Berchtesgaden, a beautiful town roughly 90 miles away from Munich, celebrates an anniversary: 40 years ago, Germany’s only Alpine National Park was founded here. Since then, flora and fauna have developed almost undisturbed in the most south-eastern corner of Bavaria. A special travel program (link below) includes adventure hikes in the realm of the 8,900 ft. high Watzmann mountain, presentations (“Alpine Philosophicum”) on the topic of wilderness (beginning June 12, 2018), and the public holiday celebration in the “House of the Mountains” (October 3, 2018). Throughout the summer, visitors have the opportunity to experience extraordinary mountain hikes through the larger than 80 square miles area around Lake Königssee.