Munich offers many green spaces where you can enjoy a bit of nature and relax if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city. Sometimes, however, that’s not enough, and you need to get completely out of the city and into village life to really take a deep breath. The picturesque little village of Ramsau in the Berchtesgadener Land, with its Alpine backdrop, is the perfect place to simply switch off for a day or a weekend and savor the closeness to nature. Here, there are not only mountains, lakes, forests, and churches, but also a globally renowned painting motif.
A village straight out of a painting
Ramsau is almost completely surrounded by the Berchtesgaden Alps, with two-thirds of its area located within the national park. Here, you feel cut off from the rest of the world—in the best possible way—because there’s hardly anywhere else where you can find such peace and quiet. Even the Wittelsbachs appreciated this tranquil little village with its farmhouses and regularly came to hunt at Lake Hintersee, which is located in the immediate vicinity. Later, Ramsau served as a filming location for various movies, including “Die Geierwally” and “Das Geheimnis des Königssees.”
In the 19th century , a colony of painters developed here, comprising well-known representatives of the Munich and Vienna schools, who indulged in landscape painting in Ramsau. Particularly popular subjects were Lake Hintersee and the parish church of St. Sebastian. Even if you’ve never heard of Ramsau before, you’ve surely seen a picture of its famous church. The church has been immortalized in paintings by Wilhelm Busch, Thomas Fearnley, and Ferdinand Laufberger, among others. In 2012, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of St. Sebastian’s Church, the first “Extempore für Bildkunst” (art exhibition) took place in the Berchtesgadener Land region; since then, one of the municipalities in the district has hosted the event annually on a rotating basis.
Pure nature in and around Ramsau
However, St. Sebastian’s Church isn’t the only attraction in Ramsau. If you’re interested in sacred architecture, you should stop by the Maria Kunterweg pilgrimage church, which is located above the village and stands out especially for its two towers. An absolute must-see is, of course, Lake Hintersee, which you can reach via a walk through the wild and romantic Zauberwald. If you prefer to view this natural idyll from above, then climb one of the surrounding mountains, such as the Watzmann. It’s no coincidence that Ramsau has officially been recognized as Germany’s first mountaineering village since 2015.
If you prefer to be closer to the sea level, pay a visit to the Wimbachklamm. But you can also discover nature right in the village itself, for example in the Bergkurgarten, where you can explore the herbs and flowers of the Alps. Here, the gentian blooms, from which the Grassl Brewery distills its famous schnapps. The spa garden also features a barefoot trail that lets you feel a variety of different surfaces. Nearby is the adventure playground, where children can let off steam to their heart’s content.
