The most beautiful part of Germany in my opinion is Berchtesgaden. This area is located in the Berchtesgadener Land region in southern German Bavaria. No less than a quarter of Berchtesgadener Land is formed by the Berchtesgaden National Park. You really do not have the feeling that you are in Germany here and that is not surprising: Berchtesgaden is located close to the border with Austria. The impressive mountains, extensive forests and the Königssee lake are truly as beautiful as a picture. In this article I tell you everything about the most beautiful sights in Berchtesgaden.
Things to do in Berchtesgaden
Lake Königssee from the water
The most beautiful and most visited place in Berchtesgaden is the elongated Königssee. Its shape and environment almost make it seem like you’re standing on a Norwegian fjord instead of a lake in Germany. Taking a boat trip on the Königssee is definitely the most popular attraction in the area. We arrived at the water around 10am and the line for ticket sales was literally hundreds of people long. We decided we didn’t want to waste our time on that and explored the area on foot. When we got back to the pier just after noon, all tickets for the rest of the day were sold out. If you visit Berchtesgaden in the summer months, I advise you to queue as early as possible for ticket sales.
You can buy both a return ticket and a one-way ticket. In the latter case, get off at St. Bartholomä Church. From here it is about a 6 kilometer walk back to the pier. If we could have gotten a ticket, we certainly would. The area around the Königssee is beautiful.
Hiking at the Königssee
Afterwards you can of course just go for a nice walk in the area around the Königssee. The most famous place on the lake is the Malerwinkel viewpoint and in my opinion you really shouldn’t miss this one when you go hiking in Berchtesgaden. As it is only 800 meters from the pier, it can get busy, especially in high season. But even with a lot of people around you, it’s really worth it. I loved admiring the Königssee from here. If you have enjoyed the view, you can continue your way through the woods from Malerwinkel. There are signposts everywhere and we walked back to the quay in this way in a circle.
The Almbachklamm and Wimbachklamm
If you go to Berchtesgaden, you should definitely visit one of these two klamms. A klamm is a gorge through which you can walk via landscaped paths. The Almbachklamm is known as the most beautiful gorge in the Bavarian Alps and I believe it immediately when I walk through it. What a natural beauty: you walk on wooden paths and bridges, past gorges and impressive waterfalls. There are several routes you can walk, ranging from 1 to 4 hours. These routes are not indicated at the starting point, so at some point we just turned around again. A shame, of course, so I definitely recommend that you check Berchtesgaden.de for the different walking routes before you start the walk. For the Almbachklamm you pay €6 and for the parking lot you also pay a few euros, depending on how long you stay there.
The Wimbachklamm is only 200 meters long, but it is not inferior to the Almbachklamm in terms of natural beauty. The wooden path takes you along azure water and along the rock walls a stream runs down in all places. Truly a fairytale place! From the Wimbachklamm you can continue to the Wimbachschloss. This used to be a hunting lodge and now you can enjoy a good meal. The way to the Wimbachschloss is about 1 hour and 15 minutes and from the lock you walk back to the parking lot in 1.5 hours. If you want to do this, I would definitely recommend starting in the morning, so that you can go to the Wimbachschloss for lunch. The entrance fee for the Wimbachklamm is €2.50.
The Eagle’s Nest (Kehlsteinhaus)
The Kehlsteinhaus, better known as the Eagle’s Nest, is a place with an illustrious history. It was a tea house for high-ranking Nazis and was built under the direction of officer Martin Borrman. The teahouse is located on top of a mountain and the last part up had to be covered with an elevator, right through the rock. The story goes that the Eagle’s Nest was a gift for Hitler’s fiftieth birthday. Historians doubt this, however, because Hitler had claustrophobia and would therefore not like to get into such an elevator. In any case, during the war it became one of the most important places in Nazi Germany. Hitler had a holiday home nearby and had houses built all over Berchtesgaden for high-ranking officers. Only the Eagle’s Nest can now be visited.
You can get to the Eagle’s Nest by catching the bus from Dokumentation Obersalzberg. Would you rather go for a walk? Then you hike up from Ofneralm from the Scharitzkehl parking lot. For a 35-minute tour of the Eagle’s Nest you pay 39.50 per person. If you are staying in nearby Salzburg, you can also opt for a day tour.
Documentation Obersalzburg
If you want to know more about what happened in this area during the Second World War, you should definitely go to Dokumentation Obersalzburg. Nearly 1000 pieces, from audio to letters and from photos to videos, tell the illustrious story of how Berchtsegaden grew into a Nazi stronghold during the war.
Salzbergwerk Berchtesgaden
The Berchtesgaden salt mines have been a household name for centuries. Salt has been mined here since 1517. As a visitor you can also take a look at the salt mines. With a guide you will explore the wonderful world of the salt mines. Of course you go underground for this and you even go on the water. The Spiegelsee is a lake deep underground and it is very special to see this. Before you start the tour, you will be given overalls to put on over your clothes. With this you protect your own clothes against the salt and you stay nice and warm. In the mine it is only 12 degrees. Are you staying in Salzburg and do you not have your own transport? Then you can also choose to make it a full day tour.
Visit Austrian Salzburg
Berchtesgaden is on the border with Austria and from here it is only a half hour drive to Salzburg, Mozart’s city. If you stay in Berchtesgaden you can easily include a day in Salzburg in your planning, especially if you have never been here. Salzburg is in fact one of the most beautiful cities in Europe (yes, really!) and in the old town you imagine yourself in the Austria of days gone by. You see references to Mozart everywhere and of course you should not miss the special Mozart Kügel. There is more than enough to do in Salzburg to keep you entertained for a day, but I would mainly recommend that you wander around. Be sure to visit one of the many viewpoints for a beautiful view of the city.
How do you get to Berchtesgaden?
By car to Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden is located in Berchtesgadener Land in southeastern Germany. It is almost a 10-hour drive from Utrecht, which makes it not really a destination for a weekend away. If you go by car, I would definitely recommend that you set aside a week and possibly combine your visit to Berchtesgaden with a city trip to Munich or a holiday in Austria. We did the latter and I thought it was ideal. By visiting Berchtesgaden first, your travel day will be a bit shorter on the way there.
By train to Berchtesgaden
You can also go to Berchtesgaden by train. The travel time is almost as long as by car, so in that regard the train would be a great option if you want to leave the car behind. The station is located in the middle of the town of Berchtesgaden and from here it is another 5 kilometers to the Königssee.
By plane to Berchtesgaden
The last option for transport to this region is the plane. Berchtesgadener Land does not have an airport, but you can easily fly to Salzburg. As mentioned, it is only a half hour drive from Salzburg to Berchtesgaden, so flying in combination with a rental car would be a good option. Skyscanner allows you to easily find the cheapest flights to Salzburg.
Berchtesgaden Hotel
A hotel in Berchtesgaden is not cheap in high season. In fact, after an exhaustive search I decided to move to Austria and found much more choice there for much less money. Of course you are a bit further away from the Königssee and other sights, but especially if you have a car at your disposal, you will hardly notice it. The travel time really only saves 10 minutes with a stay in the town of Bechtesgaden. So great to do! In the end I chose Hotel das Essigmangut because from here you can reach the Königssee in just 25 minutes. By way of comparison: from the town of Berchtesgaden this is a fifteen minute drive. This hotel is located in a very quiet area, so if you want to have a bit more life around you, you’d better choose to stay in Salzburg. From the city center you can drive to Berchtesgaden in 45 minutes.
