Lake Starnberg

Lake Starnberg
Aerial view of Lake Starnberg from the south
Lake Starnberg is located in Germany
Lake Starnberg
Lake Starnberg
Lake Starnberg is located in Bavaria
Lake Starnberg
Lake Starnberg
LocationBavaria
Coordinates47°54′14″N 11°18′26″E / 47.90389°N 11.30722°E / 47.90389; 11.30722
TypeNatural lake
Primary inflowsSteinbach or Ostersee-Ach
Primary outflowsWürm
Catchment area314 km2 (121 sq mi)
Basin countriesGermany
Max. length20.2 km (12.6 mi)
Surface area58.36 km2 (22.53 sq mi)
Max. depth127.8 m (419 ft)
Water volume2,998×10^6 m3 (105.9×10^9 cu ft)
Residence time21 years
Surface elevation596 m (1,955 ft)
IslandsRoseninsel
SettlementsStarnberg, Ammerland, Seeshaupt, Tutzing, Feldafing, Possenhofen
Official nameStarnberger See
Designated26 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.

  1. ^ "Starnberger See". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. ^ Bayregio. "The lake Starnberger See". BAYregio-Starnberger-See.de. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2011.