| Lake Starnberg | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Aerial view of Lake Starnberg from the south | |
  Lake Starnberg  Lake Starnberg | |
| Location | Bavaria |
| Coordinates | 47°54′14″N 11°18′26″E / 47.90389°N 11.30722°E |
| Type | Natural lake |
| Primary inflows | Steinbach or Ostersee-Ach |
| Primary outflows | Würm |
| Catchment area | 314 km2 (121 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Germany |
| Max. length | 20.2 km (12.6 mi) |
| Surface area | 58.36 km2 (22.53 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 127.8 m (419 ft) |
| Water volume | 2,998×106 m3 (105.9×109 cu ft) |
| Residence time | 21 years |
| Surface elevation | 596 m (1,955 ft) |
| Islands | Roseninsel |
| Settlements | Starnberg, Ammerland, Seeshaupt, Tutzing, Feldafing, Possenhofen |
| Official name | Starnberger See |
| Designated | 26 February 1976 |
| Reference no. | 94[1] |
Lake Starnberg, or Starnberger See [ˈʃtaʁnbɛʁɡɐ ˌzeː] ) — called Lake Würm or Würmsee [ˈvʏʁmˌzeː] until 1962 — is Germany's second-largest body of fresh water, having great depth, and fifth-largest lake by area.[2] It and its surroundings lie in three different Bavarian districts, or Landkreise. The lake is property of the state and accordingly managed by the Bavarian Administration of State-Owned Palaces, Gardens and Lakes.
Located in southern Bavaria 25 kilometres (16 mi) southwest of Munich, Lake Starnberg is a popular recreation area for the city and, since 1976, one of the wetlands of international importance protected by the Ramsar Convention. The small town of Berg is famous as the site where King Ludwig II of Bavaria was found dead in the lake in 1886. Because of its associations with the Wittelsbach royal family, the lake is also known as Fürstensee (Prince's Lake). It is also mentioned in T. S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land.
- ^ "Starnberger See". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ Bayregio. "The lake Starnberger See". BAYregio-Starnberger-See.de. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2011.