Germany has no shortage of beautiful lakes but the emerald green Lake Königssee in Berchtesgaden National Park has always stood out. If you’re looking for an hour long nature fix or to spend an entire day hiking, biking, boating, and chasing waterfalls, consider adding Lake Königssee to your Bavarian alpine itinerary.

Königssee Fun Facts

• At 190 meters deep, Königssee is Bavaria’s deepest lake and the 3rd deepest lake in Germany
• No gas boats are allowed on the lake – only electric or row/pedal boats allowed, keeping the lake clean for all to enjoy
• Königssee is bordered by the Watzmann Mountain, which is the 3rd tallest mountain in Germany

How to get to Königssee

The easiest way to visit Königssee is by car and parking is available on-site.  Königssee is located within Berchtesgaden National Park and is located about 2 hours from the Munich Airport and 30 minutes from the Salzburg airport. If you don’t have a car, there are buses that run from Berchtesgaden and Salzburg.

We stayed at the Kempinski Hotel in Berchtesgaden, located 15 minutes from Königssee. We highly recommend the Kempinski as a home base for exploring the area.

When to Visit Königssee

Summer is peak tourist season, but boat tours run year round. Boat tickets can be purchased on-site and typically run at least every 30 minutes. See Königssee’s official website for online tickets, boat timetables, and other practical information. We visited in late May before peak season and arrived at the opening time to avoid some of the crowds and longer wait times. The lake definitely became busier throughout the day!

Things to do at Königssee

Rabenwand & Malerwinkel Viewpoints: At the entrance near the boatdocks, follow the signs to hike up to the Rabenwand viewpoint. The hike will take about 30 minutes and you’ll see the Malerwinkel viewpoint along the way.

Boat Tour: After arriving at the lake, you’ll likely hop on one of the electric boats. The boat tours cost €25 per person (as of May 2022) and run at least every 30 minutes.

The boat will make 2 stops – first at St. Bartholomä and then at Salet – and will take about 1 hour. During the ride over, the boat will stop and the captain will play a few notes on a flugelhorn (similar to a trumpet). The music is echoed back as the notes ricochet off the sides of the surrounding mountains. It’s a weirdly magical experience.

St. Bartholomä: The first boat stop will drop you off at St. Bartholomä Church where you can see the church and a former hunting lodge built for Bavarian Kings. If you get hungry, there is a restaurant on site to grab a bite to eat. **Tip: Most people get off at this stop first so we (and the Königssee website) recommend going straight to Salet and stopping at St. Bartholomä on your return trip to avoid crowds.

Salet: You’ve probably seen a picture of the famous lake Obersee. From the photos, the small house in front of the lake looks so remote, but it’s surprisingly easy to get to! From the Salet boat stop, it’s only a 10 minute walk. The site gets incredibly crowded. Since it’s the first “photo spot” from the Salet stop, nearly 100% of the boat passengers will all stop there at the same time. We were only the second boat to depart the day we visited and it was already crowded.

After taking your Instagram picture, you can turn right and continue walking around the lake to Fischunkelalm. The walk will take about 30 minutes and is mostly flat. There are some stairs towards the end of the hike that were quite slippery.

Fischunkelalm: After walking around Obersee, you will end at Fischunkelalm, which is essentially a small farm and picnic area. They sell beer, fresh milk, and a couple of local snacks – cash only. From here, you can continue on to hike to Röthbachfall, Germany’s highest waterfall at 400 meters. That hike will take about 30 minutes.

What to Wear

Wear shoes comfortable for hiking. While the walk around Königssee is not strenuous, the ground can be rocky, slippery, and muddy. My white Soludos sneakers ended the day much dirtier than they started! Most tourists were wearing proper hiking clothes and shoes but I was perfectly comfortable in my sneakers and sundress.

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