Örnnästet/Kehlsteinhaus i Tyskland - priser och info

We have visited the Eagle's Nest, or Kehlsteinhaus as the house is actually called in German. This extremely high house was a gift for Adolf Hitler's 50th birthday in 1939. The Eagle's Nest is located in southern Germany (Bavaria) in Berchtesgaden, near Salzburg and the Austrian border.

Kehlsteinstrasse to Eagle's Nest

We left our motorhome in a large car park and paid for tickets to visit Eagle's Nest. By bus (849) we had to travel on dizzying roads up to a height of 1650 metres above sea level. The road is called Kehlsteinstrasse and is only allowed for buses.

The journey up is an unforgettable experience and it's insanely beautiful. We ride the 6.5 km uphill and through 5 tunnels, which takes just over 30 minutes. Watch out for neck strain because it is absolutely beautiful.

The lift to the Keilsteinhaus

The buses stop at a large roundabout and it's time to get off and walk towards the 124 metre deep circular tunnel. We arrive at an incredibly beautiful lift in shiny brass, with Venetian mirrors and green leather. Now the lift goes up 124 metres, taking 40 seconds, to the final destination, the Eagle's Nest (Kehlsteinhaus).

Örnnästet hiss — Bus terminus - now it's time for a lift!

Berchtesgaden from Eagle's Nest

When we come up it is quite cloudy. below us? We have the clouds below us because we are very high up! It's incredibly fresh in the air and a bit chilly, and the clouds are changing all the time and suddenly they can be gone.

The view is breathtaking and on one side you see the Watzmann mountain in the north-eastern Alps with its 2713 metres, and on the other side one of Germany's (Bavaria's) most beautiful lakes Schönau am Königssee. The lake is part of the Berchtesgaden National Park and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990. Nice days see up to 200 km among alpine peaks and green-clad hills.

1834 metres high on Örnnästet

If you want, go to the highest point 1834 metres high on Örnnästet, via the Mannlsteigbahn trail where you will see the large cross "Das Gipfelkreuz". There is a lot of photography here and a good view of the Eagle's Nest.

Örnnästet restaurang — There is a restaurant if you get hungry. Here we wait for beer and schnitzel.

Mountain restaurant Kehlsteinhaus

If you are hungry or thirsty, there is the mountain restaurant Kehlsteinhaus or a small bar and kiosk. Here you can sit and take in all the impressions, think "Sound of Music" and just be among the clouds. Don't forget to take a look at the marble fireplace that Adolf Hitler received as a 50th birthday present from Italy's fascist leader Mussolini, before leaving the Eagle's Nest.

Örnnästet restaurang och stigen till korset — Restaurant with a view and the way to the cross.

Eagle's Nest

Kehlsteinhaus is located on Mount Kehlstein on the Obersalzberg, 1834 metres above sea level and high above the village of Berchtesgaden. The house was built for Adolf Hitler based on an idea by Martin Bormann, who was one of Hitler's closest associates and paid for by the National Socialist Party. Although Kehlsteinhau was close to Hitler's Berghof summer house, he rarely visited it.

Hitler

Suffering from dizziness and fear of heights, Hitler was afraid that lightning would take his life, so high up in the clouds and there was no 'hit'. Hitler made only 14 official visits to Eagle's Nest and the only politically significant person he received here was the outgoing French ambassador to Germany, André François-Poncet.

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Chief Architect Albert Speer

Adolf was always impressed by the magnificent Greek and Roman buildings they built, because they exuded power. The Third Reich would be no worse, of course, and this is where chief architect Albert Speer came in. In 1937, Albert was responsible for transforming Berlin into 'Germania', the new world capital to be completed in 1950 and also the 1937 Paris World Fair.

Martin Bormann and the Eagle's Nest

Many people wanted to please Adolf Hitler and one of them was Martin Bormann, Adolf's closest man. He was ultimately responsible for ensuring that it was ready for Adolf Hitler's 50th birthday, and the Eagle's Nest was inaugurated on 20 April 1939.

The Kielstein Tea House

An impressive construction made in 13 months in 1937-38 with 3000 men. They had to contend with snowstorms and avalanches during construction, before the start of the Second World War, in the Bavarian Alps with a breathtaking view! The "tea house" as it was called was built on Mount Kehlstein and it was the Allies who named it the Eagle's Nest.

Örnnästet Tyskland — Peter with the breathtaking view all around

Eva Brown

Mistress Eva Braun loved the Eagle's Nest and spent a lot of free time here. No wonder Eva Braun organised a big wedding reception for her sister when Eva Braun's sister Gretl married Hermann Fegelein in 1944. As the war drew to a close, it was thought that Hitler would make his last stand in some Alpine fortress, and perhaps in the Obersalzberg.

