The Eagle’s Nest Road
The road leading from Obersalzberg to the Eagle’s Nest bus parking area is considered to be a great feat of engineering. This unusual road, one of a kind in the world, was blasted out of solid rock and completed in as little as 13 months. The great difference in elevation from start to finish is reached by only one hairpin turn, switching back along the steep north side of the Kehlstein Mountain. In 1952 the Eagle’s Nest road was closed to normal traffic and a public bus service to the top parking area was put into operation.
The Eagle’s Nest
Since 1960, the Eagle’s Nest has been under the administration of the Berchtesgaden – Königssee Tourist Office and has been leased out as a mountaintop restaurant. The imposing building with its massive foundation walls is typical of the architecture preferred during the National Socialist era. The ascent from the bus arrival zone into the building is most unexpected: a stone-lined tunnel leads 124 meters (406 ft) straight into the side of the mountain. At the end of the tunnel an elegant brass-lined elevator takes visitors on a 41-second ride another 124 meters (406 ft) up through the heart of the mountain and into the building itself. At the summit, visibility permitting, visitors can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view over the Berchtesgadener Land.
The History
The Eagle’s Nest was a project of Martin Bormann’s and presented on behalf of the National Socialist Party to Adolf Hitler for his 50th birthday. However, Hitler seldom visited the Eagle’s Nest. The Eagle’s Nest remained unscathed through Allied bombing during World War II. Thanks to the intervention of the District President Jakob, the building was spared being blown up after the war. For this reason the Eagle’s Nest can be viewed in its original form as a historical monument. 1960 marked the 150th anniversary of the incorporation of the Berchtesgadener Land by Bavaria. On this occasion, the ownership of the Eagle’s Nest was put into the hands of a trust which uses the profits for charitable purposes.
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Further Information
Tourist Office of the Berchtesgadener Land
Königsseer Straße 2
83471 Berchtesgaden, Germany
Tel. 0049 8652 967-0, Fax 0049 8652 967-400
E-Mail: info@berchtesgadener-land.info
www.berchtesgadener-land.info
RVO bus transportation Berchtesgaden
Tel. 0049 8652 9448-20, Fax 0049 8652 9448-29
E-Mail: berchtesgaden@rvo-bus.de
Eagle´s Nest restaurant
Tel. 0049 8652 2969
www.kehlsteinhaus.de
Guided Eagle's Nest tours:
Berchtesgaden Mini Bus Tours
Tel. 0049 8652 64971, Fax 0049 8652 64863
E-Mail: info@eagles-nest-tours.com
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