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Windsurfing car park at the Kirchlwand TunnelRoadworks are blocking access to the best spot on Lake Walchensee

Stephan Gölnitz

 · 15.06.2026

Behind the gallery, there are now construction vehicles parked instead of the usual campervans full of surfers.
Photo: surf Magazin
Construction materials instead of surfing gear. Work on the Kirchlwand Tunnel will continue until the end of August. According to the building authority, the single-lane arrangement will now be maintained for the same period – “unplanned”.
The renovation of the Kirchlwand Tunnel at the best windsurfing spot on Lake Walchensee was apparently necessary. However, according to the building authority, the significant extension of the one-way road closure – now until the end of August instead of just until Whitsun – is “unplanned”. For windsurfers and wingfoilers, this will result in very severe restrictions in the medium term and is unlikely to bode well in the long run either.

“Die Galerie” on Lake Walchensee has a cult following, at least among windsurfers in southern Germany, much like “das Pier” on Lake Garda. This is where the best wind blows, and as if by chance, on a road otherwise devoid of parking spaces for miles, there is a narrow strip of open space tucked away between the tunnel and the lake, which windsurfers have long favoured, and where, on good wind days and at weekends, you have to get up early to secure a spot.

“An hour’s traffic jam from the Herzogstandbahn to just past the tunnel!” (Walchensee resident)

At the moment, you actually have to get up early to reach the “Surferwiese” further south, which is much less exposed to the wind. This is because a section of the B11 about 600 metres long is closed to traffic on one side near the tunnel. The areas mentioned above next to the gallery, as well as the small, signposted car park in front of the tunnel, next to the road, are not expected to be accessible until the end of August. Traffic is being released alternately via traffic lights; according to reports from local residents, waiting times can be up to an hour. This is likely also because the traffic lights are not controlled according to traffic volume. surf has enquired with the Weilheim State Building Authority:

  • Will the traffic light system now – following the unexpected extension of the construction work – be improved in time for the summer?
  • Will the areas between the gallery and the lake remain accessible as parking spaces after the renovation?

We'll keep you posted!

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Stephan Gölnitz

Stephan Gölnitz

Deputy Editor in Chief surf

Stephan Gölnitz comes from Bochum and had Holland as his home windsurfing territory for many years before moving to Munich in 1996 for the job of test editor at surf magazine. The materials engineering graduate worked as a surf instructor on the Ijsselmeer during his studies and competed for several seasons for the Essen sailing team in the Surfbundesliga and the Funboard Cup. He completed a traineeship at surf-Magazin in the test department and since then has actively accompanied almost all tests on the boom and for more than 10 years also as a photographer. Stephan has covered many thousands of test kilometers, mainly on Lake Garda and in Langebaan, but also in Egypt and Tobago. He gets his hands on over 100 new sails and boards every year as his company car. Privately, he prefers to surf with a foil on Lake Walchensee or “unfortunately far too rarely” in the waves. SUP is Stephan's second passion, which he pursued for several years at numerous SUP races. Today, he prefers to paddle on river tours with family or friends - even for several days.

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