Culture & Traditions

Folklore and traditions are part of everyday life in the Berchtesgadener Land. They are bred into each new generation - the Bavarian way of its life is not fashioned by trends but follows its well defined course.

Our people are open-minded yet self-confident, they are prepared for the new ideas yet well versed in old customs. Here are no clichés: the visitor experiences unaltered and genuine folklore carried down through the centuries. They stem from an unusual blend of a deep-rooted sense of tradition, customs as part of daily life and a clear perception of the present times.

Founded in 1102 as a priory of Augustine canons, the area flourished thanks to the discovery of salt (white gold) under the mountains.

From 1491 on, Berchtesgaden was recognized as a semi-independent principality within the German Emprie; its leaders, termed Prince-Provosts, were both heads of the Church and heads of State. After its secularization by Napoleon in the early 1800s, Berchtesgaden was annexed to Bavaria and soon became a summer residence for Bavaria's royal family.

Berchtesgaden's historical town center offers the visitor a number of interesting sights.