A Beautiful Corner of the World
Written: May 27 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Quiet, beautiful, so much to do and see. A must for the 'outdoorsy" types.
Cons: Not a single one
The Bottom Line: The most beautiful area we've seen in Germany yet!!
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| en7489's Full Review: Berchtesgaden |
I wanted to write about a beautiful area of Germany that I hadn't yet seen a review for: Berchtesgaden. Located in the very south-eastern corner of Germany, and just 20(ish) miles from Salzburg, Austria, this has become one of our favorite places to visit in Germany.
The Berchtesgaden area looks almost like a peninsula that is surrounded by Austria. It is right at the beginning of the Alps, the whole area is mountanous and has incredibly breathtaking scenery. The entire southern half of the 'peninsula' is national park, with walking trails.
The town itself is a historical Bavarian town with lots to do and see. Aside from the restaurants and gasthauses, there are many spas in the area where you can relax. The Watzmann Therme in the town of Berchtesgaden offers a couple pools (salt and fresh water), massages, and other activities for the whole family. Gasthauses abound in the area. There are also some farms in the area that have horses, cows, and sheep which will rent rooms or apartments out for visitors who enjoy the "farm-life" experience.
The Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle's Nest) is famous for being built for Hitler's 50th birthday and for being his "fortress" in Berchtesgaden. It sits atop a ridge that runs off a 6,000 foot mountain and has about a 270 degree view of the area below. On a clear day you can see Salzburg, Austria to the north, and Konigsee to the south (more on Konigsee later). there are two ways to get up to the Eagle's Nest, you can take the bus up the mountain or you can walk the 4+ miles up the trails. Once you reach the lower busplatz, you will walk through the tunnel and take an elevator about 300 feet up into the actual house. Aside from the views, it is a wonderful piece of World War II history, the area of Berchtesgaden is where American Forces from the 3rd Infantry and 101st Airborne Division ended up at the close of WWII. Part of this can be seen in the series "A Band of Brothers". The fireplace in the Eagle's Nest still bears the carved names and initials of Soldiers who visited there at the end of the war. There is an outdoor restaurant here where you can take in the breathtaking views and have a meal and beer as well. Lastly, there are trails that run along the ridgeline that you can explore. The Kehlsteinhaus is only open from May - October.
Berchtsgaden is also famous for it's salt mines. You can tour the Old Salt Mines, where you'll take a mine train through the mines and see how the miners extracted the salt. The air in there will definitely clear out your lungs!!
Konigsee (The King's Lake) lies just to the south of the town of Berchtesgaden and is visible from the Kehlsteinhaus. It's a beautiful, emerald green lake about three miles long that lies within the national forest. The towns of Konigsee and Schonau am Konigsee butt up against the northern tip, and there are a few gasthauses with an incredible lafefront view. there are electric touring boats (power boats are not allowed on the lake) that will take you on a scenic ride around the lake, visiting the Kapelle St. Bartholomew, which is only accessible by the boat. Above the chapel, just a short walk away are some ice caves that we haven't been able to visit yet, but were told that they stay frozen all year long. The town of Konigsee itself has many small shops with touristy items and some game areas (miniature golf, etc) for everyone. you can also visit the adventure store in Konigsee and sign up for white-water rafting tours, kayak and canoe trips, etc.
If you make the trip in winter, be sure to check the schedule and see if the bobsleds are running on the Olympic bobsled track right next to the lake. Cross-country skiing, sledding, skating and downhill skiing abound in the area. Right next to Konigsee is the Jenner ski area, about thirty minutes away by car are some of the best slopes in this part of Austria. The Winklemoos / Steinplatte ski area actually straddles the border - you can ski from Germany to Austria or vice-versa. If you ski here, you take a bus from the parking lot to the slopes, ski all day, then you can ski a couple miles of trails back to your car.
In our opinion, best way to travel through this area (called Berchtesgadener Land) is by car. This gives you the opportunity to take your tour at your pace and stop at many of the hundreds of little scenic places throughout Berchtesgadener Land. From little gasthaus restaurants perched on a mountainside with a view of the Alps to a waterfall right next to the road, there is so much to do and see here it is nearly overwhelming.
There is more to see and do in this small corner of the world than we can possible write in this review, we've just tried to hit some of the bigger highlights. Google searches of all of these names we've listed will bear much more information.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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Epinions.com ID:
en7489
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Location: Massachusetts
Reviews written: 61
Trusted by: 6 members
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