Walchensee, Come and See

Say what you want about Tiktok, but without it, I wouldn’t have stumbled upon this gorgeous local secret. I mean, I completely understand why Bavarians would want the Walchensee all for themselves. Just take a look at that sparkling turquoise water!

For our summer vacation, we had to abandon plans to visit family abroad, so I had to conjure up a new plan that could be done via road trip. Tiktok to the rescue — wanderlust-thirst-trap accounts started posting their favorite spots, and suddenly, this claim of a Bavarian Caribbean caught my eye. I couldn’t believe that water this glorious was just within reach. I definitely had to see it for myself!

After a heatwave that seemed to last forever, the weather suddenly turned sour, just as we were about to drive off to Bayern. I still had my hopes up — according to the weather report, I had a *tiny* window of one hour when the rains would stop, and maybe I would have a chance to dip my toes into an actual gorgeous beach in the heart of Germany.

After some hours, we finally made it to head of the Mautstrasse Jackenau. This was the first toll road I’ve ever encountered in Germany, but it promised a scenic drive, so I didn’t mind shelling out the 5 euros. And boy, was it worth it!

The toll road was about 12 kilometers long, and there were several parking spots along the way, so that you can take a break and dip into the water when a strip of beach catches your eye (there will be plenty, trust me).

It was still drizzling when we arrived at the restaurant where we planned to have lunch, but unfortunately, they were already fully booked out. Little did we know that this was a blessing for us, because they gave us a good tip on where else to go: a family-run hotel with a very inviting, cozy restaurant called Landhotel zum Staffelwirt. They had a short but interesting offering of local dishes, and our orders came oozing with home-cooked goodness. If I were to guess how much our bill was solely based on how swanky their bathroom was, I would say we would be paying a fortune (definitely one of swankiest restrooms I’ve ever seen in a German restaurant). To our delight, their prices were downright affordable and we were happy to have stumbled into this gem.

To add to our good fortune, the rains magically disappeared and it was a glorious sunny summer day again! We pondered for a while, and then made a U-turn to go back to the lake. By this time, the turquoise water was gleaming from the sunlight, and the beach was virtually deserted, so all in all, we made a good call in coming back.

I would have loved to stay and swim, but sadly, we had to leave to make it to our next destination in time. This was a good reconnaissance trip, though; we are definitely coming back (hopefully, with better weather), and now we even know good guesthouses nearby so we can make our next visit even longer. Good things come to those who wait (and apparently, sometimes even to those who TikTok!).