Restaurant · Berchtesgaden National Park
A proper uphill hut stop for homemade cake and big mountain views.
Overview
Schärtenalm is a seasonal alpine hut and restaurant at 1,359 m, about halfway along the uphill route from Hintersee to Blaueishütte. It makes a welcome meal stop, and it works as a destination in its own right if you want the hut and mountain setting without continuing higher. This is a hike, not a roadside café.
Parkwolf’s verdictA worthwhile stop on the climbMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Berchtesgaden Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Berchtesgaden National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Seeklause: The Climb to Blaueishütte“Seeklause is ahead, the start of the Blaueishütte hike into the rocky basin beneath Hochkalter. The payoff is a mountain hut beneath the Blaueis glacier and towering limestone walls.”
Plays as you drive up to Schärtenalm in the Parkwolf Berchtesgaden Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
The hut serves alpine snacks, drinks and homemade cakes, known for their generous slices. Kaiserschmarrn is another favorite. Breakfast is available by reservation, so check ahead if you want to plan around it.
Follow yellow-marked trail 482 from Seeklause by Hintersee. There’s parking at Seeklause, and buses on RVO lines 845 and 846 stop at Hintersee/Zauberwald. The path continues uphill to Blaueishütte and demanding high-alpine routes; the Alm sits roughly halfway, so it’s a good place to decide whether you want the extra climb. The hut is seasonal, so check its current opening dates before setting out.
From the hut, look back toward Hintersee, the Reiter Alm massif and Ramsau Valley. The terrace also faces into the Blaueis basin beneath the Hochkalter peaks, giving the meal a proper high-mountain setting.
“Kaser” is the local word for an alpine hut. This one was recorded as “Scherschen” in 1495. The Graßl family acquired the pasture in 1911, and the hut began serving guests in 1935. It gained an upper storey in 1924; otherwise, it has seen only small changes.
Wildlife
15 sightingsBearded VultureMost seen around noonSighting map
31 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around noonSighting map
22 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
132 sightingsAlpine ChamoisMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
65 sightingsAlpine SalamanderMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
63 sightingsAlpine MarmotMost seen around 9 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Berchtesgaden. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyNaturlehrpfad Zauberwald3.3 km · 1.3 hr · 1.4 km awayClear streams and old boulders lead into a lakeside loop.
ChallengingBlaueishütte via Schärtenalm10.5 km · 5 hr · 1.4 km awayA steady, steep climb from Hintersee to a hut beneath the Blaueis.
EasyPrinzregent-Luitpold-Weg2.7 km · 1 hr · 1.4 km awayAn easy lake loop with mountain reflections and painters’ easels.ModerateSchärtenalm from Hintersee7.1 km · 3.5 hr · 1.4 km awayA steep forest climb ends at a rustic hut above Hintersee.
ChallengingEisberg via Eisbergsteig and Eingeschossener Steig12.4 km · 7.5 hr · 2.2 km awayThree summit crosses, an unmarked ridge, and a serious cable ledge.
ChallengingReiter Alm Hut Tour via Schaflsteig25.3 km · 12 hr · 2.2 km awayA 12-hour hut loop with a steep, secured alpine climb.
ModerateKlausbachtal – Hirschbichl – Weißbach Trail14 km · 4.5 hr · 2.3 km awayFollow an old salt road over the pass and into Austria.ChallengingStadelhorn via Schaflsteig16.6 km · 9 hr · 2.3 km awayA protected gully and exposed ridge lead to Reiter Alm’s highest summit.Lodging · 1 km awayBlaueishütteA proper alpine hut after a steep climb into the Blaueiskar.
Sight · 1.5 km awayZauberwaldRushing water cuts through a Bronze Age boulder forest.
Sight · 1.8 km awayHinterseeA gentle lake loop under mountain walls and clear reflections.
Visitor center · 2.3 km awayKlausbachhausA farmhouse museum, garden path, and easy walk into eagle country.
Sight · 3 km awayHalsalmA rustic farm hut above Hintersee, with a view worth the climb.
Restaurant · 3.2 km awayWimbachschlossA historic mountain inn worth the steady walk into the Wimbachgries.
Sight · 3.5 km awayKlausbachtal Red Deer FeedingA winter walk for a chance to see red deer gather.
Sight · 3.5 km awayGolden Eagle Observation PointA short valley walk for a patient look at golden-eagle country.Parkwolf’s Berchtesgaden ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
