On the water

RIEDEL Magazine, Issue 03 Autumn 2025 | Text: Marcus Krall | Reading time: 5 minutes

Postcard views and a holiday atmosphere right on your doorstep: Lake Starnberg is an excellent water sports destination for stressed-out city dwellers and one of Bavaria’s most picturesque regions. It lies south-west of Munich and takes its name from the town of the same name on the lake’s northern shore. Formed by glaciers during the Ice Age, it now boasts clear water, lush, green shores and the gentle hills typical of the region, as well as a variety of leisure activities. Text: Marcus Krall

Note on the edition

This article is taken from the Autumn/Winter 2025/26 issue of RIEDEL Magazine. Information regarding approvals, lead times, boat models and technical specifications is correct as at the date of publication.

Clear rules on the lake

Thanks to its proximity to the Bavarian capital, Lake Starnberg is a popular leisure destination. Culture enthusiasts, walkers and cyclists enjoy spending time in the area. As Lake Starnberg impresses with its breathtaking views of the nearby Alps and its drinking-water-quality waters, it is also a favourite destination for water sports enthusiasts and swimmers.

Despite its popularity – or perhaps precisely because of it – there are clear rules in place to protect the natural environment and ensure recreational opportunities for everyone. For motorboats with internal combustion engines, for example, a licence is required – but places are limited to 255 per year, with demand far outstripping supply. There are waiting lists, but it can actually take up to 14 years to obtain a licence to operate a boat on the lake. Anyone who manages to secure a licence must, however, surrender it after five years to allow for rotation amongst applicants. Sailboats with an auxiliary engine exceeding 4 kW and electric motorboats also require authorisation, but not a licence.

Anyone wishing to avoid the waiting time or the red tape can therefore make use of the boat hire services available around the lake. Nevertheless, owning your own boat always has its own charm. That is why it is worth taking a look at the opportunities the lake has to offer.

Despite its popularity – or perhaps precisely because of it – there are clear rules in place to protect the natural environment and ensure recreational opportunities for everyone.

With a Macan powertrain or a classic V8

Electric dayboat with light wooden decking, shot at an angle from above, trailing a broad wake of foam. — Many car manufacturers have already ventured into the world of boats, but only Porsche has been successful. The Zuffenhausen-based company fitted the electric Macan powertrain into a dayboat built by the Austrian Frauscher shipyard.

Anyone considering buying an electric boat – given that obtaining a licence for a combustion-engine boat is, after all, a very long-term prospect – should take a look at the Frauscher x Porsche 850 Fantom Air, which combines iconic design with electric power. The 8.67-metre-long boat reaches a top speed of up to 90 km/h, offers four driving modes and, thanks to its fast-charging function, can be charged from 10% to 80% in under 30 minutes. It is inspired by – and technically equipped with – Porsche technology; the stern houses the Macan’s marine-adapted powertrain.

Dark aluminium motorboat with a fixed hardtop ploughing through rough water under a cloudy sky. — Anyone who holds one of the few licences for combustion-engine boats can’t go far wrong with the robust boats from the Swedish XO shipyard. With 400 PS, the DSCVR 9 reaches a top speed of 50 knots – that’s almost 100 km/h.

With petrol engines – provided one of the 255 licences is held – and a robust aluminium construction, the XO DSCVR 9 T-Top stands out: a versatile 8.57-metre boat with room for eight people, up to 400 PS and a top speed of around 50 knots. An absolute classic is, of course, the Riva Aquarama, which cuts a traditional yet impressive figure on the lake: built from fine timber, almost 9 metres long and powered by two V8 engines, it still has many fans today – especially as mahogany Rivas are no longer built and command collector’s prices. A classic Riva with a mooring on Lake Starnberg feels like a ‘water sports jackpot’.

Close-up of the steering wheel, round gauges and varnished mahogany dashboard of a classic motorboat. — Cockpit of a mahogany classic

Sailing yacht with white mainsail and headsail beating upwind in clear weather, a sailor standing at the helm in the cockpit. — Sailing yachts up to around ten metres in length are well suited to Lake Starnberg.

For those who prefer to sail quietly under sail, the Bavaria Cruiser 34, for example, is the perfect choice. At around 9.10 metres in length, solidly built and even suitable for ocean-going voyages, this boat from Giebelstadt is pleasantly straightforward to handle on the lake. The same goes, incidentally, for the more compact Hanse 315 from Germany’s second-largest series manufacturer. This Greifswald-built yacht impresses with its sporty lines, self-tacking jib and ample sail area, combined with straightforward handling, making it perfect for smaller crews.

On the other hand, those who prefer a more competitive approach to sailing will be in good hands at the Bavarian Yacht Club, one of Germany’s most exclusive yacht clubs. Numerous regattas are held here in standardised boat classes (420s, Optimists, J/70s), but you can also learn to sail from scratch here.

Somewhere between sports equipment and a stylish classic

Saloon of a sailing yacht with a light upholstered bench, wooden fit-out, galley and a laid folding table. — The interior makes it possible to stay overnight at anchor or in the marina.

Aerial view over shallow turquoise water lined with old trees along the shore, with a lone stand-up paddler in the middle. — The SUP craze has long since reached Lake Starnberg. Inflatable boards offer flexibility, are environmentally friendly and make for a great workout too.

Stand-up paddle boards such as the iGO 2025 SUP are becoming an increasingly common sight on Lake Starnberg. They are lightweight, stable and inflatable. Clever features such as carrying handles, a foldable fin and a kayak option make them highly versatile. For the perfect picture on the lake, you can’t go past Kay’s colourful pedalos – often seen at hire stations. They’re robust, easy to handle and fitted with a central steering wheel – almost like driving a car, only on the water.

Anyone who sees water sports not just as a hobby but as a communal experience will find a wealth of established clubs on Lake Starnberg. You’ll see not only training dinghies used by sailing students, but also high-tech rowing treasures from Empacher and Filippi, which regularly dominate the international scene. Time and again, beautifully shaped rowing boats for recreational use – in elegant classic wooden designs as well as modern GRP constructions – glide past you. On Lake Starnberg, for example, the Munich Rowing and Sailing Club ‘Bayern’ (founded in 1910), the Munich Rowing Club (founded in 1880) and the Tutzing Rowing Club are all active.

Anyone who sees water sports not just as a hobby but as a communal experience will find a wealth of established clubs on Lake Starnberg.

Lake Starnberg offers everything that makes for a successful day out: breathtaking natural beauty, a varied lakeside landscape, cultural highlights and a wide range of activities. The region can be experienced most intensely on the water – whether on your own sailing boat, on a hired motor yacht or – whilst getting some exercise at the same time – in a rowing boat.

RIEDEL’s perspective

Anyone looking for a property on Lake Starnberg will, sooner or later, enquire about a boat – and in doing so will come up against precisely the restriction described in this article. A mooring on the lake is even scarcer than the living space in front of it, and a licence for an internal combustion engine is tied to the individual, not to the property. Anyone considering both should raise the issue of jetties, moorings and permits at an early stage, not just after the purchase.

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