Berchtesgaden, Germany, is a picturesque village nineteen miles south of Salzburg, Austria. It’s a popular vacation spot and hiking mecca— with a dark history. It’s the transit hub for past and present visitors to the Eagle’s Nest in Germany.
The Nazi Party financed construction of the Eagle’s Nest— or Kehlsteinhaus in German— as an extravagant gift for Adolph Hitler’s 50th birthday in 1939. It served as a dramatic, mountaintop retreat for Hitler and his inner circle to entertain and impress guests throughout WW2.
Today, it’s one of the few Nazi-era buildings still in existence. And while it may seem controversial to visit such a place, the Eagle’s Nest and surrounding area do qualify as an unusual and historically significant travel experience. (Be sure to see the photos and video at the end of the article.)
Infamous Visitors to the Eagle’s Nest
Hitler preferred the Berghof— his nearby summer home further down the mountain— over the Eagle’s Nest, for the surprising reasons revealed below. (Read about an American soldier’s clandestine entry into the Berghof’s bunker here.)
Still, Hitler visited the Eagle’s Nest about 17 times. However, his mistress and eventual wife, Eva Braun, spent a significant amount of time at the Eagle’s Nest and even hosted her sister’s wedding reception there.
But the site, imposingly perched atop the scenic Bavarian Alps, was used primarily for diplomatic receptions. Heinrich Himmler, Herman Goebbels and his family, and other members of Hitler’s inner circle all attended functions at the Eagle’s Nest.
The Wolf’s Lair
But don’t confuse the Eagle’s Nest in Germany with the Wolf’s Lair in present-day Poland. The Eagle’s Nest was designed to impress visitors on social occasions— Mussolini even donated the red Italian marble used to build the fireplace in the main reception room.
In contrast, the Wolf’s Lair served as Hitler’s military headquarters for the Eastern front. That’s where the failed assassination attempt against the Fuhrer— dramatized in the Tom Cruise film, Valkyrie, occurred in July 1944. (See my previous article about the Bendlerblock, where the movie’s climax was filmed on location in Berlin.)
Rare Surviving Nazi Sites
The Bendlerblock and Eagle’s Nest are exceptions to the rule. Most buildings used by the Nazis were destroyed by Allied bombing during WW2 or demolished afterwards to erase traces of Hitler and the regime. The former Luftwaffe headquarters in Berlin— now the Ministry of Finance— is another notable and surprising survivor. (It, too, was a film location for Valkyrie.)
So how did the Eagle’s Nest survive? It was too small to be easily targeted by Allied bombers during the raids that destroyed the surrounding area in April 1945. And when civilian authorities in the early 1950s systematically destroyed most remnants of the Third Reich to discourage neo-Nazis, the governor of Bavaria intervened to save the Eagle’s Nest. He successfully argued that it could be used to generate income for charitable causes. (That’s some heavy spin, if you ask me.)
Construction of the Eagle’s Nest
Construction of the Eagle’s Nest in Germany was no small feat at the time. More than 3,000 skilled workers labored day and night to build it in just 13 months. The work was dangerous, and twelve men died in the process. Among the many challenges— creation of a four-mile access road blasted from solid rock and featuring five tunnels and a hairpin turn. Even now, it’s the highest road in Germany.
Highly Defended
The Eagle’s Nest stands at an altitude of more than 6,000 feet. The long ascent meant a surprise ground assault was unlikely. And the hairpin turn required any approaching vehicle to slow to a crawl. Sniper positions overlooking the roadway were carved into the rock cliff.
At the summit, two large, heavily guarded bronze doors concealed the final approach to the Eagle’s Nest— a 407-foot tunnel bored toward the center of the mountain. From the depth of that tunnel, visitors ascended another 407 feet in a brass elevator to the top. (I’ve yet to learn the significance of 407 feet, which equates to 124 meters.)
You enter the Eagle’s Nest the very same way today as Hitler and his cronies did during WW2. And yes, it feels creepy.
Getting to the Eagle’s Nest in Germany
My visit to the Eagle’s Nest in Germany was an impromptu, summer day trip from Salzburg, Austria, by train. The ride is about an hour each way and can be done for less than $25 roundtrip.
If you decide to visit the Eagle’s Nest without a guide, simply take bus #838 from the train station in Berchtesgaden to the Documentation Center in Obsersalzberg a couple of miles up the mountain. The Center serves as a museum (admission 3 Euros) and access point to a portion of the extensive underground bunker system. Outside the Documentation Center, you’ll catch one of the buses specially designed to tackle the steep, final ascent to the entry tunnel for the Eagle’s Nest.
