The Berchtesgaden Alps are a mountain group around the Königssee and Berchtesgaden in the southeastern corner Germany and in Austria, they lie in Bavaria and in State of Salzburg.
Regions
The Berchtesgaden Alps can be divided into ten groups in Germany and Austria:
- Goellstock (High Göll 2,522 m): Salt mining and Mountaineers' El Dorado.
- Lattengebirge (Karkopf, 1,738 m): about Bad Reichenhall.
- Hagen Mountains (Großes Teufelshorn, 2,361 m): Table mountains, little developed for tourism, with the huge system of the Tanntalhöhle and the Gotzen Mountains (Fagstein 2164 m).
- Hochkaltergebirge (Hochkaltergipfel, 2,607 m): with the Blaueis Glacier, rugged walls and steep ridges.
- Hochkönigsstock (2,941 m): copper mining as early as 1800 BC At the southernmost mountain group, beautiful via ferrata (Königsjodler, Grandlspitz etc.) with the Overcast Alm (2,600-2,850 m), the highest plateau glacier in the Eastern Alps.
- Reiteralm or Reiteralpe, (Stadelhorn, 2,286 m): Plateau mountains with climbing mountains and a well-known photo motif behind the church of Ramsau.
- Stone sea (Selbhorn, 2,655 m): Karst plateau with the Schönfeldspitze above the Königsseepanorama and with the Funtensee, known from the weather report for its lowest temperatures.
- Untersberg (Berchtesgadener Hochthron, 1,972 m): perforated by 105 caves explored, legendary resting place for Emperor Charlemagne (sometimes also Emperor Barbarossa) until his return to the last battle.
- Watzmann stick (Middle peak 2,713 m): with "Frau" and "Kinder" (secondary peaks), the central mountain range of Berchtesgadener Land and famous hiking and climbing mountain, with the second highest wall in the Eastern Alps (after the Dognawand of Montasch in the Julian Alps), sung by Wolfgang Ambros in the rustic "Der Watzmann ruft" and as a characteristic mountain figure a landmark for the whole region. The statisticians argue about the exact classification of the mountain height of 2,713 m, undisputed it is the highest mountain entirely on German soil.
 Mountain panorama Untersberg / west view from the Berchtesgadener Hochthron, far left: sink Koenigssee, then Watzmann (woman, children, main summit), sink Wimbachgries, Hochkalter, sink Ramsau (about center), Reiteralm, Loferer and Leoganger right of the center; |
places
in Bavaria
- Bad Reichenhall (472 m): Bavarian State Bath;
- Bayerisch Gmain (540 m), health resort and holiday resort near Bad Reichenhall;
- Berchtesgaden (550-650 m): cure, culture, tourism and winter sports;
- Bischofswiesen (610 m), winter sports and hiking;
- Marktschellenberg (480 m): holiday resort on the Untersberg;
- Ramsau near Berchtesgaden (668 m): idyll with a much-photographed parish church;
- Schoenau upon Kings sea (600 m): winter sports community and climatic health resort directly on Koenigssee;
- Schneizlreuth (511 m): with the romantic Weißbach Gorge;
in Austria
- Bischofshofen 547 m. Winter sports resort in Pongau / Austria. info.
- Golling: 481 m. Summer tourism. info.
- Hallein: 469 m. Industrial city, historical salt mining. info.
- Lofer: 639 m. Holiday village with skiing area. info.
- Saalfelden: 744 m. Historical market with a wide range of offers. info.
Other goals
- The German Berchtesgaden National Park includes the southernmost tip of Germany in the region around the Königssee. That's the Watzmann stick and the Hochkaltergebirge, and parts of Stony sea, Reiteralm and Hagen Mountains.
background
language
getting there
By car from the A8 Munich Salzburg motorway, Siegsdorf exit and then federal road 306 and Bad Reichenhall exit.
By train: Intercity "Alpenland" from Münster, the Rhineland Mannheim and Stuttgart and the Intercity "Königssee" from Hamburg / Hanover via Kassel and Würzburg directly to Berchtesgaden.
By plane: from Salzburg approx. 20 km, from Munich approx. 180 km. Bus transfer possible from both cities.
mobility
Tourist Attractions
Mountains and peaks
Lakes and bodies of water
- Koenigssee with St. Bartholomä and Obersee.
- Funtensee (1652 m) at the Kärlinger Haus, Grünsee and Schwarzsee (neighboring) in the Stone Sea.
- The record low temperatures measured at the Funtensee by the local weather station in winter can be explained by the location on a plateau surrounded by even higher mountains: the air that has cooled down on the mountains and is therefore heavier sinks and collects on the plateau.
