Soil is one of the most precious assets of mankind, because it allows plants, animals and us humans to live on the surface of the earth! We walk on it, we live on it and we grow our fruits and vegetables on it. But what does such a soil look like? How does it smell and how does it feel?
We will take a closer look at the soil and discover the creatures that live in it. We will quickly realize that there are many different types of soil. Although soil is so important, it is polluted and endangered in many places. We will find out together why and what connections play a role in this and consider what each individual can do to help the soil.
Contents:
Structure and function of the soil
Getting to know different types of soil
Importance, endangerment and protection of soil
Sensual experience
Meeting place:
«Haus der Berge» – Main entrance
Duration:
3 – 4 Hours
Target group:
5th - 7th grade
Water is (almost) always in motion - it changes and it changes its environment. In our water lab, we experiment together and find out how the dynamics of natural watercourses shape our valleys, how water shapes our landscape and with what consequences humans intervene in these watercourses. It will be especially exciting when we try to fathom the paths of water in the mountain. Do you know why and where it disappears? And attention - it will also get wet with us when we build up different flow formations ourselves.
Contents:
Water as a shaper of the landscape
Consequences of human intervention in watercourses
Ways of water in the karst of the national park
Importance of water as a resource
Meeting place:
«Haus der Berge» – Main entrance
Duration:
3,5-4 Hours
Target group:
5th - 8th grade
Alpine meadows in the national park are very diverse habitats that are still sustainably managed by humans today. Many rare animal and plant species find a home on the species-rich alpine meadows. We will experience how people live on the alpine pastures in a real historical alpine hut, the Lahnerkaser, in the outdoor area at the "Haus der Berge".
There we learn exciting facts about the everyday life of a dairymaid, see how the parlor and stable are furnished and which customs are connected with the alpine life in the Berchtesgadener Land. We will also learn which products are made from milk on the alpine pastures and even try out churning butter ourselves - let us surprise you.
Contents:
Life on the alp
Comparison of past and present
Traditions around the alp life
Milk processing
Meeting place:
«Haus der Berge» – Main entrance
Duration:
2 – 4 Hours
Target group:
5th grade
Attention:
Absolutely warm clothes + waterproof shoes
Although the global community defined a total of 17 global sustainability goals back in 2015 to ensure that life on our planet is worth living for everyone, little has happened. Things are particularly bad for the famous “SDG 13 - Climate Action”. It was actually agreed to take immediate action to combat climate change and its effects in order to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 °C. But the climate stations in the national park are already setting new records. At 2 °C, temperatures in the Alps have risen twice as much as the global average over the past 100 years.
To get to the bottom of the details of climate change and learn more about its impact on the Alps, team spirit is required: an exciting escape game and interactive methods not only bring the topic closer, but also highlight the urgency of climate protection.
Contents:
Effects of climate change on the Alps using the example of Berchtesgaden National Park
Development of joint ideas for climate protection
Information on the 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Promotion of teamwork and networked thinking
Meeting point:
«House of the mountains» – main entrance
Duration:
3 - 4 hours
Target group:
from 6th grade
Attention:
2 groups in parallel not possible!
The Escape Game boxes were financed by Engagement Global with funds from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Every year, more than a million people with different interests and vacation ideas flock to the world-famous region around Lake Königssee. It takes good concepts and stakeholders who are always willing to talk in order to combine tourism, agricultural and nature conservation concerns and to develop the region sustainably.
Within the framework of a simulation game, we actively deal with a possible conflict of use in the region through discussions, negotiations and decision-making processes. Despite conflicting interests and a resulting conflict, a decision must be made for the region.
Contents:
Tasks and goals of the national park and the resulting conflicts of use.
Promotion of tolerance and understanding of different points of view
Development of common ideas for the future of the region
Meeting place:
«Haus der Berge» – Main entrance
Duration:
3 – 4 Hours
Target group:
7th grade to high school
Attention:
2 groups in parallel not possible!
The forest is a complex ecosystem and provides an extremely diverse habitat for a wide variety of animal and plant species. It is extremely exciting to see how the numerous animals and plants, starting from the smallest creatures in the dead wood to the large mammals and of course the trees are interconnected! On our hike through the Klausbach Valley, we will experience and explore this diverse habitat together. We will take a closer look at the creatures of a deadwood stand and dive into the world of research ourselves.
Route:
From the information point to the Klausbach valley and back, in flat terrain
Contents:
The forest - a complex ecosystem
Wilderness in the Berchtesgaden National Park
Importance of deadwood for the forest
Discover native tree species
Meeting place:
National Park Information Point Hintersee
Duration:
3 – 4 Hours
Target group:
5th grade
Come to the Berchtesgaden National Park and experience one of our main valleys up close. Because there are not only lots of exciting things to discover. Here we will learn that nature also manages quite well without us. What seems chaotic to us at first, follows complex laws, because in nature everything is interconnected.
With the help of games and activities we will discover the wilderness of our main valleys and experience the national park in an age-appropriate and playful way. The holistic experience of nature in the national park is the focus of this guided tour.
