Königssee

Königssee is a deep, narrow lake in Berchtesgaden National Park in Bavaria, Germany. Steep mountain slopes surround its clear waters.

Connect

St. Bartholomew's Church: A pilgrimage church on the western shore of Königssee, known for its red domes and distinctive towers. Its landmark domes stand out against the lake’s steep western mountain wall.
Glacial lake: A lake occupying a basin excavated or dammed by glacial ice. Glacial erosion carved Königssee’s deep, narrow basin between steep slopes.
Berchtesgaden National Park: A protected alpine landscape in southeastern Bavaria, established as Germany’s only national park in the Alps. The park includes Königssee and governs conservation across its surrounding mountains.
Berchtesgaden Alps: A mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps, spanning southeastern Bavaria and neighboring Austria. Königssee lies within this range’s steep, high-relief terrain.
Hirschau Peninsula: A peninsula on Königssee’s western shore that projects into the lake. The peninsula forms the lakeside setting for St. Bartholomew's Church.
Limestone: A sedimentary rock composed chiefly of calcium carbonate. Limestone mountain walls frame much of the lake and its drainage basin.
Electric boat: A boat propelled by an electric motor rather than a combustion engine. Electric passenger boats carry visitors across Königssee while limiting engine noise and exhaust.
Steinernes Meer: A high karst plateau in the Berchtesgaden Alps, straddling the German-Austrian border. This plateau forms part of the high mountain landscape east of Königssee.
Christlieger: A small wooded island in the northern part of Königssee. The island is a rare patch of land within the lake’s narrow basin.
Karst: A landscape shaped by the dissolution of soluble rock, especially limestone. Karst drainage helps connect the lake’s mountain setting with its clear waters.