Lake Ammersee: Tour Bavarias Third largest Lake

Lake Ammersee Nature, Adventure, Culture & much more!

The staggering amount of things to see and do around LAKE AMMERSEE make this incredible lake a much sought-out leisure destination for Müncheners, Bavarians, and for tourists visiting the region.

READ NEXT: The ULTIMATE list of the 20 Best Lakes In Bavaria

The summer here at AMMERSEE delights visitors with a plethora of available watersports which complement the varied waterside dining and drinking options perfectly. 

This really is a lake for the people!

But where is Lake Ammersee? What activities are there to fill a day (or a week) at Ammersee throughout all seasons? And could it be the ideal choice destination for your own trip?

Well, all is revealed here today as we take you on a FULL TOUR of the lake and outline all this watery playground has to offer. We hope you enjoy the read and our take on the wonderful Lake Ammersee!

About Lake Ammersee

• Glacial formed some 15,000+ years ago, the lake measures 15kms North to South and around 5.5kms at its widest point making it Bavarias Third Largest Lake after the Chiemsee and Lake Starnberg which is just to the east.
• Lake Ammersee has a maximum depth of 81m and a liquid volume of about 1.8 billion m3
• The River Ammer is the main inflowing river and accounts for 72% of the lake catchment area and derives from the Alps (“Ammergauer Alpen”).
• The lake surface area is around 47 km2
• Lake Ammersee shoreline is about 43 kms
• Parts of the lake are prone to freezing between January and March
• Farming crops surrounding the lake include Sugar-beet, wheat, maize, potato, barley, hops & beans.
• The warmest weather in the Ammersee region reaches 23 degrees in the months of July and August
• The Ammersee Webcam at the Herrsching Sailing Club provides some awesome video of the lake so if you’re unable to make it out in person, you can still experience a famous Ammersee sunset.

What To Do On (and around) Lake Ammersee

There are countless activity opportunities alongside Lake Ammersee, many of which will depend on your personal preferences. 

From the safety of the land, hobby fishing, golfing, cycling, climbing, ballooning, and horseback riding are all popular activities. 

There is actually a manmade beach called the Strandbad Seewinkel at Herrsching where those less athletic individuals like to lie, sunbathe and people watch – as well as take the odd lake swim to cool off.

On water, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming are the norm, and paddleboarding in particular has risen in popularity in recent years.

The lake hosts a 24-hour regatta is held on the lake annually and is a big drawcard for visitors.

As to nearby Lake Ammersee, don’t miss visiting the nearby Kloster Andechs if you love roast meats and beer or for history buffs Schloss Seefeld (Seefeld Castle) on the Pilsensee is well worth it.

Lake Towns of the Ammersee

Thee are four main towns located alongside Lake Ammersee: Herrsching, Dießen am Ammersee, Utting and Schondorf. 

Each of these towns offer something a little different. So, if you’re planning to visit the lake by car, we recommend stopping by each to see what’s on offer.

Strandbad St. Alban at Dießen am Ammersee is also a very popular beach on the lake with far less international tourists than you’ll find than in Herrsching.

For those wanting to really connect with nature and take in some quality camping time on the Ammersee, then Utting should be your go-to town, as the camp ground at Utting is right on the water (Campingplatz Utting am Ammersee), and is highly recommended.

The Wildlife of Lake Ammersee

When visiting Lake Ammersee, it’s highly advisable to take some time out to look out for the region’s varied wildlife. With the water quality drastically improved on where it was in the 1960’s, many species of fish and bird now thrive in the lake. 

Notable fish species in Lake Ammersee include deepwater char and the unique Ammersee Kaulbarsch, which is found nowhere else in the world. 

Plus, there are countless bird species around Lake Ammersee that are well worth keeping your eyes peeled for.

Almost the entire south bank of Lake Ammersee is a bird protection reserve where you’ll likely meet ornithologists on a regular basis. This is a bit of a congregational and observational meeting point for the “bird watchers” in this wildlife refuge area called the Ammersee Zufluss.

Just north of the town of Dießen am Ammersee, you’ll find another wildlife refuge, that of Dießener Lagune and a further refuge is located at the north of the lake although 

Boating & Ferries on Lake Ammersee

Exploring the waters of Lake Ammersee by Paddle Steamer is one definite lake travel perk with a wonderful old-world charm that’s hard to resist. 

The wonderful Bayerische Seenschifffahrt GmbH Company are the ferry specialists on the Amersee and have launched no fewer than 4 new steamers in the past several years. All their paddle steamers remain true to their heritage specifications and are as close as possible to a 1920’s or 1930’s steamer in style.

This is a wonderfully atmospheric way to travel the lake and once out on the vast cinematic canvas that is the Ammersee, the vista before you stretches to include views to the south as far as the Zugspitz.

