Walchensee – Galerie
The Galerie on the B 11 south of Urfeld is Walchensee's best-known wall: from the tunnel entry the rock falls away to around 120 m. Divers describe it getting dark from about 20 m, which together with the wall gives the site its character; the local base recommends staying above 40 m. A second entry, 'Galerie dazwischen', lies just beyond the tunnel and is rated by the base as a 20 m dive. At times a milky layer between 3 and 14 m cuts visibility to 1–2 m, with clearer water below.
Facts
- Region: Germany – Lake Constance & Bavarian Alpine Lakes
- Area: Upper Bavarian lakes
- Depth: 0–120 m
- Level: advanced
- Current: low
- Type: wall
- Coordinates: 47.607, 11.323 (approximate)
- Highlights: wall dropping to ~120 m, darkness from ~20 m, milky layer at 3–14 m with 1–2 m visibility at times (diver report), 5 °C at depth, 16 °C in the shallows (diver report), altitude lake (~800 m)
- Permit: Diving in Walchensee is allowed under the Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district rules: daylight only (1 h before sunrise to 1 h after sunset), with seasonal closures at bathing places and spawning zones. No individual permit. Check current terms.
- Tips: Coming from Urfeld, park on the narrow car park on the left just before the tunnel; two Y-shaped stairs lead into the water (at 'Galerie dazwischen' you climb down steeply where the railing begins; a rope helps at low water). This stretch of the B 11 between Dainingsbach and Urfeld is closed to divers from 15 October to 1 February for fish spawning. Divers report an emergency call point at the entry.