Jenner

Snapshot

A 1,874-metre peak above Königssee, reachable by gondola in 20 minutes from Schönau. Summit panorama covers the lake, the Watzmann, and the Austrian Alps. The natural second half of a Königssee day.

The Story

The Jenner is why you do not just take the boat and leave. After the St. Bartholomä crossing, the boat returns to Schönau, and the Jennerbahn gondola station is a short walk from the landing stage. It takes 20 minutes to reach 1,874 metres.

From the summit, the view works in the opposite direction from the boat: instead of looking up at the cliffs, you look down at the entire lake, a thin dark strip of water between mountains that seem taller than they did from the shore. The Watzmann, the second-highest massif in Germany, fills the northern horizon. To the south and east, the Austrian Alps continue without interruption.

The summit has a restaurant, straightforward hiking trails, and enough space to absorb the groups that arrive with the gondola. In winter the same mountain functions as a ski area. The combination of the boat trip and the cable car makes for one of the most complete half-day itineraries in the Berchtesgaden area.

Visiting

The Jennerbahn valley station is at Jennerbahnstrasse 18 in Schönau am Königssee, a short walk from the boat landing. The gondola runs year-round (seasonal schedule variations; check jennerbahn.de). Ascent takes approximately 20 minutes. Admission charged. Restaurant at the summit. Schönau is reachable from Berchtesgaden by bus (lines 841/842).