Day Hike

Berchtesgaden National Park & Königssee

🇩🇪 Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, Germany

2Routes

About this guide

Berchtesgaden National Park is Germany's only alpine national park, about 210 km² around the Watzmann (2,713 m) and the Königssee. The lake, up to 190 m deep, lies between steep rock walls with no road or footpath along its shores: electric boats, running since 1909, are the only way to St. Bartholomä and Salet, and on the way the boatman plays his trumpet to raise the famous echo.

Difficulty: Obersee: barrier-free from the Salet landing to the boathouse, then steps and rock steps; the path on to the Fischunkelalm is narrow and exposed in places. Watzmannhaus: a long mountain hike; beyond the Mitterkaseralm a narrow path that calls for care, the last section rocky and secured, with steps cut into the rock.
Season: Obersee: June to October; boats to Salet run from Easter to mid-October. Watzmannhaus: June to September; the hut is open from mid-May to mid-October.
Getting there: By regional train to Berchtesgaden (from Freilassing via Bad Reichenhall). Königssee: bus 840, 841 or 843 to Königssee; the boat landing is about 5 minutes from the stop and the paid car park. Watzmannhaus: bus 846 to Wimbachbrücke, car park at the stop.
Winter: In winter the boats run to St. Bartholomä only; the Kehlsteinhaus and the Watzmannhaus are closed.
Food & drink: Historic inn at St. Bartholomä; Saletalm by the Salet landing; Mitterkaseralm and the Watzmannhaus on the hut route.