Eagle's Nest

We began our day by once again feeling like royalty and dining in the Venetian room. At promptly 9 AM we were picked up by our local guide Christian with “Bob’s Special Tours of Salzburg”. There were only 2 other outside people in our car, and right away we could tell that our guide Christian was super legit. He was so friendly, and so knowledgeable. He reminded me of a younger, more Austrian Matthew Broderick. Somehow we got into these deep political and philosophical discussions with him, and we were really enjoying his insightful viewpoints on everything. At one point my Mom just blurts out, “Christian, I really like you!” - One of those typical embarrassing Mare moments, haha.

The retreat building - Kehlsteinhaus

It was rainy and cloudy that morning and we were worried it would ruin our trip, but luck was on our side! Our first stop was going to be “The Eagle’s Nest.” We drove up a mountain, crossing the border back in to Germany in the car, and then were dropped off at the entry point. From there, we took a bus specifically designed to navigate the narrow, windy mountain roads. It was a very precarious drive, and it definitely unnerved me to look out the windows. Our poor Mom was freaking out since she’s so scared of heights.  Once we got to the stopping point, we then walked down a long cold tunnel into a shiny brass elevator. The elevator let us out at the Eagle’s Nest, or Kehlsteinhaus in German. One thing you should know about Eagle’s Nest, this beautiful retreat built on top of a mountain, is that it was actually created and built as a gift for Adolf Hitler on his 50^th Birthday. So while you enjoy the beauty, it is slightly marred by the fact that it was built for someone so evil. Apparently Hitler was scared of heights and a bit claustrophobic, so that is why the elevator up to the retreat has mirrors in it- to give the illusion it is larger. He only went to the retreat maybe five times in his life, likely due to his fear of heights and the amount of cliffs you have to drive past to get up there. Its isolation is also one of the reasons why it is still standing and was not destroyed by Allied forces during the war.

View from the Eagle's Nest

Walking out of the building and onto the terrace was like stepping into a postcard. It was so beautiful, it was literally breathtaking. We were above the clouds, and the surrounding views were stunning. We didn’t have much time before our appointed bus would take us back down the mountainside, so us ladies were running around in the cold air trying to explore and take as many photos as we could. All too soon, our time on top of the world was done, and we were taking the bus back down to the bottom of the mountain.

Next up on our tour, was a quick visit that our guide Christian had added in himself. It’s not typically a part of the tour, but because we were so interested in the historical aspects of the area, he decided he would treat us to something different. At the bottom of the mountain where the Eagle’s Nest lays, there is a little-known Nazi era bunker. It is privately owned, and the bunker system beneath this unassuming cottage is HUGE! It connected Hitler’s private home to this and several other homes in the nearby area, as well as many exits in case of a need to escape. The house was labeled as Die Bunkeranlagen Obersalzberg, but it also functions as the Hotel Turken. It’s a good thing that the place is privately owned, because the German government would really love to level it and get rid of the bunker system entirely. It’s not something they’re too proud of obviously, but regardless it’s part of history. So, we walked into this cottage, and then went down the narrow, dank staircase into the incredibly creepy depths below. Christian took us around some of the damp and dark tunnels of the bunker, explaining what certain places where. The eeriest part for me was seeing the room that Hitler and Eva Braun shared, and knowing that I was walking on the same earth that he had once frequented.

The entryway to Hitler's old room at the bunker.

After that interesting but creepy experience, we drove to a quaint town called Berchtesgaden, Germany. Nowadays, it is very picturesque and full of lively Bavarian drinking pubs. During World-War II it was totally infested with Nazis and was their unofficial “hometown” and hangout. Our walk around this town was rushed since we had spent time at the bunker, and our tour end-time was fast approaching.  We were sad we couldn’t have spent more time there since it was so pretty, but at least we got to go at all!

Back in central Salzburg, we said goodbye to Christian. He has visited the USA multiple times, and has been to 39 states, but not Kentucky. We told him he should come visit and we would give him a tour of the best state ever! We were serious, and so we exchanged information with him in case he ever wants to take us up on our offer. Who knows!

Lederhosen store in Berchtesgaden

After a quick bite for lunch, we headed back into the main square of town. Rachel bought two paintings from a local artist, and then at 3PM we went to the main cathedral (or “the dom” as Maryann and the Austrians would call it) for a Catholic prayer time. After some more shopping and gelato, we walked across the bridge into the “Old Town”. This area has far less tourists, and we were happy to be mistaken multiple times for local Austrians. To top off the afternoon, we decided to have drinks on the roof of the classy Hotel Stein. While we were there, a bunch of cannons started being shot off at the Fortress. It was a bit strange, and noisy. We think they were shooting them off in honor of the commencement of the Salzburg Music Festival though.

For dinner, we headed to Corso again for groceries. While inside, it started pouring rain. After waiting, Rachel finally was able to hail us a cab. We walk towards it, and then in swoops some jerk who took it and then they just drove off!  We were pretty mad. Despite that, we spent the rest of the evening eating and looking over our beautiful photos.