Berchtesgaden National Park is located in southern Germany in the state of Bavaria, nestled right against the Austrian border near Salzburg. Full of lakes, viewpoints, hikes, nature and gorgeous drives no matter the season, the Berchtesgaden National Park is one of my favourite places to visit all year round.
By car: The easiest way to reach Berchtesgaden National Park is of course with your own car so that you can explore the many areas of the park at your own leisure.
By bus: Bus 840 runs directly from Salzburg to the town of Berchtesgaden in about 45 minutes, from where you can transfer to local buses within the park.
By train: You can take the train to Berchtesgaden Hbf but will need to cross the Austrian-German border from Salzburg to Freilassing and then transfer from there to Berchtesgaden. This can take between 1-1.5 hours, depending on the transfer time. You can buy tickets in advance on ÖBB, Austria's national rail service, or at Salzburg Hbf station.
By bike: I have once done a brilliant bike ride from Salzburg to Königssee which was seriously gorgeous through the landscapes of Berchtesgaden National Park. The whole area is popular with cyclists and it's a breeze to cross the border (basically, there is just a small sign and no border guards!). It took about 1.5 hours each way - check out my exact route on Strava.
My go-to spot for lunch while visiting Berchtesgaden National Park is always a delicious Spätzle on the shores of Königssee at Zum Schiffmeister Carl Massury.
I've also had a mouthwatering post-hike veggie burger after hiking the Kneifelspitze at the Maria Gern.
Zum Schiffmeister Carl Massury at Königssee
Maria Gern at Kneifelspitze
Königssee
The best way to see Königsee is to board a ferry from Schönau am Königssee. You can buy tickets on arrival at the lake - no need to buy in advance - as the boats run frequently up and down the lake. The ferry across the lake is about an hour each way, so make sure you give yourself a full day to explore!
As you ride along the lake, you will get panoramic views of the lush green shore and the mountains surrounding the lake on all sides. A stop is made at St Bartholomew's Church on the lake's shores, built in 1697, where you can get off and walk around, before boarding the next boat to continue up the lake, or you can just ride all the way to the end.
The final stop is at the opposite end of the lake at Salet Anlegestelle, from where you disembark to hike up to Obersee.
Schönau am Königssee
The ferry terminal
Obersee
You can only reach Obersee by taking the ferry across the Königsee. The final stop of the ferry ride is at Salet Anlegestelle, from where you disembark to hike up to Obersee. To visit the famous boathouse of Obersee is just a fifteen minute walk from the ferry terminal.
Rothbachfall
You can only reach Rothbachfall by taking the ferry across the Königsee and then hiking up past Obersee. To visit the famous boathouse of Obersee is just a fifteen minute walk from the ferry terminal, but I highly recommend doing the hike up to Röthbachfall on the other end of Obersee both for the views back across the lake and for the impressive tumbling water that comes down.
Hintersee
The quiet little Hintersee is about 25-minutes drive from Königssee and offers some seriously fairytale-like landscapes. It is surrounded on all sides by the mountains of Berchtesgaden, nestled in the mountain village of Ramsau. As you walk around the Hintersee, you'll spot a themed trail highlighting the works of the Romantic painters of the 19th century including Carl Rottmann, Ferdinand Waldmüller, Friedrich Gauermann and Wilhelm Busch.
Kneifelspitze
This hike begins at Maria Gern all the way up to the Kneifelspitze which offers a beautiful panoramic view of the Untersberg and back towards Salzburg in one direction, and overlooking the town of Berchtesgaden and Der Watzmann mountain in the other.
The hike was the perfect length, although it does feature a number of switchbacks at the top! We stopped for dinner at Maria Gern right next to the iconic pink Wallfahrstkirche on the way back down.
Rossfeld Panoramastraβe
The Rossfeld Panoramastraße is Germany's highest road. It's nestled right against the border with Austria in southern Germany. The Rossfeld Panoramastraße is a beautiful drive, with spots to stop along the way with scenic views across Austria to one side and Germany and Berchtesgaden National Park to the other. We even spotted Salzburg from our picnic spot.
→ Check out my complete guide to driving the Rossfeld Panoramastraβe!
Drive through the Berchtesgaden National Park
One of my favourite things to do in Berchtesgaden National Park is simply to drive through the gorgeous roads, stopping to take photos along the way.
Near Königssee
Gasthaus Laroswacht
BOOK AN EXPERIENCE IN BERCHTESGADEN NATIONAL PARK!
PIN THIS POST TO REFER BACK TO LATER!
GET READY TO TRAVEL!
— Book tours and experiences - with GetYourGuide
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (North America)
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (Europe)
— Find a place to stay - with Booking.com
— Purchase global travel insurance - with World Nomads
— Load an international eSim on your phone - with AirAlo
— Start your own travel blog - with Hostinger
— Join the GetYourGuide Travel Creator Community - with GetYourGuide
Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
