The story of this place
Cradled by sheer limestone walls in the Berchtesgaden Alps, the Königssee is often called Germany's cleanest and most beautiful lake, its glacial water a deep emerald green. On its western shore stands the onion-domed pilgrimage chapel of St Bartholomä, a landmark since the 17th century, reachable only by boat or a long mountain hike. To protect the pristine water, only electric and rowing boats have been allowed for over a century — an early act of conservation. Boatmen have for over 300 years paused mid-lake to play a flugelhorn against the cliffs, whose multiple echoes ring back across the water. Above rises the Watzmann, Germany's third-highest peak, wreathed in deadly climbing legends. The lake anchors Berchtesgaden National Park.