| Königssee | |
|---|---|
 View from the north | |
  Königssee  Königssee | |
| Location | Schönau am Königssee,Bavaria, Germany |
| Coordinates | 47°33′N12°58′E / 47.550°N 12.967°E /47.550; 12.967 |
| Primary inflows | Schreinbach, Saletbach (from the Obersee), Kesselbach, Eisbach, Königsbach |
| Primary outflows | Königsseer Ache toSalzach |
| Basin countries | Germany |
| Max. length | 7.7 km (4.8 mi) |
| Max. width | 1.7 km (1.1 mi) |
| Surface area | 5.218 km2 (2.015 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 98.1 m (322 ft) |
| Max. depth | 190 m (620 ft) |
| Water volume | 511,785,000 m3 (414,911 acre⋅ft) |
| Surface elevation | 603 m (1,978 ft) |
| Islands | Christlieger |
| Settlements | Schönau am Königssee Ortsteil Königssee |
TheKönigssee (German pronunciation:[ˈkøːnɪçsˌzeː]) is a naturallake in the southeastBerchtesgadener Land district of theGerman state ofBavaria, near theAustrian border. Most of the lake is within theBerchtesgaden National Park.
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Situated within theBerchtesgaden Alps in themunicipality ofSchönau am Königsee, just south ofBerchtesgaden and the Austrian city ofSalzburg, the Königssee is Germany's third deepest lake. Located at aJurassicrift, it was formed byglaciers during the lastice age. It stretches about 7.7 km (4.8 mi) in a north-south direction and is about 1.7 km (1 mi) across at its widest point. Except at its outlet, the Königsseer Ache at the village of Königssee, the lake is similar to afjord, being surrounded by the steeply-rising flanks of mountains up to 2,700 m (8,900 ft), including theWatzmann massif in the west.
The literal translation of the name, Königssee, appears to be "king's lake"; however whileGerman:König does indeed mean "king", there had been no Bavarian kings since the days ofLouis the German (d. 876) until ElectorMaximilian I Joseph assumed the royal title in 1806. Therefore, the name more probably stems from the first nameKuno of local nobles, who appear in several historical sources referring to the donation of theBerchtesgaden Provostry in the twelfth century; the lake was formerly calledKunigsee.[1]
The Königssee Railway (Königsseebahn) served the lake from 1909 until 1965. Its last tracks were dismantled during 1971, and the former station of the Königssee Railway in Berchtesgaden (Königsseer Bahnhof) was demolished in 2012. The only remaining element of the railway is the Königsee station, which is now a restaurant. The track route is mostly used as a walking path.
In 1944, a sub-camp of theDachau concentration camp was built nearby, located near a residenceHeinrich Himmler had built at Schönau for his mistressHedwig Potthast.[2]
The lake is noted for its clear water and is advertised as the cleanest lake in Germany. For this reason, onlyelectric-powered passenger ships,[3] rowing, and pedal boats have been permitted on the lake since 1909. Passenger services along the length of the lake are operated by theBayerische Seenschifffahrt company[4] andcall at Seelände (Schönau), St. Bartholomä, Salet (mid-April to mid-October), and Kessel (on request). In ideal conditions, the longest tour takes two hours from Seelände to Salet.[5] Swimming is permitted except in the lock area at Seelände.
Due to its picturesque setting, the lake and surrounding parklands are very popular with tourists and hikers. In addition, the surrounding sheer rock walls create anecho known for its clarity. On boat tours, it has become traditional to stop and play aflugelhorn or trumpet to demonstrate the echo. Previously demonstrated by shooting a cannon, the echo can be heard to reverberate up to seven times. The trumpeter plays along with the echo, so that there can seem to be as many as seven players.
St. Bartholomä, a famous pilgrimage church with an inn nearby, is located on a peninsula about halfway down the western lake shore. The smallChristlieger island is located near its northern end. South of the Königssee, separated by theSaletmoraine, is the smallerObersee lake with the 470 m (1,540 ft) highRöthbach waterfall. Because there is no lakeside path on the steep shore of the Königssee, St. Bartholomä and the southern edge can only be reached by boat, or via hiking trails up the surrounding mountains, except during harsh winters when the lake freezes over. Stepping on the ice, however, can be fatal, as it was for a motorist who drowned in hisVolkswagen Beetle on the way back from St. Bartholomä in January 1964. The car was found only in 1997 at a depth of about 100 m (330 ft).[6]
Media related toKönigssee at Wikimedia Commons