Bombing over the Eagle's Nest

The Royal Air Force bombed all the buildings on 25 April 1945 but missed the Eagle's Nest itself, and we give thanks for that today. After the war, the Kehlsteinhaus was used by the Allied American forces and was not accessible to the public, but was later returned to the state of Bavaria.

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Tips on the Eagle's Nest

HikingYou can hike up from the Obersalzberg and it takes about 3 hours 30 minutes. There is also a hiking trail from Scharitzkehl, where the old entrance and car park was located. Bring water, check the weather because it changes quickly and really good shoes! Start in time because the Eagle's Nest closes at 16.00. On one side of the mountain you can see the wonderful alpine lake Königssee and on the other side the mountains Karkopf and schlafende Hexe Kneifelspritze. The hiking trails are well marked!

Getting to the Eagle's Nest

Tips for travelling by bus: Where the bus stops at the turnstile before the lift, you should stamp your ticket with the time you will be going back down. The 4-5 buses run every 25 minutes in columns because they cannot meet on the road, and the buses can be full. This means that you will have to wait until the next trip is free unless they are also full. Expect about 3 hours until you have to get back down on site.

See more from the film Eagle's Nest

Werfen Castle (Burg Hohenwefen) is a large castle or fortress from the 11th century. It is best known from the 1968 film Eagle's Nest with Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. It is open in the summer months. 40 min driving time from Berchtesgaden via A10.

Waterfall at Werfen Castle

Golling waterfall is only 5 minutes from Werfen Castle and 35 minutes from Berchtesgaden. A magical 75 metre high waterfall in an enchanted forest. From the car park it is a 10 minute walk and unfortunately they charge an entrance fee of around 30 SEK.

Saltwater lake in Berchtesgaden

Salt mine is the big salt mine where the big money was made long ago. It is located in Berchtesgaden and takes 90 minutes, and you are also offered a 100 metre raft ride in the saltwater lake in the mine which is very popular. They are open daily with several different attractions which you can find on the website. Salt mine.

Alpine lake Königssee

Lake Königssee is an alpine lake with emerald green crystal clear water. It is immersed with high mountains around and we are going there after all the photos we have seen, but missed it last time. Here is the link to their website.

Facts about the Eagle's Nest

Country: Germany
Language: German (some also speak English)
Currency: Euro
Price mode: A bit cheaper than Sweden
Residents: Berchtesgaden 7800 (2017)
Time difference: None
Emergency number: 112
Religion: Christianity
El: Like Sweden
Water: Drinking beard
Tourist OfficeInformation Centre & Education Center Hanielstrasse 783471 Berchtesgaden.

Travelling to Eagle's Nest

By car: The Eagle's Nest is located in southern Germany, close to the Austrian city of Salzburg. Parking is available at Hintereck where the ticket office is also located in Obersalzberg and where the buses leave from to get up.
Car from Munich: Car hire in Munich is 15.5 km away and takes 1 hour 40 minutes, via the A8 and is subject to a charge.
Car from Salzburg: Car hire in Salzburg and it's 26.1 km driving distance and expect 32 min, via B150 and B305.
Parking: It will cost you between €30-50 for parking depending on the vehicle.
FlightsFrom Stockholm to Munich there are daily flights with most airlines. Norwegian often has good prices.
Bus Munich: There is a bus from Munich to Berchtesgaden (Eagle's Nest) on Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun from Munich central bus station. The journey takes 2 h 30 min and costs between 100-150 SEK (2018) depending on age.
Bus Salzburg: From Salzburg to Berchtesgaden (bus 840) takes about 1 hour and costs around 50 SEK (2018).
Train: From Munich to Berchtesgaden from Munich East station with Deutche Bahn, taking about 3 h 25 min and costing between 450-650 € (2018).

Guided tours to Eagle's Nest

Guided bus tour Munich: There are guided bus tours from Munich to the Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle's Nest) that take 10 h 30 min, a full day. It costs around 600 SEK (2018) with a guide in English. Note: This does not include admission, and the special bus up to the Eagle's Nest costs around 250 SEK (2018), nor food. The bus leaves from the Karstadt department store opposite the central station.
Guided tour of Salzburg: Guided bus tours from Salzburg to Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle's Nest), takes 4 h 30 min. It costs around 700 SEK (2018) with a guide in English. Admission is included in the ticket but not food. The bus leaves from Mirabellplatz 2, 5020 Salzburg.

