Swimming lakes in Bavaria
Shallow lakes such as Waginger See, Wörthsee and Staffelsee warm up quickly in summer, while deep Alpine lakes stay fresh. Here are all the lakes with good swimming.
Thumsee
527 m · 21 m max. depth
Thumsee near Bad Reichenhall is small, ringed by mountain forest and surprisingly warm in summer.
Chiemsee
518 m · 73 m max. depth
At about 80 km², Chiemsee is Bavaria’s largest lake and is nicknamed the Bavarian Sea.
Simssee
470 m · 22.5 m max. depth
Simssee sits between Rosenheim and Chiemsee and often stays in its big neighbour’s shadow.
Waginger See
442 m · 27 m max. depth
Waginger See in the Rupertiwinkel is promoted as the warmest lake in Upper Bavaria.
Tegernsee
726 m · 72.6 m max. depth
Tegernsee is an hour by train from Munich, with clear water, mountains on all sides and the Ducal Brewery Tavern.
Schliersee
777 m · 40.5 m max. depth
Schliersee is smaller and quieter than Tegernsee.
Walchensee
801 m · 189.5 m max. depth
Walchensee glows like the Caribbean in the Alps: turquoise, up to 189.5 m deep and with winds that draw surfers from across southern Germany.
Kochelsee
600 m · 65.9 m max. depth
At Kochelsee the Alps meet the foothills head-on.
Staffelsee
649 m · 39.4 m max. depth
Staffelsee near Murnau has seven islands, warm moor water and the Blue Land of the painters around it.
Riegsee
659 m · 15.4 m max. depth
Riegsee lies next to Staffelsee with wide views to the Ester Mountains and Karwendel.
Starnberger See
584 m · 127.8 m max. depth
Starnberger See starts almost at Munich’s city limits: 56 km² of water, an S-Bahn to the shore and Rose Island, where Ludwig II met Empress Sisi.
Ammersee
533 m · 81.1 m max. depth
Ammersee is Bavaria’s third-largest lake and a little more down-to-earth than Starnberger See.
Wörthsee
562 m · 34 m max. depth
Wörthsee is Munich’s swimming lake: warm, clear and only 35 minutes from the city.
Pilsensee
534 m · 17.1 m max. depth
Pilsensee is the smallest of the big Five Lakes, between Wörthsee and Ammersee.
Eibsee
973 m · 36 m max. depth
Eibsee lies directly below the Zugspitze and shimmers green to turquoise depending on the light.
Geroldsee
927 m · 6.1 m max. depth
Geroldsee, also known as Wagenbrüchsee, is small, but everyone knows the view: hay barns in front, the Karwendel behind.
Barmsee
885 m · 30.6 m max. depth
Barmsee near Krün lies in a wooded hollow facing the Karwendel and Wetterstein.
Lautersee
1,013 m · 18.6 m max. depth
Lautersee lies in a high valley above Mittenwald, a short walk from town and from Ferchensee.
Ferchensee
1,060 m · 19.2 m max. depth
Ferchensee sits at 1,060 m beneath the Wetterstein and has a beer garden with a boat jetty.
Forggensee
781 m · 41 m max. depth
Forggensee near Füssen is Germany’s largest reservoir by area.
Alpsee bei Hohenschwangau
814 m · 62 m max. depth
Alpsee lies at the foot of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles.
Weißensee
788 m · 24 m max. depth
Weißensee west of Füssen sits right on the road to the Tannheim Valley but stays calm.
Hopfensee
784 m · 10.4 m max. depth
Hopfensee near Füssen has a Kneipp resort with a promenade and views of the Tannheim mountains.
Bannwaldsee
786 m · 12 m max. depth
Bannwaldsee lies quietly between Forggensee and the Ammergau Alps.
Großer Alpsee
725 m · 22.7 m max. depth
Großer Alpsee near Immenstadt is the largest natural lake in the Allgäu.
Freibergsee
931 m · 25 m max. depth
Freibergsee near Oberstdorf is one of Germany’s highest swimming lakes with a lido.
Bodensee bei Lindau
395 m · 251 m max. depth
Bavaria’s short stretch of Lake Constance holds the island town of Lindau with its lion and lighthouse, with the Alps of Austria and Switzerland behind.
Großer Brombachsee
407 m · 32.5 m max. depth
Großer Brombachsee is the heart of the Franconian Lake District: man-made, but with sandy beaches, sailing boats and a passenger trimaran.
Altmühlsee
413 m · 4.5 km²
Altmühlsee near Gunzenhausen is shallow, warm and a paradise for birds.
Rothsee
372 m · 1.6 km²
Rothsee south of Nuremberg is a reservoir on the Main-Danube Canal and a local favourite for swimming and windsurfing.
Steinberger See
364 m · 50 m max. depth
Steinberger See is the largest lake in the Upper Palatinate Lake District.
Frequently asked questions
Which lake in Bavaria is warmest?
Among the warmest are Waginger See, Wörthsee and Staffelsee. They are relatively shallow and pass 20 °C in high summer.
Where can I check water quality?
Bavaria tests its bathing waters regularly in season. The state health and food safety office publishes current results.
What about storm warnings?
Orange flashing lights warn on the big lakes. Fast flashing means head for the shore at once.