Lake Bostalsee
- Kari
- Aug 12, 2019
- 7 min read
Updated: Jul 7, 2020
We were looking for a lake in the Rhineland-Palatinate where we could take our pooch swimming. There are a lot places to go swimming, but each one we found informed us that dogs were not allowed in the water. It was a little tricky trying to figure out where we could get into the water with our dog, but after driving around the lake for a little bit we found Lake Bostalsee and parking lot #4 . It was the perfect place to get in with our dog and paddle boards.
We would love to go back and bike around the lake as there are tons of paved bike trails. We could definitely see a fun weekend being spent at this lake because there is so much to do!
We were a little hesitant to get out in the lake at first because it looked chilly. Watching all the wind surfers in their wetsuits made me think that it would certainly be too cold for Ryan and I in our swimsuits, especially since it was overcast (as Germany always seems to be).
We avoided getting in the water and were happy to float on our paddle boards without getting wet, until... of course... Ryan had to LAUNCH me into the water.
One of our favorite games is for one of us to "Gracie attack" the other whilst paddle-boarding. It's like a shark attack, only with Gracie. You never see her coming.
The unsuspecting paddler doesn't see their fellow paddler hoisting a tennis ball into the air (thereby fulling securing Gracie's attention) only to toss the ball full speed across the lake. Gracie launches off the board without warning and sends the unaware paddler headlong into the lake. Behold, the modern day catapult-board.
The first time Ryan sent me flying into the water I thought for sure I would be racing to the shore to get a towel and warm up because of how freezing I would be. The water felt wonderful, however, and I intentionally got in the water a few more times.
Even though it was overcast, the sun poked through a few times and the water was refreshing.
Ryan ended up in the water, too, but not because he got "dog"-apulted.
At one point he snuck up on me and out of nowhere I hear this screech of, "RAMMING SPEED!!" I turn to see Ryan plow his paddle board into mine, and him falling head first into the lake! but I didn't fall off :)
Lake Bostalsee is the largest recreational lake in Southwest Germany. The lake is 120 hectares (almost 300 acres) and is 20 meters deep at its deepest point. 90% of the lake is for recreational use and 10% is marked off as a protective zone for rare animals and plants.
Lake Bostalsee is an hour northwest of Ktown, 1 and 1/2 hours southwest of Wiesbaden and 3 hours northwest of Stuttgart.
Two of the main parking areas have beaches and are across the water from each other. They offer activities for cycling, hiking, windsurfing, sailing, biking, hiking, fishing, volleyball, swimming, mini golf, swan-shaped paddle boats, surfing and sailing schools. and mini golf.
The beaches do have entrance fees of €3 for adults and €1,50 for children over 6.
Dogs are not allowed on the beaches. There are parking meters at the parking lots where you can pay by the hour for how long you would like to park or €8 for the whole day.
There are food vendors set up on the beach, and you can also bring grills or picnics for your own yummy feast :)
There are campsites nearby with more than 400 spots for RVs and tents. There is also a wellness center, a family swimming pool, pool tables, an indoor activity area for small children, and a grocery store.
A couple things to be aware of for Dogs when swimming in lakes in Germany
If the water looks green DON'T get in it with your dog. Blue Algae and bacteria have flourished in 2019 and I've seen so many sad stories online of people with their dogs dying due to toxins and bacteria. Some lakes have signs posted, some don't. If the water is cloudy at the edges of the lake or you can't see your feet chances are the Algae may be toxic to your pets. Read more here.
Also be sure to get your dogs the Leptospirosis vaccine at the vet. We took Gracie to update her vaccines and the vet talked with us about how there are bacteria here in the lakes that can cause vomiting, liver damage, and kidney failure. We saw Dr. Michelberger and he was helpful, also he spoke English.
Tourist-Information
Sankt Wendeler Land
Am Seehafen 1
66625 Nohfelden Bosen
Telefon (06852) 9011-0
tourist-info@bostalsee.de
Opening hours
Season: Good Friday through October 3rd Monday – Friday 08:00 – 17:00 Saturday 13:00 – 17:00 Sunday & holidays 10:00 – 17:00
Additionaly in June, July and August Monday – Friday 08:00 – 18:00
Non-season: October 4th – Maundy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter) Monday – Thursday 08:00 – 16:00 Friday 08:00 – 14:30
3 JULY 2020 UPDATE - Camping
There is camping at Bostalsee right next to the lake. You just need to make a reservation online and it takes about 48 hours to get a response that your reservation is confirmed.
