Lake Starnberg

The Starnberger See is the second largest lake in Bavaria and the closest to Munich, which made it a summer retreat for the city's wealthy from the nineteenth century; the shore is lined with villas and private boathouses, and public access to the water is limited in stretches. On 13 June 1886 Ludwig II drowned in shallow water near Berg alongside his physician, days after being declared unfit to rule; the circumstances have never been established and remain argued over. A votive chapel stands on the shore and a cross marks the spot in the water. Rose Island, an artificial island, holds a small royal casino villa.

History

The lake is first mentioned as Uuirmseo in a document of 818 about Holzhausen, later Wirmsee in the time of Louis the Bavarian, 1314-1347, after the Würm, the only river that flows out of it at Starnberg. In the late 19th century the railway from Munich to Starnberg made it an easy trip from the city, it came to be called Lake Starnberg, and the name was officially changed in 1962; King Ludwig II was found dead in the lake near Berg in 1886, and since 1976 it has been protected under the Ramsar Convention (Wikipedia, Lake Starnberg).

What you'll find

• The memorial cross - a marker in the water off Berg with a votive chapel.
• Rose Island - an artificial island with a small royal villa.
• The villa shore - private houses and boathouses along much of the bank.
• The lake steamers - passenger boats circling between the shore towns.

When to go

May to September for boats and swimming; the lake is busiest on hot weekends with Munich visitors. Rose Island is reached by a small ferry in season only.

What to expect

Public shore access is limited by private property along much of the lake. Rose Island's ferry runs seasonally with short hours. Parking is paid and scarce.

Nearby

The Ammersee lies west; Munich is north.

Key facts