Accommodations in Berchtesgaden, Germany
Good Sleeps
In Berchtesgadener Land, hoteliers must assess a nominal bed tax (2.10€ per adult per night, 1.10€ 6-16yr) to its room rates. Although this sounds negative to your budget, it could easily add up to a positive. That’s because each overnight guest (from 6 years old) will receive upon check-in what’s called a Kurkarte, or “guest card.” You see, the Kurkarte entitles the holder to select discounts around town and the region, including free use of the public bus system (RVO, plus reduced fare to Salzburg 3€ rt, 1.50€ ow); 1.50€ off admission to Eagle’s Nest (at Obersalzberg); .50¢ off Documentation Center (at Obersalzberg); .50¢ off salt mines; 10% off Watzmann Therme; 2€ off parking at Königssee; .50¢ off both Almbach Gorge and Ice Cave (see Hiking); free 20 ml shot bottle at Grassl Enzianbrennerei; 1€ off Royal Palace; 1.10€ off Dürrnberg luge (near Salzburg); around 15% off Burg Hohenwerfen; and 2€ off Deutsches Museum (as well as its two partner museums) in Munich.
Note that my rudimentary rating system is based on the price of double occupancy.
$ — pocket-friendly, 60€ or less.
$$ — moderately priced, generally between 60€ and 100€.
$$$ — upper end, generally between 100€ and 170€.
$$$$ — superior, from 180€.
Note: To beat down the listed room rack-rates for the accommodations on this page, comparison shop the recommended wholesalers here.
PURCHASE the full do-it-yourself Berchtesgaden, Obersalzberg & Hitler's Eagle's Nest destination guide, pdf file download or traditional-style guidebook (pictured below). See this guidebook on Amazon.com
Click thumbnail for larger image (but note the actual size of the guidebook is 5.06" x 7.81", not what's shown).
Brett Harriman (Photoshoped) is seen here at an autumn pumpkin sale in the neighboring village of Stangass holding the Berchtesgaden, Obersalzberg & Hitler's Eagle's Nest guidebook. (2012 guide out soon) See this guidebook on Amazon.com
(See Comments at the bottom of the page and feel free to add one of your own!)
$$$$ Hotel Edelweiss, (Maximilianstrasse 2, tel. 08652/97990, free Wi-Fi). Sprawling along the main pedestrian drag in the center of town, this 4-star non-smoking spa hotel has been the talk of Berchtesgaden since it’s opening May 2010. If you’re not on a budget, stay here! The massive 38-million-euro Hotel Edelweiss took 14 months to construct, featuring 120 contemporary rooms (9 suites, 111 double rooms in five categories); a pair of restaurants (ground floor eatery with pizzeria daily 9:00-24:00, and the rooftop Panorama restaurant with breathtaking 360-degree views 11:00-22:00); and the alpine-themed dance bar Rauchkuchl (Berchtesgaden’s hottest night spot, Wed-Sat 21:00-04:00). In addition to the regional cuisine and culture, you can jump up to the rooftop terrace for a swim in the glass-encased pool or soak in the outdoor whirlpool virtually within reach of Berchtesgaden’s mighty snow-peaked Alps. 
On a clear day, the vista and mood from the terrace is nothing short of spectacular. If you desire more, get rejuvenated at the in-house spa center (800sq.m/8,600sq.ft) affording a multitude of wellness facilities (e.g. for massages, mud baths, manicures, pedicures, facial treatments) and five sauna-steam baths (which 4 of 5 are totally nude). And hotel management haven’t neglected the concerns of parents, who can indulge in stress-free sightseeing while their children play safely indoors under the watchful eyes of a staff member (free babysitting for ages 3 and up). I love everything about the Hotel Edelweiss as I believe you will, too. Check the hotel website for packages or last-minute offers. Do yourself a favor: for a handful more euros reserve a type “D” room in view of the Eagle’s Nest. (Pass on the smaller room types A & B; type C is fine but may not be in view of the Eagle’s Nest and type E is a suite.) PRICE (includes breakfast as well as a 4-course dinner for two; all room types are quoted for double occupancy—query reception for price of third/fourth person): room type “A” (25 sq m) 194€/200€; room type “B” (30 sq m) 206€/212€; room type “C” (35 sq m) 218€/224€ (type C has the option of bathtub or shower and many of this room type face the Eagle’s Nest but not all, thus you must request it upon booking!); room type “D” (40 sq m) 230€/236€ (all D rooms have both a bathtub and shower and face the Eagle’s Nest); room type “E” (50-60 sq m) suite 262€/268€. CC: VC, MC. Note: The lower price is Jan thru June/the higher price is July thru Dec. All beds here are twins set together to form a double. If it is a twin you’re after, request when booking that the beds be separated. As mentioned above, the room rate includes half board, i.e. breakfast as well as a 4-course dinner (18:30-21:00, vegetarian menu available). If you plan to dine elsewhere, notify reception in advance and they will deduct 10€ per person from your bill. Drivers, parking 4€/24hr; unload out front or below in the garage (then ride elevator to lobby). Railers, from the train station, the hotel is a 10-min trek but with weighty luggage spring for a cab (about 6€ plus .50¢/bag). By foot: exit station, go right toward corner then right through arched passage (marked Zum Markt/Zentrum), climb steps, cross walkway leading over tracks, hike path and go right at fork to street then go right to your digs ahead all the way down to the pedestrian zone on the left.
