The Zauberwald, Magic Forest, is a circular trail along the eastern shore of the Hintersee lake near Ramsau im Berchtesgadener Land, through old beech and spruce forest with exposed root paths, lichen-covered branches, and the Reiter Alm cliffs reflected in the water. It takes about 45 minutes. German Romantic painters discovered this forest in the 1830s and their images set the template for how this landscape has been seen ever since: the gnarly roots, the still lake reflection, the cliff walls above. It is the most photographed forest scene in the Berchtesgaden area and deservedly so. Drive to Hintersee from Ramsau (5 km); get there before 9:00 on summer weekends for parking and solitude. Free trail; parking fee at the Hintersee car park.
natural reserve in Berchtesgaden
Zauberwald
The Zauberwald (Magic Forest) is an enchanted-sounding name for what is actually one of the most striking lakeside forest walks in the Berchtesgaden region: a circular trail through ancient spruce and beech forest along the eastern shore of the Hintersee, a small glacial lake near Ramsau that reflects the Reiter Alm cliffs in the morning.
- Type
- natural reserve
- Destination
- Berchtesgaden
- Cost
- Paid entry
- Address
- 83471 Berchtesgaden
- Coordinates
- 47.6077, 12.8603