Matteo Del Grosso Photography

Of course, you might say! But sometimes, even after many years of photographing, I’m still surprised about the difference light and weather can make. Last couple of days were exceptionally dry and windy here at the Lake of Constance. Usually we have a high humidity in the summer which limits the visibility and creates less favorable light for landscape photography. Only when we have the Foen wind, a warm wind crossing the Alps from the South, we get dry air and good visibility.

I’ve taken this shot of Montfort castle in Langenargen quite a few times in recent years, but I never had such a clear view. I took many images that day, but these two are my favourite ones.

Königssee, a well-known tourist attraction at the south-eastern tip of Germany is part of the Nationalpark Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps. The image is taken from the top of Jenner Mountain which can easily be reached with a cabin cable car for 19 € a roundtrip (as of September 2008).

The Jenner summit is at 1874 m above sea level. The highest cable car station is at 1800 m where the first viewing platform and a restaurant are located. To reach the next viewing platform at 1850 m you have to climb some stairs of a comfortable hiking trail. From there you have a wonderful view over the Lake Königssee, the pilgrim church St. Bartholomä, Berchtesgaden and just across the lake and right in front of you, the famous Watzmann Mountain (2713 m), the second highest mountain in Germany after Zugspitz Mountain. If you want to go all the way to the summit of Jenner mountain at 1874 m, you need to climb some more narrow stairs which are secured but can get dangerous if the place is crowded.

Jenner mountain, one of the few mountains in the Berchtesgadener Land which is accessible by cable car, is not only a great place for a great overview of the whole area but also a good place to start hiking or climbing tours to surrounding mountains and huts.

Lake Hintersee, not far from Königssee in the Berchtesgadener Land of the Bavarian Alps.

The forest surrounding the lake which is located near the town of Ramsau is called Zauberwald (enchanted forest). Huge moss-covered rocks randomly spread around the lake and the Ramsauer Ache are giving the place a spooky look. These rocks and the lake itself are the result of a major rock slide after the last ice age.
Many painters of the 19th century have been inspired by this landscape. Some of their paintings are placed at viewpoints along the hiking trail around the this mystical and beautiful lake.