Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [305]
DJH hostel ( 943 70; www.berchtesgaden.jugendherberge.de; Struberberg 6; dm under/over 27yr €17.90/21.90) This 274-bed hostel is situated in the suburb of Strub, and has great views of Mt Watzmann. It’s a 25-minute walk from the Hauptbahnhof or a short journey on bus 839.
Hotel-Pension Greti ( 975 297; www.pension-greti.de; Waldhauserstrasse 20, Schönau; s €25-39, d €44-72; ) Warm and welcoming, and just a 15-minute walk from the Königssee, Greti’s rooms are surprisingly voguish and all have balconies. The cellar bar is perfect for some post-piste unwinding.
Hotel Krone ( 946 00; www.hotel-krone-berchtesgaden.de; Am Rad 5; s €38-53, d €70-106; ) This family-run gem, a short stroll from the town centre, has wonderful views of the valley and the Alps beyond. Country-cabin-style rooms are generously sized, with carved pine ceilings, niches and bedsteads. The sunny terrace is breakfast paradise.
Hotel Bavaria ( 660 11; www.hotelbavaria.net; Sunklergässchen 11; s €46-61, d €64-130; ) A short hop from the station, this guesthouse, run by the same family for a century, has romantically beamed rooms with four-poster beds and modern bathrooms. Looking at the views from some of the pricier quarters with balconies, you’d think the hotel had been lined up specially to catch the vistas.
Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten ( 9520; www.hotel-vierjahreszeiten-berchtesgaden.de; Maximilianstrasse 20; s €52-73, d €83-104; ) For a glimpse of Berchtesgaden’s storied past, stay at this traditional Alpine lodge where Bavarian royalty once entertained. Rooms have panoramic views of the mountains and the in-house restaurant couldn’t be more atmospheric.
Hotel Rosenbichl ( 944 00; www.hotel-rosenbichl.de; Rosenhofweg 24; d €56-68; ) This wellness hotel in the middle of the protected nature zone offers exceptional value. Room decor is a bit naff ’90s, but you get a lot of floor space for your euro. Guests also have the option of being steamed, boiled and fried in the sauna, whirlpool and solarium.
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Eating
Weekly farmers markets selling meats, cheese and other produce are held on the Marktplatz every Friday morning between April and October.
Holzkäfer ( 621 07; Buchenhöhe 40; dishes €4-9; 2pm-late, closed Tue) This funky log-cabin restaurant in the hills around Obersalzberg is a great spot for a night out with fun-loving locals. Crammed with antlers, carvings and backwoods oddities, it’s known for its tender pork roasts, dark beers and list of Franconian wines. There’s wheelchair access.
Bräustübl ( 976 724; Bräuhausstrasse 13; mains €8-14) Enter through the arch painted in Bavaria’s white and blue diamonds and pass the old beer barrels to reach a secluded beer garden. The vaulted hall is the scene of heel-whacking Bavarian stage shows every Saturday night.
Gastätte St Bartholomä ( 964 937; St Bartholomä; mains €8-15) On the shore of the Königsee, and reached by boat, this is a tourist haunt that actually serves delicious food made with ingredients picked, plucked and hunted from the surrounding forests and the lake. Savour generous platters of venison in mushroom sauce with dumplings and red sauerkraut, or grilled trout in the large beer garden or indoors.
Other options:
Dalmacija ( 976 027; Marktplatz 5; dishes €5-8) Pizzas, pastas and a whiff of the Balkans in a bistro-cafe teeming with young patrons.
Gasthaus Bier-Adam ( 2390; Markt 22; mains €9-22) Cheerful place with a good range of traditional fare.
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Getting There & Away
Travelling from Munich by train involves a change at Freilassing (€28.50, three hours). There are direct trains from Salzburg (€8.40, one hour), although RVO bus 840 (one-way/return €4.90/8.50) makes the trip in about 45 minutes and has more departures. Berchtesgaden is south of the Munich–Salzburg A8 autobahn.
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FRANCONIA
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Somewhere between Ingolstadt and Nuremberg, Bavaria’s accent mellows, the oompah bands play that little