Ammersee
Encyclopedia
Ammersee is a lake
in Upper Bavaria
, Germany
located southwest of Munich
between the towns of Herrsching
and Dießen am Ammersee
. With a surface area of approximately 47 square kilometres (18.1 sq mi), it is the sixth largest lake in Germany. The lake is located at an elevation of 520 metres (1,706 ft), and has a maximum depth of 81 metres (265.7 ft). Like other Bavarian lakes, Ammersee developed as a result of the ice age
glacier
s melting. Ammersee is fed by the River Ammer
which flows as Amper
out of the lake. Like neighbouring Lake Starnberg
, which is similar in size and shape, it is a popular location for watersports. The lake's water generally is of very good quality since a circular sewerage system has been introduced in the 1960s collecting all wastewater from around the lake and transporting it to a treatment plant below the lake's outlet at Eching
.
Ammersee and Amper
are part of the ancient Celtic amber tradingroute leading to the Brenner Pass
.
The word Ammer is a 13. century form of Amper, Celtic *ambra, deriving from Indoeuropean *ombh-, *mbh- "wet, Water".
Passenger services have operated on the lake since 1879. Today they are operated by the Bayerische Seenschifffahrt
company, using a mixture of historic paddle steamer
s and motor ships.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in Upper Bavaria
Upper Bavaria
Upper Bavaria is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany.- Geography :Upper Bavaria is located in the southern portion of Bavaria, and is centered around the city of Munich. It is subdivided into four regions : Ingolstadt, Munich, Bayerisches Oberland , and Südostoberbayern...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
located southwest of Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
between the towns of Herrsching
Herrsching
Herrsching am Ammersee is a municipality in Upper Bavaria, Germany, on the east shore of the Ammersee, southwest of Munich. Population is some 8,000 in winter, increasing to 13,000 in summer....
and Dießen am Ammersee
Dießen am Ammersee
Dießen am Ammersee is a municipality in the district of Landsberg in Bavaria in Germany.-References:...
. With a surface area of approximately 47 square kilometres (18.1 sq mi), it is the sixth largest lake in Germany. The lake is located at an elevation of 520 metres (1,706 ft), and has a maximum depth of 81 metres (265.7 ft). Like other Bavarian lakes, Ammersee developed as a result of the ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s melting. Ammersee is fed by the River Ammer
Ammer
Ammer can refer to:*the upper course of the river Amper in Bavaria, Germany*Ammer , a small river in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, tributary of the Neckar...
which flows as Amper
Amper
The Amper is a river located in southern Bavaria, Germany and is the largest tributary to the Isar river. The Amper flows into the Isar in Moosburg, 185 km from the headwater of the river and at a speed of 45 m³/s. It runs out of the Ammersee and its upper course, upstream from the...
out of the lake. Like neighbouring Lake Starnberg
Lake Starnberg
Lake Starnberg , 25 kilometers southwest of Munich in southern Bavaria, is Germany's fifth largest freshwater lake and, due to its large average depth, the second richest in water...
, which is similar in size and shape, it is a popular location for watersports. The lake's water generally is of very good quality since a circular sewerage system has been introduced in the 1960s collecting all wastewater from around the lake and transporting it to a treatment plant below the lake's outlet at Eching
Eching am Ammersee
Eching am Ammersee is a municipality in the district of Landsberg in Bavaria in Germany....
.
Ammersee and Amper
Amper
The Amper is a river located in southern Bavaria, Germany and is the largest tributary to the Isar river. The Amper flows into the Isar in Moosburg, 185 km from the headwater of the river and at a speed of 45 m³/s. It runs out of the Ammersee and its upper course, upstream from the...
are part of the ancient Celtic amber tradingroute leading to the Brenner Pass
Brenner Pass
- Roadways :The motorway E45 leading from Innsbruck via Bolzano to Verona and Modena uses this pass, and is one of the most important north-south connections in Europe...
.
The word Ammer is a 13. century form of Amper, Celtic *ambra, deriving from Indoeuropean *ombh-, *mbh- "wet, Water".
Passenger services have operated on the lake since 1879. Today they are operated by the Bayerische Seenschifffahrt
Bayerische Seenschifffahrt
The Bayerische Seenschifffahrt GmbH, or Bavarian Lakes Shipping Company, is a company that operates shipping services on several lakes in the German state of Bavaria...
company, using a mixture of historic paddle steamer
Paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
s and motor ships.