As we crossed back into Germany from Austria, we traveled through this region and visited the legendary Eagle’s Nest fortress. We arrived early and were on one of the first busses to the entrance. Access to the park area is limited – you arrive at the welcome center and park your car (or bus in our case). Once you’ve purchased your entry ticket, you board a park bus for the trip to the entrance to the Eagle’s Nest.
The fortress was built during the Second World War as a retreat and command center for Hitler. The only access is via a long tunnel that was cut through the base of the mountain and then up an ornate elevator. The tunnel is large enough to accommodate an automobile, and high ranking officials were frequently driven into the mountain and dropped off at the elevator. We walked.
Exiting the elevator, I was struck by the size of the place. This is where my cinema bias from the movie “Where Eagles Dare” came into play. I recalled that Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood were running all over the place; up and down stairwells, down long halls and into numerous rooms where they hid. Well, the reality is that this place is much smaller than expected but still beautiful and interesting.
We walked through the public areas including the great room. Our guide provided interesting insight and gave us a solid historical perspective on the building and function of the retreat. However, stepping outside, we the best part – the view was awesome.
Whichever direction we looked, we had an incredible view. At an elevation of 1,835 m (6,020 ft.), the Eagle’s Nest (Kehlsteinhaus) sits high above the surrounding landscapes. The group of us walked up the path outside the Eagle’s Nest and captured stunning pictures. After about 30 minutes, we headed down the elevator. In less than an hour since we’d arrived there was a mass of visitors that had been dropped off by subsequent busses. It was a good thing that we got on that first bus and beat the crowds.
Munich – Again
By mid-afternoon, we were back in Munich where we’d started this tour over a week earlier. We had a nice dinner planned at the Ratskeller Restaurant and we stopped for a beer with several of our traveling companions on the way. Dinner was more like a gathering of old friends than a farewell to traveling companions who’d been strangers a week earlier.