$ Haus Brunner, (Hansererweg 16, tel. 08652/61886, little English spoken, no Internet access). 
Figuratively a world away from the 4-star facilities and room rates mentioned above at Hotel Edelweiss, bed-and-breakfast Haus Brunner is amiably run by Herr and Frau Lösel who offer clean homely rooms with a balcony and stupendous views from its perch high above Berchtesgaden. Even from the breakfast table the alpine vistas are, literally, jaw-dropping! Don’t let it discourage you that the shower and toilet are positioned in the hallway; Haus Brunner is nonetheless a terrific, pocket-friendly choice in the home of locals. PRICE, sgl 17€, dbl 34€. GPS: N47 37.570 E13 00.157. To get there; across from the TI is Hansererweg; follow this road up to No. 16. Initially the road is flat, then it curves to the right and climbs at a grueling 24% grade! Jeepers; Hansererweg has got to be Germany’s steepest neighborhood street. (My little Smart rental car pictured in the driveway barely made it up the hill in first gear.) Drivers, beware—Hansererweg is two-way! Railers, call ahead and they may pick you up from the station. That said, to walk up the hill every time you return to your room may not be worth it.
$ Hostel Strub, [HI] (Struberberg 6, use of Internet terminal and Wi-Fi for purchase, tel. 08652/94370 but only attended Mon-Fri 8:00-12:00 & 13:00-19:00, Sat/Sun 7:00-9:00 & 17:00-19:00; hostel is closed Nov thru Christmas). Dating from the late 1930s and containing 267 beds in two buildings, this extensive hostel heavily frequented by German school children is found nestling in a small park reserve on the edge of town, 2 km from the train station. From the hostel’s front door is a sharp view of the Eagle’s Nest; a great angle to justify why British bombers missed their target on April 25, 1945. A javelin throw from the hostel is Strub Kasern, home base of the illustrious Gebirgsjäger, or elite “Edelweiss” mountain troops. PRICE (includes sheets and breakfast but add an extra 1.80€ per person per night for bed tax), dorm bed 19.10€, sgl 24.10€ (with shower-toilet in room 27.10€), dbl 48.20€ (with shower-toilet in room 54.20€), family discount available. CC: VC, MC. Note: Non HI members add 3.10€ extra per night to the listed prices; guests 27 years of age or older add 4€ extra per night. Check-in 17:00-19:00 (but if you arrive earlier there’s usually a staff member around). Hostel has excellent dinner specials 18:00-19:00; dorm rooms separated by gender. GPS: N47 37.449 E12 58.774. Drivers, from the train station, follow “by foot” directions below. Railers, from Berchtesgaden’s train station, there is no bus to the hostel, thus it’s a 30-min walk. You can try calling reception to see whether a hostel shuttle bus is scheduled to be at the station soon, otherwise by foot: exit station right and walk the main road (Ramsauerstrasse) roughly 1 km and make the first right, direction Strub. Follow the Jugendherberge sign left up the hill. After a (600-meter) hike that will either make you feel twice your age or fit as a Gebirgsjäger, you’ll see the hostel on the left.
