Go rafting in Berchtesgaden

Adam Woods    raftingholidays     Adventure Sports, Alps, Berchtesgaden, germany, Rafting

For most people, the mention of the word ‘Alps’ usually conjures up images of valleys, forests and mountain peaks shrouded in a layer of thick snow, icicle-adorned pine lodges offering sanctuary from the cold, and retro-dressed skiers and snowboarders strutting their stuff on the slopes. The image imprinted on my mind is something markedly different.

Hard to believe though it is, for a few months every year, the snows melt away to reveal a rich, fertile land that’s something akin to Disney fairy-tale (much to the disappointment of those retro-dressed skiers, I might add). It’s now that the image becomes one of deep green valleys, shimmering lakes, and craggy mountain passes. Instead of the perennial shriek of amateur snowboarders, only the pleasant sound of distant cowbells rings in your ears!

There's rafting here, too Image: Flickr/indichick7

But there’s still plenty of fun and adventures to be had in such seasons, and one of the best places to have it is in Berchtesgaden, tucked away right in the south-east corner of Germany. The receding snows and melting ice caps ensure the canyons flow with gushing water, perfect for rafting.

You won’t be the first person to enjoy the landscape, though. In fact, on this occasion you’re in pretty bad company! Berchtesgaden was the mountain holiday retreat of prominent Nazi members from the late-1920s right up until the end of the war. Remnants of this dark past can still be seen, particularly the much-visited ‘Eagle’s Nest’, a mountain-top lodge built on the orders of Hermann Göring as a 50^th birthday present for his Fuhrer, and the ‘Dokumentation’ museum at nearby Obersalzberg.

For some extreme summer fun, don your neoprene wetsuit (spandex if you prefer) and brave the icy waters of the area’s famous rivers, the Ramsauer, Königsseer, Bischofswiesener, and Berchtesgadener Aches. There are a few great places where the water turns white and your adrenaline really gets pumping. If cold air is preferable to cold water, paragliding might be more you’re thing. There’s probably no better way to enjoy Berchtesgaden’s natural beauty than from above.

For me, the Alps, particularly in Bavaria, are simply better in the summertime. Yes, there’s no skiing or snowboarding, but nor are there freezing fingers, slippery sidewalks, and bone-chilling winds that make you wish you weren’t born! When the sun’s shining and the skies are blue, when the powerful rapids and smooth Bavarian beer is flowing, and when those oh-so-scrumptious Bratwurst’s are smoking, there’s no better place to be on Earth than this magnificent corner of southeastern Germany!

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