Bavaria’s Best-kept Secret

When I get to Berchtesgaden, having set off from Munich a few hours earlier, I quickly realise that the end is only, really the beginning. Disembarking the train at its terminus station, I look up at snow-capped peaks, all around. Nearby, an ice-cold, glacier-fed river rushes by. A perfectly pleasant place to spend a few days. But my journey isn’t yet complete.

SCALING THE PEAKS

Settling into the back of a cab, we climb. Up and up, around tight turns and hairpin bends. The driver is in a hurry, the taxi feeling a little like a rally car, so the scenery comes in flashes. The tree line opens to reveal an impossibly broad valley – then it’s gone. Another vision of a perfect little village, far below, quickly vanishes behind us. 

But as he steers up the broad, graceful drive of Kempinski Hotel Berchtesgaden, everything suddenly slows down. This is the end of the road, at least for the next few days. And I will learn that, no matter which way I look, the views are stunning. And the truest luxury? The hurry has passed, and I have plenty of time to enjoy it.

Kempinski Hotel Berchtesgaden is located in the heart of nature, at 1,000 metre above sea level.

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EXPLORING THE SURROUNDINGS

Straddling a ridge around 1,000 metres, the hotel feels like a castle in the clouds. Big windows and broad terraces bring the beautiful outside, in. And the inside matches the setting  – modern, but built with wood and stone, with flickering fireplaces and chandeliers made from antlers.

The Lobby Lounge & Kaminbar has a cosy Alpine atmosphere. 

The first instinct, upon arrival: just relax. And I do, that first day, stretching out by the pool and rambling around the resort. But soon enough, I’m restless. The mountains are calling.

Fortunately, the hotel has an activity concierge on hand to advise you on all the best ways to get some fresh air. “We’re in a national park, there’s something for everyone,” says Andreas Bäumler, when I visit his desk in the spacious lobby. 

He explains that while some come for thrills like whitewater rafting, many seek calmer, family friendly fun like strolling the wooden walkways at Wimbachklamm Gorge, or canoe trips and boat rides out on the blue waters of nearby Lake Konigsee. I explain that I’d like to stretch my legs, but by doing something on the leisurely side. 

The surrounding meadows and pastures are home to many animals, including cows. 

Diverse vistas are around every corner. 

Whatever the season, Berchtesgaden is a captivating Alpine haven.

Activity Concierge Andreas Bäumler will help you to make the most of your surroundings.

The giant swing is the best seat to enjoy the panorama. 

Mountain lakes can be the backdrop for a host of activities. 

Andreas makes a perfect suggestion. After he carefully gives me an outline and traces the route on a map, I spend the afternoon walking a winding path, regularly rewarded with sweeping views. Arriving at a historic cable car straight out of a Wes Anderson film, it spirits me down to the valley floor. The next day, he helps me book trip up to the Eagle’s Nest, a mountain summit with a dark history, but some of the finest vistas I’ve enjoyed anywhere. 

HIGH-ALTITUDE DINING

But perhaps the best part of any day? Coming back to the hotel for dinner. In the Lobby Lounge & Kaminbar, mixologist Sumit Kumar Saha serves me up smoked cocktails and gin drinks using local botanicals. And at Gourmet Restaurant PUR, the hotel’s signature restaurant – where Chef Ulrich Heimann has been honoured with two Michelin stars – I have one of the greatest culinary experiences of my life. 

In a cosy, hushed space with just a handful of tables, seven courses becomes more like eleven. More than than one amuse bouche, and much later, dessert in several parts. The plates present like pieces of art, the ingredients often local, and always, true to the restaurant’s name, very pure. Butter and cheese from high-altitude cows. Tyrollean shrimp, fresh that morning. Char that was swimming in a local lake until just recently. Chef himself emerges from his labours in the kitchen to pour a velvety sauce on a plate of steaming beef tenderloin. 

The next night – my last – I dine at Johann Grill. The meal is simpler, but still delicious.  A mountain salad with sheep’s cheese, followed by entrecôte with chanterelle cassoulet. Sitting out on the terrace, the mountains form a panorama. 

In Johann Grill culinary creations are served with a unique view of the mountains. 

PURE ALPINE LIFESTYLE

There’s a freedom here, I think, as the heat of the afternoon finally gives way to an Alpine evening. Kids runs and play, getting grass stains on their nice dinner clothes. Hiking paths wind right by the tables, and couples walk, hand-in-hand. The sun fades beyond the mountains, illuminating them from behind. A backlit natural masterpiece. One that I could sit here and enjoy, forever. 

If you enjoyed this, why not learn more about the hotel’s gourmet restaurant, PUR?