$ Leyererhof, (Alpenstrasse 114, tel. 08657/371). Located 10 km from Berchtesgaden in the lush meadows at the toes of the Alps, these dreamy farmhouse-style digs are recommended for Drivers. If you’re lucky enough to secure a vacancy, stay here at least two nights. This Alpine neighborhood features some of Germany’s most spectacular scenery and, unsurprisingly, doubles as a doctor’s prescription to convalesce from the rigors of urbanmania. Imagine pine-fresh air, quaint Bavarian farmhouses, onion-domed chapels, and mountain rivulets cutting through velvety meadows home to lethargic cows playing tunes with the bells hanging from their necks. Picture a meandering road, hikers carrying ornamented sticks, men clad in lederhosen, women wearing dirndls, and girls sporting pigtails seemingly within arms reach of jagged peaks belonging to majestic mountains. It’s authentic Bavaria, the real deal, and waiting for your visit. The non-smoking Leyererhof is immaculate and ideal for a rustic sabbatical. Michael and Martina Votz, the cordial hosts, only have seven rooms available—mainly doubles with a balcony and two apartments but one is without a balcony—that are often fully booked. Reserve well in advance for the summer months. Little English spoken. Guests here are typically regulars, or friends of regulars, who stay a week or two at a time. PRICE (includes breakfast), around 25€ per person per day, depending on season and how many nights you stay. GPS: N47 37.725 E12 52.554. To get there, the Leyererhof is 10 km from Berchtesgaden on route 305 near the village of Ramsau, where you’ll discover one of Germany’s most photographed and painted churches (pictured at the head of this chapter page 1). Route 305, or more famously the Deutsche Alpenstrasse (German Alpine Road), is the most scenic in the land. Railers, alas, there is no public transportation to this alpine neighborhood, essentially cutting you off. However, if you book at least a few nights, call ahead and they’ll pick you up from Berchtesgaden’s train station (but then your own by foot). Drivers, from Berchtesgaden, take the main road (route 305) direction Ramsau. Just prior to Ramsau, veer right following route 305 up the winding hill. At the top the road will level and your pastoral digs will eventually appear on the right. Drivers, from the Munich-Salzburg autobahn (A8), exit at Siegsdorf/Inzell. Follow signs to Inzell, then Berchtesgaden. After Inzell the road becomes route 305, which rambles along a tremendously scenic and curvy and narrow route (that you should avoid at night! WWII buffs will be interested to know this is the same stretch of road portrayed in the television miniseries “Band of Brothers,” episode 10, “Points,” when the boys of Easy Company, destination Obersalzberg, try unsuccessfully with grenades and bazookas to clear huge mounds of avalanche rubble left by last-stand Nazis). Some 20 km later you’ll reach your digs on the left. Note that the Deutsche Alpenstrasse is rife with extended-stay vacation farmhouses similar to the Leyererhof. So, if the Leyererhof is full, and you really want to overnight here, you may get lucky with one of the others. Book well in advance.
Accommodations at Obersalzberg; (not recommended for Railers).
$$$ Hotel zum Türken, (tel. 08652/2428, GPS: N47 38.028 E13 02.638, no Internet access), is one of a few original buildings left on Obersalzberg and not surprisingly a matchless overnight experience. As the former command center for the Reich’s Security Service, located directly above the site of Hitler’s Berghof, the Türken is steeped in history and a treat for World War II buffs! Like a living museum, a time capsule of real magnitude, the hotel recalls the ’40s and ’50s with its classic paintings and furnishings, and below ground is a captivating bunker system, in which I have written a do-it-yourself tour for you. After a full day of sightseeing, reward yourself with a drink from the “honor” bar in the shared living room (take what you please and jot down your room number). Mingle with like-minded guests; (since evenings on Obersalzberg are quiet, many of the hotel guests congregate here). Although more money, reserve a front-facing room with balcony (you’ll be rewarded with unforgettable views over the former Berghof site and beyond to Austria). PRICE (includes breakfast), sgl 46-61€ (with shower-toilet in room 71-84€), dbl 102-105€ (with shower-toilet in room 112-158€). Note: Do your best to arrive before 18:00, when reception closes. If you don’t have wheels, know that the buses to/fro Berchtesgaden stop running around 17:15 (till 18:15 Mon-Fri) and a taxi will cost roughly 12€ one way. For more history on the property and the DIY tour, see World War II Bunker.
$$$$ Hotel InterContinental, (GPS: N47 37.951 E13 02.796, tel. 08652/97550, toll-free reservations from USA/Canada 1-888-424-6835 or within Europe 00800-1800-1800, use of Internet computer and Wi-Fi for purchase). In July 2005, the Inter-Continental hotel group completed construction on a 138-room 5-star resort hotel on the exact hilltop site where Hermann Göring lived with his wife in their pastoral home. Wrapped in panoramic alpine vistas, this exclusive 3-floor resort affords its guests contemporary rooms and suites and king-sized beds, a wellness spa and fitness center, heated indoor and outdoor pools, banquet and conference rooms, two fine restaurants, more than 4,000 bottles from 500 labels in the wine bar featuring a built-in floor-to-ceiling glass cooler, and a traditional-style Stube drawing fresh beer from the Hofbräuhaus Berchtesgaden. Note: Because of the resort’s rather remote location, it is not recommend for Railers. Check-in from 15:00; check-out by 12:00. PRICE, (breakfast typically not included), Standard from 180€, Executive from 225€, Panorama Suite from 350€, Penthouse Suite from 540€, parking 15€.
Click here for the Eagle's Nest, do-it-yourself World War II bunker, and Obersalzberg 1933-45.
Click here for Introduction Berchtesgaden.
Click here for Sights, Hiking, and Events & Festivals in Berchtesgaden.
(This page was last updated March 2011.)
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