Operation Honor: Konigsee and Obersee

Our packed final day in Berchtesgaden included a boat trip across Lake Konigsee and a hike up to Lake Obersee. Konigsee is one of the most beautiful lakes in Germany, known for it's dramatic, jagged mountain walls and emerald waters. Across generations, Konigsee has been claimed for private use by kings and royalty; the chapel and hunting lodge built on the narrow green shoreline of the lake were favorite haunts of the Bavarian royalty, who forbid commoners from using the lake. The name of the lake reflects who controlled it- "Konigsee" translates to "King's Lake". Because of the steep cliffs surrounding Konigsee, hiking in is impossible; since it was easy to control who used the  harbor, the lake was considered a very secure place for its royal visitors.

The beautiful and pristine Lake Konigsee, as seen from the hillside just above the lake.*
This is one of three photos in this post which we cannot take credit for...
...the photos we did not take  are are duly marked with an asterisk! :) 

After the Bavarian royalty came tyrants. When Hitler and the Nazi party took residence in Berchtesgaden, the lake was effectively seized. It was was frequently visited by Eva Braun, who liked to sunbathe on its shores, and Hitler, who enjoyed boating. Various other high-level Nazi officials also had use of Konigsee.

Eva Braun 

(Although it seemed fairly self explanatory, we decided to take a brief moment to let you know that we did not take these, either. Should I mark them with an asterisk or had you already figured that out?)

Hitler boating on Konigsee.
Behind him is St. Bartholomew's Church. 

St. Bartholomew's Church and the surrounding hunting lodges and dock houses as seen today...

Today, Lake Konigsee is one of the most popular tourist activities in Berchtesgaden- and rightfully so. The water of Lake Konigsee has been beautifully cared for, and it is known as the cleanest lake in all of Germany. It is truly a stunning example of an alpine lake. We loved taking the boat stop halfway across the lake to see the St. Bartholomew's Church (above), which was built in the 1600s. We saw the hunting lodge directly behind the church; it is the original lodge built for the royal visitors! Today is sells smoked trout, and it was a treat to taste fish that had just been pulled from the lake. Yummy! The buildings are all nestled into an absolutely lovely meadow that begged to be photographed. :) 

It is obvious why this area was claimed by royalty for hundreds of years. Who wouldn't want to own this?

From the dock at the far end of the lake we took a fifteen minute walk through the most stunning alpine forests up to Lake Obersee. What a beautiful hike!

Obersee is a tiny lake above Konigsee that can only be reached by crossing the lake and then hiking in. This pristine alpine lake was one of the sights that we had been most eager to see, and it was a bucket-list moment to approach it's shores and photograph it's picturesque boat house. Neither words nor photos can appropriately describe how incredibly beautiful this place is!

A view of all of Lake Obersee*

Look at this foreign color, California folk! Green! 

One of the great thing about seeing a top tourist destination is that there are plenty of Chinese tourists there too, who are happy to exchange group photo taking sessions. Capturing the moment! 

We could easily have spent several days hiking around Konigsee and Obersee, 'seeing the sights and smelling the wonders', as the old expression goes! Our journey to France, however, was just around the corner and Germany still had some more historical attractions we couldn't resist seeing. Reluctantly, we re-boarded the boat and headed back across Konigsee's clear waters towards the dock and our car. Our busy last day was not yet over, but our time at Konigsee and Obersee was unforgettable, and it is a memory we will cherish forever...

A view of the surrounding mountains from the middle of the lake*

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork." 

Psalm 19:1

God is good!