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At the Eagles Nest
Hitler's Eagles Nest in Germany We met at the Panorama Bus station at 8.30am for the half day trip to the Eagles Nest which is in Germany just out of Berchtesgaden and Obersalzburg. Most of us have heard of this notorious place because it was built for Hitler rather than because of the nature beauty of the area.
We had a large and very comfortable bus take us through to Obersalzburg with a very able and amusing Tour Guide called Walter. He is Austrian, has lived in Australia and speaks several languages. He had many tales to tell and was a stickler for being on time at any particular place or you would be left behind. For example, one of his jokes was "What is the difference between a motorist and a pedestrian? Answer: Being two minutes late for the bus!" Don't you just love that German efficiency said with a smile?
The bus route took us through flat farmland and small villages and then into the mountains, past the Salt Mines, through Berchtesgaden and on steeply up the mountain. We then changed buses to take us up a steep single lane road that only goes to the Eagles Nest. From there we alighted,
The tunnel entrance to the lift
The lift at the end of the tunnel takes you into the Eagles Nest building which was essentially a Tea Room for guests walked down a long, cold tunnel, and took a lift up to the chalet of the Eagles Nest. There was bus after bus load of people so it's a very popular tourist attraction raking in millions which goes back into maintenance and peaceful charities.
The Eagles Nest (Kehlstein) was built in 1938 as an extension of the Obersalzberg complex further down the mountain and was intended as a 50th birthday present for Hitler where he would entertain dignitaries and be a retreat for him. It sits at 1834m. A huge amount of money was spent constructing the road, tunnels and lift mainly it seems, to impress Leaders from other countries. The building sits on top of a steep cliff with 360 degree views of the mountains, down over Berchtesgaden and the Konigsee (Kings Lake), and into the distance to Salzburg. The building is still in it's original condition with a lounge and tea room, large viewing terrace, and a trail further up the mountain to a lookout. It's hard to imagine such a peaceful place was put there for such an evil tyrant.
After an hour spent here, we went back down the same way to Obersalzberg which
was notorious for being the location where Hitler hatched his many plans for handling the enemy with his off siders and henchmen. The good part is: the Allies came in with their long range bombers and blew up most of the place, but not the Eagles Nest. An Information Centre now replaces the buildings and houses an exhibition on the history of the location and the Nazi dictatorship. Unfortunately, this was not included in our trip. It would be a great place to go and visit in the future.
We then spent an hour in Berchtesgarden for lunch. While Walter steered most people to a large eatery, we went to a small café run by a delightful lady who on discovering we were Kiwis told us all about her holiday to NZ and how much she enjoyed it. She then presented us with a speciality chocolate of the area, a souvenier pamphlet and told us all about the flooding that had recently happened over Austria and Germany.
It is important to note, that despite this area having a bad story associated with it, it was only for a short time in it's history of 900 years. It is
A delightful gift from a delightful lady at Berchesgarten
The owner of the café had been to NZ and enjoyed it very much. She gave us a small gift - one of her home made chocolates in an incredibly beautiful location and is certainly worth the visit.
Then, back on the bus and back to Salzburg where we immediately got into some cooler clothes. It was 24 in the city and 10 degrees or less up on the mountain. We walked the town again mainly to try and find a connector to the computer that would take my camera card but drew a blank. It will just have to wait.
After feet up and watching the French Open Tennis, we headed to an Italian Restaurant for dinner.
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