Sadly the weather and a landslide caused our visit to the Eagle’s Nest to be cancelled. So Geoff and myself decided to head to the old town of Berechtesgaden for a look around despite the rainy weather. What a beautiful old town. There is a 900 year old history here in the old centre of Berechtesgaden. The Franciscan Church is a two nave late Gothic church and was built in around 1480 and served then as an Augustinian convent. Around 1695, Franciscan monks took over and remain here today.
Although we didn’t walk to the Brine Pipeline Path, it is worth a mention as this is what this whole area is about! Salt is known here as “white gold”. The former wooden brine pipeline celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2017. It channeled brine (salt dissolved in water) from the salt mine in Berechtesgaden to the salt works (Saline) in Bad Reichenhall.
Then we walked through the Town Hall Square. Today’s town hall was built between 1873 and 1875 on the site of the former market hall. On to Palace Square (Schlossplatz) after that. The square has an old sundial and the Kronprinz-Rupprecht-Brunnen (fountain), which was built in 1960 to commemorate 150 years of Berechtesgaden being part of Bavaria.
In Market Square the restaurant “Gasthaus Neuhaus” was built in 1576 by Prince Provost Jakob 11 Puttrich as an abbey tavern. The fountain (Marktbrunnen) dates back to 1677. The Hirschenhaus (building) dating from 1594 was also a tavern. On the rear of this building in the pedestrianised road are fresco paintings mocking the spoilt lifestyle of the upper class in the Renaissance around 1610.
And of course Schlossplatz (Palace Square). This impressive square is where common folk entered the royal domain through the archways when the Prince Provosts or the Wittelsbach kings held court. The square has an old sundial and the Kronprinz-Rupprecht-Brunnen (fountain) which was built in 1960 to commemorate 150 years of Berechtesgaden being part of Bavaria.
A great morning in this historic old town despite the rain.
Now on to Salzburg in Austria!!!!!