Germany’s inland waterways, rivers, streams and lakes are a colourful and, in some cases, virtually untouched natural refuge. Hardly any two bodies of water are the same. A magical delve into their depths provides insights into bizarre and often completely unknown worlds. From a microcosm of millions of tiny dancing organisms, to exotic immigrants, to the giants of the deep – sturgeon and sheatfish, our largest native freshwater fish. An unusual expedition takes audiences from the snow-capped peaks and glaciers of the Alps, to the Mittelgebirge low mountain range, to the North Sea, showing perhaps the most colourful side of Germany’s natural world, but certainly the least known: our local waters.

The journey begins at the Watzmann mountain. Every year, tiny drops are released from the ceiling of the Eiskapelle (“Ice Chapel”), collectively forming streamlets, before thundering their way into the valley as the Eisbach river. The Röthbach, fed by vast quantities of snowmelt, similarly crashes down 475 m as Germany’s highest waterfall, before petering out at the foot of the mountain massif. Watch the video to find out more!