Königsee near Berchtesgaden is a turquoise mountain lake in the Alps that doesn’t really make you feel like you are in Germany anymore. The beautiful thing is that you are and the area shows a different side of Germany in the southern part, making it a very special travel destination. Where to go and what to do, here you can find the answers…
How to get there ?
There are buses running to Berchtesgaden through FlixBus from Munich, which take about 3 hours. From the bus station you have to catch another bus to Schönau am Königsee (bus 839, 841, 842, 846) to reach the port of Berchtesgaden where the lake cruise starts. To make things easier, I recommend renting a car and driving. A word of caution: do not forget to buy a plaque for the car in case you cross the border to Austria. Some GPS send you that way and if you go without a plaque, they catch you right away and it will cost 200€ – been there done that.
The unique experiences of Königsee in Berchtesgaden
Hiking around the lake
Wandering around the Königsee in the Berchtesgaden Alps, forest and hills without a plan, reaching Schönau am Königsee, is beautiful way to hike and discover this amazing area. I really enjoyed walking around and even went for a dip into the lake.
Königsee lake cruise
The lake cruise starting at Königsee Seeände goes to the other side of the lake Salet and takes about an hour. (Stop: Salet Obersee) The journey was incredible and included a short stop on the lake for some trumpet echo music. It was very informative and interesting. There is an option to stop in St. Batholomä but I skipped it because it was already nice enough seeing it from the boat. When I arrived on the other side, I heard that there is a really cool hike that I didn’t do but so many good things were said about it overlooking the Röthbachfall Waterfall:
Hike: Salet -> Obersee -> Fischunkelalm -> Röthbachfall Waterfall; takes about one hour.
It is a very big recommendation and a must do when visiting the area. Check out Seenschifffahrt to find for more information, prices and times. I really enjoyed the cruise as it didn’t feel like being in Germany and gave me flashbacks to my travels in Thailand doing island hopping.
Swimming in Obersee
After a short little hike, it was more than necessary to jump into the lake, which was very refreshing. So, don’t forget to bring your swimwear.
Vast majority of hiking opportunities in the area
There are a lot of options for hiking paths and trips, ranging from 15 minutes up to 9 hours. See photo below. There is also a cable car Jennerbahn that takes you up to Bergstation, overlooking the Königesee Lake from 1,800 meters. I haven’t done this yet because I arrived too late to catch the last cable car.
Additional Sight near Berchtesgaden
Eagle’s Nest
The Eagle’s Nest in Obersalzberg is a symbol of power of the NS regime, where decisions were made and where plans for war and mass murder were formed. I still haven’t been because the last time I was in Berchtesgaden we arrived to late to take the shuttle up but I didn’t want to forget to share this historically significant chalet high up in the mountains used by Adolf Hitler.
I TRAVEL FOREVER’s VIEW & RECOMMENDATION
I recommend going to Königsee during the summer season between May and August to have a nice day there. The lake is beautiful so don’t forget to bring your swimwear. I would stay at least one full day. In case you want to enjoy the Königsee lake cruise and go hiking – stay two days. Message me if you need more details to know where to rent a car from or how to get to the different places.
Swiming in a turquoise fresh-water lake in Germany – did you know you can do this?
#TW