40 years of Berchtesgaden National Park

The only Alpine National Park in Germany celebrates an anniversary in 2018: Berchtesgaden National Park was founded 40 years ago.

An amazing natural environment with little human intervention

Almost 40 years since it was founded, Berchtesgaden National Park attracts a million visitors each year – and for good reason, as this protected area offers pure relaxation in untouched natural surroundings.

History and attractions of the National Park

This part of the Berchtesgaden Region was given protection by a National Park decree on 1 August 1978. Since then, the nature reserve has covered 218 square kilometers in the Bavarian Alps. The National Park is home to many rare plant and animal species as well as Lake Königssee (the cleanest lake in Germany), the Jenner, the Steinerne Meer (Sea of Stone) and the Watzmann – at 2,713 m the highest mountain in the park.
The National Park also sets out to educate its visitors: the permanent exhibition “Vertical Wilderness” in the Haus der Berge, which is located at the Berchtesgaden entrance to the park, uses a simulated walk through a steadily rising landscape panorama to inform visitors about the habitats in Berchtesgaden National Park. Through light and sound effects, visitors also get the sense of moving through the changing seasons.

Out and about in nature

Explore untouched nature on long hikes in Berchtesgaden National Park: a 250 km network of hiking trails leads through the whole park. You can choose whether to observe the diversity of species in the National Park on a short walk or embark on a longer hike up the Watzmann or Jenner mountains in order to enjoy magnificent views over the park.