The owner was there to welcome us on arrival and show us how everything worked. He provided flowers and welcome gifts which was a lovely unexpected gesture. The apartment was comfortable and the complex has an indoor swimming pool and private lakeside garden with access to the lake for swimming, etc. The complex also has launderette facilities.

It is impossible to overstate the pleasure of spending a week in this lovely apartment, charmingly and comfortably furnished in traditional Bavarian style, with a well-appointed kitchen and spacious bath, on the 4th (and top) floor of the former Hotel Post. (The hotel was converted to individually owned and beautifully designed apartments in the 1980s, but the cafe and restaurant remain, and the wonderful private lakeside swimming beach and dock are reserved for the owners of the apartments and their guests.) Because the apartment is on the top floor, it is not only very quiet and private, but also has a marvelous view from the generous balcony of the lake and the 400-year-old cloister on the opposite shore. When we arrived (by car, from Munich), the owner of the apartment, Martin Schmiegelow, whose primary residence is in Munich, was waiting to welcome us. After showing us the apartment and the amenities of the complex (which include an indoor swimming pool and sauna in the basement, as well as washing machines and an electric dryer), he shared his knowledge of the area, with recommendations for restaurants, excursions, and hiking. When he left we noticed the bottle of wine, the bowl of fruit, and the delicious chocolates he had left as "housewarming" gifts for us! During the week that followed, we explored the delightful village of Walchensee, swam in the pristine cool water of the lake itself, took the cable car to the "Herzogenstand" and climbed to the Panorama at the top, visited the centuries-old town of Mittenwald which has been a center of violin-making for the last 400 years, marveled at the dramatic, craggy peaks of the Karwendel Alps, and enjoyed traditional Bavarian food and drink wherever we found it (which was everywhere!). A note about conveniences and necessities in the village of Walchensee and surrounding area: In addition to the several inns and restaurants in the village of Walchensee there is a comprehensive Tourist Information office, a bank, and a small convenience store; a Rewe supermarket is a 10-minute drive away in Wallgau and an Edeka supermarket just a few minutes' further in Krun. It perhaps should be taken into consideration that there are relatively few American tourists in this part of Bavaria and a smattering of German (while by no means obligatory!) can come in handy.