Bavaria Germany – Austria Trip EP. 2 | Königssee, Eagle’s Nest, Hintersee, Zauberwald, Hallstatt
Hello everyone! In this video we’ll continue to share our experiences and insights from our spring trip to Bavaria Germany, and Austria. In the last video, we talked about the first few days of our itinerary, visiting Munich, Neuschwanstein Castle, Zugspitze, Füssen, and Rothenburg. For the second half of the trip, we stayed in the beautiful mountain town of Berchtesgaden in the southeast corner of Bavaria. The day after returning from Rothenburg, we happily bid farewell to the landlady of our Füssen guesthouse and headed to a major highlight of our spring trip, Königssee. We had long heard that Königssee is exceptionally beautiful, with pure clear water, and is considered the lake with the best water quality in Germany. We arrived at Königssee around noon, and bought tickets to Salet to see the most beautiful Obersee lake first. The plan is on the way back, we can then stop at the St. Bartholomä stop, the church with the onion dome, for a visit. We didn’t book tickets in advance because the timing of our drive from Füssen was uncertain and it was not yet peak tourist season, so the risk was low. However, it’s advisable to book in advance during the summer. There were actually quite a few tourists that day, but there were also many boats. We queued up to board and, following the advice from travel guides, sat on the right side for better views. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the lake’s clear water, the green mountains on both sides, and the snow-capped peaks in the distance formed a picturesque scenery. The small boat moved slowly, as if we were traveling inside a painting. After about seven to eight minutes, the young man captaining the boat picked up a trumpet, opened the window, and started playing towards the mountains. The cliffs opposite echoed back. After playing, he took out a small hat for tips. So, prepare a few coins to add some earthy touch to the fairyland-like scenery. After about fifty minutes, the ferry arrived at the final stop, Salet. From here, a fifteen-minute walk brought us to the edge of the Obersee lake. This small wooden cabin is a popular photo spot, where you can look across the lake to the milk hut (Fischunkelalm) on the southern shore. The scenery is indeed beautiful. You can walk along the path on the right side of the Obersee Lake to the Milk hut, which takes about forty-five minutes. If you have time, it’s worth the walk to enjoy the scenery along the way. Especially, the view of the Obersee Lake when looking back from the milk hut is stunning. When we went, the milk hut didn’t have fresh milk yet because it had just opened for two days for the season, and the cows hadn’t arrived yet, only beer was available. These are minor details; we took lots of photos and felt the beauty of life amidst the stunning scenery. Continuing forward from the milk Hut for less than an hour, you will see Germany’s highest waterfall, the Röthbach Waterfall up close. We felt that it was already enough walking for us, so we didn’t walk this part and returned to take the ferry back. On the return journey, we got off at the St. Bartholomä church stop and took some photos. Honestly, this stop wasn’t as impressive as the Obersee lake. Apart from the church being a photo spot, there was a restaurant mainly serving tourists. There might also be some hiking trails starting from here. Königssee left a deep impression; my wife said it was even more beautiful than Lake Louise in Banff, Canada, and was her top pick of the entire trip. Our vacation rental was in Berchtesgaden, just a ten-minute drive from Königssee to the town. The small town is surrounded by mountains, offering unbeatable scenery. Many tourists come for day trips from Munich or Salzburg to visit this town. We stayed here for five nights, and the mountain view from the apartment’s terrace was amazing. One day, since it was raining, we spent the whole day sitting on the terrace, eating, drinking, and enjoying the mountain view – it was really nice South of Berchtesgaden is actually a national park. Besides Königssee, there are many other charming small towns and scenic trails in this area. We spent half a day visiting the small town of Ramsau and the nearby Hintersee and Magic Forest (Zauberwald). Ramsau is very small, basically just one street. We parked in a parking lot and strolled around the town. We checked out the iconic steeple church of St. Sebastian. A beautiful stream flows through Ramsau, and walking along the little street with the clear stream running under small wooden bridges was like walking in a fairy tale. From Ramsau, you can walk through the Magic Forest to Hintersee, a beautiful trail. The so-called Magic Forest is a tranquil forest between Ramsau and Hintersee, accompanied by the flowing stream, small wooden cabins, wood carvings, and a few little inns along the way. Compared to Königssee, Hintersee is smaller in scale but still very beautiful. It’s more of a quaint beauty and is worth a visit. If time is limited, you can skip Ramsau and drive directly to the Hintersee parking lot and walk along the lake, and experience the Magic Forest that way. The Berchtesgaden area is so beautiful that even Hitler and other Nazi