Impressions from our minor excursion to Starnberg

Glaciers shape landscapes over thousands of years – even long after they have disappeared. On our minor excursion to Lake Starnberg, our students explored the legacy of glaciers on the landscape, nature, and even cultural development!

Glacial Series: how ice sculpted the land
Pleistocene glacier tongues carved out the Alpine foreland, leaving behind moraines, meltwater channels, and transported boulders. These structures, formed thousands of years ago, define the landscape even today!

Leutstettener Moos: a historic nature reserve
Once a lake basin, this carbon-rich lowland peatland evolved into a biodiversity hotspot. At the same time, it remains highly vulnerable to drainage and climate change – a reminder of how fragile these ecosystems are.

Starnberger See: a slow-responding glacial lake
This tongue-basin lake has an exceptionally slow water renewal time of about 21 years. As a result, it responds only very slowly to changes, such as nutrient inflow or pollution. This is due to the absence of alpine tributaries, as Lake Starnberg is supplied mainly by small regional inflows and groundwater.

Villa Rustica: in the footsteps of Romans
A Roman estate built on fertile post-glacial soils, using local stone and stable water sources. It shows how humans have been using this shaped landscape for nearly 2,000 years – and how geology, climate, and land use have always been intertwined.