Jennerbahn in Konigssee, Germany

The Jennerbahn is a large Gondola that takes you up to the top of Jenner mountain outside of Berchtesgaden in Germany. It can be used for skiing in the winter and hiking/sight seeing the rest of the year.

We visited Berchtesgaden and the Jennerbahn in October of 2012 and the weather was still nice and there was no snow on the ground.  Ascending in the Jennerbahn happens in two sections. The first section you go up half of the mountain, with the option to get off at a stopping point. After that, you take a right hand turn and go up the rest of the mountain to reach another stopping point near the top.

Both sections of the Gondola have great sights, with the first section allowing you to hover over grazing cattle and the second half showing you great views as you go up the mountain.

One of the particularly striking sights is of a crystal blue lake that you see around half way up the mountain. If you time the lighting right, you can get some excellent reflections in your photos.

Once you ascend there is a nice restaurant on top of the mountain that affords views, as well as the ability to climb up to the summit of the mountain for 360 views of the area. It's beautiful!

The only downside? There are a lot of birds who try (and sometimes succeed) to steal your food while you are eating. Go away birds!

If you are ever in Berchtesgaden, make sure you plan to spend half of a day going up the Jenner mountain on the Jennerbahn. It's well worth your time and the views are spectacular! I can't think of anything better than a beer, German food and pristine alpine views all in the same place.