The Eagles Nest

The Eagles nest in Berchtesgaden, Germany is the mountain top fortress that Hitler had as a hideout. If you have watched the Band of Brothers series, the last episode of the series is this building. There are tours available that take you to the mountain where it is located but I took local buses from Salzburg, Austria and it was half the price.
You arrive at this bus station at the bottom of the mountain and a bus takes you up about halfway and then you take an elevator (same one used in WWII) to the top of this building where Hitler stayed (now a restaurant) and you can see for miles. Amazing site, building is touristy but being that high up and the view is amazing

While in Bavaria I decided to get up super early and hit the Eagles Nest, which is a home built on the Bavarian Alps. It was presented to Hitler by the National Socialist Party for his 50th Brithday, but he rarely stayed there. Ungreatful bastard...lol.

Anyway there are a couple of options on getting up this huge mountain... You can take a lift to the ticket area, which is pretty hi... Great for people who love hieghts.. When I went the lift was down for mechanical reasons, so I drove up the mountain. What an experience.. I didnt think the car would make it. If you have a junker stay away... It was fun though. Its one of those thin ledges with few guard rails...what a challenge.

Once you get to the bus depot/ticket area you park your car in a lot for $2.50(Euro). The earlier or later you get there the smaller the crowd. The last bus leaves at 4pm. Trust me this puppy gets packed with bus loads of tourists. YOu have two options when purchasing your ticket... Option 1 is a one way ticket and you hike your ass down when your done. Option 2 is a round trip ($15 Euro). Many people choose option 1 because its cheaper and you get excercise..Dead give away on who chose what option... look at peoples feet. The ones with the boots on are probably hiking down.

The Germans dont play with their activities.. You will see people fully clothed with boots, back packs, water, and everything you need to hike down a mountain for two weeks...lol. I took option 2 because I didnt have the time, but Im sure hiking down is an experience.

The bus ride is even scarier than getting to the parking lot! Its a one way road with buses coming in both directions and very few guard rails. Youll live though. Once you get to the top you have to register the time your going to stay up there. I didnt notice the English tour, so if you can get with that it will provide you a better experience. Not sure if a cost is associated with it though and not sure how long the tour is. Might want to ask before you pick your time. If you dont take the tour 1.5 hours should be more than enough.

So anyway, you take an elevator to the top of the mountain and bam your in the building. Its been converted into a restaurant with an area that has a few pics and a video displayed. I was a bit disappointed once I got up there, because I expected more of a historical site and less of a commercial one. The restaurant seems to be the main attraction up there. Only thing that saved it for me was the view. OMG. What a view. Just check out some of the pics attached here.