Important information at a glance
Three lakes lined up like a string of pearls. A wonderful nature conservation area surrounded by mountain forests and peaks. A place that’s perfect for recharging your batteries.
A butterfly perches on my big toe. I don’t move. I lie there totally still in the soft grass warmed by the spring sun. My head’s clear, the sky is far above me. A light breeze is gently making the waves dance on Lake Weitsee. A family of ducks is swimming past. There’s total silence everywhere. The Gurnwandkopf towers in front of me, the Dürrnbachhorn behind me. I squint up at their peaks and am happy. The 3 lakes region is my favourite spot, my retreat, my natural paradise. At any time of the year. In any weather. Forever.
It’s roughly 15,000 years ago that Chiemgau once lay under a thick blanket of ice. Powerful glaciers did all the work back then. They formed mountains, hilly forests and gentle meadow landscapes. And they left behind a whole load of lakes, big lakes and little ones like Ruhpolding’s Lödensee, Mittersee and Weitsee. One more beautiful than the other. Locals like to call the area Little Canada, probably because the lakes are so perfectly nestled into the scenery. Surrounded by an undeveloped landscape influenced exclusively by forests and alpine farming. The dark, mighty alpine mixed forests belong to the Eastern Chiemgau Alps nature conservation area. They’re managed according to the principles of close-to-nature and sustainably forestry by the Bavarian State Forestry Commission. Only as much is taken from nature as it is able to regrow. All three lakes have the quality of drinking water and are among the warmest Bavarian mountain lakes. This could be due to the favourable weather in Ruhpolding. There are bright blue skies here in the spring and autumn when the sky is misted over by thick fog elsewhere. There are no kiosks, restaurants, toilet facilities at the lakes but walking and hiking trails instead. Although they can be reached by car, the better choice is by bike or bus. Parking spaces are limited.
The magnificent meadow where I’m lying will start to bloom over the next few weeks, with a diversity that is rarely found elsewhere. Purple moor grass, large blues, broad-leaved fingerroot, Siberian iris and naturally clover, daisies and red campions. Bathers gather on the banks in the summer and the sun sets later. The mood on rainy days is mystical and autumn is picture-perfect when nature succumbs to the most stunning blaze of colour before the cold sets in. The frozen lakes and all the meadows and forests are icy and wrapped in white. Cross-country skiers complete their circuits and hikers enjoy the endless tranquillity of winter. Then I’ll stomp through the snow until it crunches and enjoy the crystal clear mountain air. Nature’s wellness. Until then I’ll just lie here a bit longer. The butterfly is still sitting on my toe.