The bus from Berchtesgaden to the Documentation Center runs every 25 minutes from 08:30 to 16:00 during peak season. Check the schedule and availability here and book your tickets online to avoid a wait at the ticket counter. The roundtrip adult fare is 32 Euros (16.50 for kids aged 6-14) and includes the ride to the entry tunnel on one of the specially designed buses. I’d allow for an hour or so at the top, exclusive of transportation time and your visit to the Documentation Center.
The Eagle’s Nest is generally open from mid-May to mid-October. At other times, the road is closed because of snow and unsafe conditions.
No Cars Allowed
Alternatively, you can drive yourself to the Documentation Center and park in the large lot there. In that case, you’ll still need to pay 32 Euros for the bus ride to the top— private vehicles are not allowed past the Documentation Center. But you can walk to the Eagle’s Nest from the Documentation Center. The hike takes about 3 hours, and it’s steep. Your call.
There is no fee to enter the Eagle’s Nest itself.
Eagle’s Nest Historical Tours
I’m a history buff, so naturally I wanted a guided tour to learn as much as possible. My experience with Eagle’s Nest Historical Tours was top notch. Their guides are native English speakers and credentialed historians. At the time of my visit, you could book individually and join a larger group. Now, the firm offers only private, 4-hour tours for 1-6 people at a flat, group rate of 330 Euros. Tours depart at 08:30 or 13:00 on days when the Eagle’s Nest is open, and the guide will pick you up at the train station.
You’ll see what remains of the extensive military compound and bunker system at Obsersalzberg, a mountain community that once served as the Nazi’s second seat of government. From there you’ll continue to the Documentation Center and transfer to one of the specially designed buses for the final ascent.
All the while, you’ll learn extensively about the area’s military history, construction of the Eagle’s Nest, its takeover by the Allies, and related topics. My fellow history buffs will enjoy it, but casual visitors may not need that much detail. Take a look at the company’s website and decide if the tour is right for you.
The Chilling Side of the Eagle’s Nest
The bus from the Documentation Center to the Eagle’s Nest stops at a parking lot near the entrance tunnel. You’ll walk the long length of the tunnel to a small waiting room, where you’ll board the original brass elevator for the 7-story ride to the top. Be aware it’s precisely the same route taken by Hitler, his henchmen, and their guests (although they transited the tunnel by car).
In the elevator, in the reception room, on the veranda, and on the sun porch, you’ll be standing and walking in their footsteps. Photographs of Nazi-era meetings are posted throughout the complex at precisely the spot where they were taken. It’s intense and might be too much for some people.
The Absurd Side of the Eagle’s Nest
On the other hand, there’s a surreal atmosphere. The main reception area of the Eagle’s Nest is now a tearoom with a small souvenir stand. Look closely, and you’ll see where Allied soldiers chipped souvenirs off Mussolini’s red marble fireplace. And the patio at the rear of the building is a now a beer garden, of all things.
You wouldn’t be the first foreigner to raise a pint where Eva Braun used to sunbathe. Allied troops drank here, too. They took over the site in 1945 and subsequently used it as a command post— their graffiti is still visible at the Eagle’s Nest and in the tunnels beneath Obersalzberg.
Hitler’s Fear of the Eagle’s Nest
Ironically, Hitler was afraid of heights and shied away from the Eagle’s Nest. He also worried the mechanism used to hoist the elevator could be struck by lightning and endanger his safety.
Lightning did strike the mountaintop— twice— during my visit to the Eagle’s Nest. Lightning also caused serious damage a couple of times during construction— something the engineers kept secret from Hitler. But staff claim the elevator has never been out of service since it was first installed.
Dark Tourism
I’ve been to Auschwitz, the former Stasi prison in East Berlin, and the Dallas book depository (where Lee Harvey Oswald shot President Kennedy). And like many people, I’ve traveled to Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC and the site where hijacked Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania on September 11th. They’re all places where evildoers carried out their heinous acts and changed the course of history. And I think people are drawn to them by a desire to understand more concretely the magnitude of what transpired there.
Final Thoughts
But those events teach important lessons, too— about fighting back, resilience, and the triumph of good over evil. Lessons worth studying and remembering.
The Eagle’s Nest in Germany lacked the gravitas of those other historical places. The site and surrounding area were intriguing from a military and historical perspective. But nothing particularly significant happened at the Eagle’s Nest itself. The evil plots were hatched and planned further down the mountain at the destroyed Berghof and military compound in Obersalzberg.
Today, the presence of a tearoom, beer garden, and souvenir shop trivialize the role the Eagle’s Nest was intended to play as a showcase for an odious Fuhrer and his Third Reich. But maybe that’s the point.
