Lake Königssee Elopement in Germany
Intimate elopement wedding day in Berchtesgaden Nationalpark
What a fun day this was! This elopement at Lake Königssee had absolutely everything you could ask for from a short, yet adventurous wedding day. Breathtaking views, rewarding hikes, and secret locations with no one else around.
When chatting about locations to elope in Germany, we quickly landed on Berchtesgaden Nationalpark near Lake Königssee, which is easily one of the country’s most beautiful places. One spot in particular quickly became top of the list for the ceremony, but more on that one in a minute.
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What you should know about eloping at Lake Königssee
Truth be told, during peak season, Lake Königssee is easily one of the most visited places in the entire country. Which isn’t too surprising though tbh, since it’s absolutely stunning and easily accessible for pretty much everyone.
While it wasn’t part of this particular elopement day, when visiting Lake Königssee, it’s most common to explore it by getting on one of the electric boats. The boat ride is amazing, but I’d highly recommend not only pre-booking your ticket online but also choosing one for the earliest possible departure. Depending on the time of year, this will be between 8-9 am.
After around an hour on the water, you’ll reach the final stop called „Salat”. There’s another stop along the way, but I’d do that one on your way back. From Salat, a short 20-min hike brings you to yet another amazing lake called Obersee.
Why Berchtesgaden Nationalpark is perfect for an elopement in Germany
Eloping in Germany is seriously underrated since the country offers countless incredibly looking landscapes and sceneries. For many though, it’s the German Alps in particular that caught their eye. And if that’s you too, there’s no better place than Berchtesgaden Nationalpark.
Located all the way in the south-east of Germany, this relatively small area truly packs a punch and comes with stunning alpine lakes, forests that look like something out of a fantasy novel, and some of the most dramatic mountaintops you’ll ever see.
Since most couples turn their elopement into their honeymoon trip, it’s perfect for a 3-4 night stay as part of your travel itinerary.
How this Lake Königssee elopement unfolded
First look at Kempinski Hotel and exploring Lake Hintersee
After some first-look photos at the gorgeous Kempinski Hotel, we first headed to Lake Hintersee, yet another beautiful lake that I also visited for this sunrise elopement.
A 20-min drive took us to one of the parking lots right by the lake shore that make this place so easily accessible. Walking along the northern part of the lake offers some amazing backdrops for photos as well as a few trails through the surrounding forest. It’s honestly one of my favorite places in all of Germany, and one I always enjoy coming to.
After an hour or two, we got back in the car and headed to the trailhead for our next destination.
Elopement ceremony and vows at secret viewpoint above Lake Königssee
There are many ways to visit Lake Königssee, but if you don’t fancy the boat ride across the lake, this one beats them all. This is a viewpoint pretty much only locals know about, since there are no signs or anything else that tells you where to go. You could literally look at a hundred location guides for this area – this place won’t show up.
It’s quite a steep 45-min hike straight through a forest, but 100% worth it, believe me. The views high above the lake are absolutely magnificent, and as expected, even on a peak-season date in June, there was no one else around, which is exactly what you want for an elopement.