- Ascent to the Kärlinger Haus (1652 m, managed) from St. Bartholomä am Königssee (600 m) through the Saugasse in approx. 4 hours.
other things worth seeing in nature
- Schellenberger ice cave at 1570 m in the Untersberg, with gigantic halls and domes, accessible to tourists.
- Access: approx. 3-4 hours ascent from Marktschellenberg. Or: Take the cable car from St. Leonhard to the Untersberg, descent in approx. 1 1/2 hours (pure walking time) to the cave entrance.
- closed in winter.
- Almbach Gorge Wild and romantic gorge with a walkable path, length approx. 2.5 km, height difference approx. 21 8m, walking time approx. 2 hours (easy). At the exit of the gorge, the last German ball mill from 1683.
- Approach from Berchtesgaden via the B 305 to Marktschellenberg, after approx. 3 km the signposted junction to the starting point at the Almbachklamm hiking car park.
- open all day from May 1st to October 31st.
- Wimbachklamm short (about 200m), deeply cut gorge of the Wimbach.
- Access approx. 15 minutes from the Wimbachbrücke car park on the way to the Wimbachtal.
Museums and other attractions
- Berchtesgaden salt mine historical salt mine with guided tours (approx. 1 hour), with crossing over an underground lake, in a new design ("SalzZeitReise").
- Tel. 49 (0) 8652 / 6002-20.
- Open throughout the year.
- Bad Dürrnberg Salt Mine near Hallein: salt mine with guided tours (children from 4 years).
- Information and advice: 06132 200 2400.
- Open throughout the year.
- Celtic Museum in Hallein. The Celts, their distribution in Central Europe and their work as salt princes on the Dürrnberg.
- Pflegerplatz 5. A-5400 Hallein. Tel: 06245/80783, Fax: 06245/80783 - 14.
- Opening times: daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Silent Night Museum in Hallein. Creation of the Christmas carol "Silent Night, Holy Night".
- Gruberplatz 1, A-5400 Hallein,
- Opening times: daily 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Berchtesgaden Biosphere Reserve and National Park
The UNESCO Berchtesgaden Biosphere Reserve exists since 1990 and is located south of the village Bad Reichenhall and includes the Steinernes Meer and the Hagen Mountains in Austria. The Berchtesgaden National Park represents the core and maintenance zone of the biosphere reserve, the national park apron, the so-called development zone. If protection and preservation of the natural landscape are in the foreground within the national park or the core zone, the goals in advance are the preservation and development of the cultural landscape.
The Berchtesgaden National Park is essentially identical to the area of the nature reserve, which has been designated since 1921. In 1974 the "Berchtesgadener Land" was divided into the three zones of the "Bavarian Alpine Park":
- The Access zone with the populated areas of the valley locations.
- The Recreation zone for tourist activities (hiking areas and ski areas).
- The Core zone, the "Alpine National Park Königssee" .
activities
Hiking and mountaineering
Mountain biking
Winter sports
Ski touring
Ski tour portal of the Berchtesgaden Alps
Alpine skiing
List of ski areas (as of January 2007):
Nordic skiing
The high-altitude trail on the Scharitzkehl in Berchtesgaden is particularly snow-sure.
Mountain railways
- Obersalzbergbahn - The train shortens the ascent of Berchtesgaden to the Eagle's Nest. It leads from approx. 550 m to an altitude of 1020 m (with a route length of 1530 m).
- Jennerbahn - Small cabin lift that leads from the Königssee to the Jenner. The 2-person gondolas take travelers comfortably from 600 m to 1800 m. A grandiose one is waiting upstairs Koenigssee-Panorama on the visitor.
kitchen
accommodation
List of mountain huts of the German Alpine Club (DAV) and des Austrian Alpine Club (OeAV) as well as private huts for hikers, mountaineers and mountain bikers (as of March 2007). Surefootedness and a head for heights are required for the approach, especially in the Steinerne Meer, difficult orientation when it is foggy!
Goellstock
- Purtschellerhaus (1692 m), on the "Erkerfirst", with the Germany / Austria border right through the kitchen. DAV section Sonnenberg.
- Opened from mid-May to the end of October. Tel .: 0043/8652 / 2420 (hut).
- Ascent from Kuchl (468 m) or Lacher near Golling in 5 hours from the Ahornkaser car park (1541 m) on the Roßfeld-Höhenstraße in 1 hour.
- Carl von Stahl House (1728 m) OeAv Salzburg
- Managed all year round. Tel .: 0049/8652/2752, Fax: 0049/8652/63940.
- Ascent from Golling 3-4 hours, from Königssee (610 m) 3-4 hours. From the Hinterbrand car park (1050 m) 1 1/2 hours. from the Jennerbahn mountain station 1 hour.
