Towering walls of rock rise up on either side of Lake Königssee’s crystal-clear turquoise waters, creating the long, narrow, calm body of water that stretches between Berchtesgaden’s ferry port to the red, onion-domed St. Bartholomew's church. This lake is not only one of Germany’s deepest (about 630 feet)—it’s also purported to be one of the clearest and cleanest. The waters are kept pristine because gas-motored boats have been banned since 1909; it’s only a limited number of electric boats that transport people across this lake. Those electric ferries drop visitors to the shore by St. Bartholomew's church (a beautiful site in its own right)—giving people access to an incredible valley overlooked by the Jenner, Hagen, and Watzmann Mountains.
St. Bartholomew's church, which first appears in written records in 1134, was originally a part of a Benedictine monastery and later served as a hunting lodge for Bavarian royalty in the 19th century. Legend has it that Eva Braun sunbathed on its shore, while Hitler boated on the surrounding waters. Today, the real stars of the show are the walking trails that branch out from the church, drawing both locals and tourists.
