Diving the Alpine & Pre-Alpine Lakes | Bodensee, Walchensee & Starnberger See

About Alpine & Pre-Alpine Lakes (Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg)

The alpine and pre-alpine lakes of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg are Germany’s most spectacular freshwater dives, set beneath snow-capped peaks with visibility that can reach 40 m. Lake Constance (Bodensee) hides the paddle-steamer Jura at 30-45 m, the St. Jodok cargo wreck and the massive Teufelstisch rock pinnacle, while Lake Walchensee — the deepest alpine lake at 192 m — offers crystal water, submerged cars and buses and legendary altitude diving. Starnberger See, Ammersee, Tegernsee, Chiemsee and the high Eibsee and Königssee complete a roster of steep walls, sunken forests and big trout, char and pike. Cold, clear and profoundly beautiful, these lakes demand respect for altitude and depth, but reward divers with some of the finest inland diving in Europe.

Highlights

• ✓Lake Constance (Bodensee): the Jura paddle-steamer at 30-45 m and the Teufelstisch pinnacle
• ✓Walchensee: Germany’s deepest alpine lake (192 m) with submerged cars and buses
• ✓Starnberger See: the Delphin steamer wreck and the Tutzinger Wand drop-off
• ✓Eibsee: a high-altitude lake with crystal water and tree stumps
• ✓Königssee: an extremely deep, restricted lake for technical divers only

Getting There

Fly into Munich (MUC), Stuttgart (STR) or Zurich (ZRH) and drive the A8/A95 or the scenic alpine roads; trains reach Überlingen, Starnberg, Prien and Garmisch. The lakes are linked by the Deutsche Alpenstraße and regional buses, with dive centres at the main harbours.