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The path from the mountain to the valley

Leisurely hike from the summit cross down to the valley

Once you arrive at the valley station, you first take the panorama gondola up to the mountain station. Riding the gondola feels like you’re floating above the ground – the tension builds, you get higher and higher and then you reach 1,800 m altitude. From there, a signposted path leads to the summit of the Jenner in around 15 minutes. Once here, the entire length of the Königssee stretches out at your feet and you can marvel at the Watzmann-Empor from there.
Return to the mountain station the same way. In good weather, you can even watch many colorful paragliders take off from the small Jenner, where our great via ferratas are located and which is only a 10-minute walk from the mountain station. It’s easy to lose track of time here, because you can’t help but get excited about the planes. The excitement at the start is at its highest, but when they are in the air, it is simply a spectacle and wonderful to watch. Below the Mitterkaser mountain station, a well-maintained forest path leads down to the “Klaus Maxei” – the Mitterkaseralm – in around 30 minutes. The Resch family will spoil your guests with delicious Bavarian delicacies and homemade cakes. The sunny terrace and the cozy Almstuben invite you to rest and linger. Continue along the well-maintained Mitterkaserweg down to the middle station. Alternatively, you can also descend via the Krautkaserhang. If you are lucky, you can watch our marmots (marmots) “sunnabadln” here in summer; if you can’t see any, you have to open your ears wide because our marmots chirp very loudly to communicate with each other. Anyone who thinks this is a joke can see for themselves. And the alpine cows also take their midday naps in the fields around the Jennerbahn. Once you arrive at the middle station, there are two more opportunities to stop off and enjoy the day.

Recharge your batteries and enjoy the sun at 1,200 m above sea level with us at HALF TIME. See our regional range for yourself.

A little insider tip from the Jennerbahn team: you have to try the Teufelstoast :-)
Enjoy the breathtaking view of the Berchtesgaden valley halfway up the mountain with a summer spritzer. If you walk about 10 minutes from the halfway point, you will reach the Dr. Hugo Beckhaus. The very friendly team will serve you delicious food as well as hot and cold drinks.

If you don’t want to walk from the middle station down to the valley, you can take the cable car down from the middle station at any time.

If you are on foot, you should definitely make a short detour to our reservoir below the middle station. This fantastic view is worth it! Then follow the signposted stepped path, which is a little steep but beautifully situated in the forest, back to the valley station.

If you […]

A visit to Sabine Straten-Beiwinkler in the Jennershop. Today we visit Sabine at her unique workplace in the Jennershop at 1,800 m above sea level. Sabine probably has one of the most promising jobs and is happy to come here every day. “I enjoy the gondola ride up every day. It’s simply wonderful and different every day. Yesterday, for example, I saw two chamois,” Sabine enthuses.

Born in Munich, she has lived in Berchtesgaden since 2016. Sabine has loved the mountains all her life. “We often went on vacation in the mountains when I was a child. I’ve always been fascinated by nature and the landscape,” says Sabine. Since summer 2019, the trained retail saleswoman has been the store manager on Schönau’s local mountain, and she loves it. “When we were on vacation here in Berchtesgaden a few years ago, I was overwhelmed by this fantastic area and mountain backdrop. I could immediately imagine working and living here. After careful consideration, I realized this and moved here with my family,” says Sabine. The contact with guests, selling souvenirs, but also being there to provide information about the mountain region make the job varied and simply exciting every day. The idea of “working where others go on vacation” is not everyone’s cup of tea, but many of our employees live by this principle. Sabine also spends her free time in nature, in the mountains, and not least on the Jenner.

The souvenir store has a large and varied range. By far the best sellers are the postcards with motifs from the region and magnets. “I think it’s nice to know that people are still writing postcards in the age of WhatsApp and the like. And as we sell a stamp with almost every card, they actually get sent out,” explains Sabine. In addition to the two highlights in the Jennershop, products such as the “Graßl Schnaps” and books on the history of Berchtesgaden are of course top sellers. Soft toys, soaps, cowbells, Watzmann chocolates, rock crystals and cuckoo whistles round off the most popular range.

