Chinesischer Turm e.V.The water in the park
The Kleinhesseloher lake
The lake looks as if someone had found it. That was precisely the intention. It was laid out in 1803, and it is to this day the sociable waterside of the English Garden.
English Garden
Laid out, not found
The Kleinhesseloher lake was laid out in 1803 by Reinhard von Werneck, then director of the English Garden. The original area was about 35,000 square metres. Today the lake measures 8.64 hectares, around 86,400 square metres.
It is shallow everywhere. That is not a defect but part of the design: a shallow lake looks wider, warms up faster and can be used by rowing and pedal boats without depth becoming a danger.
In the lake lie three islands. They cannot be walked on and serve as a refuge for waterfowl, which at a place with these visitor numbers is the real achievement.
The Seehaus
- Present building
- since 1985
- Architects
- Ernst Hürlimann and Ludwig Wiedemann
- Seats
- around 2,500
- Operation
- beer garden with self-service and a served area, plus a restaurant
- Boats
- rowing and pedal boats in the warm season
The Seehaus is, after the Chinese Tower and the Aumeister, the third large hospitality operation in the park. Its character is different: here you sit by the water, not under chestnuts, and the music does not come from above. The comparison of the big houses is on the page Munich's beer gardens.
The walk from the Chinese Tower
From the tower head north, about ten to fifteen minutes on foot. The path crosses the ring canal and climbs gently to the southern shore. Walking round the lake takes about half an hour and passes all three shores.
The lake also marks a break: north of it begins the quieter, more expansive northern part of the park with its 245 hectares. The Isarring road separates the two halves.
Through the year
Spring and summer. Boat hire, full sunbathing lawns on the southern shore, the Seehaus in full swing.
Autumn. The best time. The foliage stands in the water, the lawns are empty.
Winter. In severe winters the shallow lake freezes over and becomes an ice surface. Whether it is released is decided by the city; you do not walk onto it on your own initiative.
The border between two parks
The lake lies exactly at the seam. South of it the lively part with the Monopteros, the Chinese Tower and the Eisbach wave, around 130 hectares. North, beyond the Isarring, the wide and quiet northern part with around 245 hectares. Walking north from the tower, you notice at the shore that the character tips.
Why the lake is shallow
An artificially created park lake has no spring and no depth to defend. Shallow means: it warms quickly, freezes earlier and can be used safely by rowing and pedal boats. The price is vulnerability. In hot summers it silts up and needs care; the water stands instead of flowing.
The three islands
They cannot be entered, and that is the point. In a park with five million visitors a year, three inaccessible islands are the only place where waterfowl can breed undisturbed. Stand on the shore in spring and watch the traffic on the water: you are looking at the result of that restraint.
Practical
- Circuit
- around 30 minutes on foot
- From the Chinese Tower
- 10 to 15 minutes north
- Sunbathing lawns
- mainly on the southern shore
- Admission
- none, accessible all year round
- Walking on the ice
- only when expressly released by the city
Frequently asked questions
When was the Kleinhesseloher lake laid out?
In 1803, by Reinhard von Werneck, then director of the English Garden.
How big is the Kleinhesseloher lake?
8.64 hectares. Originally, at about 35,000 square metres, it was considerably smaller.
How many islands does the Kleinhesseloher lake have?
Three. They cannot be walked on and serve as a refuge for waterfowl.
Since when has the Seehaus existed?
The present building dates from 1985, designed by Ernst Hürlimann and Ludwig Wiedemann. It offers around 2,500 seats.
Can you go boating on the Kleinhesseloher lake?
Yes, in the warm season there are rowing and pedal boats.