Rothbachfall and the Koenigssee Waterfalls

Schoenau am Koenigssee / Berchtesgaden National Park, Bavaria (Bayern), Germany

About Rothbachfall and the Koenigssee Waterfalls

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Rothbachfall and the Konigssee Waterfalls (Roethbachfall and Koenigssee as well as Röthbachfall and Königssee with the umlaut) were a series of waterfalls that we managed to experience in a singular excursion.

This excursion involved a boat tour on the lake that included a hike to a smaller and even more scenic lake at Obersee.

Konigssee_186_07012018 - Röthbachfall tumbling over the far side of Obersee in Berchtesdagen National Park
Röthbachfall tumbling over the far side of Obersee in Berchtesdagen National Park

The waterfalls were merely our excuse to immersively experience the beauty of the Berchtesgaden National Park, which might be recognizable in some of the opening scenes of the Sound of Music (before Julie Andrews sings).

In any case, we bent over backwards to visit the Rothbachfall (or Roethbachfall) in particular because it was said to be the highest waterfall in Germany at 470m.

Add to that the mirror-like reflections of the Obersee fronted by a half-submerged boathouse (great subject for photographs) along with the surrounding mountains and you end up with a divine scene.

Such scenery makes me think this could very well be the most scenic part of natural Germany.

Experiencing Königssee

Konigssee_286_07012018 - Context of the St Bartholomä Church with Königssee framed by beautiful mountains
Context of the St Bartholomä Church with Königssee framed by beautiful mountains

Our excursion started from a huge car park at Schönau am Königssee (see directions below).

From there, we took a short walk past some cafes and eateries towards the boat ticket office and dock right on the northern shores of Lake Konigssee (or Koenigssee).

After paying for the boat tickets, we then took an hour-long boat ride that made a stop at the St Bartholomew village and church (St Bartholomä with the umlaut).

The boat tour then made a second (and last) stop where we got off at the far southern end of the lake at Salet.

Konigssee_323_07012018 - Context of the Konigsbachfall or Königsbachfall with another boat fronting our field of view on the Königssee
Context of the Konigsbachfall or Königsbachfall with another boat fronting our field of view on the Königssee

Along the way, we spotted a couple of waterfalls.

The first one was the Koenigsbachfall (or Königsbachfall), where the Koenigsbach dropped into the east side of the lake pretty early in the boat tour between Schoenau am Koenigssee and St Bartholomew.

The second waterfall was the Scharinbachfall where the Schrainbach fell more voluminously into the far southwestern part of Lake Koenigssee.

This waterfall was easily visible from the dock at Salet in addition to seeing it from the boat itself.

The hike to Obersee and the view of Rothbachfall

Konigssee_256_07012018 - Context of the Schrainbachfall, which was easily seen at the boat dock at Salet on the southern end of Lake Königssee
Context of the Schrainbachfall, which was easily seen at the boat dock at Salet on the southern end of Lake Königssee

From Salet, we then took a short 15-minute hiking trail that went south beyond the headwaters of Lake Koenigssee, where there were some restaurants along the trail.

It then crossed the Saletbach before continuing on a wide valley path until reaching the mouth of the calm Lake Obersee.

At this spot, we were able to see the iconic boat shed fronting the reflective mirror-like lake.

In addition, we could see the majestic Roethbachfall in the distance on the opposite side of the lake.

Konigssee_149_07012018 - Hiking between Salet and the north shore of Obersee with Rothbachfall visible in the distance
Hiking between Salet and the north shore of Obersee with Rothbachfall visible in the distance

Unfortunately during our visit, we couldn’t risk missing out on the return boat ride, which was at about 6pm.

The signs suggested that hiking to the base of Rothbachfall took 1 hour and 15 minutes in each direction (or 2.5 hours round trip).

So that made it too risky to attempt as I would have started this hike at 4:30pm.

Thus, I had to be content with the views from the mouth of Lake Obersee, which I thought was good enough.

Konigssee_152_07012018 - Focused look at Röthbachfall as seen from the north shore of Obersee
Focused look at Röthbachfall as seen from the north shore of Obersee

Nevertheless, I certainly would have liked to have gotten closer for a more immersive experience.

In any case, we returned the way we came, boarded a 5pm boat (they typically leave every 15-30 minutes), and by 6:30pm or so, we finally made it back to the car park.

And thus, we managed to experience the three main waterfalls in Lake Koenigssee with a minimal amount of physical exertion.

By the way, Koenigssee meant “King’s Lake”, and it was Germany’s deepest lake.

Authorities

Rothbachfall and the Konigssee Waterfalls reside in the Berchtesgaden National Park near Berchtesgaden in the state of Bavaria (Bayern), Germany. It may be administered by the Berchtesgaden government. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual members. See Membership Options.
Content is for members. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: konigssee, koenigssee, roethbachfall, scharinbachfall, konigsbachfall, koenigsbachfall, berchtesgaden, bavaria, germany, waterfalls, bartholomew, bartholoma, boat tour



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Falls of Lake Konigssee (Bavaria Germany) August 9, 2011 10:07 am by Ruth Williams - Lake Königssee is a beautiful emerald green glacial lake set in the Berchtesgaden National Park in Bavaria Southern Germany. There are three notable waterfalls in its vicinity. To see them it is necessary to take a trip on the boats that travel up and down the lake. The first fall is the Königsbach which tumbles… ...Read More

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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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