On busy days, around 3,000 guests visit the Jenner. Most of them climb the mountain by cable car, but there are also many hikers. “On the busy days, things get busy. But I’m always happy to help the guests. It’s not just about selling, but also about passing on the quality of life here and I try to do that every day,” says Sabine. The guests take the cable car back down to the valley with fond memories and hopefully have bought a nice souvenir from Sabine to take home.

… see you soon on the Jenner!

Insights behind the scenes. How exactly does the new Jennerbahn work and how does it differ technically from the old one? We want to answer these questions today and give you an insight into the technology of the Jennerbahn.

“The old valley station was my birthplace, nursery and playground,” says our deputy operations manager Max Bosch. He is deeply rooted in the Jennerbahn, his father worked for over three decades as operations manager and board member at Berchtesgadener Bergbahn AG. Max therefore came into contact with the cable car at an early age. After vacation jobs and weekend work, he has been a permanent employee since 2006 and deputy operations manager since last year. He particularly enjoys the variety between office work and work in the field or in the workshop.

Max worked as a machine operator on both the old and the new Jennerbahn and was therefore able to experience the changes at first hand. He was therefore able to give us technical details in comparison with the old lift.

The route
Although the route of the two railroads is identical, the number of supports was greatly reduced. When the Jennerbahn was built in 1953, there was a requirement that the railroad line should not be recognizable as such. For this reason, the decision was made to use low green-painted supports. It also had to be possible to rescue the cabin from the ground. There were 43 tripod supports in total. In the new construction, these were replaced with 18 significantly higher round tube supports. This significantly lower number is sufficient, as the higher structures allow for longer cable spans (distance between two supports).

The drive
The Jennerbahn has two drives. These are low-speed three-phase motors whose drive shafts are directly connected to the rope sheave, making a gearbox and the associated costly maintenance unnecessary.

The drive of section 1 (bottom station – middle station) has an output of 590 kW (approx. 800 HP), while the drive of section 2 (middle station – mountain station) has an output of 610 kW (approx. 830 HP). This allows the Jennerbahn to accelerate continuously up to a speed of 6m/s (approx. 21km/h). In comparison, the old lift had an output of 147kW (approx. 197PS) on both sections and could reach a maximum speed of 3m/s.

The difference in performance is particularly noticeable in the travel time: in 2017, the journey from the valley to the mountain still took around 25 minutes. Today, it only takes around 11 minutes to cover the same distance at full speed.

The vehicles
The old Jennerbahn had 170 gondolas and eight special hangers, such as dragon, transport or work hangers. There was room for two people in each gondola, so that up to 480 people could be transported per hour.

The new lift, on the other hand, has 60 10-passenger cabins, a kite hanger, a transport gondola and a working hanger. The gondolas can be loaded with up to 800 kg, but could carry at least three times this load according to […]

The highest information point in Berchtesgaden National Park now has another exhibition room. Every day, visitors can find out about the flora and fauna in the national park. Many topics are also specially prepared for children.

Magdalena Deelmann works in the national park. The 29-year-old geographer, who comes from Münsterland, took the opportunity to research and work in one of Germany’s most beautiful national parks after completing her studies. Together with three other colleagues, she will be happy to answer questions from interested visitors in the exhibition and in the grounds. She passionately explains the concept of the exhibition, the sensitive wildlife in the summit area of the Jenner and raves about her new love: the two bearded vulture ladies Bavaria and Wally, known throughout Germany since 2021 through media reports on the reintroduction in the national park. “I helped supervise the bearded vulture project and have developed a real passion for the big birds. The best thing for me is when I can observe a bearded vulture or one of our national park golden eagles. That’s why we can often be found on the viewing platform near the mountain station with our spotting scope. If the view through the lens is worthwhile, visitors are of course also invited to use it. Don’t be shy, we are happy to be approached,” Magdalena encourages.

