The Chiemsee is a freshwater lake in Bavaria, Germany, between the towns of Rosenheim and Salzburg. It is often referred to as the "Bavarian Sea". The rivers Tiroler Achen and Prien flow into the lake, the river Alz out of it. The Chiemsee is divided into the bigger, north section in the northeast called Weitsee and the Inselsee in the southwest.
The region around the Chiemsee is called Chiemgau and is a famous recreation area.
Chiemsee is also the name of a German sportswear brand, originating from that region and specializing in boards sports, like snowboarding, windsurfing, kite surf etc. clothing.
Two of the main islands on the Chiemsee are Herrenchiemsee (biggest island) and Frauenchiemsee, also known as Herreninsel and Fraueninsel, respectively.
The third main island - the Krautinsel - is even smaller than Frauenchiemsee. It is uninhabited.
* Herrenchiemsee contains a castle built by King Ludwig II in 1878 also called Herrenchiemsee. This castle was never completed, but was meant to be a replica of Versailles in France. Many of the more interesting rooms of the castle are open to tourists and there are tours of the castle and its extensive grounds on the island all through summer.
* Frauenchiemsee is the smaller of the two major islands on the Chiemsee, and houses a Benedictine nunnery (built in 782) as well as a small village. The nuns make a liquor called Klosterlikör.
Apart from the main island three very small islands exist:
* the "Schalch" to the west of Frauenchiemsee
* as well as two, unnamed islands 54 and 80 meters south of the Krautinsel with an area of 30m² each.
