Predigtstuhl Cable Car & Summit Terrace
The Predigtstuhl cable car, built in 1928, is the oldest surviving aerial tramway in the world — and its summit station at 1,614 m delivers one of the most jaw-dropping panoramas in the Bavarian Alps. On a clear day you can pick out the Watzmann, the Untersberg and the shimmering disc of the Chiemsee far to the north.
The Ride Up — History in Motion
The original 1928 wooden cabins were replaced but the infrastructure retains its heritage status, and the ascent through dense spruce forest and sudden limestone cliffs feels genuinely adventurous. The journey takes about eight minutes and rises nearly 1,000 vertical metres — your ears pop, the valley shrinks, and the Alps open up around you.
At the top, the restored Berghotel Predigtstuhl serves Bavarian classics on a sun-drenched terrace where paragliders launch into the void every few minutes. Order a Weissbier and watch them spiral lazily above the rooftops of Bad Reichenhall far below.
Walks from the Top
The summit is the starting point for several well-marked trails, including a gentle 45-minute ridge walk to the Predigtstuhl cross that rewards you with 360-degree views requiring no technical ability whatsoever. In winter the upper slopes offer sledging runs and snowshoe routes.
For the descent, seasoned walkers can take the signed footpath back down through the forest to town — about 2.5 hours and steep enough to remind your knees it was a real mountain.
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