A leisurely trip up the beautiful Königssee

Day 3 in Bavaria saw +Silvia Antlady and me up and out early to beat the crowds and catch an early boat up the Königssee , one of the most beautiful lakes in the Berchesgaden National Park. I understand the Königssee is the third deepest lake in Germany with an average depth of 98 metres. All the tourist boats that ply their trade on the lake use environmentally friendly electric motors and are of similar design, despite some being close to 100 years old.

Königssee Tourist Craft

Leaving the boarding pier at the Schonau am Königssee end of the lake the first thing to greet the tourist is this small island.

I'm embarrassed to say I've forgotten what the monument depicted!

The Königssee is located at a Jurassic rift formed by glaciers during the last ice age and stretches approximately 7.7 kilometres in length and 1.7 kilometres in width. Similar in many respects to a fjord, the lake sides are extremely steep sided and rise to some impressive peaks.

The Königssee

 A feature of the tour guides who man the tourist boats is that they must play either a trumpet or a flugelhorn. The boats stop approximately one third of the way up the lake where the guide plays a refrain, which is echoed by the steep-sided cliffs.

One of several waterfalls that flow into the Königssee

It is said the water of the Königssee is amongst the cleanest in Germany; it is certainly very clear and has a delicate green hue.

The Königssee

Taking photographs on the trip up the lake means shooting through the glass windows of the tourist boats and I apologise for the reflections caught by the camera lens from the window glass.

Lakeside Lodge

Two thirds of the way up the lake the tourist is invited to alight at St Bartholomä, of which more at a later date.

The approach to St Bartholomä

The last third of the lake offers views of the most impressive waterfall that drains into the Königssee and some wonderful cliffs and mountain tops.

Waterfall

Looking toward the landing stage at the far end of the Königssee

Cloud shrouded mountains

Getting off at the landing stage at the far end of the Königssee allows the tourist to access the Oberssee, the second lake at this location.

The way to the Obersee

I will blog some images of the Obersee at a later date.