Discover Piding

Piding brings together church art, walking trails and mountain views, offering a variety of experiences. If you are looking for a hotel in Piding, you can consider whether you would prefer to combine your stay with culture, a walk through the countryside or a via ferrata. Local highlights also include a family walking route and regional products.

Church and Nativity Scene on the Johannishögl

St. John’s Church on the Johannishögl in Piding features 14th-century frescoes, Romanesque walls, a Late Gothic vault and a Baroque tower. It therefore displays several architectural styles and historical features. If you visit the Johannishögl on 24 June, you will encounter a special date in the annual calendar: every year, the church’s patronal feast is celebrated, followed by the church consecration festival at the neighbouring inn after the service. A traditional St. John’s bonfire is then lit and kept burning until evening.

Another cultural highlight is the year-round nativity scene in the Old Rectory above the Piding Tourist Information Office. It is designed in the Alpine style and has been housed there since 2013. Wally Nitzinger created the nativity scene with more than 220 figures, 60 birds and native wild animals such as chamois, deer and ibex. These details give an impression of the scale of the display, which explores the nativity theme beyond the Christmas season.

Walking Trails and Via Ferrata

The Piding Bee Trail is an enjoyable walking route for the whole family. It leads from the Neubichler Alm through mixed forest, past fruit trees and across flower meadows to the Johannishögl mountain inn. Along the way, visitors can learn about the importance of bees to the natural and cultural landscape, as well as to food and health. The trail thus combines views of the landscape with a specific nature theme.

The Piding via ferrata offers a different kind of outing, running up the north-facing cliffs of the Hochstaufen. The approach from Piding or Urwies follows a forest road and then a hiking trail. Check trail conditions before climbing; local access restrictions may change.

The Högler circular hiking trail starts at the Högler Straße hiking car park in Piding and leads to the small monuments Haasen-Taferl and Högl quarry. The circular route offers panoramic views of the Berchtesgaden mountains. The Johannishögl inn is also located on the Högl in Piding and offers views across the whole of Salzburg. The two viewpoints provide different points of reference when planning walks and excursions.

Regional Products and Further Highlights

At the Berchtesgadener Land dairy’s production site in Piding, the dairy shop offers its own milk specialities, regional delicacies and fair-trade products. If you are planning a visit, check the current opening hours in advance.

The wider Berchtesgadener Land destination extends across landscapes ranging from the gently rolling Rupertiwinkel in the north to Berchtesgaden National Park on the border with Austria. In the south of Berchtesgadener Land, it includes high-alpine mountain scenery and the natural surroundings of Lake Königssee. Within the wider Berchtesgadener Land destination, Berchtesgaden National Park offers a network of 260 kilometres of hiking trails and alpine routes. Another regional trail experience in the wider Berchtesgadener Land destination is the Almbachklamm gorge: the path through the deep gorge crosses 29 bridges and footbridges, 320 steps and a tunnel blasted through the rock. The gorge is open seasonally; weather-related closures may change. So check whether the route is open before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Schneizlreuth, Eck, Schönau Am Königssee, Berchtesgaden, Bischofswiesen, Laufen, Saaldorf-Surheim, Ramsau Bei Berchtesgaden.

Back to the main travel guide: Berchtesgadener Land.