I went to lake Eibsee in Autumn during the month of October with my group of fellow photographers and found it to be a magnificent place with plenty of photographic opportunities.

Lake Eibsee lies on the German side of the Bavarian-Tyrolean Alps, 9 kilometres south of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The crystal-clear, deep blue and sparkling waters of this lake, which lies at the foot of Zugspitze mountain in the region of Bavaria and is delightfully embedded in the rocky landscape at an altitude of 1,000 metres. The lake is about 2.40 km long, 850 m wide and has eight islets dotted around its northern side.

Eibsee is a magical place. It’s not an easy task to describe with words how beautiful the colours of the lake are, they range from mostly a crystal turquoise to a deep blue and it is the cleanest (and coldest) in the country. On a sunny day, Zugspitze stands tall in the background and its view is splendid, especially when covered in snow.

The loop trail around Eibsee is beautiful with plenty of paths that go off the trail offering scenic views. The whole trail is 7.1 km and takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete. At some point it’s also possible to walk right alongside the lake but this mostly depends on the water level and time of year. It pays to be cautious if doing so as at some parts there are small pathways that lead you straight to the shoreline which requires climbing down a couple of rocks.

The best time to visit the lake is either during the early morning hours or around sunset as this is when the warm sunlight hits the water and creates a beautiful glow and a thin film of mist.

I highly recommend taking a polarizing filter which cuts down on reflections, haze, and scattered light with you and a tripod as well.