People Running to the Lake When the Sun Is Hot... Purple Lake Becomes a Sensation in Germany

When the Day Grows Cloudy, the Purple Water Hue Disappears
Visitors Flock to See the Unique Sight

A lake with a mysterious color that appears only under optimal conditions has recently appeared in Germany, attracting attention. On the 3rd (local time), foreign media including CBC News reported that a lake near the town of F?ssen, a resort city in southern Germany bordering the Alps, turned purple. This is the third time the lake, which was formerly a gypsum quarry, has turned purple, with similar phenomena occurring once in 2020 and again in 2021.

A lake with a mysterious color that appears only under optimal conditions has recently appeared in Germany, attracting attention.
[Photo by AFP·Yonhap News]

Following an investigation by local authorities into this unusual sight, it was found that the reason for the lake's color change is bacteria that produce the purple hue. These bacteria are mainly found in deep waters with low oxygen levels, and when the sulfur concentration in the water increases and sunlight intensifies, the bacteria population grows, turning the lake purple. This purple bacteria soon settles back down. In particular, the purple water color disappears when it rains or the weather is cloudy, so visitors eager not to miss this spectacle are reportedly flocking to the town every day.