Forggensee from Mühlberg
Forggensee is the large body of water north of Füssen, and a good part of it lies within the municipality of Schwangau. From Mühlberg it is therefore an obvious destination for days when you do not want to head towards the castle, but towards the lakeshore and open space.
Unlike the natural lakes in the Königswinkel region, Forggensee is a reservoir on the Lech. That shapes its character throughout the year: in summer a full lake with boat trips and circular route, in winter a wide, drained area with its own atmosphere.
Facts at a glance
Forggensee in four points
Germany’s largest reservoir
With an area of around 15.2 square kilometres, Forggensee is Germany’s largest reservoir by area and Bavaria’s fifth-largest lake.
Reservoir on the Lech, 1950 to 1954
The dam at Roßhaupten impounds the Lech. The facility was built between 1950 and 1954 and serves power generation and flood protection.
Boat trips in the summer half-year
Forggensee boat service officially operates from June 1 to October 15 with a shorter and a longer round trip to the dam.
Drained in winter
From mid-October, the lake is drained to absorb the Lech snowmelt in spring. It fills again by early June.
Reservoir with two faces
Forggensee is not an old lake. It was created between 1950 and 1954 with the construction of the dam at Roßhaupten on the Lech. Even then, the main purpose was not a recreational lake, but energy and flood protection: the reservoir directly serves power generation on the Lech and absorbs the spring snowmelt before it can cause damage further downstream. This function remains central today; tourism around it is a consequence.
This function leads to the lake’s most striking feature: it is not full all year round. From mid-October, the sluices at the dam are opened and the water level drops noticeably over the following weeks. In late winter, Forggensee appears as a wide, bare surface where old road sections, remains of the former Via Claudia Augusta and traces of earlier farms become visible again. By early June at the latest, the lake is full again, and the summer side of Forggensee begins anew.
In summer, the Forggensee boat service operates with two ships, the MS Allgäu and the MS Füssen. In regular service there is a shorter round trip in the southern part of the lake and a larger loop reaching the dam. Landing stages are located in Füssen, Schwangau-Waltenhofen, at the Brunnen campsite and in Roßhaupten, among others. If you prefer to experience the lake on foot or by bike, you will find routes around the shore through meadows, small woods and several bathing areas.
What combines well from Mühlberg
For guests in Mühlberg, Forggensee is easy to include in the day. An officially designated health-climate hiking route leads from Waltenhofen via Brunnen to Mühlberg, so a walk along the lakeshore and the return to the accommodation can be combined well. If you want to cover more distance, you can cycle around Forggensee; the circular route is around 30 kilometres in total, mostly easy to ride and also suitable for families with e-bikes.
It is also practical that the landing stage in Schwangau-Waltenhofen and the landing stage at the Brunnen campsite are closer to Mühlberg than the boat harbours in Füssen. If you want to plan a boat trip, you do not necessarily have to drive to Füssen. The season is also worth considering: in summer boat trips, shore and bathing opportunities, in winter a quiet, almost austere landscape. Both have their own appeal and fit a stay where not every day needs to be scheduled.
Further water and walking ideas can be found in the articles on Hopfensee, lakes and routes around Mühlberg and in the Surroundings overview.