Description

Highlights

Important Info

Although the walks are easy we recommend good shoes for your comfort and safety. Cable car, boat, entrance fees not included.

Schedule

Tour schedule & availability

UNTERSBERG – Mountain of wonders
KINGS LAKE – Lake of silence
HINTERSEE – and MAGICAL FOREST

After this tour you will have something in common with outstanding personalities like Charlemagne (Karl the Great), the world famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, King Ludwig II, the founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud and Georg Hackl, the first athlete to win a medal in five consecutive Winter Olympics and most successful luger in history: The Berchtesgadener Land
These celebrities either lived there (or still sleep there), or enjoyed their holidays – as you can do now – in this land of beauty and wonders.

Untersberg

First we head for Untersberg south to the city of Salzburg.
This mountain is one of the most striking bases for myths in Austria and Southern Germany. They originate in the early Middle Ages and often deal with Emperor Karl the Great who is said to sleep within the mountain in an underground throne room together with his knights and dwarfs. (Dr. Christian Uhlier, Salzburg University in Dec. 17th, 2009)
Deeply rooted rituals are still part of the life of people living in the villages around the impressive table mountain. Spiritual minds call Untersberg even the Heart Chakra of the world and a place of power.

Undoubtedly Untersberg airs power and majesty and, indeed, it is worth to engross oneself in this fascinating mountain which started its uplift 70 million years ago in batches and still continues. There are about 400 caves in the mountain. Giant springs and wells (Principality’s Springs)supply water of excellent quality for Salzburg.
The Untersberg Marble has been querried for about 2000 years and has been used for many famous examples of architecture. Untersberg is also an important place of discovery for fossils (f.e. the Ammonite with 2,5 m in diameter exposed in Haus der Natur-museum in Salzburg).

By cable-car you will be taken up to the 17 km² large plateau. From there you can enjoy a breathtaking view far into Austria and Germany. It is even possible to watch griffon vultures, which have chosen Untersberg as their breeding area, circling in the air.

Untersberg belongs partly to the Berchtesgaden Nationalpark, the only German national park in the Alps. It’s centre – lake Königssee – is our next destination. Our drive to there takes us along the river Königsseeaache through picturesque valleys and the little town Berchtesgaden with its royal castle, the abbey and many other sights.

King’s Lake (Königssee)

On an electric-powered boat you can leave the noisy and busy everyday life behind and enjoy Germany’s deepest and cleanest lake. This Jewel of the Bavarian Alps was favoured by the Bavarian kings when they spent their holidays at Berchtesgaden’s Royal Palace. (The name origins from that.)
The emerald-green, fjord-like lake is towered by steep walls of rock of the mountain Watzmann up to 1800m and has a depth of up to 190m. On a peninsula is the landmark of King’s Lake, the ancient Augustine chapel St. Bartholomew. For its uniqueness and beauty St. Bartholomew is world famous and very popular with artists. There is no other way to there but by boat because of the unique landscape and it is the reason for another special feature: A fascinating echo.

Lake Hintersee and Magical Forest

After Kings’s Lake we head for lake Hintersee and the Magical Forest. The road to there as well as the village Ramsau is already romantic but Hintersee and the Magical Forest will enchant you.
About 3500 years ago 15 million m³ of rock fell down from the mountains and blocked the valley. This was the beginning of lake Hintersee and the Magical Forest.

This lake and the forest is something one has to experience outdoor. So we design the tour in a way that you can stroll through this wonderful gift of nature along the lake. It will take app. 30 to 40 minutes. You will feel like in a fairytale and it will be pure recreation in the open air.

If time allows on the way to King’s Lake we can make a short orientation round in Berchtesgaden town.