The distance from the parking lot to the lake is about 1/4 mile. The parking lot serves a downhill ski area and a bobsled venue. A bobsled event was going to take place on the weekend (it was Thursday). The way to the lake was lined by restaurants and stands, selling souvenirs and created a circus-like atmosphere. At the lakes edge are the boat landings and a hotel. To get a good view of the lake we walked to 'Malers - winkel', a distance of about 1/2 mile over an icy path. Koenigsee is about 8km long and 1.25km wide at its widest point. It is Germany's deepest lakes with a depth of up to 200m and is claimed to be its clearest. The importance of pollution was realized early and restrictions were put into place in 1909 that allowed only electric-powered boats to use the lake. The lake is surrounded by steep mountains (the Watzmann is visible on the left). To preserve the pristine environment the Bavarian government in 1978 created the Berchtesgaden National Park. Visible from Malerswinkel are the palace and pilgrimage church. They were founded by the Prince-Provost of Berchtesgaden in 1134. The triple-concha design of the church dates back to 1697. In the 18th century the summer and hunting palace was rebuilt. After Berchtesgaden became part of Bavaria in 1810, the palace became a hunting lodge for the Bavarian kings. The chapel of St. Bartolomew, located next to the former hunting lodge, can only be reached by boat, or a difficult hike. The buildings lie on a peninsula. On very cold winters, when the lake freezes over, these can also be reached by walking across the ice. The conditions at the time of our vistit were not ideal, the sun had disappeared behind the mountains and the sky was overcast with a thin, high layer of cirrus, as a result of the Foehn. This picture was taken on 3 January 2008. POV location N47d,34m,58.5s, E12d,59m,33.4s (WGS 84). POV elevation 2076-ft. Thank you for viewing and commenting on my previous upload. Best viewed in zoom!!