Berchtesgaden and Königssee

Berchtesgaden and the Königssee lie about 30 km south-west of Salzburg across the border in Bavaria, Germany, inside the Berchtesgaden National Park beneath the Watzmann massif. The usual public-transport route is RVO bus 840 from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof (Südtiroler Platz) to Berchtesgaden Hauptbahnhof, about hourly and 45-50 minutes, with a fare of roughly €10-12 each way, then bus 841 for the final 15 minutes to the Königssee boat dock at Seestraße 55 in Schönau am Königssee. A rental car shortens the journey but parking at the dock fills early in summer. The centrepiece is the electric-boat cruise on the Königssee, a long, deep, fjord-like lake with steep rock walls. Boats stop for a famous trumpet echo demonstration and continue to the red-domed pilgrimage chapel of St. Bartholomä, about €23.40 return, or on to Salet for the short walk to the Obersee and its waterfall, about €29.80 return. Children aged 6-17 pay half price. In Berchtesgaden itself, the Salzbergwerk offers a mine tour, and the Kehlsteinhaus viewpoint, the former Eagle's Nest, is reached by a special bus and lift in season. Because of the border, a passport or identity card should be carried, even though checks are rare. A suggested day starts with an early bus so the first boat leaves in the morning, when light is soft and queues are short. After the cruise and a walk at St. Bartholomä, where a lakeside restaurant serves grilled lake char, the afternoon can be spent in Berchtesgaden's Marktplatz and on the old-town terraces, with coffee and cake at a local café before the return bus. The walking is mostly gentle, though optional hikes at Salet or around the Obersee extend the day to a moderate effort. May to October gives the most dependable boat service and clear mountain views, while the early summer months are busiest.