The Staffelsee is a lake of about 8 square kilometres lying just west of Murnau, its shores alternating between reed beds, meadows, and small bathing areas. In summer it's used for swimming, rowing, and sailing; the water warms to usable temperatures by July. The bathing beach at Seehausen is the most accessible from the town.
The lake's southern shore and the islands are protected nature reserve, and the combination of open water, Alpine backdrop, and surrounding bog landscape is the same view that Kandinsky and Münter were painting from the hillsides above in the 1910s. The walk around the lake takes about three hours. Boat rentals are available in summer at Uffing, on the western shore.