Königssee

Königssee
View from Malerwinkel
Location	Schönau am Königssee, Bavaria, Germany
Coordinates	47°33′N 12°58′E / 47.550°N 12.967°E / 47.550; 12.967Coordinates: 47°33′N 12°58′E / 47.550°N 12.967°E / 47.550; 12.967
Primary inflows	Schreinbach, Saletbach (from the Obersee), Kesselbach, Eisbach, Königsbach
Primary outflows	Königsseer Ache to Salzach
Basin countries	Germany
Max. length	7.7 km (4.8 mi)
Max. width	1.7 km (1.1 mi)
Surface area	5.218 km2 (2.015 sq mi)
Average depth	98.1 m (322 ft)
Max. depth	190 m (620 ft)
Water volume	511,785,000 m3 (414,911 acre·ft)
Surface elevation	603 m (1,978 ft)
Islands	Christlieger
Settlements	Schönau am Königssee Ortsteil Königssee

The Königssee is a natural lake in the extreme southeast Berchtesgadener Land district of the German state of Bavaria, near the Austrian border. Most of the lake is within the Berchtesgaden National Park.

Situated within the Berchtesgaden Alps in the municipality of Schönau am Königsee, just south of Berchtesgaden and the Austrian city of Salzburg, the Königssee is Germany's third deepest lake. Located at a Jurassic rift, it was formed by glaciers during the last ice age. It stretches about 7.7 km (4.8 mi) in a north-south direction, and is about 1.7 km (1 mi) across at its widest point. Except at its outlet, the Königsseer Ache at the village of Königssee, the lake is similar to a fjord, being surrounded by the steeply-rising flanks of mountains up to 2,700 m (8,900 ft), including the Watzmann massif in the west.

The literal translation of the name, Königssee, appears to be "king's lake"; however while German: König does indeed mean "king", there had been no Bavarian kings since the days of Louis the German until Elector Maximilian I Joseph assumed the royal title in 1806. Therefore, the name more probably stems from the first name Kuno of local nobles, who appear in several historical sources referring to the donation of the Berchtesgaden Provostry in the twelfth century; the lake was formerly called Kunigsee.

...
Wikipedia