Ammersee

The Ammersee is a glacial trough lake about fifteen kilometres long, the third largest in Bavaria, quieter and less built up than Starnberg on the far side of the moraine ridge. It is shallow enough at the edges to warm in summer, which makes it a swimming and sailing lake, and steady thermal winds suit dinghies and windsurfers. The Diessen, a paddle steamer launched in 1908, still runs on the lake among the modern boats. The southern end holds a marshland reserve where the Ammer enters, an important bird area. Andechs monastery stands on the moraine ridge above the eastern shore.

What you actually see

• The 1908 paddle steamer - the Diessen still working the lake route.
• The southern marshes - a protected wetland where the Ammer enters.
• The sailing waters - steady winds used by dinghies and boards.
• The lake villages - Herrsching, Diessen and Utting around the shore.

When to go

May to September for swimming and boats; the S-Bahn from Munich makes it an easy day. Autumn is quiet and clear. Winter services are minimal.

Honest expectations

The lake is popular with Munich day trippers on hot weekends and shore parking fills. Boat services stop in winter. The water is cold until midsummer.

Nearby

Andechs monastery is above the eastern shore; Lake Starnberg lies east.