famous pilgrimage church, is located about halfway down the western lakeshore.
From
Wikipedia
