From Vils to Füssen

The Alatsee is up to 35 m deep and is considered a mystical place. At a depth of 15 to 18 m, it has an extremely rare, red-colored layer of purple sulfur bacteria. Above this layer, the lake is inhabited by a rich flora and fauna, below the layer there is virtually no oxygen. The origin of the sulfur layer is still disputed among researchers. It is, however, documented that during World War II aerodynamics experiments with underwater models of a twin-engine fighter plane took place here. According to unproven rumors, gold treasures of the German Reichsbank, previously stored at Neuschwanstein Castle, were sunk at the bottom of the lake towards the end of the war. Both topics around the Alatsee have also been literary processed in the Allgäu crime novel “Seegrund”.