The exhibition itself is divided into two rooms. One part is located in the lobby in front of the Jenneralm restaurant, the newly opened part is on the first floor. The exhibition is accessible by elevator. Especially nice for children: the animals on display, such as snow hares and marmots, can be touched and stroked. The curious jackdaw, which is omnipresent in the mountains, guides children through the themed world of the national park. Interactive games explain why, for example, consideration is needed for the habitats of the sensitive ruffed grouse.

“Of course, there are also difficult tasks for us,” says Magdalena, “we always have to point out that dogs have to be kept on a lead or that the use of drones is not permitted. But most people are understanding if you explain the reasons well. After all, everyone wants to continue to enjoy the rich flora and fauna here in the national park.”

The national park exhibition is open daily, the times depend on the cable car times.

Further information about the Berchtesgaden National Park can be found here.

Panoramic hike with two cable cars

I confess: I may be an employee of the Jennerbahn, but I’m also a real fan of the Obersalzbergbahn. The little red gondolas from 1949 have a wonderful touch of nostalgia. They take their passengers comfortably up to the Carl-von-Linde trail, a high-altitude hiking trail that connects the Obersalzberg documentation with the Scharitzkehl alpine pasture in front of the Göll west face. The mostly well-shaded forest path leads along the slopes of the Obersalzberg and repeatedly offers wonderful views of the valley. If you can manage a few climbs on the mostly flat trail, we recommend the hike from the Obersalzbergbahn mountain station to the Jennerbahn middle station. It scores points with numerous refreshment stops along the way and, above all, a knee-friendly ascent and descent!

There are three of us with Lara the dog and we catch the first ride on the Obersalzbergbahn at 9.30 am. As the cable car does not have a large capacity, we recommend an early start, as there are hardly any waiting times. The ascent leads across beautiful meadows and beautifully situated farmhouses, we enjoy the view of Berchtesgaden and the Watzmann. After a short change at the middle station, the mountain station is quickly reached.

Today’s hike first leads downhill towards the summer toboggan run – great fun for families. We continue to follow the signs “Carl von Linde” in the direction of the Jennerbahn middle station. After just 20 minutes, we reach the Graflhöhe inn, which is famous for its giant cream puffs. However, the view of the Berchtesgaden valley from the terrace or one of the sun loungers is even more spectacular. Pleasure hikers can take their first break here (note opening times). We’ve just come from breakfast and so we carry on walking. The trail leads past the Alpetalhütte. The former shelter used to be the starting point for the Göll ascent and is now privately owned. Modern vacation apartments in a wonderful secluded location have been created here with great sensitivity. We soon reach open meadows and the Vorderbrand inn with its beer garden and view of the Untersberg. Here you can also take a 20-minute detour to the Brandkopf, a small peak with a great panoramic view. We can already see the Jennerbahn glass cabins gleaming in the sun from there. A small path leads back down to the crossroads below the Hinterbrand parking lot. Today’s destination, the HALBZEIT restaurant at the middle station of the Jennerbahn, is only a 25-minute walk away. Once here, we enjoy the panoramic terrace and the comfortable deckchairs with a homemade lemonade before we take a leisurely ride back down into the valley. Incidentally, there is a new playground for children right next to the HALBZEIT terrace, where they can let off steam while their parents relax and enjoy their coffee.

Note: If you have a dog with you, please buy a dog ticket at the ticket machine at the Jennerbahn middle station. Back […]

The cable car ride to the Jennerbahn mountain station at 1,800 meters takes 20 minutes. After leaving the gondolas on the mountain, most visitors remain rooted to the spot. The mountain world and the sublime feeling of standing in the middle of the peaks of the Berchtesgaden Alps are too impressive. The direct route to the sun terrace of the Jenneralm is tempting – but we recommend taking the time to walk around the mountain station first. Here you can enjoy magnificent views and great photo opportunities.

