Watzmann Glacier, Permanent glacier in Berchtesgaden Alps, Germany.
The Watzmann Glacier is a permanent ice field beneath the eastern face of Mount Watzmann at roughly 2200 meters elevation. The ice stretches across about 330 meters in length and about 90 meters in width, making it one of only five recognized glaciers in Germany.
The glacier was much larger in the early 19th century, covering about 30 hectares of area. Since then it has shrunk and broke into separate patches of firn, though it briefly grew to around 10 hectares between 1965 and 1980.
The glacier sits in a location long visited by mountaineers whose routes to the summit are shaped by its presence. The name Watzmann itself runs deep in the region and represents the power of the Alps in local identity.
Visitors reach the ice through marked trails in Berchtesgaden National Park, with several viewpoints offering views of the ice field. The best time to visit is from early to mid-morning when light on the surface is most visible.
On the western edge of the ice rest the remains of a Ju 52 aircraft that crashed in October 1940. This historical wreckage has lain beneath the ice for around 80 years and is a rare remnant from an earlier era.
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