The Ultimate Berchtesgadener Land Cycling Guide
Berchtesgadener Land is not a well-known cycling destination for cyclists, but it is one of my favorite places in the world to ride a bike. It is also without a doubt my favorite place in Germany to go cycling. The region is perfect for climbers with some of the best climbs in all of Germany, along with relatively empty roads. (Beware: There are generally more cows on the roads than cars.)
Berchtesgadener Land is located in the Southeast corner of Germany and is surrounded on all sides by Austria except from the North. (Salzburger Land surrounds BGL in the East / South and Tirol surrounds it from the West.) In recent years, I have reached some of my best fitness by training in this region. The combination of continuous changing altitude, super steep roads, and long climbs are always good for the legs. In this Article, I would like to share my Top 5 Cycling Highlights of Berchtesgadener Land.
The Best Cycling Routes in Berchtesgadener Land:
- Roßfeldstraße
Roßfeldstraße is hands-down my favorite climb in Germany. There are 4 different Ascents to the Summit of Roßfeld, but my favorite Ascent is from Unterau. From this side, the climb is 13,6 km / 8,45 miles long with 1015m / 3328ft elevation gain at an average gradient of 7,4%. The climb features incredible views of the Berchtesgadener Alps and the surrounding mountains. The Summit also features a "Panoramastraße", which is one of the most beautiful stretches of road in the world in my opinion.
Roßfeldstraße is also one hard climb! The summit sits at 1560m making it Germany's highest Panoramic road. At an average gradient of 7,4% with over 1000m of elevation gain, I've often used it as a testing climb in the past to gage fitness. (If I'm climbing fast on Roßfeld, I know I have a good fitness.)
The Berchtesgadener Bicycle Association also hosts an "Everesting Event" every year in June. Here, all cyclists are invited to climb Roßfeldstraße as many times as possible to raise money for children with cancer. (Each completed ascent provides a donation for children with cancer.) Cyclists, who join the event, always have the option to ride Roßfeld as many times as they like.
- Classic Roßfeldstraße Loop:
- Roßfeld Strava Segment: https://strava.app.link/PHcbOd2Sz1b
- BBA Everesting Event 2026:
- Hintersee and Berchtesgaden National Park
The area around Hintersee and Berchtesgaden National Park is Germany's cycling playground. The area includes countless climbs from punchy 5 minute climbs to 20 - 30 minute climbs. The roads in Berchtesgaden National Park are also toll-roads meaning there are few to no cars on the roads. The views here are also incredible. Every direction offers cyclists with views of the mountains, Bavarian Lakes, and Alpine animals.
In this area, I enjoy doing loops around Hintersee that include all the local climbs. The loops never get old and can be combined with climbing to the ski-station at Schwarzeck, riding to Ramsau, or even riding in the National Park that provides free access to all cyclists. The roads to Hintersee are also the best way to get to Roßfeldstraße, and I recommend combining both of these loops in one ride to experience the best of Berchtesgadener Land.
- Classic Hintersee and Roßfeld Loop:
- Best Climb to Hintersee: https://strava.app.link/NB8kq3pVz1b
