Best Landscape Photography Locations in Bavaria

Bavaria, in southern Germany, pairs Alpine landscape with architectural interest: the Bavarian Alps, alpine lakes such as the Königssee, and countryside castles including Neuschwanstein. It sits further from the darkest-sky end of this list than most of the other regions, but the mountain terrain and lake reflections give it a different kind of appeal.

By Robert Bridgewater · Last updated

Sort by:

Heckenbach Wasserfall

Waterfall
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
  • Valley or low-lying terrain · 648 m elevation
View on map

Geroldsee winter sunset

Landscape
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
  • Valley or low-lying terrain · 932 m elevation
View on map

Endless

Lake
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 4 with nearby skyglow
  • Flat or gently rolling terrain · 536 m elevation
View on map

Photographer on the jetty

Lake
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 4 with nearby skyglow
  • Flat or gently rolling terrain · 561 m elevation
View on map

Eibsee

Lake
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
  • Flat or gently rolling terrain · 982 m elevation
View on map

Schrecksee

Lake
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
  • Varied terrain nearby, significant relief · 1,867 m elevation
View on map

Eibsee

Lake
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
  • Valley or low-lying terrain · 982 m elevation
View on map

Leitenlehen Panorama

Mountain
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 4 with nearby skyglow
  • Elevated terrain · 767 m elevation
View on map

Weißbach Wasserfall

Waterfall
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
  • Valley or low-lying terrain · 687 m elevation
View on map

Isar Rapids close to Lenggries

River
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 4 with nearby skyglow
  • Flat or gently rolling terrain · 669 m elevation
View on map

View point Falkenhorst close to Gundlfing

River
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
  • Flat or gently rolling terrain · 443 m elevation
View on map

Gstadt Chiemsee

Lake
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
  • Flat or gently rolling terrain · 520 m elevation
View on map

Walchensee

Mountain
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
  • Flat or gently rolling terrain · 817 m elevation
View on map

The Schleierfälle Waterfall, Ammer River

Waterfall
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
  • Flat or gently rolling terrain · 816 m elevation
View on map

Eibsee (Zugspitze)

Lake
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
  • Flat or gently rolling terrain · 982 m elevation
View on map

Maria Gern Church, Bavaria - Hill View

Mountain
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
  • Valley or low-lying terrain · 751 m elevation
View on map

Wimbach Bridge

River
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
  • Valley or low-lying terrain · 711 m elevation
View on map

Freibergsee, Oberstdorf

Lake
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
  • Flat or gently rolling terrain · 928 m elevation
View on map

Sylvensteinspeicher

Lake
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
  • Valley or low-lying terrain · 780 m elevation
View on map

Alpenglühen, Schmalsee

Mountain
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
  • Valley or low-lying terrain · 933 m elevation
View on map

Ostersee small lake

Lake
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 4 with nearby skyglow
  • Flat or gently rolling terrain · 589 m elevation
View on map

Autumn mountains from Eibsee

Lake
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
  • Flat or gently rolling terrain · 989 m elevation
View on map

Eibsee

Lake
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
  • Valley or low-lying terrain · 982 m elevation
View on map

Rabenwand, Königssee

Lake
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky · ≈ Bortle 3 with nearby skyglow
  • Elevated terrain · 768 m elevation
View on map

Eiskapelle at Watzmann

Arctic
  • Bortle 2 — excellent to rural dark sky
  • Valley or low-lying terrain · 937 m elevation
View on map
Planning a night out at one of these locations? Use the free Milky Way Calendar to check moon phase and dark-sky windows, or read the Blue Hour & Star Trail Photography Guide for how to plan the shoot itself.

Your next great opportunity is one email away.

Join the waitlist to be the first to know when the light — and the sky — line up. No spam, just the announcement.