← Salzburg Marathon·3 nights

Berchtesgaden and Bad Reichenhall: Salt Across the Border

Two Bavarian salt towns, a mine, a spa town and a boat across the Königssee, spread over three nights with rest days between.

Duration3 nights
TransitRegional bus and train across the Austria-Germany border; check the timetables
DepartsSalzburg

After the Salzburg Marathon: Berchtesgaden and Bad Reichenhall

The Route: Salzburg → Bad Reichenhall → Berchtesgaden → Salzburg → Salzburg Airport (SZG) Logistics: Train from Salzburg to Bad Reichenhall, a bus on to Berchtesgaden, then back to Salzburg for the flight. Marathon Month: May Duration: 3 nights

Salzburg ──(train)──> Bad Reichenhall ──(bus)──> Berchtesgaden
                                                      │
Salzburg Airport (SZG) ◄──(bus 2)── Salzburg ◄────────┘

Salt links the three places in this itinerary. Salzburg takes its name from it, Bad Reichenhall boiled it for centuries and Berchtesgaden mined it.

May in the Berchtesgaden Alps: the high peaks still carry snow, the valley is green and the weather is changeable, with rain likely on some days. The Salzburg airport normal for May is a daytime high of about 19°C and a low of about 8°C, and the mountains are colder. Boat services on the Königssee run in the season, so check the timetable. Rest days matter here, because the temptation is to walk.

Take a train from Salzburg to Bad Reichenhall, which is across the border in Germany. Check the timetable and the fare at the operator's website. The Salzburg Guest Mobility Ticket is for the province and should not be assumed to cover the German side.

Night One: Bad Reichenhall

Bad Reichenhall is a spa town with a long salt-boiling history. The Old Salt Works (Alte Saline) is a restored industrial complex in the town, and a visit is mostly on level floors with some steps, so ask about access. The town's spa gardens are flat and laid out with benches, and a slow circuit takes under an hour.

For a bed, book a hotel in the spa district through the town's tourist office and ask for a room with a lift. For dinner, a Bavarian inn serving a roast pork dish with dumplings is the usual choice.

Nights Two and Three: Berchtesgaden

Take a regional bus on to Berchtesgaden. The Berchtesgaden Salt Mine gives you a guided underground tour in a miner's overall, with a ride on a mine train and a wooden slide that you can skip. Ask about stairs and the length of the tour before you commit.

The Königssee is a long, narrow alpine lake, and the boats on it are electric. The boat to St Bartholomä takes you across without a step of climbing. The walking at the far end is on level paths near the chapel, and the surrounding walls are steep. Check the boat timetable and the weather on the day, since high winds and mist can stop services.

Use the second day to rest. Berchtesgaden has a small old centre with a few level lanes, and a café is a better use of a morning than a hill. For a bed, book a guesthouse through the Berchtesgaden tourist office. Ask which restaurants are open on a Monday and Tuesday in May.

Getting to Salzburg Airport

Take the bus back to Salzburg, a journey of under an hour on most timetables, and then bus 2 to Salzburg Airport (SZG). The airport lists about 23 minutes for the final leg. Check the border-crossing bus times, because services are less frequent than in the city.