Walchensee: camping, surfing & swimming holidays in Germany - FIV

Holiday at Walchensee: You want to plan your next holiday or maybe you are on a road trip through Germany towards Austria? Then you should definitely make a stop at Walchensee. The largest and deepest alpine lake in Germany has a lot to offer in terms of nature and activities on and around the lake. No matter if you want to spend your holiday alone as a couple or with the whole family including your dog. Here you can do some nice activities and day trips. Opt for a hike, a bike ride or go surfing. The offer is great! Find out everything you need to know about a holiday at Walchensee here.

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Walchensee: All facts about the lake

Villages around the Walchensee: Kochel am See & jachenau

Beaches: Zwegern Peninsula & Walchensee

Activities at Walchensee: Hiking, Cycling & Surfing

Holiday with child and dog: What do you have to consider?

Accommodation: holiday home, hotel or camping?

Route: Distance from Munich, Frankfurt & Berlin

FAQ: A compact summary of what you need to know

Walchensee: All facts about the lake

Before you plan your holiday at a lake, you should inform yourself in advance about the location, depth or temperature of the water. To introduce you to the topic, you can find out all the facts about Germany’s largest alpine lake here. Make yourself smart and think about whether you plan your next holiday there.

Where is the Walchensee? Near the border with Austria

The Walchensee is a natural lake in the south of Germany and is located near the border with Austria. The lake is located in the state of Bavaria, south of the state capital Munich and thus in the Bavarian Pre-Alps. Walchensee is located in the middle of the Zwei-Seen-Land and in the municipality of Kochel am See. Adjacent towns include Jachenau, Wallgau and the mountain peak Herzogen Stand.

Facts about the lake: size, temperature & co.

The Walchensee is considered the largest and deepest alpine lake in Germany and lies 801 meters above sea level. The length is 6.7 kilometers and the area 16.4 km². From July to August the lake is warmest with a water temperature of 22C° to 23C°.

Villages around the Walchensee: Kochel am See & jachenau

Around the Walchensee there are some beautiful villages, in which you can make an ideal holiday. We will now introduce you to two of these places. First, there is Kochel am See, which is a municipality in Bavaria and surrounds the entire lake. On the other hand, there is Jachenau, which is located on the eastern shore. This place is known in the summer especially for its wild herb hike and the unique scent experience. Also in winter many tourists come here every year, because here is a true cross-country skiing paradise.

Kochel am See: Spa town in the two-lake region

Kochel am See is a municipality in Bavaria with a population of just over 4,000 inhabitants. The municipality includes the entire Walchensee and a large part of the neighboring Kochelsee. Because of this, it is often referred to as “two-lake country”. Kochel am See is considered a health resort and offers not only impressive nature but also numerous leisure activities. Here you can relax ideally with a hike or a bicycle tour and enjoy the clear air of the mountains. You can also experience a lot on the water on both lakes. Among other things sailing, diving, swimming or boating. Due to the impressive landscape and the flora and fauna, Kochel am See attracts numerous tourists every year.

Jachenau: Farmland with wild herb hiking trail

Jachenau is a community in Bavaria, has about 900 inhabitants and is located on the eastern side of the Walchensee. The place is considered an insider tip at the Walchensee, because it is mostly quiet and above all idyllic here even in high season. In addition to many rustic accommodation options, the farming country also offers numerous hiking trails and is especially known for wild herb hikes. Here you can explore the flora on your own and experience the scent. Also in winter it is not quiet in Jachenau, because the place is considered a cross-country skiing paradise. Here you can enjoy nature and the view on 35 km of cross-country trails and 25 km of skating tracks.

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Beaches: Zwegern Peninsula & Walchensee

The Walchensee is a natural lake without beaches or designated bathing facilities. Just pure nature. Despite this, the lake offers numerous sunbathing options on stones, meadows or sand to spend a relaxing day on the water. Here we present the two best places to lie around the lake. Firstly, there is the Zwegern peninsula, which is located on the south-western shore. Here you have a fantastic view of the clear water, the mountain landscape and a small chapel. For a little more variety, you can also visit one of the beaches in the town of Walchensee. Here you will certainly find a place on a sunbathing lawn, you can rent bicycles or start surfing or sailing from here.

Zwegern peninsula: beautiful panorama and turquoise water

One of the most famous bathing spots around the Walchensee is the peninsula Zwegern with the chapel St. Margarethen. Here in the southwest of the lake you can ideally find a bathing spot to spend a relaxing and beautiful day at the water. Besides sunbathing and swimming, this spot offers an impressive view of the turquoise water, the mountain backdrop as well as the small church. So if you want to take some nice holiday photos, this peninsula with Caribbean flair is ideal.

A little tip from us: the parking spaces are limited and if you want to get a spot, you should come early. Alternatively, take a short bike ride to the beach!

Place Walchensee: sunbathing area with surf and sailing school

Also popular are the bathing places in the village of Walchensee, which is located on the western shore of the lake of the same name. Here you will find several sunbathing options on the water on stones, sand or pebbles. There is also a sunbathing lawn with access to the lake and if you want to go surfing or sailing, you can also start from here. For a change of pace, you can rent bicycles, go hiking or have a snack. There is also a sailing and surfing school. Parking spaces are also available. There is a large, but paid parking lot in the immediate vicinity.

