Ambach, Starnberger See / Bavaria / Germany

Ambach is on the east side of Lake Starnberger and is a popular tourist destination. There is a lot of sailing and fishing in the area as well as it being a good spot for windsurfers and kitesurfers. There is no real season here although the summer months get very crowded and are probably best avoided.

There is a small sandy beach with a large grassy rigging area. There are two points of access with windsurfers accessing the water south at the “Buchscharner Seewirt” and kitesurfers going to the north end, near to the footbridge. The beach gets jam packed during the summer and kitesurfing is not really possible. You can get here by driving to the south of the lake and then heading for Seeshaupt. To the east of that is St. Heinrich and you need to drive north of that to get to Ambach. Enter the “Freizeitgelaende Ambach” where you will find plenty of parking.

The winds are predominantly frontal westerlies with the best months being September, October and November. The spot works best with west and north west although the winds tend to be rather gusty. Summer winds are often non existent. The water is clean and shallow for about 100 meters which is good for beginners. Conditions are generally flat to choppy depending on wind strength and direction. The water temperature is around 18 degrees during the summer with air temperatures of between 20-30 degrees. The winters are cold and you need a thick wetsuit, mask, gloves and shoes before you even think about venturing out.

There are plenty of toilet facilites and a good supply of waterside cafes and fish restaurants all around the shore. Munich is about half an hour's drive away and offers plenty of shops, bars, restaurants and accommodation. The night life is great too.

Beware of crowed beaches and lots of swimmers during the summer months. Also watch out for Catamarans cruising the lake.