Lake Königssee Travel Guide

Lake Königsee

If you’ve ever wanted to visit the clearest and largest lake that is right under the high mountains and has a stunning view, this lake is a must-see!

The Königsee Lake is a fantastic destination for tourists visiting Salzburg or Berchtesgaden. The history of Königsee Lake is extensive, with the royalty of Bavaria and Berchtesgaden using the lake as a hunting spot.

In no time, let’s discover the Königssee, one of Germany’s hidden gems!

If you want to avoid the crowds, try to avoid July and August as those are the most popular times to visit Lake Königssee.

Things to do at Königsee

• Lake Königsee
• Berchtesgaden town
• Visit one of the most beautiful views of the lake Königsee: Jennerbahn

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How to get to Königsee

Salzburg is 30 kilometers away and Munich is 160 kilometers away. Both have international flight connections and provide car rental services.

By train

Transit time: About 2.5 hours (in one direction)

We always use Trainline to buy train tickets, it conveniently shows all available connections and helps to choose the best ticket. Usually we buy Bavaria Ticket as it is covering there-and-back way if you are travelling in one day.

To get to the lake you usually need only one train switch.

There are three bus lines that will take you to the parking lot at Lake Königssee from the Berchtesgaden Hauptbahnhof: 839, 841, and 843.

By car

By car, you will need to drive for about 2 hours along the A8.

Be careful, as usually navigation software suggests the route via Austria and you would need to pay for the toll road. Sometimes, if you have a rented car, rental service prohibits crossing a boarder. If you are travelling on your car, do not forget to pay for the Austrian road or change the navigation to drive only in Germany.

Transit time: About 2 hours (in one direction)

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How ferries work at Königsee

You can buy tickets at the lake office, located directly in front of where the boats are parked.

From April to October, you can take daily boat tours crossing both Lake Obersee and Lake Bartholomeus. Outside those months, you will still have access to Saint Bartholomeus by electric boats only.

Except December 24, the boats operate every day unless bad weather is forecast (in storms, heavy fog, or when the lake is frozen). The schedule can be found here.

On very busy days, the purchase of tickets stops and there is no way to buy them for that day. I advise you to buy tickets in advance online. If you have already arrived and the ticket office is closed because of the large number of tourists, or you just want to enjoy a swim on your own, there is a station to the left of the pier where you can rent small boats.

You have to take care not to get burnt in the sun, because you will be without any shade on the boat. Sometimes it gets scary from the big boats that pass near you, you just have to always look around. Also, we were told to give the boat away before 5pm, we were a little late for which you just have to pay a little extra.

St. Bartholoma

As a first and most popular stop, visitors can view the church of Saint Bartholomä, which is a small, but unusually designed chapel.

Right next to it, we even managed to walk away a bit and swim in this very clean but very cold water. Be sure to try the fish at the local store near the church.

Obersee

This lake is just behind the Konigsee, to get there you have to go through the St. Bartholoma stop. You can walk around this small lake and take amazing pictures.

Rabenwand

From the water, go left and walk behind the boat storage buildings. You’ll soon reach the first one called Malerwinkel. Though, it’s quite beautiful, it’s not as breathtaking as Rabenwand!

This hike can be more rocky and slippery at some points, so make sure to wear proper shoes to ensure that you can reach the best viewpoint!

Jennerbahn

You will find the Jennerbahn Cable Car entrance in the same parking lot as Lake Königssee. This short cable car trip gives you an opportunity to admire some of the best natural beauty in Germany. It is popular as a skiing destination in the winter on Jenner Mountain.

Opening hours: link

The sightseeing point offers an extraordinary view of the Lake Königssee. It is better to go there early in the morning or in the afternoon so as not to catch a large crowd of people.