The lake is 1046 m above sea level and has a maximum depth of just 10 m. Its banks are mostly flat and lined with meadows and trees; there is only a short section with steep banks in the south. The lake is embedded in the pre-alpine mountain landscape of the Freiburg Alps. The lake is used as an airfield in winter when the ice is 30 cm thick.
There are countless legends surrounding the Black Lake. The giant Garguntua is said to have washed his feet in the lake. The lake turned black and has remained so ever since. Other legends are far more martial:
The wild bull of the Schwarzsee
Once an unknown man offered to work for the herdsmen as a servant free of charge. For years the herdsman helped inconspicuously. The only thing that was noticeable was his penchant for sharpening axes without ever using them. A herdsman asked about it in surprise. "I'll only tell you if you come with me to the Schwarzsee and do what you're told," the strange assistant announced.
So the dairyman did what he had to do: During a wild storm and heavy spray on the Schwarzsee, the lake unexpectedly spat a huge bull onto the land. The assistant then handed the axe to the dairyman. With three blows he was supposed to cut off the beast's front left leg. With one blow the dairyman managed the trick and the bull collapsed and fell back into the lake. The assistant has never been seen since then, but the bull's blood is said to have colored the lake black.
How the lake was formed
When Bernhard Riggi, lying on his deathbed, asked his son to be as careful as he was of nature and animals and to respect people and dwarves, Ubald promised this from the bottom of his heart. But Ubald soon began hunting animals and was bad to his shepherds.
One day, a violent storm came as nature's revenge. The earth shook and the rocky ground split. The entire Riggis Castle slid into the valley and the earth dammed up the water. This is how the Schwarzsee was formed.
Access
The Schwarzsee is easy to reach by car. The most beautiful route is via the Gurnigel.
