Berchtesgaden

Berchtesgaden needs 1 day: Lake Königssee, its water emerald-green and reachable only by silent electric boat so as not to disturb its mountain echo, on one day, and a visit to the Kehlsteinhaus (the «Eagle's Nest»), a former mountain retreat built for Hitler and now a restaurant, on the other. May-September is best. It's mid-to-high priced by German standards. It sits at the heart of the Bavarian Alps, surrounded by the Watzmann massif, and its past as a Nazi regime retreat -documented at a local history center- now coexists with its identity as one of Germany's most photographed nature destinations.