We took a tour bus from Munich to go and see the “Kehlsteinhaus” known as the Eagles Nest in Berchtesgaden Germany.

The two-hour drive from Munich to Berchtesgaden was very enjoyable with great views of the countryside.

We arrived near the base of the mountain and exited the bus. At this point, only designated special buses are used to shuttle people to the entrance of the Eagles Nest.

We boarded the special bus and began our trip up the steep treacherous road which was cut into the mountain. The road was very narrow with many winding turns near the edge of deep gorges.

When we reached the entrance area of the Eagles Nest we could see a large tunnel opening.

We headed into the tunnel which is 131 meters (430 feet) into the mountain before reaching the base of the elevator shaft.

When we reached the elevator we were amazed at the size of the elevator. It could hold up to 40 people and was the original elevator when the Eagles Nest was built.

The inside of the elevator was very large and ornate with polished brass and gold throughout. The original phone and clock were still in the elevator and functional.

The elevator ascends a total of 140 meters (460 feet) to the inside of the Eagles Nest. When we stepped out of the elevator it felt like stepping into a different world.

The Eagles Nest is located near the summit of the Kehlstein mountain and is 1,834 m (6,017 ft) high. The building which was constructed as a gift for Hitler’s 50th birthday was made to impress and represent power.

Today the Eagles Nest is a restaurant with beautiful views of the mountains and a great outdoor patio. We went into the reception hall which has a large marble fireplace.

The marble fireplace was a birthday gift to Hitler from the dictator Benito Mussolini.

After the war, some of the marble was chipped off the fireplace by souvenir seekers. You can see damage where the marble was chipped away.

The large windows provided great views of the surrounding mountains.

There was a set of stairs which lead to a wooden paneled room off of the main conference room.

The panel room had two large windows which gave great views of the mountains as well.

We then headed outside to the patio area to explore the outside area. The views were breathtaking, everywhere you looked the views were spectacular.

There was a path that went to the peak of the mountain. We walked up the trail admiring the views along the way. We stopped quite often to just take in the views.

We went to the top of the mountain and looked back at the Eagles Nest.

To say that the Eagles Nest was amazing would be an understatement. The views were spectacular and our pictures do not do it justice. We enjoyed the experience however it is hard to express the emotions we felt while there. The idea that this was a symbol of power for the Nazi regime and decisions were made here that caused mass murder is disturbing.

“Auf Wiedersehen und einen guten Tag”