After our wonderful cultural exchange with Roland's family in the Austrian Alps, Andy and I finally reached one of the places that we wanted to go during our European travels. Berchtesgaden being the home of Adolf Hitler's famous Eagle's nest was a place for the Third Reich leaders for their retreats away from any of the WWII events. Eagle's nest was built by the Nazi party as a 50th birthday present for Adolf in 1939 at the top of the mountain overlooking Berchtesgaden. The views themselves shows endless opportunities to see the larger than life landscapes, clouds, rain, sunshine, and of course breathing the fresh air that the Bavarian mountains have to offer.The Kehlsteinhaus also known as Hitler's Tea House or the Eagle's Nest, is a chalet-style building, which used to be an extension of the Obersalzberg complex built by the Nazi's in the German Alps near Berchtesgaden.Source: Wikipedia
The Kehlsteinhaus was built as a 50th birthday present for Adolf Hitler. The Eagle's Nest was meant to be a retreat for Hitler and a place for him to entertain visiting dignitaries. It was commissioned by Martin Bormann, with construction proceeding over a 13-month period prior to its formal presentation to Hitler in 1939. It is situated on a ridge at the top of the Kehlstein mountain (1835 m), reached by a spectacular 6.5 km (3.9 mile) road which cost 30 million Reichsmark to build (~ 150 million euros). The last 124 metres up to the Kehlsteinhaus are served by an elevator bored inside the mountain, reached via a granite tunnel; the elevator itself is surfaced with polished brass. The main reception room is dominated by a fireplace of red Italian marble, presented by Mussolini. Much of the furniture was designed by Paul Laszlo.
Although the site is on the same mountain as the Berghof, Hitler rarely visited the property. It has been suggested he only visited the Kehlsteinhaus around 10 times, and most times for no more than 30 minutes. It was perhaps because of this lack of close association with Hitler, the property was saved from demolition at the end of the war. It was subsequently used by the Allies as a military command post until 1960, when it was handed back to the State of Bavaria.
Click here to view the Passionate Traveler's photos in Berchtesgaden, Germany.