Activities at Walchensee: Hiking, Cycling & Surfing

Around the Walchensee there are numerous possibilities for activities and day trips. Whether on land or on the water, exciting or more relaxed. Everyone will find what they are looking for here and there is a wide range of activities for the whole family. For example, you can hike around the lake and rent bicycles. There is also the possibility to go golfing or take part in yoga classes. Water sports enthusiasts can also get their money’s worth here. Surfing, kite surfing and fishing are just some of the activities available. And if you want to fortify yourself, you can easily visit one of the surrounding restaurants.

Activities on land: jogging, renting a quad & Co.

At Walchensee there are numerous activities on land for the whole family. Here you can spend some beautiful and eventful days and do a lot. Among other things, you can go hiking, rent a bike or go jogging. There is also the possibility to rent a quad bike for an action-packed day. If you prefer a more relaxed approach, you can go golfing, visit a museum or take part in one of the yoga courses at the lake. If the weather should be worse, there is a thermal bath or other events that you can visit with the whole family. So it is never boring and there is always something to do.

Water activities & gastronomy

You can also experience a lot on the water here. Fishing or swimming are just a few activities that you can pursue on the lake. For real water sports enthusiasts there is much to experience. These include kiteboarding, surfing and diving. As an activity for the whole family is, for example, a boat trip to enjoy the beautiful nature and views.

Also for the small hunger in between is provided. Around the lake there are numerous restaurants, cafés and snack bars. So if you have had an exciting day, you can stay there for a while and strengthen yourself.

Holiday with child and dog: What do you have to consider?

Vacation with the whole family. This can sometimes be a bit difficult. Especially if you want to travel together with the children and the dog, you have to consider many things and especially keep the children busy during the day. We present you here what activities you can do together with the kids around the Walchensee and what you should pay attention to on a holiday with a dog. Learn everything about leisure activities, sports or rules for dog owners and be ideally prepared for your holiday on the water.

Holiday with children: Many activities for small and large

Holidays with the whole family can sometimes be a bit more difficult. Especially with children you naturally want to do a lot to offer them a nice holiday. Around the Walchensee there are many activities for children together with adults. For one, you could visit the summer toboggan run or take a boat trip. There are also many hiking trails and nature trails, on which children can playfully learn about the flora and fauna there. There are also many museums, adventure parks or events such as theatre or a film village. Should the weather not play along, you can simply visit the Kristall Therme.

Holiday with dog: Your pet can come along!

Of course, you don’t want to leave your dog alone at home on a family holiday or look for alternative accommodation for this time. This is also not necessary on a trip to Walchensee. Nevertheless, there are some things to consider when vacationing with your dog. First of all, you should choose your accommodation and clarify whether dogs are allowed. Whether holiday home, holiday apartment or camping. Dogs are allowed in some places but not always. Talk to the owner and clarify everything in advance. At the lake itself there are also some rules. Swimming in the lake for dogs is forbidden at the whole lake. This is due to the fact that it is a natural lake and there is usually a stony ground. On the shore, your fur nose can run around freely and let off steam. However, always make sure not to disturb other tourists.

Accommodation: holiday home, hotel or camping?

When planning a trip, you always need an accommodation, which should be especially aligned with your holiday plans. Here you will now learn what options there are at Walchensee and how best to stay overnight. Whether holiday apartment, holiday home or camping. Here you will surely find the right thing for you and your family. More relaxed or more exciting, more expensive or cheaper. The choice is large.

Holiday home, hotel or farm? Holiday with the whole family

Choosing the right accommodation is not always easy, should be well thought out and fit your holiday plans. At Walchensee there is a wide range of accommodation options. From hotel to youth hostel, everything is there. If you would rather take care of your own supplies or want to save some money, we recommend a holiday apartment, a holiday home or an airbnb. For more comfort, you can also book a room in a hotel. Very famous hotels on the lake are for example the Bellevue, Brunner or Dagnhof. Especially for children a family hotel or a farm would be suitable. Here there are often several families and on a farm the children could play with the animals.

Camping: Adventure and action at the Walchensee

Camping is also an increasingly popular way to travel and brings some advantages with it. For one thing, it is definitely cheaper than a hotel and you are much more flexible. For example, you can visit several campsites and see something new every day. In addition, the adventure factor is increased by a lot and especially children usually always have a lot of fun camping. So maybe try something new, grab a caravan, a normal or a rooftop tent and drive to Walchensee. Choose your location and see something new every day. In the Zwei-Seen-Land you can go camping from spring to autumn.

Route: Distance from Munich, Frankfurt & Berlin

Are you planning your holiday or did this article make you want to visit Walchensee? Here you will find the most suitable and fastest routes from Munich, Berlin or Frankfurt. Choose your starting point and set off on your journey. With the help of Google Maps you can plan your trip right here.

Munich to Walchensee

The distance from Munich to Walchensee is about 80 kilometers and you reach the destination within one hour and ten minutes. The fastest route is via the A95.

Frankfurt to the Walchensee

From Frankfurt you need about 5 hours by car. Here you take the A3 and the A9 to get to your destination the fastest. Alternatively, you can also take the A7. The time hardly differs for both routes.

Berlin to Walchensee

The distance from Berlin is 665 km. The fastest route by car is via the A9 and you can reach your destination within 7 hours. Alternatively, you can fly from here by plane from Berlin to Innsbruck. This takes about 4 hours.

FAQ: A compact summary of what you need to know

You want to have the most important facts and information summarized at a glance? Then you’ll find everything you need to know here in our short FAQ.

Where is the Walchensee?

The Walchensee is located in the south of Bavaria, near the border to Austria.

Where is a good place to go hiking?

The village of Jachenau offers a particularly beautiful hiking route. The farming village has impressive flora and fauna to offer and in the summer months you can take a wild herb hike.