Ungeheuersee

The Ungeheuersee in the Palatinate Forest of Germany is a raised bog pond surrounded by mixed forest, which is located about three kilometres west-southwest of the village of Weisenheim am Berg. Because the lake is part of the only raised bog in the Palatinate Forest and is important for the species-rich flora along its shore and on its floating island (including cotton grasses and orchids), it was placed under protection in the 1930s as a natural monument.The lake is fed from two springs; its tail waters form the Krumbach. The Krumbach valley is designated as a protected landscape as far as the edge of the Haardt uplands.The Ungeheuersee was laid out towards the end of the Middle Ages or Early Modern Period as a drinking pool for cattle. It was first mentioned in the records in 1599. The name has nothing to do with the German word Ungeheuer ("monster") but is derived from the words Unger for wood pasture and Heyer for enclosure.