Contents:
General national park topics
Fauna and flora of the National Park
Wilderness in the Berchtesgaden National Park
Cycles in nature
Königsee Valley
... the fjord-like Königsee Valley with its shimmering green water and the fascinating view of the steep and famous Watzmannostwand.
Route:
Either on a flat circular path across the peninsula or past the information point and to the viewpoint in the Eisbach valley and back again.
Meeting place:
Boat landing stage St. Bartholomä
Costs:
Shipping Königssee
Wimbach Valley
... the wild Wimbach valley with its impressive gorge, the ice-cold mountain stream and its mighty debris flow.
Route:
On a moderately steep ascent to and through the Wimbachklamm gorge into the Wimbach valley, there only a slight ascent to the Wimbachgries or from there on, with a moderate ascent to the Wimbach castle, then, back to the information point.
Meeting place:
National Park Info Point Wimbachbrücke
Costs:
Wimbachklamm
Klausbach Valley
... the cross-border Klausbach valley with its numerous alpine pastures and the wild Mühlsturzhorns.
Route:
Either on foot to the Klausbach valley on flat paths there and back or from the 5th grade with the AlmErlebnisBus to the Hirschbichlpass and on foot on intermediate steep passages over the Bindalm and the suspension bridge past the Mühlsturzhorns back to the information point Hintersee.
Meeting place:
National Park Information Point Hintersee
Costs:
Possibly AlmErlebnisBus
Duration:
depending on route, from 3 Hours
Target group:
5th to 10th grade
In the Wimbach Valley, we experience firsthand the immeasurable power of water that shapes and forms our landscape. After we have left the thundering waters of the Wimbachklamm behind us, we examine the small animal world of the Wimbach with various research tools. The fact that it takes specialists to cope in such an extreme habitat is experienced at the latest when you feel the water temperature on your own feet.
However, the water from the Wimbach valley is not only cold, but so clean that it serves as drinking water for the people of Berchtesgaden. So what can we do to ensure that the water remains clean locally and also worldwide?
Route:
Moderately steep climb to and through the Wimbachklamm gorge into the Wimbachtal valley, there only a slight incline, then back to the information point.
Contents:
Formation of the Wimbachklamm
Habitat mountain stream
Water cycle
Protecting water - locally and worldwide
Meeting place:
National Park Information Point Wimbachbrücke
Duration:
4 Hours
Target group:
5th - 8th grade
Costs:
Wimbachklamm
Golden eagles and bearded vultures are truly "kings of the air". Despite their size, they don't need a single wing beat to glide up several hundred meters in altitude!
On a hike through the Klausbach Valley, you will learn interesting facts about the way of life and endangerment of these two impressive birds of prey, as well as information about measures to protect these impressive species. While looking over their territories, their natural feeding areas and into an eyrie wall, you will learn a lot of exciting things, e.g. also about the extraordinary and different feeding habits of both bird species.
Route:
From the National Park Information Point Hintersee to the Golden Eagle Observation Point in Klausbach Valley and back to the starting point.
Contents:
Occurrence and endangerment
Protection measures
Hunting strategies
Breeding behavior
Meeting place:
National Park Information Point Hintersee
Duration:
2 – 3 Hours
Target group:
5th - 8th grade
Requirements:
average condition, sturdy shoes, binoculars
71% of the earth's surface is covered with water, but only about 3% of this is available as fresh water. In the Dachstein limestone of the national park, fresh water seeks its own underground paths until it comes to the surface in the form of springs. Numerous animals have adapted to this water habitat with amazing abilities. Not only do they exhibit special characteristics, but they also say a lot about the quality of the water.
On a guided tour at Hintersee you will learn more about the water cycle in the mountains and the lake habitat with all its special features. With a little luck, you will have the opportunity to observe different aquatic animals.
Route:
On easy paths along the shores of the Hintersee.
Contents:
Lake and stream habitat
Water cycle
Water quality
Wildlife in and around water
Meeting place:
After arrangement
Duration:
ca. 3 Hours
Target group:
8th grade to high school
Requirements
Also for people with walking difficulties, good shoes
In the core zone of the national park, nature is left to its own devices. Bark beetle infestations, windfalls and avalanches - often perceived by us humans as wild and threatening - are part of nature and embed themselves in the natural cycles of the forest. During a hike through the Klausbach Valley, you can observe the exciting development of the forests up close.
There you can marvel at the individual stages of natural forest development in the core zone and gain insight into the various forest management measures within the national park's care zone.
Route:
From the information point Hintersee to Hirschbichl or in reverse order. A partial route can be covered with the AlmErlebnisBus. Refreshment stops available (please note current Corona regulations).