The trail is visibly signposted with “360°” and can be accessed from anywhere. At the mountain station, the signs first lead westwards to the new panorama board next to the hang-glider launch site. The sweeping view into the valley over the communities of Berchtesgadener Land and as far as Salzburg is framed by the Watzmann massif, Lattengebirge and Untersberg. If you’re lucky, you can see the hang-gliders take off from the ramp on days with the right thermals!

A few steps further on, you are “eye to eye” with the Hoher Brett. In summer, hiking trails lead down into the valley or further towards the Stahlhaus and to many peaks in the Berchtesgaden National Park. The path continues over the footbridge around the restaurant building above the Jenneralm terrace. The wild nature here in the alpine area of the Berchtesgaden National Park, where chamois and ibex are at home, is impressive. Continue towards the national park exhibition on the 1st floor of the mountain station. The path to the Jenner summit and the Königssee viewing platform branches off here. The ascent is only possible in summer, the path is closed in winter. The National Park’s interactive exhibition is designed with children in mind and is well worth a visit. Here you can learn all about the sensitive flora and fauna in Germany’s only Alpine National Park. On Mondays, the national park staff offer a guided tour of the exhibition from 10:30 – 12:00, meeting point is directly on the terrace. After meeting eagles, jackdaws and mountain hares, it’s time for a well-earned stop at the Jenneralm. When the weather is nice, it’s best to make yourself comfortable in a deckchair on the sun terrace with a drink, for example homemade lemonade – great cinema!

Fancy a new mountain experience? For beginners and sporty families, the Schützensteig on the Jenner is the first choice.

Young, sporty, mountain-loving: Sophia and Emeran enjoy being out and about in the mountains. After their first experience in the climbing garden, the two want to try their hand at a via ferrata for beginners. On the small Jenner mountain near the Jennerbahn mountain station, the two made their first ascent on the Schützensteig – and discovered a new passion.

You can hire via ferrata sets from the sports store in the Jennerbahn valley station. “The advice and the sets with the perfectly fitting climbing harness were important, so we always felt safe when climbing the route,” was the conclusion of the climbing newcomers. The via ferrata sets can be reserved online in advance.

The Jennerbahn takes you first to the mountain station, from where you descend for about 15 minutes. The signpost to the start of the via ferrata is clearly visible next to a bench. On nice days, paragliders also take off in the immediate vicinity. The Schützensteig with difficulty levels A/B to B is ideal for beginners and children from the age of approx. 8 with parents who are experienced via ferrata climbers. Sophia and Emeran cross the forest to the actual start of the via ferrata. Both carefully feel their way around the well-positioned kicks and handles. After a few meters, the movements become more routine: “Climbing along a wall and holding on to iron pins and steel ropes is quite unfamiliar, but now, after a few meters, I feel safe and am totally thrilled,” says Sophia happily. The two of them have particular fun on the zip wire, the Flying Fox, which can also be bypassed if you don’t dare. In between, they both take time to enjoy the magnificent view of the Königssee and the mountains of the Berchtesgaden Alps. The suspension bridge and the steps of the final pillar are another small challenge that Sophie and Emeran enjoy mastering: “For us, the Flying Fox and suspension bridge were actually the best part of the climb. But we saw that there is also an emergency exit after the bridge. That wasn’t an option for us, but it’s really helpful if the last few steps are too airy.” After about an hour, Emeran and Sophie have mastered the via ferrata and are beaming: “The Schützensteig was perfect for us to test out via ferrata climbing and have a lot of fun at the same time. We definitely haven’t done it for the last time. Now we treat ourselves to a drink on the terrace of the Jenneralm before taking the cable car back down to the valley.”

Note: Gloves make it easier to grip the via ferrata. The via ferrata should not be attempted in wet weather.

For experienced climbers, the Laxersteig with difficulty level C is the big brother of the Schützensteig. The entrance is about 10 minutes from the Schützensteig and is signposted accordingly.

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