Koenigssee

Emerald water, sheer cliffs and a trumpet echo you won’t forget. Here’s how to do Bavaria’s most beautiful lake as a day trip from Munich.

KOENIGSSEE: If someone asks me for one day trip from Munich that isn’t a castle, this is it. The Königssee (King’s Lake) sits right down in the south-east corner of Bavaria near Berchtesgaden, squeezed between mountains so steep there’s no road or path around most of it. The only way to see it properly is by boat.
The water is a ridiculous shade of green, and at the far end the Watzmann, Germany’s second-highest mountain, towers over everything. I camped down there one summer and still think about it.

ON THE POSTCARDS: The pilgrimage church of St. Bartholomä with the mountains of the Watzmann massif behind it. Picture: Stu Anderson

The boat trip and the echo

QUIET RIDE: The boats on the Königssee are electric, so all you hear is the water. Picture: Stu Anderson

Boats leave from the Seelände landing stage in Schönau, a five-minute walk from the bus stop and car park. They’re electric, so the trip is almost silent, which matters for what comes next.
About halfway to St. Bartholomä, the boat slows down next to a sheer cliff, the crewman opens a window, pulls out a flugelhorn and plays a few notes. A second or two later the rock wall plays them straight back to you. Then he plays a tune that overlaps with its own echo, and the whole boat goes quiet. Corny? A bit. But I defy anyone not to grin.

THE ECHO: Our boatman lines up his flugelhorn with the cliff. Picture: Stu Anderson

St. Bartholomä

After about 35 minutes you reach St. Bartholomä, the little pilgrimage church with the red onion domes that you’ve seen on a thousand calendars. It’s free to go in. Next door there’s an old hunting lodge of the Bavarian royals that’s now a restaurant and beer garden, and the local speciality is smoked char (Saibling) caught in the lake.
Your return ticket lets you take any boat back, so there’s no rush. Walk along the shore a little way and turn round for the view back up the lake.

ARRIVING: St. Bartholomä from the boat. Picture: Stu Anderson

LOOKING BACK: The view back up the lake from the shore at St. Bartholomä. Picture: Stu Anderson

The walk to the Eiskapelle

If you’ve got decent shoes and a bit of energy, walk from St. Bartholomä up to the Eiskapelle (Ice Chapel). It’s a permanent snowfield at the foot of the Watzmann’s enormous east face, where meltwater carves a cave into the ice. The path climbs gently past a tiny white chapel and then up a rocky valley. Allow three to four hours for the round trip.

ON THE WAY: The little chapel on the path up from St. Bartholomä. Picture: Stu Anderson

A serious warning, though. When I went you could stand at the mouth of the ice cave, and the photos below were taken then. Since then the cave has collapsed, and the Berchtesgaden tourist office strongly warns people not to go into the area. Big chunks of ice fall without any warning. Look from a safe distance and don’t climb onto the snowfield.
After heavy rain, and while the snow is melting in spring and early summer, the streams on the path can be hard to cross too.

THE APPROACH: The rocky valley below the Watzmann east face. Picture: Stu Anderson

THE ICE CAVE: Taken years ago. The cave has since collapsed, so don’t go near it. Picture: Stu Anderson

Going further: Salet and the Obersee

Some boats carry on past St. Bartholomä to Salet at the far end of the lake, about an hour from Schönau. From there it’s a short walk to the Obersee, a smaller lake hemmed in by cliffs, with a waterfall at the end. It’s even quieter than the Königssee and well worth the extra time if you’ve got it.

EVENING: Looking down the lake as the day-trippers head home. Picture: Stu Anderson

Getting there from Munich

• By train and bus. Take the train to Berchtesgaden, changing at Freilassing. The fastest connections take about two and three-quarter hours. From Berchtesgaden station, buses 840, 841 and 843 run to Königssee. It’s a long day, so get an early train.
• Bayern-Ticket. If you’re going by train, the Bayern-Ticket covers regional trains for a whole day and is usually the cheapest way to do it, especially in a group. Check it also covers the bus when you buy it.
• By car. Head for Schönau am Königssee. There’s a big pay car park on Seestraße, five minutes from the landing stage.
• Stay over. It’s worth a night if you can. Schönau is lovely in the evening once the coaches have gone.

NIGHT FALLS: Schönau am Königssee after the crowds have gone. Picture: Stu Anderson

Boat times and prices

• Times. In high summer (27 June to 14 September 2026) the first boat leaves Seelände at 8am and the last at 4.45pm. It’s about 35 minutes to St. Bartholomä and an hour to Salet. Boats run less often in spring, autumn and winter, and in winter they sometimes only go as far as St. Bartholomä.
• Prices. Expect to pay roughly €20 for an adult return to St. Bartholomä and roughly €29 to Salet, with reduced fares for kids. Tickets are sold at the landing stage on the day.
• Go early. On a sunny summer day the queues for the boats get long by mid-morning. The first boat or two of the day is the way to go.
• Swimming. You can swim, but the water rarely gets above 20°C and you have to stay out of the boats’ way. Lilos and inflatable boats aren’t allowed.
Times and prices checked October 2026. Check the Bayerische Seenschifffahrt website before you go, as they change from season to season.

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