“What are men to rocks and mountains?” – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Day Six of our Ten Day Germany Adventure began in the town of Berchtesgaden, located in the Bavarian Alps. We stayed over the night before in Berchtesgaden, however the town is easily accessible as a day trip from a large city base, such a Munich or Salzburg. We spent the morning exploring the town, before embarking on the Eagle’s Nest Historical tour, an afternoon tour of the small town of Obersalzberg, and the Eagle’s Nest.

Originally when looking at our itinerary for Germany, we were going to use Munich as a base for four nights, and take a short day trip to Berchtesgaden. However, once we began mapping out the trip in more detail, we decided to stay the night in order to have a more leisurely morning and enjoy the views of the Alps.  I was really glad we made this decision, because at this point in the trip, after really long days of sightseeing, it was refreshing to be able to sleep in a little and have a nice breakfast, instead of having another early morning trying to catch a train.

We spent the morning at our hotel enjoying breakfast, which had panoramic views of the mountains. After breakfast, we walked around town, enjoying the  sunny weather and picturesque scenery.  I even made friends with a cat while walking along a pedestrian footpath beside a stream.

The Town of Berchtesgaden

Before checking into our tour, we grabbed some pastries and beverages at a local grocery store for lunch and a snack for later.

Eagle’s Nest Historical Tour

We did the four-hour tour with Eagle’s Nest Historical Tours, which you can read more about on their website. Our guide was Tom Lewis, who has been one of the guides for this company since 2014. The tour opens in Mid-May and runs through the end of October (weather permitting).

Tour Headquarters for the Eagle’s Nest Historical Tour

The tour is three parts. The beginning of the tour is spent during the 30 minute drive to the city of Obersalzberg, during which time our guide gave us a history of Hitler’s time in the area, and it’s importance as a center of operations for members of the Hitler’s inner circle in the Third Reich.

The bus drives the group through the area in which Hitler’s former residence stood, which was destroyed during the war. Members of his inner circle had homes in close proximity, and there was an intricate and well-developed tunnel system connecting them. These tunnels were designed to connect air raid shelters. In the event of an Allied attack, high-ranking members could be protected for long periods of time.

The next stop was the Dokumentation Obersalzberg, a museum outlining the roll of this area during the war and the tunnel system throughout the mountain.  Much of the tunnel system was still intact, and some has been preserved for viewing.

Dokumentation Obersalzberg

Entrance to the Underground Tunnel System in the Dokumentation Obersalzberg

The Underground Tunnel System in the Dokumentation

Immense amounts of money were spent developing these tunnels as well as the tea house, the Eagle’s Nest. The Eagle’s Nest,  or Kehlsteanhaus, is a tea house, located on the Kehlstein. It was commissioned by Martin Bormann for Hitler’s 50th birthday. The project took thirteen months to build, cost upwards of 30 million dollars, and 12 laborers lost their lives during the construction. It was completed in April of 1939, and while built on behalf of Hitler, he allegedly only visited the building fourteen times.

After taking a bus up to the top of the mountain, the Eagle’s Nest was only accessible through the original bronze elevator at the end of a long dimly lit tunnel.

Entrance to the Elevator

Tunnel Leading to the Elevator

Inside the Elevator

We were there in late May, so there was still snowfall, making it difficult to see the entire area around the tea house. However a few brave souls on our tour (including Justin) climbed up the slippery ice and snow to get the best views from the peak. The clouds were coming in and out, but Justin was finally able to get a really great picture after a few trips up and back from the peak. It was much colder at the top of the mountain, so I definitely recommend bringing extra layers with you on the tour.

The View from the Top of Kehlstein Overlooking the Eagle’s Nest

The View from the Top of Kehlstein to the Left of the Eagle’s Nest

The View from the Top of Kehlstein Overlooking the Eagle’s Nest

The View from the Top of Kehlstein to the Right of the Eagle’s Nest with Salzburg, Austria in the Background

After exploring the grounds, we took a look around the interior of the Eagle’s Nest. In the main room was a fireplace given to Hitler by Benito Mussolini (the leader of Italy). When the 101st Airborne Division captured the Eagle’s Nest in May 1945, soldiers broke off pieces of the fireplace to keep as a souvenir.

Fireplace Given to Hitler by Benito Mussolini

Observation Deck Inside the Eagle’s Nest

The Official Name of the Eagle’s Nest is the Kehlsteinhaus.

Overall, we were so glad that we included this stop in our trip and would recommend this tour a must see for those that are interested in the history of the Third Reich.

After arriving back in Berchtesgaden, we grabbed a quick dinner at Burger King (I know…) by the train station before catching a train to our last destination of the trip – Munich!