Jim

My wife and I will be traveling in Bavaria by car the second week in July and would like to visit Hitler's retreat, "Berchesgaden", but know nothing about the area. Would like to hear from someone who has been there that would be willing to share with the best way to see the area, including scenic area nearby. Thanks for you help, Jim

Jim

Sorry for the double posting. Jim

Maira

Jim---my husband & I drove to Berchesgaden with the intent to visit and/or take the tour. However, it was early May and the snow conditions at the top caused the place to closed for the day. The drive there from Oberammergau was incredible; the Bavarian Alps are an amazing site so as far as scenery, every inch of the trip is picture-worthy. Go there early because parking is not plentiful and early July may be even more crowded. The town itself is very nice to walk around. Since we couldn't get in, we decided to head on to Salzburg (1-2 hours tops). It was a very beautiful city. Very crowded on the weekends, but incredibly beautiful.

bo_jack

As a minor detour while driving from Munich to Wolfgangsee last year, my wife and I drove into Berchtesgaden. The town itself is pleasant and the drive from the main highway into the town is quite senic. I am under the impression that there is little to see of Hitler's actual retreat -- they have post cards for sale which show "The Hilter House" being blown up and rubble left. If you are interested in seeing the house itself, you may want to do some more research to find out what actually to expect. Could anyone provide more insight?

Al

Buy yourself a Michelin Green Guide to Germany. It will answer any questions you have, show you a map of the area in detail. The often-photographed house is a pile of rubble. However, the "tea house" on top of the mountain (reached by bus and elevator) is well worth the trip. It's a beautiful area; too bad Hitler had to give it such notoriety.

Doug

There's some interesting and eerie things to see if you're willing to do some hiking. Drive up to Obersalzburg and park by the souvenir/cafe parking lot. Just outside the souvenir stand is a 3-D map of the area during the war. Buy a postcard inside with an aerial view of the ruins. You will see a big hill on the other side of the parking area. Climb to the top and you can see the ruins of the S.S. barracks and the disintegrating General Walker hotel (once the hotel for the masses making the pilgrimage to see Adolf). In the opposite direction and down the other side are the ruins of Bormann's and Goring's homes. I couldn't find them this trip due to the snow. At the base of the hill about 1/3 of the way around is an old entrance to the bunker with ventilation shafts. It's sealed now, but if you go across the street and downhill there are other hidden entrances in the brush. Signs say "verboten" and "stay out" but no one seems to be patrolling anymore. Continue down the mountain for a couple hundred yards to the Hotel Turk. For a few DM they will take you into some of the underground chambers. Further downhill are stones and bricks representing all that remains of Hitler's Berghof. If you visit in the summer, you can catch a tour to the Teahouse built by Bormann for Adolf's 50th birthday. It's a harrowing bus ride up the mountain, but offers a tremendous view. Since the place was hardly ever visited by Adolf, it's not all that interesting historically, but it's very impressive considering how much work was done in only a few months. <BR>I highly recommend staying in Berchtesgaden at the Hotel Watzmann. The rooms are very comfortable and full of Bavarian charm. We had room number 1 which slept 4 people comfortably (really 2 rooms with a bath) for 175 DM. The breakfast was fantastic and the staff bent over backwards to help us. They are more than willing to give additional tips on visiting the war sites. And don't miss the Salt Mine Tour. The drive to Salzburg, Austria is only minutes away, but it's a major pain trying to park and to drive around the city. Take a bus or tour if you can. In Salzburg be sure to have a Bosna - the best sausage sandwich in the world!!!

Anna

Berteschgaden is not Hitler's mountain top retreat. It is a lovely little resort town nestled in a valley. Many hotels and shops, but nothing connected to Hitler. It is near the beautiful Konigsee, the deepest and clearest lake in Germany. You can take an electric boat across the lake to St. Bartolomei church, and a lovely national park type area. Also nearby is what is being called "Hitler's teahouse", known also as the "Eagles' Nest" and locally as "Kehlstein Haus", which is now a restaurant. It can only be reached by paying to ride specially constructed buses up a breathtaking road which is an engineering marvel. At the top you take a special brass elevator through the mountain to reach the top of the mountain and the Kehlstein Haus. It is well worth the trip for the incredible view over the surrounding area, including Konigsee and Salzburg. (Only go on a clear day!) The building itself it totally intact and that elevator and the tunnel leading to it are original, although the interior of the building is redone for a restaurant. There are lots of pictures available of the building as it was during Hitler's days and following the war when the Allies held it. Very chilling indeed. But outside, the view is incredible. Hitler's home and other buildings in his compound are on a plateau lower down the mountain and I guess can best be reached by hiking up, according to a previous post. You cannot go to Kehlstein Haus any way except on the special buses, but you just drive to the parking lot where you buy the tickets.

Jim

Thanks to all of your helpful messages, we understand more clearly what there is to see and do. Also, have a clearer understanding of the total make-up of the area; the tea house, the compound lower down the mountain and the national park type area across the lake. Sounds like a very interesting area to visit. We will purchase the Michelan guide to Germany. Since we were only going to this specific area of Germany, we had failed to buy a tour book for Germany. Thanks, again, for all of your replies. Jim

Terry

When I went to the Eagle's Nest in 1978 there was still a swastika stone statue inside the unused huge fireplace in the house. And all the Germans were saying "oh, Hitler he never came here". Yeah. What b.s. Take a gander at that tunnel you have to walk through to get to the brass elevator. The tunnel is so huge cause they drove Hitler through it in a car. And that brass elevator that goes straight through the mountain with the green leather seats was not built for no one. Imagine the expense involved (and I read some men's death building this all). When we were last there in 1990 the swastika had been removed from the building (I still have a photo of it from 1978) and now eveyone wants to say Hitler *was* there and they are selling photos and books about the Nazi's and all. How ironic. <BR>It used to be they were ashamed of it (we couldn't even find a local in Berchtesgarten to direct us to the eagle's nest parking lot...a US military guy on leave told us where it was) and now they make money off the fact Hitler was there. His house was blown up right after the war but the eagle's nest is there and yes, he did go up there when the view was clear. <BR>

Doug

The Germans are making money off this Hitler nostalgia because we Americans and Canadians are so eager to see it. It's becoming more and more tantalizing to the Germans because the conquering powers had repressed discussion about those days for so long. It's kind of like when your parents told you about booze and sex. When you're young you agree 100% with them, but as you mature, you start to become curious and soon you're too interested.