====== Berchtesgaden National Park ====== <<< width 250px right |::: {{ nature:berchtesgaden-koenigsee-big.jpg?250 }} ::: Koenigssee in the Bechtesgaden National Park \\ Photo Credits [[http://www.germanplaces.com/germany/berchtesgaden-national-park.html| Lemsi]] >>> Leaving the Autobahn A8 from Munich means the beginning of your vacation with destination National Park Berchtesgaden in the south-east corner of Germany. You drive the German Alpine Road that winds through the spectacular scenery of the Bavarian Alps and gives you the real holiday feeling - fertile valleys, dreaming farming villages, cows and horses in front of incredible mountain ranges. Once you've arrived in Berchtesgaden National Park, which covers half of the terrain Berchtesgadener Land, you have endless opportunities for hiking (e.g.along lake Obersee), nordic walking and cycling provided by a network of well-marked trails of varying difficulty. The idyllic setting of Berchtesgaden National Park is dominated by Germany's second highest mountain the Watzman (2713m), which towers above the emerald-green lake Königssee. Framed by steep mountain walls the lake lies like a fjord 5km south of Berchtesgaden and can only be discovered by boat. In 1978 that nature paradies became Berchtesgaden National Park and some years later it even got the title of Biosphere Reserve by Unesco. ===== How to get there & local transport ===== * To Berchtesgaden National Park by car: leave A8 to Bad Reichenhall, then follow Berchtesgaden * By train to Berchtesgaden National Park: arrival at Berchtesgaden central station ===== Tourist information (offices etc.) ===== * Tourist Information Nationalpark Berchtesgaden: Franziskanerplatz 7, Berchtesgaden * Nationalparkhaus Berchtesgaden daily open from 9-5pm * There's no entry fee for Berchtesgaden National Park (as in all National Parks in Germany) ===== Guided tours ===== ===== Sights ===== ==== Lake Königssee ==== Lake Königssee, Germany's cleanest and highest lake (at 603m) is situated in the heart of the Berchtesgaden National Park in Bavaria. Being 190m deep and ca. eight kilometres long the Königssee is framed by impressive mountains like the mount Watzmann (2nd highest in Bavaria). You can explore the Königssee on board of an electric boat or even walk across the lake in very cold winters - when marked paths guide you on the ice of the frozen Königssee to St.Bartholomä. Lake Königssee draws people from all over the world to Bavaria and is starting point for most tourist activities. ===== Activities ===== Berchtesgaden mountains provide to trekkers, mountaineers and mountainbikers unlimited options to pursue their favourite activities. Ambitious climbers can try their luck on the Watzmann-Ostwand, the highest face in the Eastern Alps but there are also several destinations for tourists with lower ambitions in sports. They may take a cable-car to the Jenner and enjoy its magnificent panorama or just visit St. Bartholomä and have a typical Bavarian lunch there. * Go for a bus ride from Berchtesgaden to the top of mount Kehlstein at 1834m to visit the Eagle's Nest (Kehlsteinhaus), which occupies one of the most breathtakingly scenic spots in Germany. That lodge was headquarters of Hitler's Nazi government and contains a museum and a restaurant today. * Cross the lake Königssee by an electric boat and listen to the trumpet solo played by the guide torwards the mountains to demonstrate the amazing echo. Get off at St.Bartholomä to visit the church and the nearby hunting lodge for lunch. * Boat tour's station Salet - after a short walk you'll get a wonderful view at the end of the valley: the lake Obersee, reflecting the mountains in its crystal-clear waters and the Röthbach waterfall (the highest in Germany) which plunges 400 meters down. * One of the most famous hikes of the Königssee goes from St.Bartholomä (1,5 hours) to the Eiskapelle (ice cave, which cannot be entered) formed by glacier water. It's worth hiking there as the views and the landscape are amazing - typically Bavaria. * Make a trip to the Malerwinkel to get a great view over the lake Königssee. The easy to walk loop (3,5km) starts at the big parking site of Königssee and takes about 45 min to walk. ===== Activities with kids ===== Discover the underworld of the Berchtesgaden salt mine wearing traditional miner's clothing. Ride down on a wooden slide into the depths where the highlights include glowing salt grottoes, the crossing of a subterranean lake on a raft and interesting insights on a guided tour. ===== Must Do's ===== Start in Berchtesgaden/Ramsau to explore the Wimbachklamm (a kind of slot canyon) on a well secured path to see spectacular waterfalls plunging thunderous into the gorge. Go on in direction Petrified Sea and see a great mountain scenery dominated by the wild river! ===== Day trips ===== You could make a day trip to Salzburg in Austria (20km) ===== Museums ===== ===== Galleries & Exhibitions ===== ===== Theater & Opera ===== ===== Restaurants ===== ===== Going out for Brunch ===== ===== Cafés ===== ===== Bars & Lounges ===== ===== Discotheques ===== ===== Events ===== ===== Shopping ===== ===== Accomodation =====