Swimming pond with a view of the Alps
A swimming pond that has stayed in its original condition for over 18 years – honoured in the “Oldies but Goldies” category.
| Location | Rottach-Egern |
| Size | around 70 m² of water surface |
| Design | Design and construction: Fuchs baut Gärten · Design started 2005, last structural change 2007 · Construction: masonry with dark green MP liner · Technology: suction skimmer, OASE system technology · Maintenance: looked after by the owners, with our visits in spring and autumn |
| Implementation | Fuchs baut Gärten GmbH – Gärtner von Eden |
| Photography | Photos taken by the owners, released for publication |
| Award | Biotop Design Award 2025 – category “Best Ager / Oldies but Goldies” |
“A private mountain lake in the middle of Rottach-Egern – after 18 years, still just as it was at the start.”
Most project pages show what a garden looks like on the day it is handed over. This one shows something better: how it looks after more than 18 years. We designed it in 2005, and the last structural change was in 2007 – since then, the garden has remained in its original condition. No rebuild, no renovation.
This is exactly what the Biotop Design Award 2025 has a category of its own for: “Best Ager / Oldies but Goldies”. The award goes not to the most beautiful new pool, but to the one that has stood the test of time. For us, it is the most honest award in our field.
The pond has around 70 m² of water surface and is built in masonry with a dark green liner. The water runs through a suction skimmer and OASE system components; it is cleaned biologically via a planted regeneration zone – without chlorine, as with every Swimming Pond.
The garden's design rests on two things: the natural stone walling, which gives the pond its clear geometry, and the timber terrace running all the way around it. This is the true heart of the garden – it links the lounging and dining areas, and is positioned so that you look across the water to the mountains while you eat. A private mountain lake in the middle of Rottach-Egern.
Why the pond has lasted so well
There are two reasons, and both have to do with care. The owners look after the pond themselves all year round – anyone who does that notices changes early. And twice a year, in spring and autumn, we come by: checking the equipment, cutting back plants, removing leaves from the water and preparing it for winter. That is not much effort for 18 years of clear water.
If you would like to know what this kind of maintenance involves, or what needs doing through the year, you will find it in our guide Maintaining a swimming pond and natural pool.
The pictures on this page are not professional photos, but shots taken by the owners. We show them this way on purpose: a garden that people photograph themselves because they love it says more than any staged image.
Photos: taken by the owners, released for publication · Biotop Design Award 2025 – category “Best Ager / Oldies but Goldies”
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