Guide: Örnästet opening hours and prices

Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle's Nest): Open from 9 May - 25 October unless there is extreme weather such as heavy snow. The price is about 180 SEK (2018) with bus and entrance fee.
Buses leaves from 07.20 in the morning and the last bus leaves at 16.50 in the afternoon (NB. The Eagle's Nest itself closes at 16.00). From October, the first bus leaves at 09.20 in the morning.
Call and book: Ticket office Hintereck +49 (0) 8652 2029 Kehlstein house +49 (0) 8652 2069

Food and drink at Kielsteinhaus

Mountain restaurant Kehlsteinhaus where we took a local big strong and a schnitzel is a nice place to be. They have of course traditional dishes like Wurstsalat, Knödel and imagine the drink Black Eagle. They have a little kiosk and a small bar too so you don't have to wait.

Accommodation near Kielsteinhaus

Hotel Zum Türken located at Hintereck with views of the Bavarian Alps. Only bed & breakfast.
Explorer Hotel Berchtesgaden is well located in the beautiful Bavarian-Austrian countryside.

Pitches and camping near the eagle's nest

Camping-resort Allweglehen Allweggasse 4, 83471 Berchtesgaden is located 13 minutes from the Eagle's Nest on the B319 road.
Camping & Pension Mühlleiten on Königsseer Str. 70, 83471 Schönau am Königssee and is located 13 min from the Eagle's Nest and you drive B319 and B20.
The motorway service area Parking Kehlstein at Obersalzberg Strasse 834 71 Berchtesgaden has 20 spaces but no information on price if you stay all night.

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8 Comments

Add yours →

Lennart says:

Thank you for these pictures!

I've thought about visiting this place but haven't found it very interesting.

Now I know it is worth a visit. What an amazing view and how lucky you were with the weather to fully experience it.

Have a great trip.

Lennart

16 August 2011 - 10:25

Anders and Birgitta says:

We have also been there, it was really an experience. There were a lot of people but still it was completely silent. Large birds were sailing in the air. It was powerful.

16 August 2011 - 17:58

the camper van says:

Was there two years ago on the way home from Croatia. Really beautiful even for someone who easily gets vertigo at high altitudes/ Monica

16 August 2011 - 18:51

Agneta says:

we talked about going there this year but the weather put a stop, have been up there in my youth but only saw a lot of fog. thank you for nice pictures, and the next time we come down we will really make it happen!

16 August 2011 - 21:34

Comment by post author

admin says:

Lennart, we really thought the Eagle's Nest was worth a visit! It was an experience to get up there.

Anders and Birgitta, agree, it was powerful! We were also fascinated by nature and the weather. For a while we saw thick dark clouds in one direction, but then they sailed over the mountain top and the weather changed to blue and clear, in just a few minutes!

The motorhome, I also get dizzy easily, but found this fascinating and beautiful!

Agneta, sad if you don't see much because of the weather. I definitely think you should go there next time!

17 August 2011 - 7:58

Carita says:

Wow, what lovely places you visit. Someone else may think otherwise, but I think the place looks wonderfully exciting. Just the right amount of drama.

04 September 2011 - 16:10

Lena & Jan says:

Amazing building/facility, we were there in the early 70's, remember the breathtaking bus ride that seemed to go straight up and the gold lift, not to mention the view of the valley above!

26 February 2014 - 11:17

Dryden - Traveller's Edition says:

When I was little and on a car journey to Italy, we camped below. My parents didn't realise at first what the lights on the top of the mountain were, when they stood down at the campsite and looked up. A flight to Salzburg perhaps? Nope, it was Eagle's Nest! Unfortunately, we never came up, we came to the bus parking lot just as the last bus left so we must have missed something there. Will gladly return.

31 March 2016 - 8:52

Eagle's Nest - Hitler's 50th birthday present among the mountains

Kehlsteinstrasse to Eagle's Nest

The lift to the Keilsteinhaus

Berchtesgaden from Eagle's Nest

1834 metres high on Örnnästet

Mountain restaurant Kehlsteinhaus

Eagle's Nest

Hitler

Chief Architect Albert Speer

Martin Bormann and the Eagle's Nest

The Kielstein Tea House

Eva Brown

Bombing over the Eagle's Nest

Tips on the Eagle's Nest

Getting to the Eagle's Nest

See more from the film Eagle's Nest

Waterfall at Werfen Castle

Saltwater lake in Berchtesgaden

Alpine lake Königssee

Facts about the Eagle's Nest

Travelling to Eagle's Nest

Guided tours to Eagle's Nest

Guide: Örnästet opening hours and prices

Food and drink at Kielsteinhaus

Accommodation near Kielsteinhaus

Pitches and camping near the eagle's nest

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8 Comments

Lennart says:

Anders and Birgitta says:

the camper van says:

Agneta says:

admin says:

Carita says:

Lena & Jan says:

Dryden - Traveller's Edition says:

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