Kühroint – Archenkanzel Trail

The Kühroint – Archenkanzel Trail is a 15.3 km out-and-back from Wimbachbrücke, with about 810 m of climbing and descent. Allow roughly 5½ hours for the complete walk. The first and longest stretch is a steady mountain climb through forest to the high pasture at Kühroint; a final walk across the meadow reaches Archenkanzel. This is a good pick if you want a proper day hike with a huge view over Königssee. The distance is the total return walk, not a one-way figure. The effort comes from sustained climbing and the long descent back down.

Follow the yellow signs for path 442 from Wimbachbrücke onto Schapbachweg. The lower approach uses a broad gravel forestry road shared with cyclists. It climbs steadily out of the valley and feels steeper around Benzinkurve, so keep a pace you can hold. Schapbachalm sits about halfway and makes a natural pause before the upper climb. Higher up, look for the signed shortcut across the upper pasture to St. Bernhard Chapel and Kührointalm. It takes you more directly to the plateau than staying on the road's long bend. Keep to the signed path as you cross the pasture.

Kühroint is a high pasture in front of the Watzmann massif, and the mountains feel close once you emerge from the trees. St. Bernhard Chapel is more than a landmark: it commemorates people lost in the Berchtesgaden mountains and is dedicated to Bernard of Aosta, patron of mountaineers. The pasture also has a National Park information point and a seasonal hut serving traditional Bavarian dishes and Brotzeit, a hearty local snack. It is the route's on-trail food stop. Service near the edges of the summer season depends on weather, so check ahead if a meal there matters to your plan.

From the Alm, cross the pasture to Archenkanzel; allow about 30 minutes for this final walk. It ends on a natural rock platform at 1,346 m, roughly 700–750 m above Königssee. St. Bartholomä sits on its peninsula below, and around two-thirds of the lake is visible from the overlook. This is where the climb pays off: you can see the lake's shape and the steep walls around it from above, not just another mountain basin. For a photo, keep the peninsula in frame with some of the shoreline around it; that gives the view a sense of scale.

Return to Kühroint, then retrace the approach to Wimbachbrücke. There is no shorter return in this itinerary, and the long descent follows the same route you climbed. Dogs may come along, but they must stay on a lead in the national park; hikers should remain on marked trails. Archenkanzel is a natural rock platform high above the lake, so give the edge room. Start at the Wimbachbrücke parking and National Park information area; it is the right access for this route.