Wildlife watching in the Berchtesgaden National Park

Founded in 1978, the Berchtesgaden National Park is Germany's only national park in the Alps, and one of the best places in the country to watch large wildlife in the wild. Those who bring time, patience and good binoculars have a realistic chance of encounters with species that have long since vanished elsewhere.

Which animals you'll see

• Golden eagle: Several breeding pairs circle over the valleys, best observed in the Klausbachtal.
• Bearded vulture: Since 2021 young bearded vultures have again been released in the Klausbachtal, a reintroduction project watched across Europe. With a wingspan of over 2.80 m, Europe's largest bird of prey.
• Chamois & ibex: Present year-round on the rock faces of the Watzmann and Hagengebirge.
• Marmot & red deer: Marmots whistle on almost every alpine meadow; red deer appear mainly at dusk.

Best places & times

• Klausbachtal: Birds of prey, ranger observation days at the info point, suspension bridge.
• Wimbachgries: Chamois on the scree slopes.
• In the morning and at dusk activity is highest; early summer and autumn (the rut) are the best seasons.

The national-park administration offers free, guided ranger tours, ideal for getting to know the spots and the rules of conduct.

What matters when watching wildlife

Wildlife can only be watched from a respectful distance, without disturbing it. The distance is therefore decided by the optics: a bright binocular for the hand, a spotting scope for the long distances on the slope. Which devices are worth it for the Alps is shown in our buying guide: Binoculars & spotting scopes for wildlife watching.

Background & History

The Berchtesgaden National Park, founded in 1978, is the only Alpine national park in Germany and a refuge for a wildlife that has long since vanished elsewhere from the densely populated Alps. Around the Watzmann and the fjord-like Königssee stretches a landscape of limestone cliffs, mountain forests, alpine pastures and high-mountain regions, in which, according to the principle “let nature be nature”, large areas are left to themselves. It is precisely this restraint that creates habitats for shy species.

Above the rock walls circles the golden eagle, which breeds here in several territories and ranks among the most impressive birds of prey in the Alps. In more recent times the once-exterminated bearded vulture, with its enormous wingspan, has also returned to the region, a symbol of the slow healing of the alpine wilderness. Chamois move across the steep slopes, marmots whistle from the alpine pastures, and at dusk red deer emerge from the forest. Especially in spring and autumn the animals can be observed with binoculars from the viewpoints and the quiet paths, when the game moves down from the higher altitudes and the rutting of the deer echoes through the valleys. Wildlife watching in the national park thus opens up a world in which man is only a guest and nature, after centuries of use, is allowed to follow its own laws once again.