Almer Wallfahrerweg zum Königssee

Almer Wallfahrerweg is a one-way high-alpine route from Maria Alm in Austria to St. Bartholomä on Königssee, crossing the Steinernes Meer by way of Riemannhaus, Funtensee, Kärlingerhaus and Saugasse. The walking line is about 21.1 km (13.1 mi), with 1,278 m of ascent and 1,633 m of descent; allow about 10 hours on foot. It is a hard mountain day for fit hikers who are sure-footed on steep, rough ground. Some route measurements include roughly 5.5 km on the lake boat after the walk, which is why the total can appear as 26.7 km. The hike ends at St. Bartholomä; plan your onward trip from the lakeside before setting out.

The route climbs from the Maria Alm side to Riemannhaus at 2,177 m, set in Ramseider Scharte between the Sommerstein and Breithorn walls. This is the first major landmark and a useful place to break the crossing if you are staying overnight. The hut serves food and offers beds during its weather-dependent summer season, usually from mid-June into early October. Reserve ahead if you plan to sleep there. For a photo, frame the white hut below Sommerstein’s dark limestone face from the approach; that shows the scale of the saddle.

Beyond the hut, the route crosses a rugged karst plateau roughly 13 km long and 5 km wide. Expect long stretches of pale, broken limestone with very little natural water. Carry the water you need for the crossing rather than counting on a stream or spring. The route is high and exposed to changing mountain weather, so this is a poor choice when conditions are unsettled.

Funtensee lies in a grassy basin below the plateau, beside Kärlingerhaus. The staffed hut serves food and has overnight accommodation; reserve a bed, especially in the busy summer season. The basin is famous for trapping cold air: a −45.9 °C reading was recorded at the lake on Christmas Eve 2001. Chamois and marmots use the open slopes around Funtensee, and the protected Pannonian gentian grows here; leave the plants undisturbed.

From Kärlingerhaus, the path drops through more than 30 tight turns in Saugasse, losing roughly 350–400 m between steep rock walls. It then crosses a basin and descends through woodland toward St. Bartholomä. The final approach opens views toward Königssee and Obersee and passes Schrainbachfall and the former Schrainbachalm. At the end, the white pilgrimage church and its lakeside restaurant sit beside the landing; the beer garden serves Bavarian specialties. The usual return is by boat to Seelände, so check the current timetable and last departure before committing to the hike.

The annual Almer Wallfahrt takes place on the Saturday after 24 August and can bring as many as 2,000 walkers, clergy, musicians and yodelers across the mountains. Local tradition says the pilgrimage began in 1635 as thanks for surviving plague. Its first documentary mention is from 1688, when an open wooden boat carrying pilgrims capsized and 71 people died. If you hike on the event date, expect a large organized procession; that crowd is not typical of an ordinary day.