All week Ryan and I watched the weather reports, excited and anticipating a fun-filled weekend of paddle-boarding at Bostalsee. On Monday, the weather forecast for Friday was looking promising. There was only a 30% chance of rain. As we progressed into the week, the chance of rain began to increase. Still, we were enjoying lovely sunshine and figured it would certainly continue into the weekend. Come Friday, the morning was glorious. Hot, sunny, clear skies that make you eager for the water. I had prepped plans with my boss to do some extra work Thursday night so that I could leave early on Friday. Our plan was to hit the lake Friday and Saturday. As I left the office Friday, bleak, black, ominous clouds steadily drew closer and closer...nooo!!!!! I thought, surely they’ll go away. I have such a fun weekend planned!
Hopeful, we loaded our camping gear and drove towards the lake.The clouds darkened even more, and just as we were reaching the lake, the winds escalated and the lighting struck. Out on the water is one place you definitely don’t want to be when there is lighting.
Defeated, dejected, disheartened, we returned back home and settled in for watching an episode of the Mentalist.
Not to be deterred indefinitely, however, we made plans to return the next day and try again! This time the forecast looked more promising. We rented another paddle board from Outdoor Rec and headed to the lake. It was overcast, but warm. The sun kept poking through, and it made it just warm enough that we enjoyed a full day of paddle boarding.
At one point, as we were making our way across the lake, the winds picked up a bit and it became difficult to paddle. Ryan sped off away from me (curse those strong male arms) while I continued to paddle with Gracie on board. Ugh, it was so annoying. Gracie went ballistic! She does not like Ryan and I being separated, and when she couldn’t see him anymore she began wining and howling. The worst though, was that as I was paddling, Gracie had to sit right under my crotch up against my leg to feel safe. Even when I took a few steps back or pushed her up further on the board, she’d glue right back to my leg as if she were tethered to me. Then, she’d realize she was thirsty and suddenly pounce to the left or the right of the board to try and get a gulp of the water. Try balancing on a board with a 60 pound piggy that’s pouncing to the left and right...
Needless to say, it was challenging! But I did not fall in.
Later that night, we checked into our campground. German camping is... well, something else. Wild camping is illegal in Germany, so you can’t just set up a tent anywhere in the forest. No, you can only camp in designated campgrounds and slots that Germany has approved. Camping ends up being more like a few grassy yards conjoined together with strips of trees and bushes. You set up your tent in the yard, next to everyone else, and there’s a communal fire pit. You get to hear everything your neighbors are doing and there’s no privacy. In fact, there was a tent of people two or three campsites away from us that decided to party all night. I was so shocked! Germans are typically very quiet and have strict noise regulations in the evenings. (Maybe it’s different at campgrounds? Maybe they weren’t Germans?). Finally, around 4pm they quit the partying and turned their music off... and then the birds starting their cacophony of songs at 4:30am... ugh! So, we got no sleep. But it’s still fun to camp!
One of the things that was really nice about the camping (and camping in Europe in general has this) is that there are very nice hygiene facilities. There’s private sink stalls for brushing your teeth. There’s nice showers. Flushing toilets. Places to do laundry. Clean water and electricity in all the campsites. There’s also a bakery so you can wake up in the morning and get fresh baked bread, croissants, rolls, etc. They even had a vending machine, which I thought was so funny, that had milk, eggs, yogurt, hot dogs, cheese, jams, chocolate, and a bunch of other items. It was like a mini-grocery store. I got some of the cherry orange jam and some croissants and they were delicious! We enjoyed going back to our campground and having breakfast, sitting on our blanket, staring at clouds.
At one point, a whole herd of polish kids were swarming around this guy who had a giant water balloon. He had taken a normal balloon and filled it with water so it was about the size of 3-4 people heads! (We were all watching from our tents in anticipation of a pop!)
As he carefully tried to carry it back to their campsite, the balloon erupted! He only made it a few feet, and down came a cascade of water, flowing down the paved road next to us. He tried again, only this time didn’t fill the balloon quite as full.
They set it on the ground at the top of the hill, and it felt like suddenly the campground was in the middle of a child’s Olympic sport. As he released the green balloon, it morphed into a weird, cucumber amoeba as it rolled down the hill. All the kids ran after it squealing and laughing. It was humorous and engaging.
It reminded me that we need to play and that fun comes in the little things.
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