Contents:
Zoning in the National Park
Natural cycles in the mountain forest
Forest management and wildlife regulation
Functions of the mountain forest
Meeting place:
National Park Information Point Hintersee
Duration:
4 – 6 Hours
Target group:
9th grade to high school
Requirements:
Average to good condition and sturdy shoes
Costs:
Possibly AlmErlebnisBus
The Berchtesgaden National Park is divided into two different zones. In the core zone, which covers 75% of the area of the national park, nature is left to its own devices. In the remaining 25% - the so-called maintenance zone - there are many different uses whose origins date back to long before the national park was founded in 1978.
Here, different forms of use such as alpine farming and tourism meet directly with natural events such as windthrow, avalanches and rockfalls. On your excursion you will learn on site which management measures are necessary to reconcile the goals of the protected area with the interests of locals and guests.
Route:
The excursion can be carried out in the Jenner area or in the Klausbach valley.
Contents:
Goals of the National Park
Zoning
National park planning and management measures
Different forms of use in the national park
Natural events and natural developments
Meeting place:
Depending on the route
Duration:
5 – 6 Hours
Target group:
9th grade to high school
Requirements:
Average to good condition and sturdy shoes
Costs:
Depending on the route possibly Jennerbahn or AlmErlebnisbus
The magnificent high mountain landscape around the Watzmann and Königssee is one of the main attractions of the Bavarian Alps all year round. A wide variety of uses and major nature conservation goals have had to be reconciled here for more than 100 years. Over 1.6 million visitors a year to one of the most species-rich areas in Germany! How does it work? On a winter hike in the valleys of the national park, you will learn more about the special features of the protected area and get to know the aims and history of Germany's only Alpine national park.
Route:
The tour can take place in the Klausbach, Wimbach or Königsseetal valleys.
Contents:
Goals and tasks of the national park
Natural dynamics
Altitude levels and vegetation zones
Flora and fauna in winter
Meeting place:
National Park Information Point Hintersee (Klausbachhaus), National Park Information Point Wimbachbrücke, National Park Information Point St. Bartholomä
In the Wimbach Valley between the mighty mountain massifs of the Watzmann and the Hochkalter, you can experience the geology of the Berchtesgaden Alps up close. The water there has dug deep through the different layers of rock, giving insight into the geological history of the Alps. The trail leads through the impressive Wimbachklamm gorge to the Wimbachgries, one of the largest free-flowing debris flows in the Northern Alps.
On site you will get to know and distinguish the most important rock types. In addition, you will learn how the Wimbach valley was formed and which creatures prefer to use this habitat.
Route:
From the Wimbachbrücke to the Wimbachschloss and back. Refreshment stop at the Wimbachschloss with hut service (please note current Corona regulations).
Contents:
Geology of the Berchtesgaden Alps using the example of the Wimbach Valley
Formation of the Alps
Characteristic rock types and their weathering
Typical terrain forms
Meeting place:
National Park Info Point Wimbachbrücke
Duration:
3 – 4 Hours
Target group:
9th grade to high school
Requirements
Average to good condition and sturdy shoes
Costs:
Wimbachklamm
Nach und nach kehren die großen Beutegreifer in ihre ehemaligen Lebensräume zurück. Einerseits als Kulttier verehrt, andererseits vehement verfolgt und ausgerottet – die gemeinsame Geschichte von Wolf, Bär, Luchs und Mensch war schon immer von Gegensätzen geprägt. Auf einer Wanderung durch das Klausbachtal lernen Sie die Ansprüche der Tiere an ihren Lebensraum kennen und erfahren mehr über deren Lebensweise. Welche Konflikte können durch die Rückkehr entstehen? Und welche Möglichkeiten hält das Wildtiermanagement für ein möglichst konfliktarmes Nebeneinander bereit?
Route:
Von der National Park Information Point Hintersee ins Klausbachtal und zurück zum Ausgangspunkt.
Contents:
Geschichte und Lebensweise der großen Beutegreifer
Requirements an den Lebensraum
Aktuelle Verbreitung
Konflikte und Managementmaßnahmen
Meeting place:
National Park Information Point Hintersee
Duration:
3 – 4 Hours
Target group:
9th grade to high school
Requirements:
Average condition + mountain boots
Costs:
Possibly AlmErlebnisBus
Golden eagles and bearded vultures are truly "kings of the air". Despite their size, they don't need a single wing beat to glide up several hundred meters in altitude!
On a hike through the Klausbach Valley, you will learn interesting facts about the way of life and endangerment of these two impressive birds of prey, as well as information about measures to protect these impressive species. While looking over their territories, their natural feeding areas and into an eyrie wall, you will learn a lot of exciting things, e.g. also about the extraordinary and different feeding habits of both bird species.
Route:
From the National Park Information Point Hintersee to the Golden Eagle Observation Point in Klausbach Valley and back to the starting point.
Contents:
Occurrence and endangerment
Protection measures
Hunting strategies
Breeding behavior
Meeting place:
National Park Information Point Hintersee
Duration:
2 – 3 Hours
Target group:
9th grade to high school
Requirements:
average condition, sturdy shoes, binoculars
Contact
Field of Environmental Education
Doktorberg 6
83471 Berchtesgaden
