Germany is large and diverse. If you want to cycle in Germany, you really have endless options. You can travel through the hilly landscape in the Eifel or for example the Teutoburg Forest driving. In the Black Forest you have steep climbs and the central mountain range is in Saxony-Anhalt. When you think of a cycling holiday, Bavaria is usually skipped over. Famous for Munich, Oktoberfest and the football club Bayern, but less popular as a cycling destination. That’s not entirely unfair. You can, for example, cycle beautifully in Berchtesgaden. In this National Park you can make beautiful trips on gravel and on a race bike. Or in Salzburg, have a Mozartkügel. Or…well. It’s beautiful there. Not for nothing was former leader of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler in love with this place. Berchtesgaden therefore has a dual nature. Beautifully beautiful, but with a dark edge.
Berchtesgaden
You have to look for it on the map, because Berchtesgaden is tucked away in southeastern Germany. The national park is attached to the border with Austria and the town is located a little further inland. The village and its surroundings are fairytale-like, especially at sunrise and sunset. The best view of the mountains and the valley can be had from the Kehlsteinhaus. This is Adolf Hitler’s former eagle nest that now serves as a restaurant. Because of its history, it is also popular with tourists and day-trippers. It is a reminder of this bitter past of this place. For a stay in the former epicenter of the ‘Third Reich,’ you can visit the Explorer Hotel Berchtesgaden. Decent, designer rooms, designed for adventurers, so plenty of opportunities to rinse off your gear and store it after a nice ride.
Rossfeld Panorama
One of the most beautiful places and perhaps even the best recommendation is the Rossfeld Panoramastrasse. You drive along a beautiful road with hairpin bends with a view… Actually, this is almost unusual for German standards. On this stretch of mountain panorama you have to climb quite a few meters in altitude and don’t be surprised, because the steepest climb here is 13%. You cover about 825 meters in altitude in 10 kilometers. Then you almost want to put your foot on the ground and enjoy the view for a moment. You end up at an altitude of 1560 meters above sea level. You also drive a short stretch through Austria and you have a bizarrely beautiful view of the Hochkönig at 2900 meters altitude.
Hinterbrand – Konigsee
What’s in a name. If you ride this climb, you’ll definitely be on fire. Because over 5 kilometers you average 11.2%, with a peak of 20 %(!). That’s really only if you want to hurt yourself a lot. Because to call this fun now, that’s kind of what it is. You can call it fun if you want to, but that’s kind of it. You can Beautiful cycling in Berchtesgaden, but this is a different story.
Further on, you also have the opportunity to ride the beautiful Königssee. You really need to take the gravel bike out of the trunk there. You can try to make a beautiful route around the lake. However, keep in mind that you must cycle on the bike paths in this part of the national park. This is mainly to avoid annoying hikers. The Königssee is also the end point (or the beginning point, whichever you prefer) of the famous route Bodensee – Königssee.
Austria within reach
We had a nice loop through our round. Tyrol attached to it. Because that is after all the charm of this region: that you can see the border with the ‘right’ and the ‘left’ at the same time. Austria You can cross over. Of course, the possibilities are endless there. The climb to Hirschbichl is doable from Germany, but beware: the average 4.2% may not completely hide the fact that you are being presented with a small section of 20% slopes. However, the reward afterwards is extra nice, because the descent to Weissbach is one for the brave. Strap on your seatbelts! Once you are down below, you can return to Germany relatively flat via AU and Unken.
Berchtesgaden
It is therefore wonderful to cycle in Berchtesgaden and its surroundings. You will have to put in some effort, because the beautiful places are sometimes only accessible by gravel bike. Getting there is also not easy. The nearest airport is in Salzburg, but the connection to Germany is difficult. By car it is a tough 10-hour drive from Utrecht. On a bike it is an option, but then you have 1000 kilometers on your tires.
Questions & tips
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