Hummocky meadows at Lake Geroldsee

Lake Geroldsee (or Wagenbrüchsee) is picturesquely nestled amongst hummocky meadows and forests between the Ester Mountains, the Wetterstein and the Karwendel. In summer, it is a popular swimming lake and a favourite year-round resting spot for hiking, mountain biking, skiing or snowshoeing tours between Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Walchensee, Krün and Mittenwald.

On a sunny and almost windless autumn day, I spent a whole afternoon in the sun – dozing and watching, or wandering around looking for vantage points to photograph. The almost glassy surface of the lake, whose water was further darkened by suspended particles, offered an almost perfect reflection of the high rock faces of the northern Karwendel range above Mittenwald.

A little above the lake, there is a sweeping panorama from the Soiern group across the Karwendel to the Wetterstein. Around the lake are numerous so-called hummocky meadows, a special feature of the Lower Werdenfels region. The grass-covered hummocky meadows were formed by erosion and karstification processes, and humans have also helped shape today’s terrain through forest clearing.

I couldn’t tear myself away from the spectacle of light and colour and stayed until the dramatic climax after sunset, the alpenglow of the Karwendel.