I have been living in Salzburg since late 2021 and, when I'm not off exploring the rest of the world, I love exploring closer to home. Salzburg is just across the border from Germany's southernmost state of Bavaria.
→ Check out all my Germany guides!
Bavaria is characterized by its mountains, making it stunning when it comes to nature, access to adventure and pretty lakes to discover. Whether you're visiting or are a local in search of new spots to explore, enjoy this list of every lake I've been to so far!
This list gets updated as I visit more lakes; this post was first published 16 June 2022 and last updated 5 July 2025.
Alpsee
One of the most visited tourist sites in Europe, one of the most famous castles in the world, and arguably one of the most spectacular, Neuschwanstein Castle, nestled deep in the Bavaria countryside of southern Germany, is quite the wonder. Our favourite part of visiting Neuschwanstein was actually spending time at golden hour lakeside at Alpsee.
Month I visited: January 2024
Chiemsee
Chiemsee is one of southern Germany's prettiest and most popular lakes. In the heart of the lake lies the Herreninsel, home to the glamorous Neues Schloss Herrenchiemsee. The little town of Prien offers lakefront restaurants and one of the best ways to spend the afternoon is to rent a small motorboat and lazily make your way around the lake. Bring a bathing suit, jump off the boat and enjoy the sunshine.
Month I visited: July 2022 + 2025
Hintersee
Hintersee, in Germany's Berchtesgaden National Park, is surrounded on all sides by the mountains of Berchtesgaden, nestled in the mountain village of Ramsau. As you walk around the Hintersee, you'll spot a themed trail highlighting the works of the Romantic painters of the 19th century including Carl Rottmann, Ferdinand Waldmüller, Friedrich Gauermann and Wilhelm Busch. It's seriously a fairytale lake.
Month I visited: May 2024
Kochelsee
This gorgeous lake in southern Germany is seriously out of a postcard. We drove past here late one evening and made sure to come back during the daylight a few weeks later to snap these incredible photos.
Month I visited: April 2025
Königsee & Obersee
The Berchtesgaden National Park is perhaps most famously home to the Eagle's Nest, a Nazi building on the summit of the Kehlstein, used by members of the Nazi Party for government and social meetings. However, it is the exquisite natural landscapes that draw many visitors to this incredible region, home to alpine lakes, hikes, mountain ranges and wonderful views.
Two of the best places to visit in the national park are the lakes of Königssee and Obersee, the first of which is popular with ferry trips to the opposite end of the lake at Salet Anlegestelle, from where you disembark to hike up to Obersee and beyond up to Röthbachfall on the other end of Obersee both for the views back across the lake and for the impressive tumbling water that comes down.
Month I visited: June 2022, May + October 2024
→ Check out my guide to hiking Königssee, Obersee and Röthbachfall!
Königssee
Obersee
Rießersee
With lovely spring afternoon weather beaming down on us, we made a little drive out to visit the Rießersee in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and were so pleasantly surprised by how beautiful both the lake and the drive up to it were. There is a nice walk around the lake you can do as well and we spotted boats waiting for warmer weather and summer lake-goers.
Month I visited: April 2025
Staffelsee
The Staffelsee is a beautiful lake that looks from above like a heart lying on one side. It's a large lake, with plenty of places around to stop, walk and swim. I can also recommend having dinner in the nearby Schloßmuseum Murnau where you sit in what feels like airy, pretty, old cellars with arched ceilings.
Month I visited: April 2025
Starnberger See
Starnberger See is just south of Munich, Germany, and a popular lake for Bavarians to visit. Starnberger See is really quite huge, being Germany's second-largest freshwater lake! A number of lovely towns filled with lake homes are dotted all around, as well as plenty of walking trails. There are a loads of good restaurants here too; I can recommend dinner at The Starnbergsee Hideaway, which is also a delightful boutique hotel, on the southern tip of the lake.
Month I visited: October 2024, April 2025
Sylvensteinsee
The Sylvensteinsee is a large lake on the border with Austria, just north of the Achensee. There are lots of different places to stop and snap photos around the lake - and I definitely want to come back and see the lake on a sunny day!
Month I visited: March 2025
Tegernsee
Tegernsee is widely regarded as one of the most affluent areas in Bavaria in southern Germany. There is a delightful lakeside cafe, Aran, where you can stop before a little wander around the lake.
Month I visited: often, as it is beautiful all year-round
Thumsee
Thumsee is in Bad Reichenhall in southern Germany, a quiet and peaceful little lake, tinged a gorgeous shade of green and tucked just back from the road. A walking trail all around the perimeter is popular with runners, dogwalkers and bikers alike and the cool water bubbled with fish. We didn't swim, but apparently it's one of Bavaria's most popular bathing spots in the summer!
Month I visited: May 2024
Wagenbrüchsee
After our visit to Partnach Gorge, a really cool hiking spot in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, we drove even further south near to the Austrian border to visit Wagenbrüchsee, one of the most idyllic and most-photographed lakes in Bavaria. It can be hard to find the exact spot - here is the street on which you need to park on Google Maps - from where you have to walk about ten minutes to the lake itself. You cannot reach Wagenbrüchsee without a car.
→ Check out my guide to hiking the Partnach Gorge and visiting the Wagenbrüchsee!
Walchensee
Located next to the Kochelsee, we drove around this lake as well. The Walchensee is huge and there are loads of places to stop, swim, dine and walk.
Month I visited: April 2025
Wöhrsee
Wöhrsee, in the heart of Burghausen, and based at the bottom of the Burg von Burghausen, is a beautifully clean and peaceful swimming lake. Burghausen is on the border between Austria and Germany, nestled against the quiet banks of the Salzach River.
Month I visited: May 2024
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
