We arrived in Berchtesgaden at the deluxe campsite. State of the art toilet facilities! Apart from maybe the opaque glass ... don;t stand too close if you have a hairy butt!! We went into Berchtesgaden on the first afternoon. The old town was very pretty... the kids all got new hiking boots and a special rolled up ice cream. We had dinner in the restaurant at the campsite which was fantastic (schnitzel and chips for the boys and I had the most enormous salad you have ever seen) with delicious ice cold beer. The next day we took the Jenner cable car at the entrance to the Berchtesgarden National Park to the MIttel Station and hiked to the top with a vertical climb of 600m. Alex and Charlie had a face off with Bessie the Cow, Alex ran away form a bumble bee and Charlie did not moan at all!! The views form the top were stunning over the mountains and down to Konnigsee. We then went on a boat trip on Konnigsee... a bit crowded, but cool trumpet playing... it was apparently an ancient tradition to the monster of the lake (200m deep) and the sound echoed off the mountain. Other highlights included the life rafts (aka cushions) and the Greek gods rowing.
The Camping Italia Lido is on the southwestern shore of Lake Maggiore in a panoramic e very quiet location, 6 km far from the famous town of Arona. HAS POOL AND GOOD REVIEWS ON TA
Stunning views of Walchensee from Herzogstand mountain. Photograph: Franz-Marc Frei/Getty Images
While most travellers stop at nearby Kochelsee, those willing to go a bit farther to this hidden gem in the mountains will be rewarded with impossibly scenic views. It’s popular with windsurfers, but the crowds that descend upon more accessible lakes are conspicuously absent. The water is pure enough to drink.
Where to eat The lakeside terrace of Hotel Karwendelblick is the place to eat whole fish (€11.80) from the lake with butter-drenched potatoes.
Where to stayHotel Schwaigerhof (doubles from €70 B&B) may be a little on the Spartan side but it’s a charming laid-back spot right by the lake.
Getting there Regional Bahn (RB) from Munich Hauptbahnhof to Kochel am See (return from €35), then Regionalverkehr Oberbayern (RVO) bus to Walchensee.
