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Trip Report

Hiking in Bavaria close to the Austrian border and exploring medieval castles

Beautiful hiking in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria and visiting the old towns of Burghausen and Salzburg and their castles

  • View from a terrace in the castle - you can see how far it stretches in the background+ 8
  • Selfie with a cow along the way
  • Arrival at the Carl-von-Stahl house
  • Hiking in Bavaria close to the Austrian border and exploring medieval castles
nina
About Me:I moved a lot growing up (over South Africa to Switzerland, Italy and Germany) and through that learned to love exploring new cultures and countries. read more

EuropeGermany, Austria10 days / August 2020

Highs & Lows

Waking up on the mountain, the view was incredible

It rained a lot in Salzburg

Itinerary Overview

I went hiking with a couple of friends in Berchtesgaden in Bavaria for a couple of days. After that I visited my grandsparents in Burghausen and took a day trip to Salzburg

  • 6 Nights: Berchtesgaden
    Going hiking in the german/austrian alps and visiting family
  • 4 Nights: Burghausen
    Visiting family and enjoying the beautiful old German town in the summer
  • Day trip: Salzburg
    Pretty Austrian town with beautiful historical centre
Berchtesgaden - Going hiking in the german/austrian alps and visiting family
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Berchtesgaden Going hiking in the german/austrian alps and visiting family

Berchtesgaden - Going hiking in the german/austrian alps and visiting family - Selfie with a cow along the way
Selfie with a cow along the way
Berchtesgaden - Going hiking in the german/austrian alps and visiting family - Arrival at the Carl-von-Stahl house
Arrival at the Carl-von-Stahl house
Berchtesgaden - Going hiking in the german/austrian alps and visiting family - The view from the cabin in the morning1+
The view from the cabin in the morning

When I think about Germany (I live in Berlin) I often forget that it also has a lot of stunning landscapes to explore. One of them is definitely the Alps in Bavaria and the border to Austria. 

During the summer I decided to go hiking there with a couple of friends. We first stayed at a friends house in Ergoldsbach, a small city in the region of Berchtesgaden (Bavaria). Honestly the city doesn't have much to do, we stayed a bit outside of it, where there was more forest and nature to enjoy. August is a great month to travel Germany, the days are long and warm and mostly sunny, perfect for campfires in the garden and stargazing.

From Ergoldsbach we drove close to the Austrian border by car. We started our hike at the beautiful Königssee, a huge mountain lake with clear blue waters, surrounded by hiking routes. Our hike took about 3-4 hours and ended at the Carl-von-Stahl house, a mountain cabin at 1.700 m with a stunning view over the mountains, directly after the Austrian border. The hike was a lot of fun and led us across a river with very cold water to dip our feet in, across beautiful green valleys with cute cows and higher and higher into the mountains. 

At the mountain cabin we had some very tasty, rustical food and spent the night in a dorm of wooden beds. It was extremely beautiful to wake with the sun and have the view into the misty mountains, lit by the morning light. From there we took another hike to the next mountaintop to enjoy the view. After that we hiked down again and went for a sim in the clear waters of the Königssee. The lake is very touristic, so we looked for a less frequented spot. A perfect refreshment after the hiking!

Burghausen - Visiting family and enjoying the beautiful old German town in the summer
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Burghausen Visiting family and enjoying the beautiful old German town in the summer

Burghausen - Visiting family and enjoying the beautiful old German town in the summer - View from a terrace in the castle - you can see how far it stretches in the background
View from a terrace in the castle - you can see how far it stretches in the background
Burghausen - Visiting family and enjoying the beautiful old German town in the summer - Impressive castle structures
Impressive castle structures
Burghausen - Visiting family and enjoying the beautiful old German town in the summer - The view on the lake Wöhrsee1+
The view on the lake Wöhrsee

Burghausen is a town in the east of Bavaria, close to the border to Austria. The name already implies its main attraction, Burg means castle. Burghausen has the longest castle in the world, stretching along a hill for 1051 metres. Nowadays the castles is mainly used for housing and museums. 

The walk along the castle transports you into a different time. It is located on top of a hill because of strategic reasons which has the perk of offering an amazing view on both sides. To the right you have the view on the Lake Wöhrsee and the beautiful hills of the surrounding landscape, on the left you look directly onto the colorful old town and the river Salzach. On both sides of the castle there are stairs that lead to the corresponding areas. When I was there in the summer I went swimming a lot in the beautiful lake, took endless bike rides in the countryside and enjoyed walking through the pastel-colored buildings of the historical centre. Make sure to visit the main square. Every building is painted in a different color. There are also several small towns and churches with amazing views on the Alps to visit close by.

Salzburg - Pretty Austrian town with beautiful historical centre
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Salzburg Pretty Austrian town with beautiful historical centre

Salzburg - Pretty Austrian town with beautiful historical centre - The view on the city from the castle Festung Hohensalzburg
The view on the city from the castle Festung Hohensalzburg
Salzburg - Pretty Austrian town with beautiful historical centre - Beautiful historical centre
Beautiful historical centre
Salzburg - Pretty Austrian town with beautiful historical centre - Walk along the river Salzach
Walk along the river Salzach

Since it is located close to Burghausen, I took a day trip to the Austrian town Salzburg. It also has a beautiful historical centre that is crossed by the river Salzach. 

First I took a walk along the river. There is a very nice walking and biking path along it, where lots of locals go for runs, bike rides or walks. The walk gives you a beautiful view on some of the more prominent buildings of Salzburg and the castle Festung Hohensalzburg. Similarly to Burghausen, the historical centre of Salzburg is also very clean and colorful. There are endless nice Cafés inside the decorated pastel colored buildings and lots of cute little streets to explore. 

After the historical centre I walked up to the castle Festung Hohensalzburg that overlooks the city. The castle is the symbol of the city and one of the biggest castles in Europe. The outer part is open to the public without a guide. From here you have an amazing view over the entire city and the hills covered in dark green forest close by. 

Q & A

  • What would you have changed?

    I would have liked to stay in Salzburg a bit longer to get a better feeling for the city. Also next time I want to go hiking for a longer amount of time
  • Tips you would give a friend?

    Definitely spend a night in the mountains when you go hiking!
  • Transportation Tips?

    For the hiking a car was very convenient because you can drive to the start of the hiking routes easily and park it until you come down again

Lodging

  • First we stayed at a friends place in Ergoldsbach, a small city in Berchtesgaden and then at the Carl-von-Stahl Haus, a mountain cabin close to the Königssee. It's very beautiful and has a rustical and authentic vibe

  • I stayed at my grandparents house in the castle. But if possible try to stay in the old city, very pretty