Ammersee
The Ammersee is located about 40 km south of Munich. The lake itself sizes a depth of 81 meter a width of 6 km and is up to 16 km long. The loop road all around the lake is about 42 km in total and is really made for wonderful walks and bicycle tours to discover the lovely Ammersee region.
Ammersee is well known as a paradise for water sport fans of all kind providing sailing, surfing, and fishing opportunities and offering rowboats for rent. Especially during the summer months a great number of tourists come to spend a relaxing holiday close to nature around the lake. Nice beaches are made for enjoying wonderful sunny days and in many cafes and restaurants holiday guests, day visitors from the city and locals meet and enjoy the very laid-back atmosphere.
Due to ideal sailing conditions more than 5000 sports and sail boats are available. Perfect surfing conditions can be found in Herrsching Bay and in Stegen, which is located on the northern shore of the lake. The best time for surfing is autumn.
Besides the numerous water sport activities, the Ammersee also offers two huge nature reserves and the high source of reeds around the lake make it one of the seven most important wetlands within Germany.
Like many other Bavarian lakes, the Ammersee also sources from ice age glaciers from the Alps . Since the times of origination unfortunately the lake is shrinking more and more, because of sediments washed ashore from bordering rivers Ammer in the south and river Windach north of the lake. The Ammersee therefore is expected to remain for another 20.000 years before it will be silt up completely.
The high water quality is also determined by the river Ammer, having its origin in the close by Alps.
Since the so called ring canalization was introduced and since the operation of a filter plant started in 1971, the water quality improved a lot. Therefore the Ammersee can be assured to be a swimming lake.
Beaches
A nice little beach can be found in Breitenbrunn close to Herrsching, although it will get very crowded on hot summer days. You can easily find yourself surrounded by nearly 50 parked cars and many surfers, jumping and running from one side of the street to the other trying to find a good spot. At least in the very middle of the bay you can find some nice and quiet spots, but please keep in mind that parking your car around Herrsching, especially on a summer weekend is nearly impossible.
Only a short walk from Stegen on the north-eastern shore you can find the Rieder Wald. From the little beach you can access the lake easily as the shore is getting slowly deeper. The ground is very soft. Here it is also much easier to find a parking lot, but you have to walk a while to access the beach.
Eching, also on the northern bank of the Ammersee offers a nice recreation area with playgrounds, restaurants, surfing school and water rescue station. Therefore this beach is highly recommended for families and children.
In Schondorf you can find the Café Forster. This beach provides changing rooms, toilets and showering facilities directly at the lake but the entrance is not free of charge.
Alternatively you can spend your beach day at the small dock of the community, which is about 80m long and offers a nice sunbathing area as well as sanitary facilities.
The small village Utting offers another small beach area with restaurant, campsite, sunbathing area and sailing school. The main attraction is a diving platform with a height of 10 meter.
How to get to Ammersee
By public transport:
You can easily reach the Ammersee by S-Bahn: S 8 to Herrsching
By car:
It is a short 30 minutes drive to get there from Munich. You take the Autobahn A96 west towards Lindau. Exit at Herrsching/Wessling and follow the signs to Herrsching.
