Hintersee, Mountain lake in Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden, Germany.
Hintersee is a small mountain lake in the Bavarian Alps, set within the municipality of Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden and enclosed by steep rock faces and dense conifer forest. The lake sits in a rocky basin and stays cold throughout the year.
In the 19th century, painters of the German Romantic movement discovered this lake and returned repeatedly to capture the alpine landscape around it. Their work spread the image of the lake far beyond the region and brought it to the attention of early travelers.
The forest bordering the lake is known locally as the Zauberwald, meaning enchanted forest, a name rooted in old local stories. Walking through it, visitors pass between mossy boulders and gnarled roots that give the area a look consistent with the tales attached to it.
A wide, paved path runs all the way around the lake and is easy to walk for most visitors. Parking is available directly at the shore, so you can start the loop without any long approach on foot.
Beneath the surface of the Hintersee lie old tree trunks that sank to the bottom after a landslide long ago. On calm days with good light, they are visible from the shore without any need to dive in.
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