View at the Konigssee from Malerwinkel

Getty Images/Cultura RF

Königssee

Top choice in Berchtesgaden


Gliding serenely across the wonderfully picturesque, emerald-green Königssee makes for some unforgettable memories and photo opportunities. Cradled by steep mountain walls some 5km south of Berchtesgaden, the Königssee is Germany’s highest lake (603m), with drinkably pure waters shimmering into fjordlike depths. Bus 841/843 makes the trip out here from the Berchtesgaden train station roughly every hour.

Escape the hubbub of the bustling lakeside tourist village of Schönau by taking an electric boat tour to St Bartholomä, a quaint onion-domed chapel on the western shore. At some point, the boat will stop while the captain plays a horn towards the Echo Wall – the sound will bounce seven times. From St Bartholomä, an easy trail leads to the wondrous Eiskapelle (ice chapel) in about one hour.

You can also skip the crowds by meandering along the lake shore. It’s a nice and easy 3.5km return walk to the secluded Malerwinkel (Painter’s Corner), a lookout famed for its picturesque vantage point.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Berchtesgaden attractions

1. Eagle's Nest

3.01 MILES

At 1834m above sea level, the Eagle's Nest was built as a mountaintop retreat for Hitler, and gifted to him on his 50th birthday. It took around 3000…

2. Salzbergwerk

3.71 MILES

Once a major producer of ‘white gold’, Berchtesgaden has thrown open its salt mines for fun-filled 1½-hour tours. Kids especially love donning miners’…

3. Dokumentation Obersalzberg

3.88 MILES

In 1933 the tranquil Alpine settlement of Obersalzberg (3km from Berchtesgaden) in essence became the second seat of Nazi power after Berlin, a dark…

4. Berchtesgaden National Park

5.27 MILES

Forty years old in 2018, the wilds of this 210-sq-km park still offer some of the best hiking in Germany. A good introduction is a 2km trail up from St…

5. Salzwelten

7.27 MILES

During Salzburg’s princely heyday, the sale of salt filled its coffers. Today, at Austria’s biggest show mine, you can slip into a boiler suit and descend…

6. Stille Nacht Museum

8.05 MILES

Hallein’s festive claim to fame is as the one-time home of Franz Xaver Gruber (1787–1863), who composed the carol Stille Nacht (Silent Night). Joseph Mohr…

7. Keltenmuseum

8.24 MILES

Overlooking the Salzach, the glass-fronted Keltenmuseum runs chronologically through the region's heritage in a series of beautiful vaulted rooms. It…

8. Untersberg

8.38 MILES

Rising above Salzburg and straddling the German border is the rugged 1853m peak of Untersberg. Spectacular views of the city, the Rositten Valley and the…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "germany/bavarian-alps/berchtesgaden/attractions/koenigssee/a/poi-sig/1208385/1321114",
      "destination": "Berchtesgaden",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Germany",
      "city": "Berchtesgaden",
      "position": "superzone"
    }