Frenchie and I were really enjoying our stay at Berghotel Rehlegg. And even thought our suite with a huge private jacuzzi and mountain views tempted us to stay in our room most of the time, the breathtaking nature of Berchtesgaden was calling!
One of the places you simply have to visit, when you are in the Bavarian Alps is Kehlsteinhaus, a.k.a. the Eagle’s Nest! Kehlsteinhaus was built under the rule of the National Socialists as a gift for Adolf Hitler to mark his 50th birthday
During the Second World War, the building was used for state occasions and government meetings. No bombs or enemy attacks ever impacted the building, allowing it to survive in its original form, right up until today. Since 1960, the Kehlsteinhaus has housed a mountain restaurant, commanding stunning panoramic view of peaks up to 200 kilometres away
The Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle’s Nest) on Obersalzberg Mountain in Berchtesgaden is located at a height of 1820m above sea level and is a popular day-trip destination
We had rented a car – and getting here was a bit of a challenge! (Let’s just say that our rented car did not have the motor needed to go way up in the mountains!) You can’t drive all the way to Eagle’s Nest by yourself. At some point you will arrive at a huge parking area (Obersalzberg), where you need to leave your car and jump on a bus (thank God for that – our car wouldn’t have survived!)
From here you can take a bus up to the top – or enjoy a foot march offering magnificent sweeping views of the Bavarian Lake Königssee. We chose a bus and there are several of them leaving approximately every 15 mins
There are two ways to approach and enter the building. One is the road and the other is the Kehlsteinhaus elevator. (It has been said that Hitler did not trust the elevator and disliked using it)
It was a bit of a walk to reach the elevator – and I dont think that people with claustrophobia would enjoy this very much. (Remember to bring a sweater. It is humid and chilly in here)
The waiting room in front of the elevator shaft set deep in the mountain
Finally we had arrived… And yes, it was definitely worth the hustle and bustle!
So what is really up here? Well, once at the top, you can explore most of the rooms and enjoy something to eat or drink in the same spot that Hitler, Eva Braun, Himmler and the rest had their banquets and entertained foreign diplomats. Outside, just past the beer garden terrace, a path leads up to a higher point well worth the short climb
When the weather is with you, the panorama is incredible. Right at eye level with the Alps, looking over both Germany and Austria, the jagged mountains march away in all directions. On a clear day, you can even see Salzburg
Sometimes pictures describe a thousand words, right?
The Kehlstein itself is over 6000 feet (1834m) high, and it is steep. There are vertical drops, that can make you feel quite dizzy even if you don’t normally suffer from vertigo. But you can easily clamber up to the actual peak, which lies a bit above the Kehlsteinhaus.
Here you will find a beautiful memorial cross for all the mountaineers who have lost their lives in the area
We ended our tour with a late lunch at the mountain restaurant with a stunning view
I got myself a new furry friend…
– who was probably more interested in the food than getting to know me…
X Louise
Amazing photos! I was there during a class trip in high school. We didn’t go all the way to the top and now I wish we had. The view looks absolutely beautiful from there =o)
https://dreamofadventures.com/
Yeah! It is hard to beat the view from the top, right? 🙂
X Louise
Amazing photos! Looks like the view from the top was well worth it
xx
Lizzie | Takeoffs & Landings
Oh trust me – it was! 🙂 Thanks for the compliments 🙂
X Louise
Quite a challenge to get to Eagle’s Nest but wow so gorgeous. To bad they don’t have a lot of historcal info attached to it.
Hi Evelyne
Yes – I agree. The view is extraordinat – but the lack of historical info is a bit of a shame 🙂
X Louise
I have to say, whilst I would like to go here (having studied Hitler and WW2 at university), I find it odd that they’ve put a cafe and bar in for tourists. I imagined it was more of a heritage place than somewhere to entertain yourself. Really interesting post though, thank you for sharing! I had no idea you could even visit in this type of way!
I could not agree with you more. They made it too touristy, but I still think it is worth going though 🙂
Thanks for your comment 🙂
X Louise
Great post and amazing photographs!!
Make me wanna go there right now 😀
Thanks for sharing your experience with us girl!
Wish you a lovely day
xx
https://naturallyfreesoul.com
Thank you for reading 🙂 And a lovely day to you too 🙂
X Louise
Those views are amazing! I can’t believe you got a table right there – what a great place to enjoy a meal. Those birds make me nervous though 🙂
Hahaha – the birds were sweet!
X Louise
wow.. Great view after all it’s been clicked from 6000 feet.. Would love to visit there once in my lifetime.
You should definitely go! For it is was an amazing experience – and getting all this lovely fresh air made me feel all reborn again 🙂
X Louise
The views from the top are stunning – love your photos! Would like to visit Kehlsteinhaus one day, Bavaria is such a beautiful area!
Miriam x
It certainly is – and I love that it is also very “undiscovered” which means, you have a lot of privacy as well…
X Louise
The view looks so unbelievable up there! It was so worth going even though it was a bit of a challenge to get there
Dora
http://www.adropofindigo.com/
Yup – it really was! 😀
X Louise