From Berchtesgaden to Gotzenalm

We turn right from the Kurhaus into Maximilianstraße. After a right-hand bend, this becomes Bahnhofsstraße, which we follow until it meets Bergwerkstraße. We follow the signs to the left across the Ramsauer Ache to Königssee on Königsseer Straße. From here we turn left into Vorderbrandstraße in the direction of Faselsberg. Here we also find a red sign with white lettering for our route, the mountain bike route no. 9. We now ride along the road, which is very steep in places, via Mitterbach to Vorderbrand. There, the inn of the same name invites us to take a first rest. Now we continue on the road to the Hinterbrand car park (1). This is an alternative starting point for our tour: If you start from here, you save the first 500 metres in altitude. We turn left into the long car park until a red sign "Routes 3 and 9" sends us to the right onto a forest path. Another sign tells us that we still have 12.5 km to go to the Gotzenalm. We pass a barrier and head uphill through the forest. This and other obstacles, especially cattle grates, remind us to keep a controlled pace on the descents that follow later. Soon the hiking trail to the Gotzenalm branches off to the left, but we continue cycling straight ahead. It is strictly forbidden to cycle outside the designated routes in the Berchtesgaden National Park. Anyone who disregards this prohibition risks not only their health but also a hefty fine. Besides, the marked cycle paths are very charming, so we are not even tempted. We continue along the forest path and cross under the Jennerbahn railway. Several short descents and climbs follow. We ride through the valley of the Königsbach. Where the path runs close to the bank, we can briefly park our bike and walk along a small path to the stream. Here we find a very nice natural resting place on the bank (2). From here it is not far to the Königsbachalm (3). There we can fortify ourselves at the catered alpine hut. Shortly afterwards, our route no. 9 separates from trail no. 3. We turn right across the very beautiful Königsbachalm. At the end of the alpine meadow, our trail describes a sharp left turn. In the following section of the trail, we have several wonderful views of the Königssee lake lying deep below us. Shorter descents and ascents alternate. A longer passage leads us into the Gotzental valley. After a bridge we follow the signs to the Gotzenalm. Now we climb the remaining metres in altitude on steep serpentines to the finish. This section is the most strenuous part of the tour. When we have reached the Gotzenalm, we park our bike and walk to the right on a path to the viewpoint Feuerpalfen (4). This rewards us with fantastic views for all the exertions of the strenuous tour! We have a spectacular view of the Königssee, 1000 metres below, and St. Bartholomä as well as the mighty east face of the Watzmann. With a bit of luck we can watch golden eagles flying through their territory. The 20-metre-long electric boats of the Königsseeschifffahrt seem tiny from up here. We walk back to our bikes and continue to the right. In a few minutes we reach the turning point of the tour, which is marked by a sign with a downward pointing direction arrow. We are directly at the Gotzenalmhütte (5), which offers us a wide range of food and drinks on the very beautiful panorama terrace. After we have fortified ourselves, we return the way we came.