Kehlsteinhaus | © BGLT
Kehlsteinhaus - The Eagle's Nest
During this tour to Hitler’s “Eagle’s Nest” on the Kehlstein, you will experience magnificent landscapes as well as a compelling story.
Kehlsteinhaus Tours are offered from mid-May until the end of October. You will ride the bus from Salzburg City and across the German border at Marktschellenberg into neighboring Bavaria – don’t forget to bring your passport! The tour takes you straight up the Obersalzberg, which became an off-limits area under the Nazi regime. Dokumentation Obersalzberg presents an informative examination of these fateful years.
On Special Buses up the Kehlstein
Once you reach the Obersalzberg car park, you will transfer to special buses that are able to handle the 24 % incline. What makes this ride up quite remarkable and unique is the fact that, even though you will climb 800 vertical meters, there is only one hairpin bend on the entire way up.
The Kehlstein Lift inside the Mountain
Even those special buses can’t tackle the final stage: a 124 meters-long vertical lift shaft. The Kehlstein lift was bored into the solid rock and is accessible via a tunnel. Also be sure to make good use of the 41-second lift ride: The magnificent interior of the lift cabin is clad in brass and decorated with mirrors.
Hitler’s “Eagle’s Nest”: the Kehlsteinhaus
The Kehlsteinhaus was built by order of the Nazi Party from 1937 to 1938. It served as a building to welcome and accommodate diplomats and dignitaries visiting Hitler. The ”Eagle’s Nest” is perched just below the summit of the Kehlstein at 1,820 m above sea level. Today, it houses a history exhibition as well as a mountain inn.
Berchtesgaden and Environs
From the plateau of the Kehlsteinhaus, visitors are treated to imposing views of the Berchtesgaden Alps. Depending on the tour operator, after the Kehlsteinhaus you may have the opportunity to visit the town of Berchtesgaden or Lake Königssee, famous as “Germany’s most beautiful lake”. The Kehlsteinhaus Tour lasts around 4 to 4.5 hours.
