Only six of us, in a van this morning and our guide Andreas.
We headed into the beautiful Bavarian Alps and we stopped here for a photo op.
Ms. Terry and Andreas in his lederhosen. I think we are now in Germany. Can't remember where we saw the little yellow border station that is no longer used.
The Eagles Nest is on this mountain. Hitler's Eagles Nest, Germany, still sits on a mountain peak high above Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps. It was given to Hitler as a 50th birthday present in 1939. Today the building is owned by a charitable trust, and serves as a restaurant. The restaurant features an indoor dining area and an outdoor beer garden.
It is yet too early in the spring to get a tour of the Eagles Nest, so we had to find the tiny building on the mountain with our naked eyes. We did locate it, but too small in the pictures to see. It is said Hitler only visited here a few times, and it was never used as one of his headquarters. More like a summer retreat, but he liked it because he could see across Germany to his home country of Austria.
Although it was on the bombing list for allied pilots during the war. It was never hit, though as our guide said later, it was not for lack of trying. They dropped hundreds of pounds of bombs all around it.
He also told us what few realize is that Hitler’s home, the Berghof, and headquarters - the second seat of 3rd Reich power - were located at Obersalzberg, at the foot of the Eagle’s Nest mountain. Other than the Wolfsschanze in East Prussia, Hitler spent more time at the Berghof than anywhere else during World War II.
Rebuilt, much expanded and renamed in 1935, the Berghof was Hitler's vacation residence for ten years. In late April 1945 the house was damaged by British aerial bombs, set on fire by retreating SS troops in early May, and looted after Allied troops reached the area. The burnt out shell was demolished by the Bavarian government in 1952.
Berchtesgaden is a small, picturesque and historic town (population 9,000) located in the southeast of the German state of Bavaria, within a small enclave surrounded on three sides by the Austrian border.
First ever historical note dates back to 1102 and it mentions the area because of its rich salt deposits. Much of Berchtesgaden's wealth has been derived from its salt mines, the first of which started operations in 1517.
The area of Obersalzburg was purchased by the Nazis in the 1920s for their senior leaders to enjoy. Hitler's mountain residence, the Berghof, was located here. Berchtesgaden and its environs (Stanggass) were fitted to serve as an outpost of the German Reichskanzlei office (Imperial Chancellery), which sealed the area's fate as a strategic objective for Allied forces in World War II. Some typical Third Reich buildings in Berchtesgaden include the railway station, that had a reception area for Hitler and his guests, and the post office next to the railway station. The Berchtesgadener Hof Hotel was a hotel where famous visitors stayed, such as Eva Braun, Erwin Rommel, Joseph Goebbels and Heinrich Himmler, as well as Neville Chamberlain and David Lloyd George. The hotel was demolished in 2006. There is a museum on the spot now, called Haus der Berge.
After the war, Obersalzberg became a military zone and most of its buildings were requisitioned by the US Army. Hotel Platterhof was rebuilt and renamed the General Walker Hotel in 1952. It served as an integral part of the US Armed Forces Recreation Centers for the duration of the Cold War and beyond.
and fountains
After the tour, I looked up information on the cemetery and found the following information.
Paula Hitler was Adolf Hitler's only full sibling who lived to adulthood. During much of the Third Reich period she lived incognito by her brother's desire, as Paula Wolf. After the war she lived quietly in Berchtesgaden, where she died in 1960 and was buried in the Bergfriedhof Cemetery.
In June 2005, the wooden grave marker and remains were reportedly removed and replaced with another burial, a common practice in German cemeteries after two or more decades have elapsed. In May 2006, however, it was reported the grave marker had been returned to Paula's grave and a second marker had been added, indicating another more recent burial in the same plot.
had two small naves
and the altar
On to the salt mine
For centuries, salt mining has played a crucial role in Berchtesgaden. The area's history of salt goes back to the 12th century. The Berchtesgaden Salt Mine is Europe's oldest mine.
In former times only privileged dignitaries were allowed to visit Berchtesgaden's salt mines, in operation since 1517. Today, this fascinating underground world can be visited by all thanks to continuous guided tours.
Upon our arrival we were presented with the latest fashion in miner's clothing (the stripes glow in the dark).
We were told not to take pictures, especially at the little train station, for security purposes. It was intimated that photos might be ok inside the mine, if one was discreet.
We were directed onto the train and told not to stand and not to stick out our arms or legs due to the smallness of the tunnel. We would be going through the tunnel for about (about 132 feet). We were also told the adventure would involve a funicular, a raft and down slides! We will also learn about mining history and techniques. We were given audio guides with a recorded commentary in English. Our guide was a human, but only gave the tour in German.
This is actually a picture taken outside after we finished the tour, but it is what we rode on going in.
I found this one on the internet, which shows how it looks with people on it.
inside the mine once we were off the train
a dazzling light show
and then our first slide down to the cathedral floor
Not our group, but what it looks like sliding down
walking out of the salt cathedral into the grotto
this was a lab which gave a lot of history on salt and was
Our final slide, only one slide on this one
and then we boarded our little ferry across the mirror lake
the water is again reflecting the ceiling and is only about 2 feet deep
and then off the boat and a walk through another tunnel to the funicular which took us back to the top
Edelweiss is a protected specie of plant and one is charged big fines for picking it. So I took a picture of these little flower pins in a shop in Berchtesgaden.
A scarce short-lived flower found in remote mountain areas, the plant has been used as a symbol for alpinism, for rugged beauty and purity associated with the Alps, and as a national symbol especially of Austria and of Switzerland. There is a folklore associated with the Edelweiss in which it is stated that giving this flower as a gift to a loved one is a promise of dedication.
A real one off the internet
The nest was missed because the night before a snow storm blanketed the mountains and it was impossible to distinguish one from the other so the pilots missed their target. Slave labor built the roads and the elevator to the top ( it is brass and gold and exceptional for the day) and it took less than one year to finish. The Nazi high brass like himmler had houses nearby that were destroyed so the neo-nazis after the war could not make them martyrs. Berechtsgarten is a lovely town.
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