Following our jaunt above the clouds in Innsbruck, our mountain fever had taken over. With mountains on our minds our next excursion proved the perfect fix, as it combined our love of history and mountains.
Kehlsteinhaus Sign
Kehlsteinhaus aka the Eagles Nest achieved infamy during World War II as Hitler’s private chalet at the top of the Kehlstein alps peak. Built by the Nazis as part of the Obersalzberg complex in the mountains above Berchtesgaden, the Eagles Nest served as a private retreat for Hitler and a place to entertain diplomats.
The chalet, now owned by a charitable trust, is an engineering marvel. Constructed in large part by Italian stonemasons and laborers, the construction occurred quickly over a 13 month period so the chalet could be presented at Hitler’s 50th birthday. To reach the Eagles Nest you must first take a half hour drive that includes switchback after switchback before you are dropped off at the entrance.
Hailey overlooking the Eagle's Nest
The entrance, a thirteen foot wide tunnel through the mountain, serves as the first effort by the architects to portray the Third Reich as larger than life. A visiting diplomat or other guest would not even have had to exit their car as they were driven through the heated tunnel and deposited at the elevator antechamber.
Another impressive construction feat, the elevator travels 407 feet up to the chalet on the mountain top and the elevator car interior is covered in polished brass, venetian mirrors and green leather. Apparently the design is due to Hitler’s claustrophobia, as the effect of the brass and mirrors makes the elevator car appear larger.
Entering the Eagles Nest immediately to your right is the main banquet hall, which contains an expansive red marble fireplace presented by Mussolini. As you walk through the house the remnants of graffiti from Allied soldiers in the woodwork also draws your attention. However, as you exit the house to the rear courtyard the views of the encircling mountains prove the most impressive. Hundreds of miles of land are visible in nearly any direction, and it is easy to forget where you are as you take in that beauty.
Walking around the grounds it becomes even more apparent how the structure holds on right to the cliff edge. Trails take you another fifty feet up behind the house to a larger than life cross, as well as around the front of the house for views of the valley below. The grounds today include visitors from all parts of the globe such as Americans, Japanese, Canadians, British, Germans and Austrians. Talking with all the different visitors everyone shares an appreciation for the natural beauty of the surrounding land.
Tunnel leading to and from the Eagle's Nest
As we walked back through the mansion to return to the valley below, you can’t help but think upon the history of the place from its construction under the Third Reich to its capture by the Allied Forces and use asa military base until 1960 when it was handed back to the state of Bavaria. However, through all of its storied history you can’t help but think the mountains have remained nearly unchanged and the biggest wonders of the area.
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