Lake Grünsee

Covering nearly four hectares, Lake Grünsee is larger than its better-known neighbor, Lake Funtensee. Yet its secluded location has kept this emerald-green mountain lake a hidden gem, waiting to be discovered far from the well-traveled hiking trails.

A mountain lake above Königssee

Grünsee lies at an elevation of 1,474 meters between Lake Funtensee and Lake Obersee in Berchtesgaden National Park. The high plateau between Simetsberg and Funtenseetauern, home to both Lake Grünsee and Lake Schwarzensee, is known as Halsboden. Once used as alpine pastureland (Grünsee-Alm), the area has long since been abandoned and is now largely overgrown. Today, it forms a lush green oasis on the edge of the Steinerne Meer mountain range.

Like Funtensee and Schwarzensee, Grünsee has no visible outlet. Instead, its water drains underground, flowing through Salzgraben Cave before reaching Lake Königssee at least six hours later.

The Sagereckersteig trail

Grünsee lies directly along the Sagerecksteig, a challenging alpine hiking trail. Starting in Salet at the southern end of Lake Königssee, the route climbs steeply through the Sagereckerwand rock face before continuing over rolling alpine terrain past Grünsee to Kärlingerhaus at Lake Funtensee.

You can also discover Grünsee on the connecting trail between Wasseralm and Kärlingerhaus, which takes you past both Grünsee and Schwarzensee.