04-08 "Blow your own horn" Berchtesgaden

04-08 "Blow your own horn"
Travel from Munich to Berchtesgaden.
Wheather: Overcast to Sun to RainTemp: From 16c to around 8c

We got going late today and borded the train for Berchtesgaden around 0930. The trip has a stop at Freilassen (2hrs from Munich) then another 45mins to Berchtesgaden. There is a faster ICE train you can take which will shave 1hr off this journey. The train trip is a scenic journey through Alps that border Austria and Germany, up a spiralling track from Freilassen to Berchtesgaden. Arriving after lunch we did not have a lot of time so grabbed a taxi to Lake Konigssee (Euro 10.50 or Euro 2.30 by bus) Lake Konigssee is a spectacular site. Spread between two towerring mountainscapes liesthe emerald lake. It is the clearest lake I have ever seen. From the brochure, it reads that no petrol boats, only electric, are allowed on this world heritage listed lake. Tickets for a boat ride were Euro 12and the journey lasting 20min in either direction.Halfway into the first leg of the boat ride, the driver and companionstop the boat's engine, let the water settle and then open the boat's canopy. Utter silence is now, nothing can be heard, then they begin playing a small tune on the trumpet. The jingle echo's through the enclosed mountain range and is just a magical experience. Thetrumpet's notes reverberate possibly 4 or more times after each noteis released.The boat ride continues on to a chapel nestled on a shore next to asnow covered mountain. Here you can hop off and have a look around,go for a walk even on this small beach shore.

Back from the boat at Konogssee, walking back to the bus, there are adozen or so tourist shops, this time selling the vast range ofBavarian kitsch items, including Froydelyne (sp) dresses and an absurbamount of hiking sticks with custom ends.

So ends this short trip. Even though there was approx 6 hours oftravel the sights were still definatly worth the trek.