The tour bus left base at 0430, which means we had to get up EARLY...0300 to be exact. The drive, with the 30 minute break we took for breakfast, took about 4 1/2 hours. Most people slept along the way, so it wasn't that bad. When we got to Bertesgaden, we switched buses and got on a special bus designed for the steep 27 percent incline going up the mountain to the Eagle's Nest. Part of the experience is supposed to be the spectacular view, but with the massive amount of fog up there, you couldn't see more then 15 feet in front of you. It was interesting to hear the tour guide talking on the drive up, though. The workers who built the Eagle's Nest were from all over Europe, and were not forced labor. Italians were brought in for the marble work, for example. It took a total of 13 months to construct, and during that time the workers did not leave the mountain. Below is a picture I took on the patio outside...it will give you an idea of how foggy it was.
When we got to the top, we disembarked and walked down a long tunnel. At the end we got on an elevator made from polished brass on the inside. It took us up 124 Meters (406 Ft) to the top. The Eagle's Nest was used by the Americans from 1945 - 1952. When they turned it back over to Bavaria, it was schedule to be destroyed much like most things that belonged to or reminded people of Hitler. The Mayor of Bavaria stepped in and requested they not destroy this, and save it as a historical monument. It was allowed on the condition that it never be turned into a memorial to Hitler or a museum. In order to make that work, and still keep it open to the public, the dining parts were turned into a restaurant which still operates today. We walked through the restaurant area, and then to Eva Braun's tea room where the guide told us all about the Eagle's Nest. We were then allowed to walk around for an hour and eventually met down at the bus stop near the tunnel.
When we got back to the bottom we noticed on the entrance to the tunnel that the front doors (made from metal) had names & dates etched on it. The soldiers from the 101st Airborne that first got to Eagle's Nest in May of 1945 had left etchings of their names & dates and they are still there today. It was amazing to see, and I'm glad it was never removed.
We took the bus back to the base of the mountain, where we then were given a guided tour of the underground bunkers in the mountain. These were put in place to both act as an a shooting range for the SS, store documents, and the event of an emergency, be an escape route off the mountain. It was never finished entirely, but parts of it are stable enough to tour. Below is an etching in one of the bunkers left by French Soldiers that entered on May 5th, 1945.
After that we had time to tour the museum at the base of the mountain, then took our tour bus to Koenigssee. The fog on the mountains was actually pretty, but of course, a nice day would have been preferable.
There was a bunch of shops that led to the lake. I actually found a hat big enough to fit my head for my Oktoberfest outfit! I was excited about that. We found a tavern to eat dinner at, then took some pictures in front of the lake.
At 5:30 we all met back on the bus and left to head back home. It was a LONG day, but we all had a good time, and it was neat to once again see things I'd only read about previously in our history books.
Click here or any of the pictures above to view the photo album.
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