11 Top Photo Spots in Berchtesgaden in 2024
Berchtesgadener Land is filled to the brim with outstanding photo spots. Home to Berchtesgaden National Park, this area in the very southeastern corner of Germany is one of the countries most beautiful areas. From crystal clear mountain lakes to snow covered peaks and picturesque towns like Ramsau and Bad Reichenhall, Berchtesgaden not only offers everything you might want from a relaxed holiday close to nature, but it also sports an impressive amount of world class photo spots.
The whole area is quite well connected with public transport and you can reach almost every point of interest hopping on a bus. However, if photography is your main focus, i’d highly recommend to travel by car. This gives you a maximum of flexibility, you can hit way more photo spots in a short amount of time and you can make sure to get to the locations when the light is best without being bound to the schedule of a public bus .
We based ourselves in Bad Reichenhall and spent 5 full days exploring and photographing some of the best angles and photo locations Berchtesgaden has to offer. Most of these photo spots are extremely popular and shots can be found all over Instagram, however, it still took us some time researching the exact locations and the best time to shoot them. So hopefully this guide to the best photo spots in Berchtesgaden helps you to save some time and get away with your own version of these awesome shots.
Berchtesgaden Photo Spot 01
Hintersee
📍Location: 47.608679, 12.855093
Hintersee is probably Berchtesgaden’s most popular photo spot.
Let’s start with this incredibly popular photo spot. It really has everything a landscape photographer could wish for and you’ve probably seen shots of this location on Instagram. Some fir trees growing on big boulders, getting reflected in a crystal clear mountain lake. Mountains are looming in the background, covered in a thin layer of morning fog covers the catching the first sun rays of the day.
Hintersee certainly enjoys quite a hype among the photo community and thus you’ll find it difficult to have this location all to yourself. The best time to shoot this photo spot is in the early morning when the mountains catch a bit of alpine glow before the rising sun hits the fir trees on the boulders. If you’re lucky (this mostly happens in autumn) a thin layer of fog is wafting above Hintersee and creates an almost unearthly beautiful atmosphere.
There’s a free parking lot right in front of restaurant Seeklause and early in the morning you won’t have problems getting one of the 16 parking spots. From here it’s only a short 5 minute walk along the north shore to the most popular photo spot of Hintersee.
After filling your memory card with a bazillion shots of Hintersee, make sure not to miss the photo spots in the vicinity. A stroll around the lake is beautiful, especially early in the morning and there are more nice shots to be had here.
Berchtesgaden Photo Spot 02
Zauberwald
📍Location: 47.605601, 12.858996
The Zauberwald near Hintersee is littered with beautiful compositions and photo spots.
I couldn’t think of a more appropriate name. Zauberwald translates as “Magic Forest” and this unspoiled mountain forest certainly feels enchanted. The water that feeds the river comes from Hintersee and has an almost unreal turquoise color to it. Ramsauer Ache winds it’s way through small gorges and around moss covered boulders. A small circular footpath follows the river all the way to a small restaurant (Wirtshaus Zauberwald). This makes for a perfect spot to have a short brake and a snack before making your way back to Hintersee.
Berchtesgaden Photo Spot 03
Aschauerweiher Strasse
📍Location: 47.644954, 12.979188
Aschauerweiherstraße is a great Photo Spot to catch the alpine glow on the Watzmann massif in Berchtesgaden.
Aschauerweiherstraße connects Bischofswiesn with Berchtesgaden and here you can find some awesome photo spots to get some unobstructed shots of Germany’s third highest mountain, the Watzmann. It’s part of the Watzmann massif which includes the Watzmannfrau (Watzmann wife) on the left hand side as well as the Watzmannkinder (Watzmnan children), the five lower peaks in the middle.
Early morning is a great time to hit this photo spot. On a clear day, the peaks catch some alpine glow and sometimes the pastures and fields in the foreground are covered in a layer of mist.
