Visitor Attractions

Pope Benedict XVI, who was born in this near market town, has shown his attachment to his hometown by numerous official and private visits. He once referred to the town with its sanctuary as “The heart of Bavaria and one of the hearts of Europe”.
For more than 1250 years, the town has been the spiritual centre of Bavaria. It is primarily the “Gnadenkapelle” Chapel that draws annually more than one million pilgrims and visitors to the town. Presumably, the small sanctuary was built around the year 700 as an early Christian Baptist Church in the very centre of the large “Kapellplatz” square surrounded by Baroque-style buildings. Inside the Chapel houses the silver shrines containing the hearts of the Bavarian kings and prince electors as well as precious burial gifts.

The town of Bad Reichenhall owes its fame to its salt mine and is now one of the most sought-after Bavarian health and holiday resorts. The town with state-owned spa facilities is located in the fascinating mountain scenery of the Alpine foothills and enjoys a healthy climate.
The town is overlooked by mountains, such as “Schlafende Hexe”, “Predigtstuhl” and “Staufen”, which rise up high towards the “white and blue” sky. You can comfortably climb to the top of “Predigtstuhl” mountain using the cable car. The old salt mining town also provides ample opportunities for cultural experiences and first-class entertainment. The performances of the Bad Reichenhall Symphony Orchestra are highlights in the annual event calendar.

In the village of Ramsau, you can visit the world famous “Saint Sebastian” Church, a chocolate box sight. The village of Ramsau is situated beside the road, which was once used to ship the salt, extracted in the “Berchtesgaden” county, to the “Salzburger Land” county. The tree trunks cut in local woodlands were thrown in the “Ramsauer Ache” river to float down to the collection place.
In the surroundings, there are numerous pleasant walks taking the visitor, for example, to the “Klausbachtal” glen, “Hintersee” tarn and “Taubensee” tarn, “Wimbachklamm” gorge, the “Brine Duct” and “Zauberwald” woodland.
The mystique and mysterious “Zauberwald” woodland has been labelled by the Bavarian Department for Environment as a special conservation area.

The narrow Lake “Königssee”, surrounded by high mountains, such as “Watzmann” mountain, lies in the heart of “Berchtesgadener Land” county in the southeastern corner of Bavaria. From the viewpoints “Malerwinkel” and “Rabenwand”, the visitor can soak up splendid views of the lake. With the “Malerwinkel” viewpoint having been for a long time a popular place to enjoy the outlook towards the lake, the view has determined the classic image of the lake. You can see there from far the famous “Sankt Bartholomä” Church nestling on the lakeshore, surrounded by a fascinating natural scenery.

The romantic and quaint village of Ruhpolding, located in the upper Bavarian “Traunstein” district, has 6,500 inhabitants. The village, surrounded by the mountains of the “Chiemgau Alps”, is a place to enjoy great nature experiences in any season.
Several cable cars and lifts take the visitors to the top of the mountains overlooking the village. You can use a large gondola to climb to the summit of “Rauschberg” mountain. A double-seater chairlift takes you to the top of “Unternberg” mountain.

The ski resort of “Reit im Winkl” is also a major climatic health resort and a paradise for walking enthusiasts. It is renowned far beyond the Bavarian borders for its excellent snow conditions. The village is set at an altitude of 695 metres above sea level in the heart of the Bavarian Alps.
The hundreds of years old farmhouses nestling in an unspoilt and unaltered natural scenery give the village a unique character.