Berchtesgaden National Park

Experience pure nature in Germany’s only alpine national park

Established in 1978, Berchtesgaden National Park—Germany’s first and only alpine national park—was created as a sanctuary for untouched nature. Today, you’ll discover it’s much more than a protected area. The park also serves as a hub for research, recreation, and environmental education.

With more than 250 kilometers of hiking trails and alpine routes, it’s the perfect place for hiking in Bavaria. Around 21,000 hectares are designated as strict conservation zone—an untouched landscape where nature is left entirely to its own rhythm. Here, a unique world of wildlife and alpine plants has reclaimed its place in the mountains.

Berchtesgaden National Park is also part of the UNESCO Biosphere Region Berchtesgadener Land. Listen to birdsong, spot gentian and edelweiss in bloom, and watch marmots, bearded vultures, and golden eagles in their natural habitat.

All year round, themed hikes invite you to explore the park from new perspectives. Choose from guided excursions, group tours, or family-friendly adventures—and experience Germany’s only alpine national park up close.

Das Haus der Berge: das Informations- und Bildungszentrum des Nationalparks Berchtesgaden

Haus der Berge–"House of the Mountains"

As you arrive in Berchtesgaden, Haus der Berge—the National Park’s information and education center—is one of the first places you’ll encounter.

Step inside the permanent exhibition “Vertical Wilderness” and experience nature across every altitude—from the bottom of Lake Königssee all the way up to the summit of Mount Watzmann.

Explore Haus der Berge

Rangerin Sabrina Augenstein im Nationalpark Berchtesgaden

Ranger Sabrina Augenstein

Welcome to the National Park! To keep our natural environment as beautiful, we kindly ask you: Please take your trash home with you, do not pick any flowers, and stay on the marked trails. This will help protect wildlife like chamois and marmots, and with a bit of luck, you might even spot them. Please refrain from using drones, making campfires, or camping. With your consideration, this precious natural environment will be preserved for everyone!

National park information points

Berchtesgaden National Park keeps you informed—even while you’re out exploring.

National park information point Klausbachhaus
Ramsau
Open today
St. Bartholomä National Park information point
Schönau a. Königssee
Open today
Berchtesgadener Bergbahn AG
Jenner summit station National Park information point
Schönau a. Königssee
Bergerlebnis Berchtesgaden
Wimbachbrücke National Park information point
Ramsau
Open today

Ride the bus into the valley of eagles and alpine pastures

Hop aboard the ALMErlebnisBUS at Klausbachhaus at Hintersee in the mountaineering village of Ramsau. Passing by the many alpine pastures of the Klausbach valley, the historic salt trading route takes you to the Hirschbichl border crossing and on to Weißbach near Lofer in the Saalachtal valley of Salzburg.

Ride the ALMErlebnisBUS

Alpine pastures in the National Park

Berchtesgaden National Park is more than a protected landscape. Up on its alpine pastures, living tradition is still part of everyday life. Just as it has been for centuries, livestock graze these high meadows—helping rare plant species flourish that wouldn’t survive without alpine farming.

And when you’re out hiking, the alpine pasture huts are more than scenic stops—they’re welcoming destinations along the way.

Explore alpine pastures

Winter in the National Park

When nature lies dormant beneath a thick blanket of snow, marmots and hedgehogs go into hibernation. But with a keen eye—and a bit of understanding of the snow—there’s still plenty to discover out here.

Winter in the National Park

Experience the National Park

Narrow trails, rushing streams, or a few steps can quickly become barriers—whether you have limited mobility or you’re out exploring with a stroller. That’s why Berchtesgaden is part of a model initiative dedicated to making nature accessible to everyone.

Across the National Park, new infrastructure is designed with accessibility in mind. You can easily visit the suspension bridge and the wildlife viewing platform in the Klausbach valley, as well as the Haus der Berge information center in Berchtesgaden—comfortably and without obstacles, whether you’re using a wheelchair or traveling with a stroller.

Accessible hikes
Explore accessible experiences in Berchtesgaden National Park with barrier-free trails, scenic viewpoints and unforgettable alpine nature around Königssee.
The suspension bridge in the Klausbach valley
Ramsau
Open at all times
The wildlife feeding area in the Klausbach valley
Ramsau
Open at all times
Plants in the national park
Discover rare alpine plants in Berchtesgaden National Park, from edelweiss and gentian to fragrant alpine rose.
Wildlife in the national park
Discover the wildlife of Berchtesgaden National Park, where golden eagles, bearded vultures, marmots, deer and chamois thrive in protected alpine habitats.