Can you visit Eagles Nest the first week in December? How?

The Kehlstein (and Eagles Nest) is open from early May to Mid October. Due to winter weather, the steep climb makes it impractical during the cold months. Berchtesgaden, however, is a delightful village and offers a spirited Kristkindlmarkt (Christmas market) during the time you mentioned. Also, the electric boatride on the nearby Konigssee (2 hours) offers some beautiful vistas. It operates yearround.

Regards,

Jinx Hoover

I thought that Germany (in an effort to rid their country of any Hitler reminders) was making every effort to make the Eagles Nest a resort of some kind & remove a lot of the significant historical things that are there. Is that true ?

When the lake freezes over the boat rides stop.

Response to below message:

Message: I thought that Germany (in an effort to rid their country of any Hitler reminders) was making every effort to make the Eagles Nest a resort of some kind & remove a lot of the significant historical things that are there. Is that true ?

The Eagles Nest is on top of the mountain and now serves beer and food. You can still visit the old original building. Hitler was only at the Eagles Nest for a very few visits. It was built for his 50th birthday, but was never a real favorite of his. Many people mistake the Eagles Nest for Hitlers home. They are two separate sites. The home was destroyed long ago, but you can find the ruins in the woods.

Hope this answers your query.

Regarding the above messages as stated SAn Paris may confuse the Eagles Nest with the village of homes and barracks found below it.
This area was home to the nazi elite.After WW2 the US army used the area as an R&R for the occupational troops.
Now work is to begin on a new hotel complex and recreation facilities for all to replace the old memories.
The Eagles Nest will remain many metres above in its current form.

During the summer you can sign up at the tourist office in town for a special mini-van tour which is available to only about 12 people at a time with two guides who are about the only ones authorized to give actual "Hitler" tours to the top of Eagles Nest. I'm not sure if they also do that in the winter.

I think what SAnparis is referring to is that there is minimal reference at the top to Hitler, something the German government apparently would just as soon play down. They treat it as a picnic place and wonderful view point, no signage or reference is ever made to its true history. This mini tour we took, actually did take us to the top and we took over a small room where we got a full description of the Hitler story as it applied to this building at the top of the mountain. In addition to that we toured inside a bunker on private property within the old "village" and also saw remains of what used to be.

Other bus tours do go to the top, but there is nothing "historical" in nature about them. It is simply an excursion to go look at the wonderful scenery and to eat or drink in the building at the top, almost as if it had built as a tourist attraction.