leaders loved it; it was their holiday retreat. Due to its disgraceful history, most of these villas have been demolished. However, the most famous one remains – Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest (Kehlsteinhaus) on a mountain east of the town. The Eagle’s Nest was a birthday gift to Hitler for his 50th birthday. Eighty years later, the Führer’s former residence is now a restaurant and beer hall. The Eagle’s Nest itself does not charge an entrance fee, but you need to buy tickets for a special bus ride; otherwise, you have to take a 2-hour hike up on foot. We booked the bus tickets online and took the 8:30 AM bus. The bus ride was short, about fifteen minutes, with scenic views along the way – but no rush to take photos, as the views get even better at the top. From the parking lot, you walk through a long dark tunnel and then take an elevator, emerging right next to the Eagle’s Nest. Imagining the SS soldiers in their boots walking through the same dark tunnel and Hitler using the same gilded elevator was eerie and goosebumps-inducing. The Eagle’s Nest building itself is quite simple; we didn’t go inside, just took some exterior shots. Once you are there, you’ll realize that Hitler’s fondness for this place makes sense. The Eagle’s Nest backs onto a high mountain to the east. The other three sides offer unbeatable panoramic views. To the south, you can see Königssee in the distance. The morning mist hadn’t completely lifted, making it quite enchanting. Many locals hike the trails to the mountains behind, and after taking in all the scenery, we descended the mountain. The Eagle’s Nest is a must-visit spot, with breathtaking mountain views. Plus, the mysterious history behind the mountain scenery adds to its appeal for both ladies and gentlemen. On our second day staying in Berchtesgaden, we visited what’s claimed to be Europe’s most beautiful town, Hallstatt, in Austria. We set off early at 8 in the morning and arrived in Hallstatt around 9 o’clock to catch the best lighting at the northern photo spot. The light is best in the morning; at noon, it’s backlit, and in the afternoon, the light is blocked by the mountains. The town is small, and it takes just about twelve to thirteen minutes to walk from the southern parking lot to the northern photo spot. The town is indeed charming, like something out of a fairy tale. With its steeple church, colorful, exquisite houses, the tranquil Hallstatt Lake, and surrounding mountains, it’s a perfect blend of nature and culture. It’s another one of those places where any casual photo with a smartphone looks like a postcard. After taking photos, we headed back south to take the cable car up to the Skywalk observation platform. From the Skywalk, you can admire the town from above, trading the colorful, intricate details of a close view for the magnificent landscape from a distance. Continuing up from the Skywalk platform, there’s a salt mine that you can visit, but it takes about two hours. We were lazy and didn’t visit the salt mine. Instead, we found a café by the lake with a great view, and had some pizza, coffee, and dessert, leisurely spending half the afternoon. Another interesting place near Berchtesgaden is called Rossfeld Panorama Strasse. It’s a scenic road that winds up the mountain, with viewing points along the way. At the top, there’s a large parking lot. A small ridge there sits right on the German-Austrian border. It offers 360-degree unobstructed views. Looking southwest, you can clearly see the Eagle’s Nest and the mountain behind it. Looking north, you can see Salzburg, thirty kilometers away. To the east are Austrian landscapes and towns, as well as the Salzach River winding towards Salzburg. This place also has a notable feature – it was one of the filming locations for the famous movie “The Sound of Music.” The scene where the von Trapp family escapes over the mountains at the end of the movie was shot on this ridge. Speaking of “The Sound of Music,” during our stay in Berchtesgaden, we also visited Salzburg in Austria. It’s the location for the film’s outdoor scenes. There’s a lot to cover, so we’ll save that for the next video. Alright, that’s it for today’s video. In the next video, we’ll talk about Salzburg, the Munich Residenz, and the food and highlights of our trip. Thank you for watching. If you enjoyed the video, please subscribe, like, comment, and share!
The spring trip to Bavaria, Germany, and Austria has finally come true. Bavaria’s rich history and culture, along with its enchanting lakes and mountains, are even more captivating than what I saw online. The fairytale castle Neuschwanstein, Germany’s highest peak Zugspitze, the pure and beautiful Königssee, the picturesque towns of Füssen, Ramsau, and Berchtesgaden, the WWII historical site Eagle’s Nest (Kehlsteinhaus), as well as Austria’s city of music Salzburg, Europe’s most beautiful town Hallstatt, and of course, Bavaria’s capital and beer city Munich. I plan to share my experiences and insights from the two-week self-guided trip in three video episodes. This episode includes Königssee, Berchtesgaden, Eagle’s Nest (Kehlsteinhaus), Hallstatt, and Rossfeld Panarama Strasse.
#bavaria #bavariagermany #germanytravel #königssee #eaglesnest #berchtesgaden #zauberwald #hallstatt