Eagle's Nest

Berchtesgaden, Germany

The Kehlsteinhaus (known as the Eagle's Nest in English-speaking countries) is a Third Reich-era edifice erected atop the summit of the Kehlstein, a rocky outcrop that rises near the town of Berchtesgaden. It was presented to Adolf Hitler on his 50th birthday as a retreat and place to entertain friends and visiting dignitaries. Today it is open seasonally as a restaurant, beer garden, and tourist site.

The Kehlsteinhaus was commissioned by Martin Bormann in the summer of 1937 as a 50th birthday gift for Adolf Hitler. Paid for by the Nazi Party, it was completed in 13 months but held until a formal presentation in 1939. From a large car park a 124m entry tunnel leads to an ornate elevator which ascends the final 124m to the building. Its car is surfaced with polished brass, Venetian mirrors and green leather. Construction of the entire project cost the lives of 12 workers. The building's main reception room is dominated by a fireplace of red Italian marble presented by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, which was damaged by Allied soldiers chipping off pieces to take home as souvenirs. Much of the furniture was designed by Paul László.

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Kehlstein, Berchtesgaden, Germany
See all sites in Berchtesgaden

Details

Founded: 1937
Category:
Historical period: Nazi Germany (Germany)

More Information

www.kehlsteinhaus.de
en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Berchtesgaden Castle (3,8 km)


Salzburg Residenz (20,8 km)
Historic Centre of Salzburg (20,8 km)
Salzburg Cathedral (20,7 km)
Hohensalzburg Castle (20,4 km)
Salzburg Museum (20,8 km)
Franciscan Church (20,8 km)
St Peter's Abbey (20,6 km)
Mozart's Birthplace (21 km)
Petersfriedhof (20,6 km)

User Reviews

Eric Bonetti (2 years ago)
Beautiful views and worth seeing once, but somewhat anticlimactic. The building itself is empty except for the restaurant and there’s little interpretative information available. So visit, enjoy, but have reasonable expectations.
Hansei Kai (2 years ago)
Impressive entrance (the tunnel and the elevator) however, once you are up there, there is no much to see, If you saw Band of Brothers you can feel this visit different but if you go there to look for Hitler's history or something like that you will get disappointed. Beautiful view from there though.
Josh Beaty (2 years ago)
A remarkable place to visit, once you reach the top the view is breathtaking. Learning about the history of the Eagle's nest was fascinating, the engineering and hard work by the labourers was inspiring but somewhat perplexing given the harsh conditions and short time frame imposed upon them. A must visit when you are in the area!
Anthony Greco (2 years ago)
I last visited the Eagles Nest in 1979. There was the tearoom, but not the cafe. This attraction is spell binding. From the time you enter the elevator (shiny brass) and take the brief ride to the top was awesome, this "tea house" was a gift to Hitler for his birthday. I recall our guide saying that he only was there a handful of times It's good that it wasn't demolished by the German government, most of the other sights like Hitler's House, The SS barracks were taken down as they would be in the minds of some sickoo visitors a memorial to the regime that cost millions of innocent lives. This is a MUST see.
Maija Klints (2 years ago)
An awesome place to visit. It’s neat to be on top of the mountain. But from the side outlook, the surrounding mountains are immense. Breathtakingly beautiful. Would return in a heartbeat ❤️
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From 1239, Raynaud, the Bishop of Quimper, decided on the building of a new chancel destined to replace that of the Romanesque era. He therefore started, in the far west, the construction of a great Gothic cathedral which would inspire cathedral reconstructions in the Ile de France and would in turn become a place of experimentation from where would later appear ideas adopted by the whole of lower Brittany. The date of 1239 marks the Bishop’s decision and does not imply an immediate start to construction. Observation of the pillar profiles, their bases, the canopies, the fitting of the ribbed vaults of the ambulatory or the alignment of the bays leads us to believe, however, that the construction was spread out over time.

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The choir presents four right-hand bays with ambulatory and side chapels. It is extended towards the east of 3-sided chevet which opens onto a semi-circle composed of five chapels and an apsidal chapel of two bays and a flat chevet consecrated to Our Lady.

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The west porch finds its natural place between the two towers. The entire aesthetic of these three gates springs from the Flamboyant era: trefoil, curly kale, finials, large gables which cut into the mouldings and balustrades. Pinnacles and recesses embellish the buttresses whilst an entire bestiary appears: monsters, dogs, mysterious figures, gargoyles, and with them a whole imaginary world promoting a religious and political programme. Even though most of the saints statues have disappeared an armorial survives which makes the doors of the cathedral one of the most beautiful heraldic pages imaginable: ducal ermine, the Montfort lion, Duchess Jeanne of France’s coat of arms side by side with the arms of the Cornouaille barons with their helmets and crests. One can imagine the impact of this sculpted decor with the colour and gilding which originally completed it.

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The 19th century would therefore inherit an almost finished but mutilated building and would devote itself to its renovation according to the tastes and theories of the day.

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