Schönau am Königssee / Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, Germany

The Königssee is the most beautiful of Germany’s Alpine lakes and the jewel of Berchtesgaden National Park, in the far south-eastern corner of Bavaria near the Austrian border. A long, narrow ribbon of emerald-green water squeezed between sheer rock walls at the foot of the mighty Watzmann, it is often likened to a fjord, and its water — protected for over a century — is among the cleanest in the country, said to be of drinking quality. To keep it that way, only quiet electric boats and rowing boats have been allowed on the lake since the age of the Kaiser, so a visit centres on a serene, almost silent glide across the water beneath towering mountains, in one of the last truly unspoiled corners of the German Alps.

What to See

The classic experience is the electric-boat trip down the lake from the village of Schönau. Partway across, the boatman cuts the engine and plays a trumpet, sending the notes echoing back and forth between the cliffs — a long-standing tradition. The boats call at St Bartholomä, a much-loved little Baroque pilgrimage church with a cluster of red onion domes on a green peninsula, once a royal hunting lodge and now reachable only by boat or on foot. Beyond it, the boat continues to Salet at the far end, from where a short walk leads to the hidden Obersee, a second, smaller lake of astonishing stillness, and on to the Röthbach Falls, the highest waterfall in Germany. Back near the boat dock, the Malerwinkel (“painter’s corner”) offers a famous viewpoint over the lake, while the whole area is superb walking and climbing country in the shadow of the Watzmann.

How to Get There and Practical Information

The Königssee lies just south of the town of Berchtesgaden, about 150 kilometres south-east of Munich and only 30 kilometres from Salzburg in Austria. By public transport, take the train to Berchtesgaden and then a local bus to the Königssee boat dock at Schönau; drivers will find large (paid) car parks near the landing stage, from which it is a short walk past shops and cafés to the water. There is no charge to enjoy the lakeshore, but the boat trips are ticketed, with return fares to St Bartholomä and Salet, and the boats run frequently from spring to autumn and on a reduced schedule in winter. Allow the best part of a day to include the full boat trip and a walk to the Obersee, and go early in the day and the season to avoid the biggest crowds. The lake pairs well with Berchtesgaden’s other attractions, from its salt mine to the Eagle’s Nest high above.