Watzmann

At 2,713 m the Watzmann is Germany’s third-highest mountain and at the same time one of its most legendary. Its distinctive profile with the Hocheck, Mittelspitze and Südspitze, the so-called ‚Watzmann children‘, shapes the panorama above the Königssee.

Tours on the Watzmann

• Watzmannhaus (1,930 m): The classic approach from Wimbach/Ramsau to the DAV hut, a demanding but non-technical mountain hike.
• Hocheck (2,651 m): The highest point reachable from the Watzmannhaus, with via-ferrata sections, already serious alpine terrain.
• Watzmann traverse: The classic tour over all three summits, a long, exposed ridge traverse (via ferrata/climbing), only for sure-footed, head-for-heights and very fit mountaineers.

The east face

The Watzmann east face drops around 1,800 metres to the Königssee and is regarded as the highest rock face in the Eastern Alps. It is a serious high-alpine objective with a long history, reserved for experienced alpinists only.

Safety

The Watzmann demands mountain-rescue operations every year. Sudden weather changes, rockfall and exhaustion are regularly underestimated. A realistic self-assessment, early start times and a look at the mountain weather report are a must. The right equipment, from the hardshell to the emergency kit, is covered in our gear guides.

Background & History

At over 2,700 metres the Watzmann is Germany’s third-highest mountain and at the same time probably its most legendary. Its striking massif of several summits towers over the Berchtesgadener Land, and its notorious east face drops almost two thousand metres sheer to the Königssee, the highest face in the Eastern Alps and a legendary objective for alpinists. Like the surrounding Limestone Alps, the Watzmann too formed from the deposits of primeval seas, which were folded upwards and shaped by glaciers into their present rugged form.

An old legend surrounds the summit group. According to tradition a cruel King Watzmann once lived here, tormenting people and animals with his family until the curse of a dying mother struck him and he, together with his wife and children, turned to stone. Thus folk poetry explains the group made up of the mighty Watzmann, the Watzmannfrau and the smaller Watzmann children, lined up as rocky pinnacles. The notorious traverse of the Watzmann over the Hocheck, Mittelspitze and Südspitze counts as one of the great ridge walks of the Eastern Alps, while the east face has drawn countless mountaineers since its first ascent in 1881 and proved fatal to some. The mountain lies in the heart of the Berchtesgaden National Park, in whose forests and rocky regions golden eagles circle and chamois roam the slopes.