It’s not too easy to find a good location to park your car, but there are some spots where you can pull over without obstructing traffic. The road isn't too busy, especially in the morning and we parked right opposite the spot from where I took this photo.
Berchtesgaden Photo Spot 04
Maria Gern Church
📍Location: 47.654480, 13.002828
Maria Gern church with the Watzmann massif glowing in the background.
Alongside Hintersee and the boathouse at Obersee, the small church of Maria Gern is one of the absolute prime photo spots in Berchtesgaden. This location works well in the evening but in my opinion even better in the morning, when the Watzmann glows in the first light of day. I took this photo right after hitting the previous photo spot at Aschauerweiherstraße since the two locations are just a few minutes drive apart.
Despite the undeniable beauty of this photo spot, I found it quite difficult to shoot it and struggled to find a good composition and balance. It would be ideal to walk up the small path on the side of the road but unfortunately it’s private land and it seems like the owner isn’t a big fan of photographers setting up tripods on his property.
Coming from Berchtesgaden you can drive past the church and park your car on the right side of the road, just a few meters behind the next turn. This is also the best spot I found to set up your tripod and capture a few images of Maria Gern sitting against the breathtaking Watzmann backdrop.
Berchtesgaden Photo Spot 05
Locksteinstrasse
📍Location: 47.638515, 13.007936
The photo spot at Locksteinstrasse works in the morning as well as in the evening.
After you’re done shooting the photo spots at Aschauerweiherstraße and Maria Gern, continue on in the direction of Berchtesgaden. You gonna pass through the village Am Etzerschlößl and after the road takes a sharp right turn, you’ll be presented with one of the best views of the town of Berchtesgaden.
Again, early morning is a great time to hit this photo spot when the rising sun illuminates the spires of St. Peter and John the Baptist Church as well as the Watzmann massif in the background.
Unless you’re a resident, this is a no parking zone but we didn’t have any problems parking our car on the right side of Locksteinstrasse for a few minutes to get some shots.
Berchtesgaden Photo Spot 06
St. Sebastian Church in Ramsau
📍Location: 47.607392, 12.897102
This photo of St. Sebastian Church in Ramsau was taken at sunset.
You probably stumbled upon photos of St. Sebastian Church in your instagram feed. This church in the village of Ramsau definitely deserves a spot on your list of things to photograph in Berchtesgaden. The Ramsauer Ache river (you already came across it in Zauberwald) and the wooden bridge provide ideal foreground elements to this picture perfect scene.
We shot this photo spot in the morning as well as in the evening and personally I prefer the evening images. The sun sets behind the church and the mountains, and if you’re lucky the clouds might catch a nice warm glow.
Berchtesgaden Photo Spot 07
Rossfeld Panorama Street
📍Location: 47.626837, 13.092256
Sunset view from the top of Rossfeld Panorama Straße.
This photo spot came as a bit of a surprise. We read about Rossfeld Panorama Street but the fact that you have to pay a toll (8€ per car) to access the road put us off a little. In the end I’m very glad we decided to give it a shot since the views you’re presented with are rather on the spectacular side.
I’d suggest to come here an hour before sunset to enjoy the views and take some shots. There’s ample parking along Rossfeld Panorama Street and not a lot of traffic.
We spent some time walking the short circular track at the highest point of Rossfeld Panorama Street and took a bunch of nice images at golden hour. And since the weather forecast was promising (it was new moon as well as the hight of the annual perseid meteor shower), we decided to stick around even longer and get some night sky / Milky Way shots.
You can find some more info about Rossfeld Panoramastrasse on the official website.
Berchtesgaden Photo Spot 08
Kirchleitn Kapelle
📍Location: 47.636167, 13.001995
Kirchleitn Kapelle with the Watzmann massif in the background. A great photo spot to get some night shots.
