Barry Finlay once said “Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing” and climb we did in our rental car to get to the incredible Intercontinental Resort at Berchtesgaden.
We were meeting friends from New Zealand later on in the weekend so I had booked us in for a special one night stay at the Resort which included a spa and amazing views of the mountains. We had the most stunning view from our room (see below).
After an amazing road trip through the mountains where there was still a dusting of snow making it feel magical. On entering the resort we were both handed a much needed glass of sparkling wine (we had received a traffic fine on our road trip!) and were checked in very quickly.
The porter took us to our room which was stunning with floor to ceiling windows that opened up so you could breathe in that fresh mountain air. Thanks to the Ambassador membership, one of the many perks is a free room upgrade and the room took advantage of the amazing views of the area.
The bathroom was incredible and huge – you could do cartwheels (if you wanted too, I can’t so didn’t!) and it had the best hair dryer ever! Full size and able to blow gale force winds into your hair if required.
As an Ambassador member there were some extremely fabulous sweet treats in our room which were divine! We also were given a €20 voucher for use in the spa on treatments or products – this is why I love the Ambassador loyalty programme.
The reason I booked us in for one night was to just relax and enjoy the spa facilities and the facilities are amazing to say the least and were more than I was expecting.
There is an indoor and outdoor heated pool, the outdoor pool is warmer and its heaven – you sit cocooned in warmth while gazing at the majestic mountains which surround you – I couldn’t stop smiling! From the outdoor pool you can even see Eagle’s Nest (Hilter’s mountain retreat).
While I was lounging beside the inside pool reading my kindle, G was checking out the spa facilities which included a Sauna, Steam Room, Herbal Sauna, Solarium and a Meditation Room which were all spotless and I should point out he became like a small child and needed to try out every room.
This is an incredible spa resort however we didn’t get time to have a spa treatment so will need to do that next time we visit as we will be back! G keeps checking out flights to Salzburg.
Once you get to the Berchtesgaden Resort you won’t want to leave and to be honest, you don’t need too! There are three restaurants on site for you to choose from including the Bayernstude Schalander which is a Bavarian themed restaurant, Le Ciel the Michelin starred restaurant and the lucky last; the Restaurant 360° which offers International cuisine.
We ate at the Bavarian themed restaurant as it has the best choices for me as I’m gluten free. When the bread was delivered to our table I asked if there was any chance of some gluten free bread, which the reply was yes. To say I was surprised was an understatement.
A majority of the food that the restaurant served comes from local businesses which I loved as it shows that the resort is supporting local businesses and that your food hasn’t travelled miles to get to your plate.
At breakfast there was so much choice including that sparkling wine again and lots of gluten free options. Mountain views and great food at breakfast put us both in a great mood for the rest of the day.
Berchtesgaden has an unrivalled location; it’s located in the German Bavarian Alps and lies close to the Austrian border. It’s a great base to discover some of the most breathtaking scenery that Europe has to offer.
We had pre-booked ourselves onto a Segway Tour through the Intercontinental Berchtesgaden; it’s an 1.5 hour tour that takes in the natural beauty of the area and you are taken on a tour of Lake Konigssee and the Toboggan run while given commentary by the tour guide. Look out for the mountain that is shaped like a witch! G wants one for Christmas as he loved it so much.
Other fantastic things to do while in Berchtesgaden –
Eagle’s Nest will be re-opening shortly as it is only open during the summer season due to it’s location on top of a mountain. This was Hilter’s mountain retreat, the road up to Eagle’s Nest is taken by bus and then you take the brass lift up the final few metres. There is just a restaurant at the top and the views are incredible!
Lake Konigssee is located in the National Park so everything is done to preserve the natural beauty of the area. Only electric boats are allowed on the lake and during the peak season its probably best to try and pre book tickets for a boat trip. We visited the area on our Segway tour and it’s just so beautiful and peaceful.
Salzburg is approx 30 kms away from Berchtesgaden so its a perfect place to head for a day trip. Salzburg is the birth place of Mozart so you are going to find many references to their famous son and if you feel like you are walking through a film set then you are you probably having “Sound of Music” flashbacks. I love this film and can highly recommend the Sound of Music bus tour; the sing-a-long is the best the part! Corny but so much fun.
Location
The drive from Munich to Berchtesgaden takes about 2.5 hours however if you were to fly into Salzburg the drive is only 30 minutes. The last section of the drive is stunning as the mountains are covered in a dusting of snow.
The location of the hotel is a short drive out of town from Berchtesgaden so its best to have a rental car to get around and see the sights. For me, the resort has to be one of the best situated hotels in Europe and had me singing “the hills are alive with the sound of music” – we were pretty close to Salzburg so it was allowed!
We will definitely be back to this resort; it’s just gorgeous and incredible if you are after a mountain retreat.
xx
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