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The Eagles Nest at Berchtesgaden

by Richie

IMG_3993High above the Austria-Germany border, towering over the little town of Berchtesgaden on a 6,000 foot subpeak is the The Eagles Nest – Hitler’s private retreat.

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The chalet was built in 1937 as a 50th birthday present for Adolf Hitler, although the Führer only visited a dozen times.

IMG_3997He picked a fabulous spot. You feel like you’re on top of the world up here, and it’d be easy to plot global domination from this vantage point.

IMG_3988We weren’t the only ones curious about The Eagles Nest. There were throngs of tourists from Russia, China, and India. This is a big destination stop because the view is over the top – literally.

Eagles Nest Chalet

You get to The Eagles Nest via specially built buses that are made for the steep mountain road. After exiting the bus a long tunnel leads to an ornate elevator which rises 140 meters up to the chalet. We picked a day when crowds were packed into the tunnel waiting for a ride up. At least we didn’t have to hike up 6,000 feet!

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Allied Forces tried to bomb The Eagles Nest, but it was too difficult to target. The chalet survived and is now a restaurant and beer garden. Very little is mentioned about the history of the place. So forget about the past and just enjoy the view!

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