In the town of Ramsau, located in the Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria, Germany

 “Kindness is like snow – it beautifies everything it covers.”

— Kahlil Gibran
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(in the Bavarian Alps) Ramsau is a district located in the Berchtesgadener Land (state) in Bavaria, close to the border with Austria, 35 km (~21 mi.) south of Salzburg (in Austria) and 150 km (~94 mi.) southeast of Munich. It is situated north of the Berchtesgaden National Park. Notable sights of Ramsau include the third highest mountain in Germany called the Watzmann, Lake Hintersee, and the village's church. ("This corner of Germany is the ultimate cold-weather playground, a place where sledding down a mountain, or knocking back beers are equally worthy pursuits."-- Alex Halberstadt, Travel + Leisure) It is situated north of the Berchtesgaden National Park. The Parish Church of St Sebastian Ramsau (shown here) is an adorable little chapel located in the town of Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden. This world-famous little church is idyllically situated in the foothills of the alps and looks like something out of a fairytale!

+ Known as Germany’s first mountaineering village, Ramsau’s history has always been influenced by the surrounding mountains, especially by the infamous Watzmann. The famous mountaineer Johann Grill, known as “der Kederbacher,” was the first to scale the Watzmann’s legendary east wall, the highest of the Eastern Alps, and was also the initial landlord of the Watzmannhaus. His statue can be found adorning the garden in front of Ramsau’s Town Hall.

+ Ramsau’s special relationship to the mountains, especially Mount Watzmann and Hochkalter, can still be felt today: The village of Ramsau arguably has the highest number of mountain guides in Germany. Thus, it is understandable that Ramsau applied for the title “mountaineering village” at the German Alpine Association. (The idea of mountaineering villages stems from Austria, where the Austrian Alpine Association already had awarded 20 villages with this quality seal. (A mountaineering village fully dedicates itself to soft tourism, the promotion of nature conservation, agriculture, and sustainable development -- in its efforts to preserve the culture and traditions of the Alpine region. (On September 16th 2015, Ramsau achieved its goal and was officially awarded the title of first Bavarian mountaineering village by the German Alpine Association.)

+ The mountaineering village of Ramsau is a marvelous place! Idyllically situated and embedded in an attractive landscape between mythical mountains, the Zauberwald (which translates into "enchanted forest") and the magical Hintersee lake, nature lovers from across the globe have been visiting this little village for generations to enjoy breathtaking nature and scenic landscapes. Ramsau is also a popular destination for painters, who have found a myriad of motives here. Experience the wildness of nature on exhilarating hikes through the Wimbachklamm gorge, the Blaueisgletscher (the northernmost glacier in the Alps), and the wild rock faces of the Ramsauer Dolomites.