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Königssee cuts deep into the Watzmann East Face, a glacially formed basin surrounded by high rock walls. The pilgrimage church of St. Bartholomä is the only prominent building located on a peninsula on the west bank, directly at the foot of the steep mountain flanks. It is enthroned on an alluvial fan that the Eisbach has formed over millennia.

The red onion domes set a sharp accent against the dark green of the coniferous forests and the gray of the rugged limestone walls. Often, the surrounding mountains and the sky are reflected on the calm surface of the lake. This creates a visual separation between the architecture in the foreground and the rugged mountain world in the background.