I will be in B'gaden in on May 20 with a rental car. What is the cost to go to Eagles Nest vs Jennerbahn? How do you get to both from B'gaden and which provides the best view? Is there anything historical left to see at the Eagles Nest? What is there to do at the peak of each? Overall, which is better for views and should I do one over the other or both?



How do get to the Lake Konigsee boat tour from the Eagles Nest? What is the best time of day to take the boat tour?

Thanks.

We were to both the Kehlstein and the Jenner last summer - I don't recall the costs, but the Kehlstein is more.

The Kehlstein views are better and IMO much more interesting, especially with the history involved. We went to the Jenner to hike - and hike we did! We had our picnic at the midstation and made our way down to the Königsee and boarded a boat back to Schönau. I don't recommend this hike - it was a tough one.

For Kehlstein, go to Obersalzberg to the visitor station where you buy your ticket and board a bus. Try to get there early (before the crowds) and be sure to pick a clear day. If May 20 brings poor weather, pick something else to do.

TuckH sums it up pretty well.

The Kehlstein trip is more expensive, especially since there is a parking fee at the Vistors Center.

While there is also a poarking fee at the Jennerbahn, the parking lot is close enough to the Koenigsee to leave your car at that lot and walk over.

Germany had a lot of snow this year, so you may want to make sure that the Kehlsteinhaus Bus from the Visitor Cenyer is running. At the Kelsteinhaus, you can hike a bit higher, if you need the excercise. The view is not much better.

Again, if you need the exercise, at the Jenner you can do an easy hike from the upper terminal to the actual Jenner peak. From there the view is better than from the terminal. You can also hike down to the mid-station (a bit steep at the beginning), or take the gondola down to the mid=station and hike from there to the bottom, an easy hike.

As for the Koenigsee boat tour: The earlier in the day the better. You will be there during the Pentecost school vacation period. So, everything is likely to get crowded. If it is when you take the boat, don't get off at St. Bartolomae to visit the church, but stay on the boat to its end terminal. I have stood in line in St.B. for the better part of an hour, waiting for space on the boats coming from the end terminal. In any event, the view OF the church is better than IN the church.

I was amazed at the engineering and construction involved: Obersalzberg - Kehlstein.
M

Thanks TuckH and Treplow for the info. I believe I will go with the Eagles Nest and then on to the Lake Tour.

Have you driven the Rossfeld Hohenring Strasse? I would appreciate any info. you can give me on this drive. How to get to it, how long it is, places to stop, views etc.

Thanks.

Other that going up in the elevator at Eagles Nest, there isn't much to see of "reminders" of the Hitler connection.
If you are interested in the history of the place, you should sign up at the tourist office in town for the tour run by an American couple who seem to give the only true "historic" tour of the place. The German government plays down any Hitler mention of the place and there are no signs or informative points up there, just a sort of restaurant and picnic area (inside and outside).

The tour also takes you to a bunker or two and the whole thing is very interesting.

I found the views nicer at Jennerbahn where you look down to the lake.

My favorite thing though was the boat ride and then a hike at the far end of the lake to have fresh buttermilk and cheese, then return.

We were given a 30 minute tour (in English) that I believe was included in the cost of the ticket. The view there is more panoramic than at the Jenner, looking eastward and down on Salzburg; this is why Bormann selected that site.

We opted not to go on the Rossfeld Drive - they wanted quite a few euros - and we had already driven many of the scenic local back roads and it would have been hard to imagine that it could get any better than that.

We haven't been to the Eagle's Nest, so I can only speak for Mt. Jenner. Stunning views from the top! Make sure to ride all the way to the Bergstation (1800m). You can then hike down to the Mittelstation (1200 m) or further down to Schönau. Or you take the cable car back.
Cable car up and down costs 18.80 euro per person. More info on http://www.jennerbahn.de

The boat trip on the Königssee starts at Schönau-am-Königssee as well. Easy to reach by car from Berchtesgaden. You won't be allowed to drive your car into the little town unless, of course, you stay in a hotel there. There's a big parking lot at the entrance of town.
I suggest you take the long boat tour, that goes all the way to Salet. From there you can walk (10-15 min.) to the tiny emerald-green Obersee, that is embedded in the mountains amongst which the Teufelshörner, 2360m!
It's a sort of hop-on-hop-off boat and you can get off at St. Bartholomä first, look around, visit the Wallfahrtskirche and make a walk, and take the next boat to Salet.
Cost for a return trip: 13.90 euro per person. More info on http://www.bayerische-seenschifffahrt.de

My pictures are on http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/1eac1/507e/

The Rossfeld Hochstrasse is well marked where you park your car to get the Kehlstein bus.

I'm inclined to agree with TUK that the trip is not worth the extra toll. There is one stop where you have a good view of some mountains, but it's nothing compared to the Kehlstein and Jenner views. One advantage of the Rossfeldhochstrasse: If after the Obersalzber you continue to Salzburg, it saves you some travel through the lower part of B'gdn.


When I get there this year in late June, I definitely want to look (NOT stay) at the new Obersalzber hotel (I believe it is an Intercontinental). Also, there is supposed to be a new and interesting museum in the vicinity of the hotel.

Depending on the snow, the Eagle's Nest may not yet be open when you get there. If it's not a clear day, don't bother with this trip.
The old hotel General Walker, near the bus platz for the Eagle's nest, has been purchased and is now the Intercontinental. Inside and underneath, there are quite a few bunkers that the army used to give tour of, but I don't know if they are open now. There are also bunkers that you can visit in the rear of the Hotel zum Turken, also near the bus platz. The new WW2 museum, near the Intercontinental is very interesting.
When we first started travelling in this area in 1975, you couldn't find the word Hitler anywhere, but now there is much more information available.
The Rossfeld HohenRing Strasse is a beautiful drive, enjoyed by bicyclists, hikers, motorcycles, and cars, particularly during the warm summer months.It is easily reached form the Hintereck parking area near the bus platz for the Eagle's Nest. There are quite a few panoramic vistas and several restaurants where you can stop for a bite or a brew. I wouldn't choose this unless it was a clear day.It used to be a popular shortcut to an easy Austrian border at the top.
If your day is wet or cold, the salt mine tour, the Enzian Brennerie (brewery), castle in town and shopping in town are all fun. If you're up the Kehlstein, good lunch or supper at the Gasthof Sonneck just down the road a bit. Next door there is a rodelbahn (German version of bumper cars) that small kids love.All of the restaurants at the Konigsee are very touristy and I wouldn't go to any of them! Good restaurants in town - Hotel Post, Bier Adam ....good kucken(cakes) in the coffee house just across from the Hotel Post.

A good restaurant at the Königssee (not in the centre but a 10 min. walk, at the borders of the lake), is Echostüberl (www.echostueberl.de).

The General Walker Hotel was demolished.We stayed there in 1995. In 2001 we went back and it had been leveled. There was talk of building a
sportsplatz. The Hotel you are referring to was probably the Zum Turken.I highly recommend the museum for anyone interested in World War two.
We also enjoyed the boat trip on Lake Konigsee. It was so quiet.

Some of the buildings of the old General Walker still exist...ie the old Skline Room, I believe it was called. The rest of the new Intercontinental is new construction. The Hotel Zum Turken remains alive and well!!