The little Kirchleitn Kapelle became one of Berchtesgaden’s most popular landmarks and is one of the most photographed buildings in all of Bavaria. And that’s for a good reason. The view over Berchtesgaden and towards Watzmann mountain is absolutely gorgeous.
We decided to shoot this location in the evening and were hoping for a nice sunset which didn’t really materialize. However, soon after sunset the clouds disappeared and we were able to get some images of Kirchleitn Kapelle with the Milky Way shimmering in the background.
You can walk up here from Berchtesgaden in 15 to 20 minutes. If you prefer coming up here by car, there’s a small parking lot for about 4 cars right next to the chapel.
Berchtesgaden Photo Spot 09
Höglwörth Monastery
📍Location: 47.813938, 12.846514
This photo spot is great to get some sunset shots of Höglwört Monastery.
This photo spot at Höglwörth Monastery isn’t nearly as popular as some of the other locations listed in this guide and we stumbled upon it by accident.
The privately owned monastery is just a 15 minute drive away from Bad Reichenhall. Parking next to the monastery is free and it’s a nice short walk around the lake which you can also swim in.
Although we only photographed this location in the evening, I assume it also works in the morning. On a calm day the Höglwörther See creates a perfect reflection and really ties the whole scene together.
Berchtesgaden Photo Spot 10
Königssee
📍Location: 47.556178, 12.978383
An early morning shot of Königssee getting reflected in the window of one of the electric passenger boats.
Being the so called “gem of the Alps”, Königssee (Kings Lake) is supposed to be the cleanest and most beautiful lake in all of Germany. And it doesn’t come as a surprise that such superlatives result in an incredible amount of tourists from all over the world flocking to this location in the very southeast of Berchtesgadener Land.
Personally I think Königssee can’t hold a candle to Hintersee but it’s nevertheless a beautiful place. To get some good aerial photos of Königssee, you can hike the Malerwinkel, a circular hiking trail starting at the massive car park. However, I think the signature shot of Königssee can be taken out of one of the electric passenger boats that bring you either to St. Bartholomä or all the way to Salet / Obersee. You can easily buy tickets for the boat online.
It’s absolutely worth it to try and catch the earliest boat possible. Not only will it be less crowded, but the lake is more calm and the light especially beautiful. On your way to St. Bartholomä / Salet, try and get a seat on the right hand side of the boat since this is the side that gets illuminated by the rising sun.
Berchtesgaden Photo Spot 11
Obersee
📍Location: 47.512931, 12.993789
One of the two wooden boathouses at Obersee and one of the best photo spots in Berchtesgaden.
The only way to reach the magnificent Obersee is to take one of the passenger boats travelling up and down Königssee. I can’t stress enough how important it is to try and get a ticket for one of the first boats in the morning. This will make your experience and photos of Obersee infinitely better, believe me. It’s just more fun to photograph this gorgeous area without having to wait in line to get the shot you want.
You can easily buy tickets for the boat online and avoid the long queues forming in front of the ticket booths at the pier.
Although the whole area is picture perfect material and there’s dozens of beautiful compositions and shots to be had, the main attraction is a wooden boathouse sitting picturesquely at the north-western shore of Obersee. Coming down the small path from Königssee you simply can’t miss it.
We spent some time photographing the boathouse and had a quick snack before continuing on our way to Fischunkelalm. And this is where we were pleasantly surprised to find a second wooden boathouse. In my opinion this one is even more photogenic than the first one and there’s far less people who want to take shot of this photo spot which makes the experience of photographing it just so much more enjoyable.
I really hope this guide to the best photo spots in Berchtesgaden is helpful and inspires you to go out there and shoot. If you happen to visit any of the locations mentioned in this photo guide, feel free to tag me over on Instagram @TravelPixelz and I’m happy to share them in my stories.
Do you have any additional tips for fellow travel photographers concerning other good photo locations in Berchtesgaden? If so, please share them in the comments below.
For more photos from Berchtesgaden, Germany and around the world follow me on Instagram @TravelPixelz
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