- Schneibsteinhaus (1670 m), friends of nature Berchtesgaden,
- managed from Christmas to the end of October. Tel .: 0049/8652/2596, Fax: 0049/8652/66918.
- Approach like Carl-von-Stahl-Haus before.
Stone sea
see also Stone sea, the chapter "Accommodation".
at the Untersberg:
- Stöhrhaus (1894 m) to the west below the Berchtesgadener Hochthrons.
- Toni Lenz Hut (1,551 m, also Schellenberger ice cave hut) below the Salzburg high throne.
- Zeppezauerhaus (1664 m), below the Geiereck summit in the north of the Untersberg.
Watzmann stick
see also Watzmann stick, the chapter "Accommodation / Huts".
Hagen Mountains
- Gotzenalm 1685 m - private hut. Opened from mid-May to mid-October. Tel. 08652-69 09 00. Ascent from Berchtesgaden with the MTB possible. Nice panorama of the Koenigssee from the viewpoint Feuerpalfen with St. Bartholomä and the Watzmann. (info) Approaches: Königssee car park (at the northern end of the lake) via Priesbergalm: approx. 3 1/2 hours. Königsee / Kessel boat landing stage: approx. 2 1/2 hours. Salet / Königsee (southern end of the lake): via Kaunersteig and Regenalm: 3 hours.
climate
The Berchtesgaden Alps are located on the northern edge of the Alps and are therefore in a damming position for the Atlantic low pressure areas approaching from the west. The result is high levels of precipitation all year round, with a concentration in the summer months of June / July / August. During these months 40% of the total precipitation falls, in midsummer therefore generally unstable weather conditions and frequent thunderstorms must be expected.
The annual mean of the precipitation is at an altitude of 500 m above sea level. NN at around 1500 mm, the associated annual mean temperature is 7.2 ° C. At an altitude of 1740 m above sea level. The amount of precipitation rises to approx. 1750 mm with an average annual temperature of only 2.3 ° C. For comparison: the mean annual precipitation values for southern Germany are around 700 - 800 mm.
Because of the lower rainfall and the then significantly more stable weather, the months of September and October in autumn and also the months of April / May in spring are considered the best periods for activities in the Berchtesgaden Alps.
At high altitudes, snow remains must always be expected in spring and snowfall is nothing unusual in the high mountain regions above 2000 m even in midsummer and from September at the latest.
The first onset of winter can be expected from October, and up to six meters of snow can fall during the cold season.
The Funtensee in the southern part of the Berchtesgaden National Park is considered to be Cold pole of Germany. The lake is located in a depression in which the cold air from the slopes of the surrounding mountains collects: in winter 2001 the lowest temperature ever recorded in Germany was measured here at minus 45.9 degrees Celsius.
For more information on the climate, see www.watzmanngams.de and www.funtensee.de;
Practical advice
- See also the article Rockclimbing, also with information on the topic Mountain hiking
- ÖAV - Alpine Club - Weather service;
- Avalanche warning service for Bavaria;
- Avalanche warning service for Austria;
literature
- ; Alpine Club (Ed.): Berchtesgaden Alps, Alpine Club Guide (AVF). Oberhaching: Rother, 2009 (19th edition), Tour guide, ISBN 978-3-7633-1127-9 ; 608 pages. € 22.90, completely rewritten
- : Berchtesgaden Alps, 60 summit tours, high-altitude trails, via ferratas, with Loferer and Leoganger Steinberge. Munich: Bruckmann, 2006, Tour guide, ISBN 3-7654-4320-4 ; 192 pages. 19.90 €
- : Berchtesgaden Alps; Landscape, history, hiking mountaineering. Rosenheimer, 1993, ISBN 3-475-52759-6 ; 144 pages (German). (in the antiquarian bookshop)
cards
For hikers and mountaineers:
- German Alpine Club (DAV) (Ed.): Alpine club card No. 10/2 Hochkönig - Hagengebirge, path and ski routes 1: 25,000. 2008 (6th edition), ISBN 978-3928777100 . 9,80 €.
- German Alpine Club (DAV) (Ed.): Alpine Club Card BY 20, Lattengebirge / Reiteralm; Path and ski routes 1: 25,000. 2008, ISBN 9783937530253 . 9,80 €.
- German Alpine Club (DAV) (Ed.): Alpine Club Card No. BY 21 (1: 25,000) Berchtesgaden National Park, Watzmann. 2013 (2nd edition), ISBN 978-3937530468 . 9,80 €.
- German Alpine Club (DAV) (Ed.): Alpine Club Card BY 22, Berchtesgaden, Untersberg; Path and ski routes 1: 25,000. 2013 (2nd edition), ISBN 978-3-937530-26-0 . 9,80 €.
- freytag & berndt (1: 50,000) sheet WKD5 (hikers, bike and ski tour map).
