Saalachsee, artificial lake
Saalachsee is a reservoir in Berchtesgadener Land formed by a dam built across the Saalach River. The water sits nested in a quiet valley surrounded by green forests and rolling hills.
The dam was built between 1911 and 1913 to store water and generate electricity for the railway line running from Freilassing to Berchtesgaden. Between 2014 and 2016, major repairs were completed to improve the dam's safety and allow it to handle larger floods.
The name Saalachsee connects the lake to the nearby Saalach River that shapes the region's landscape. The water reflects surrounding hills and forests, creating a place where visitors can enjoy nature and find quiet moments away from daily routines.
The lake is easily accessible by car or bicycle with small parking areas nearby. The Saalachseerundweg, a walking trail about 13 kilometers long, circles the lake and follows the river, and the area is less crowded on weekdays.
A sand and gravel extraction facility regularly removes thousands of cubic meters of material from the lake bottom each year for construction purposes. This ongoing extraction helps slow the lake's natural filling process and maintains its long-term function as a reservoir.
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