Rinnkendlsteig

At the St. Bartholomä landing, pass the pilgrimage church and follow marked Alpine Club path 443 northwest along the level lakeshore. Just beyond a hut in the area called Eiswinkel, Rinnkendlsteig turns left into the forest. That is the important turn: the easy shore lasts only to the foot of the climb. The first section winds up many switchbacks on Kleiner Watzmann’s steep flank through mixed forest. A short cable-protected passage comes before the trees thin; most of the secured climbing is higher up. Much of the route crosses the national park’s core zone, so stay on the marked path.

Above the tree line, several exposed passages climb about 100 vertical metres using fixed cables and metal footholds. You’re still on a marked hiking route, not a continuous via ferrata, but the line is steep and calls for steady hands and feet. At the top of a broad gully it turns right to a small shoulder, then traverses, partly downhill, into the narrow gully called Rinnkendl. Follow that gully uphill to Kührointalm’s wooded plateau at 1,325 metres. That short drop between climbing sections can catch you out if you expect a simple straight ascent. The park warns of rockfall in places, so keep to the path and give loose slopes room.

Just before the plateau, turn right for the roughly ten-minute spur to Archenkanzel. The lookout gives a steep downward view over Königssee and is one of the strongest reasons to take this demanding route. For a photo, keep a little of the rocky edge or trail in the foreground; it gives the narrow lake below a sense of scale. Return to the main route and cross a forest road and wooded ridge to Kührointhütte. It’s a managed hut with food and refreshments, a useful place for a proper break after the exposed ascent.

From Kühroint, continue down the route to Königssee Seelände. This is a through-hike, not an out-and-back, so the distance includes the full descent. The official route lists 815 metres of ascent, 810 metres of descent and about six hours of hiking. The boat crossing to St. Bartholomä is separate from those 11 kilometres. Dogs may hike in the park on a lead, but they need a muzzle aboard Königssee boats; account for that on the transfer. The boat gets you to the start, and the walk ends back at the Seelände.