With landings in Breitbrunn, Buch, Stegen, Utting, Schondorf, Riederau, Holzhausen, Herrsching, and Dießen am Ammersee, this is definitely an opportunity not to miss.

Sunset on the water is truly breathtaking and you might be able to wrangle it if you get your timing right. Check out the ferry/boat tour timetable here.

The lake itself has only 150 permits for motor boats so in recent years there has been a rise in traversing the lake on electric boats. With much less noise, zooming across the lake on an electric boat sharpens the senses, and you almost feel one with the surrounding nature.

Sailing, as well as water leisure enjoyed on all sorts of other non-powered boats such as canoes, pedalo’s, rowing dinghies, and kayaks is, of course, permitted also.

Where is Lake Ammersee?

Lake Ammersee is located in Upper Bavaria, very close to Munich, and is just 25kms to the south-west of the city. 

Not really considered as one of the Lakes in Munich, Ammersee is rather a part of the much more well-known Lake District of Bavaria, which includes many nearby bodies of water. 

This small area around Lake Ammersee, where you’ll find the Starnberger See (Lake Starnberg) , the Wörthsee, the Pilsensee, and the Weßlinger See is also known as the Fünfseenland, or the Land of Five Lakes. 

This is a massive watersport destination for leisure seekers out of Munich and these would have to be considered some of the most popular lakes in all of Bavaria.

The most famous of these, just 6kms directly East of Lake Ammersee, is the “big brother” lake of Starnberger See. And the great thing about the entire Land of Five Lakes region, beside enjoying watery excitement there, is that there is loads to see and do that does, but equally much that does not involve water.

How Do You Get to Lake Ammersee?

Getting to Lake Ammersee is fortunately quite easy with options by road, rail, bus, cycle and foot.  

Ammersee By Car: The lake is located just an hour’s drive from the center of Munich and is easily accessible via the A96 motorway. Obviously, you can use Google Maps but we prefer to get our travel information from the people at Michelin 

Ammersee by Train: Take the S8 Train from the centre of Munich (multiple stations)  to Herrsching am Ammersee. The train trip will take about an hour to an hour twenty depending on the service (some are express). Check out our train map on our MAPS OF MUNICH page.

Ammersee by Bus: Direct buses to Herrsching am Ammersss from Munich are few and far between. Most people catching a bus to Lake Ammersee are arriving from on of the more local destinations. There is a direct bus from nearby Starnberg (route 950) and also from nearby Andechs Monastery (route 951). Further afield there is a local bus route from Fürstenfeldbruck (Route 8400)

Ammersee By Cycle: Bavarian’s love to cycle and their is a fantastic network of cycle paths that spiderweb and criss-cross the entire state. We’ve cycled this route many times, and whilst ther are some challenging parts to the route, generally anyone could achieve a cycle time of less than three hours from Muinch to Herrsching am Ammersee. 

Ammersee On Foot: At a normal walking pace covering the 38 kilometres would take around 8 hours. We’ve walked it in 6.5 hours before but this was with some bouts of power walking along the way – plus we know the way without having to look at maps and roadsigns. Many Müncheners enjoy walking distances like this and leave early morning (5am) so as to arrive at their destination in time for a hearty lunch and a cold beer.

Can You Swim in Lake Ammersee?

Yes, you can definitely swim in Lake Ammersee. As we noted earlier in the article the water quality these days is of the highest order.

READ NEXT: The ULTIMATE list of the 20 Best Lakes In Bavaria

Lake Ammersee Germany: Our Final Thoughts

Honestly, if you’ve been planning a visit to Munich or Bavaria, a trip out to see Lake Ammersee could definitely be on the cards. 

This stunning, massive lake is steeped in history, culture and natural beauty. Truly a breathtaking Bavarian sight; and it certainly could be an ideal leisure option for you to consider as part of your visit to Germany.

The water itself is the main drawcard; and with the water temperature in the shallower parts of the lake in August reaching over 20 degrees, it’s easy to understand why,

Still, many of the hotels on the shores of Lake Ammersee offer cultural activities and events such as book readings, talks, dance/music recitals and all sorts of fun inclusive activities. 

So if you’re not a water person, there are still lots of enjoyable pastimes available in the area that aren’t water sport focused.

The restaurants and bars surrounding the lake also offer a change from the hearty Bavarian pork based staples of the region. The delicately pan-fried wonderful tasting dishes of Lake Trout with Passionfruit Butter are a specialty of the area. 

You’ll spot the very photogenic Steckerlfisch at a few of the food vendors about the lake as well. 

We hope you enjoyed the read and our experiences of Lake Ammersee and we hope to see you out there sometime soon. Great place, we love it out here at Ammersee!

Cheers.