June 21 Eagle's Nest

Hitler loved southern Germany and spent much of his time there during his reign.  Our guide said he spent 1/3 of the total time in Berchtesgarden, away from Berlin.  Eagle's Nest was the special place built for Hitler.

Another Grey Line tour, so it's back to their origin point for the 2 hour drive to the southeast.

 Some interesting things along the way.

 We're getting close to the Alps.

 

Arriving at the park, we transfer to specially built buses to take us up the side of the mountain.  It's 7km, 5 tunnels and only one hairpin turn that takes 20min.  (This picture was actually taken on the way back down.)

 Views during the drive up.

 Even after that winding drive, you're not there yet.  There's a 125 meter long tunnel into the mountain that takes you to an elevator with Venetian mirrors and polished brass.  The elevator holds about 40 really close friends and lifts you the final 400 feet to the top.  No pictures allowed in the ornate elevator, but you can find them on the web.

 The view from above

 Eagle's Nest is just above 6000', and there were clouds there for much of our stay.  This is from the back side of the tea house looking to the top of the mountain.

 Eagle's Nest had AntiAircraft emplacements scattered about.

 And here's looking back at the tea house from the top.

 Another view from the top.  And here's what I learned that I hadn't understood before.  Eagle's Nest was simply a tea house, for day use only.  There were no bedrooms or conference rooms are anything else like a house or business.  It was just for relaxation.  Hitler spent little time here, apparently concerned about lightning (we were told).  He did, however, have a large house in the city, Obersalzburg, below.  If you look carefully, or magnify the picture, you can see a red X where Berghof was located -- Hitler's residence.  We walked there later.

The tea house was and is owned and operated by the Hehlsteinhaus family.  It's more a high altitude biergarten now, capacity limited by the bus/elevator combination, but they're still in business.

 

 This is the main room, with a large fireplace donated by Mussolini. (much of it chipped by American soldiers seeking souvenirs at war's end.)

 After we returned to the bus loading area, we saw people who were earning their right to have a beer at the top. And yes, that is snow across the path.

 Here's the entrance to the tunnel with a sign saying Built 1938

 We bused back down the hill, ate lunch, then followed our guide through the woods to the area marked by the X.  This picture is where the back of Berghof attached to a large bunker.  The bunkers can still be visited at the Platterhof Hotel, although only between 1000 and 1500 and after a payment of 5 euro.  Business must be good because at 1515 several members of our group wanted to take a quick look and were told NIEN.  Closed!

 This would have been the view from Berghof.  Not as spectacular as Eagle's Nest, but not shabby. Berghof was damaged by the RAF bombs, then by retreating SS troops, and looted by Allied soldiers.  It was finally destroyed almost completely by the Bavarian Government in 1952.

 The return was the second rainy day in Munich, but once again didn't affect us, except for slowing the return to the hotel.  It had stopped raining by the time we hit the Gray Line home base.  Another great and tiring day.