Hello All! I hope to get a place in or near Berchtesgaden for one month during the summer of 2027. I plan on having each of my grown children to bring their families and stay with me (Grandma) for a week at a time. The largest family has five children that will range in ages 7-17. The other families each have three children--two with younger kids, including a baby in one, but one with three grown children. I plan on using the rental as a home base for the week for each family's visit. I will be there for the whole month. We will explore the area, take day trips, etc. based on their interests. I've been looking for homes to rent and am torn between being somewhere more rural with a beautiful nature setting and views, but where you need a car for everything or somewhere in a town where you can take walks to enjoy and explore the neighborhood. There are pros and cons to both I know. I'd love some insight into this situation and any advice you can give. I lived in Germany as a kid and want to share the magic that southern Germany has to offer. Each family's visit with have some of the same things on their to-do list, but there will also be differences based on their intersts and the ages of their children. I am a very active and fit 62 year old and will be able to do any hikes and adventures the children can do. I also want to show them the highlights of the area that I remember from previous vists many years ago. Any suggestions of home rentals and activities/sights are much appreciated. Thank you!
Posted by
Oberpfalz, Germany
1660 posts
You might consider 1-3 holiday apartments in Ramsau b. Berchtesgaden. There is local bus service, but might be a bit of a walk. There have been many recommendations in the forum over the years for apartments in the region. I would book as soon as you make a decision, as they fill fast. A year out should be considered. just an example: https://www.vorderloiplsau.de/index.html
https://www.foto-webcam.eu/webcam/vorderloiplsau/
Schönau am Königssee too.
https://www.unterartenreit.de/index.html
https://www.foto-webcam.eu/webcam/funtenseetauern/
Posted by
358 posts
the thing that jumps out of the question is that you will need a tourist rental with 8 beds, that reduces choice. If you get fussy and want the 8 beds split between a certain number of rooms the choice is even less. You could go for two adjoining smaller properties - but they would have to have the same availablity. You need to find out what is actually possible before discussing pros and cons of locations. Search the whole of Berchtesgadenland (often abbreviated BGL)
Bad Reichenhall is interesting. Small town with good facilities and good regional bus network (it's also end of the line for a Salzburg city route!). The retail/dining area is traffic free and flat. Short bus ride to local swimming lake in the mountains, plus walks, and it's own standout cable car. The hotpsot of Berchtesgaden isn't far and you get there by local train or bus.
https://www.bad-reichenhall.de/en/home
Easy to reach from Munich airport by train but if anyone can work out flight connections (say at Frankfurt) to Salzburg (SZG) it's just an 8 mile taxi ride away!
and wet day entertainment for young and old a short bus ride away https://www.traumwerk.de/en/
Posted by
1050 posts
We stayed outside of Ramsau b.b. at a family run hotel with a fantastic patio overlooking the valley below HochKalter. Great hikes and access to lots of area sites either with a car or by accessing the free to us mini-busses.
A short hike up past Wimbachklamm starts steep but pays off. You can continue up the mountain to one of the alpine huts for lunch or even all the way up to the peak if you're super serious. Too many other dayhikes to mention but check out alltrails.com for an overview.
The kids will love the salt mine in Berchtesgaden, history buffs will appreciate the various nazi sites, you're close to Konigsee for the tram and the boats, and nearby Salzburg offers plenty of day trip options.
You're gonna have a great time.
Posted by
Bellingham, WA
1968 posts
Me.crewe is correct that the type of property you want/need might be hard to find. My policy toward children, even if they are "grown" but not paying, is that they can sleep on the floor if necessary. I would say you could make do with 5 beds in 3 bedrooms if there are other places for the 5 school-age kids to spread out. Set the map wide, plug in all your minimum criteria and budget. Keep your dates flexible for now, and see what you find. I looked quickly at AirBnB and saw that I couldn't search for next summer's availability yet, but I did get a lot of options.
If your total number of visiting families is 3, not 4, then I suggest you consider getting a place for yourself, maybe in a town, for the first week so you can learn the local transportation. It might also save you quite a bit of money (although 30-day rentals often involve a substantial discount).
On behalf of your ungrateful teenage grandkids, thank you for doing this, Grandma.
Posted by
Germany
373 posts
Another vote for 2 Holiday appartments in the same house (Look for Ferienwohnung)
1 Appartment for 4 weeks for you and another appartment for 1 week each for the "visitors"
For ex the Wiesenhäusel in Bischofswiesen between Bad Reichenhall and Berchtesgaden 15min drive
the Kressenlehen near Berchtesgaden 5min drive
or one we liked most Gasthof Dürrlehen with Restaurant in Maria Gern
Remote spot 10min drive above Berchtesgaden
They do have nice Holiday appartments but they are booked out very often
There are many more near Berchtsgaden
Posted by
OP
Gilbert, AZ, USA
20 posts
Thank you for all your suggestions! I am wanting to have "family time" all together so I'm thinking that two separate apartments won't work for that. I also want so save money and have our meals that we prepare in the home sometimes. The youngest in the large family is pretty young and can squeeze in anywhere. Is that allowed? Also, to clarify, there will be me plus four separate familes (my four children with their families) each coming for a week at a time.