Untersee Bantikow

Germany Lake 1 - Excellent

Bantikow is a bathing area on Untersee, part of the Kyritz Lake Chain located approximately 100 km northwest of Berlin. Untersee and Klempowsee together cover 276 hectares, with Untersee comprising about 190 hectares. The lake formed around 20,000 years ago as a meltwater channel during the last ice age. The bathing water has been consistently rated as excellent across all assessment periods from 2016–2019 through 2021–2024. At Bantikow, an island with a 100-year-old restaurant sits opposite the town, accessible by ferry.

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Water

Untersee is a natural lake with a surface area of 276 hectares (combined with Klempowsee) and a mean depth of 4.9 m. Maximum depth is 8.8 m. The lake has a water exchange time of 3 years. Mean water temperature is 19°C (range 12.7–23.1°C). Transparency varies between 0.7 m and 2.5 m with a mean of 1 m.

Location

Bantikow is located on the Kyritz Lake Chain approximately 100 km northwest of Berlin. The bathing site is situated in the Wusterhausen/Dosse municipality in the Ostprignitz-Ruppin district.

Facilities

Volleyball court available. Motor boats prohibited except excursion steamers. Camping facilities available in Bantikow and Kyritz.

Season

Bathing water monitoring conducted through four-weekly sampling by the district health authority.

Water Quality

Water quality classification: Excellent for all assessment periods 2016–2019 through 2021–2024. Escherichia coli 95-percentile values range from 99–134 per 100 ml; intestinal enterococci 95-percentile values range from 25–49 per 100 ml. No individual parameter exceedances were recorded. The lake is eutrophic according to LAWA assessment. Ecological status class is 4 (unsatisfactory) under the Water Framework Directive (2024). pH values are high (mean 7.3, range 7.9–9.6), indicating strong nutrient richness.

Risks

Cyanobacterial water blooms observed occasionally during the bathing season. Risk of future cyanobacterial mass development is low to moderate. Macroalgae and aquatic plants present. Risk of future phytoplankton mass development is moderate. No risk of cercarial dermatitis. Short-term microbiological contamination and other pollution not expected.