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The town of BERCHTESGADEN is 18km from Bad Reichenhall by rail or by either of two magnificent scenic roads, both of which are served by buses. At its heart is an attractive triangular square dominated by the Schloss (Mon-Fri 10am-1pm & 2-5pm; DM7/¬3.50), which was originally the Augustinian priory. Following the Napoleonic secularization, when Berchtesgaden was incorporated into Bavaria, the complex was transformed into a sumptuous royal residence. After World War I, the deposed King Ludwig III fled here, and it remains the property of the family. Inside you can see the art treasures collected by his son, Crown Prince Ruprecht: medieval religious woodcarvings, sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Italian furniture and a fearsome collection of weaponry. Some parts of the medieval architecture still survive, notably the Romanesque cloister with its beautiful columns, and the graceful Gothic dormitory. Alongside the Schloss is the Stiftskirche , another Romanesque and Gothic mix, with elaborate choir stalls inside.

In the north of town, a twenty-minute walk from the centre along the valley of the Berchtesgadener Ache, is the saltmine, the Salzbergwerk (guided tours: May to mid-Oct daily 9am-5pm; mid-Oct to April Mon-Sat 12.30-3.30pm; tours last 1hr 30min; DM21/¬10.50), which has been the region's source of wealth since 1515. Donning the traditional protective clothing, you're taken deep into the mountain astride a wooden train. Once underground, the tour passes all the machinery and processes of saltmining in disused shafts connected by wooden chutes, which everyone descends in groups, rather like at the fairground. There follows a raft trip across an underground salt lake, a ride back up towards the surface in the miners' elevator, before a final train journey to the exit. It's all great fun, so don't be deterred by the high entrance cost and the inevitable commercial trappings of the place. Be sure to arrive early, or else be prepared to queue.