Berchesgaden

I am a big fan of Bertchesgaden. There are many outdoor things to do there, if you are so inclined.

We lived in Augsburg for four years and visited Berchtesgaden a few times. We would plan a ski vacation in late December.
Also, we visited in the Summer to do the Eagles Nest.
Salzburg is close and deserved more time there than Berchtesgaden.
We drove there, not sure of the rail connections, but there is a great rail connection from Munich to Salzburg.

We visited during that time and we LOVED the area. You get a lot of warm, clear days and cool nights. I wouldn't really call Berchtesgaden "cute" or small. It's a busy little town.

We had a car, which for that short of a trip is kinda necessary. They do have bus service, but you'll burn too much time waiting and connecting.

We stayed here https://hotel-nutzkaser.com/en/hotel-english/ (no affiliation) and we LOVED the place. We'd go out on day trips or hikes and come home to an amazing view, cold beer and really good Austrian food. It was a few minutes drive to tiny Ramsau and there are myriad little drives you could take around there to check out amazing views.

We Day tripped a couple days to Salzburg and did some of the RS walking tours. We combined it w a stop at the Salt Mine and lunch/shopping in Berchtesgaden. The Nazi sites were mostly closed for work so we missed them.

We also day tripped to Konigsee to do the boat ride and take the Jennerbahn Gondola. Lots of hiking possibilities in the area.

We really just scratched the surface on our trip, but it was one of our favorite spots.

September would be a great time to visit. You can get there by train, or a combination of Bus and train, it all depends on how schedules mesh as to what is best. There are a few direct trains, but not really any faster, then there are trains with a couple changes, or like I said a combination of bus and train, or even all bus routes.

I my opinion, the town is pretty spread out. The old town center is well away from the train and bus station (and an uphill climb), with hotels all over the town. It maybe is better by car, but if you are up for walking, and maybe use a cab here and there, it is fine.

All the trains I've got from Munich to Berchtesgaden via Freilassing (admittedly in peak season) have been so rammed over the last few years, for my next trip I'm planning to get the train to Salzburg and the bus back. https://albus.at/de/linie-840-watzmannexpress-2020/

(Being stuck in Freilassing after a delay is also un-fun, especially in the rain - last time we switched to a local train to Bad Reichenhall and got the bus from there.)

The centre of Berchtesgaden is pleasant, as are some of the hotels by the river. Getting between the Altstadt and the station requires a lot of stairs, keeping an eagle eye on the bus timetable (some buses terminate at the station) or a taxi. If you're primarily interested in outdoor activities and don't have a car, Ramsau - probably as a destination in its own right - or Schönau - for Königsee - are a lot easier as bases logistically.

Berchtesgaden itself is perfectly doable as a place to stay, but if you want to make, say, the first Königsee ferry on a weekend, or an evening bus back from the Jennerbahn, it requires exact timing and crowd tolerance. (On the other hand, parking at Königsee on a really nice day may not be that easy either!) If you mainly want the Eagle's Nest or the Obersalzbergbahn, it matters less.

Oh, and if you want a tasty excursion on foot or by bus, car or cable car - https://www.windbeutelbaron.de/

My wife and I totally love Berchtesgaden. I went there first in 2019 because I'm a big World War II guy and I wanted to see where Hitler lived on the Obersalzberg. After one look at the town center of Berchtesgaden that was it. We went back and spent 9 days there from Sept 8-17 last year. It poured rain 7 of the days but we went out anyway, with umbrellas and parkas.

We used public transportation the entire time. Flying into Munich we took the train to Freelassing, switching trains there and then off to Berchtesgaden. We had a slip up at Freelassing because our train to Berchtesgaden was scheduled to be on a certain track but arrived on another track a distance away from where we were waiting. Needless to say, we missed the train but caught the next one an hour later. So, watch carefully the train connections and updates-I think a smart phone with internet access is the best bet to check schedules.

There are several hotels around the area and up in the town center; we stayed in the town center at the Four Seasons. There are others down the hill about a mile away that are good too.
You used to be able to use the walkway from the train station to a trail up hill to the town center, but the walkway over the tracks is closed. There are steps replacing the walkway, but I would not suggest using the steps and trail up hill, simply use the great bus system they have. You can get bus schedules that will practically stop everywhere you need to go. It was better bus service then what I get in my local city here in the states. The red busses stop at the train station and branch out from there.

Be sure and go down the Konigssee lake, bus takes you there. And take the boat ride down the lake to St Bartholoma. Just magnificent!

Be sure and spend a day up at the Kehlsteinhaus also magnificent. You can eat there too.

Be sure and take the Salt Mine tour very interesting (Salzbergwerk Berchtesgaden)

There is also a local museum that showcases the woodwork and all the local arts and crafts from the last 400 years. Pretty interesting too. (Museum Schloss Adelsheim)

On the Obersalzberg is the Obersalzberg Documentation Center worth a visit if you are into World War II and the Hitler terror he caused.

Its a 15 kilometer bus trip down to Salzburg Austria, you can spend the day down there. Beautiful city, tour the Hohensalzburg Castle, the Mirabell Gardens is great too. Salzburg has a great shopping restaurant walking area too.

We took the bus to Ramsau and Maria Gern as well as Lake Hintersee.
There is more in Berchtesgaden, just sitting in the town square and looking at all the mountains surrounding you is enough for me. I'm trying to figure out a way to move from the US to Berchtesgaden. I like it that much!

I was in Berchtesgaden last October and enjoyed it except for a problem with the bus to Salzburg. On a Friday mourning around 10 am or so, 3 buses to Salzburg were so full the driver would not let anyone else on. So after a couple hours of this we gave up and asked the train station ticket booth person and he said the train was free to the next main station that was still in Germany (can’t remember the name) were you would change to take the train to Salzburg (you would have to pay for that part).

Thank you all for sharing your experiences and suggestions ..
Probably my visit will be in October . When I dig into details for accommodation, I could not find many options at middle-class hotels .Some hotels seem to be closed (Nutzkaser-- Thank you for recommendations.. It really looks nice but ı think closed now) . Actually, I think planning should have been made earlier ..I will search again ..maybe I can give up :(

Thank you again..

Best,
Aslı

asliyz try the Four Seasons, or the correct name: Vierjahreszeiten

https://www.hotel-vierjahreszeiten-berchtesgaden.de/
We thought Vierjahreszeiten was a very nice old style but maintenance excellent. Has the old world feel to it.

In 2019 we stayed at Hotel Gruenberger. Which was nice but more modern.

https://hotelgruenberger.de/

I would pick Vierjahreszeiten again. Both have the free breakfast, both have a big layout of everything, not just toast and waffles like they have in America. Both breakfasts are great, both have traditional German and Americanized breakfast, but Vierjahreszeiten is geared more to German breakfast. I found the greatest mustard at the Vier-Develey Weisswurst Senf. I've never tasted anything better. Now I buy it online, can't live without it!