June 28, 2015 ---- I had always wanted to go to Berchtesgaden and we finally got to see it! I had planed to go there many times, but it all had to be canceled due to the bad weather that always rolled in on weekends. Well, if you are in Bavaria, this is definitely a must-visit place!
We took a train from Munich Hbf to Berchtesgaden Hbf. The Munich-Salzburg train leaves hourly and takes only 2 and a half hours to get there after one change at Freilassing. Once we got to Berchtesgaden, we went to the Tourist Information Center located across from the train station to get some information about the bus to the Eagle's Nest and the city map.
We took Bus#838 to the Documentation Obersalzberg where we bought a ticket to the Eagle's Nest. The bus leaves Berchtesgaden Hbf three times an hour on weekdays and hourly on weekends, and it took us only 12 minutes to get to the ticket office. The ticket to the Eagle's Nest already included a round-trip bus ride and the elevator to go up to the house. You will need to pick a time when you want to board the bus BOTH ways.
The Kehlsteinhaus or the Eagle's Nest was a present to Adolf Hitler on his 50th birthday. It wasn't bombed during World War II, and now it has become a restaurant and beer garden for tourists to enjoy the view. I can't say that I wanted to see Hitler's vacation home, but the view of Berchtesgaden National park, the mountains and Lake Königssee was just breathtaking up there.
After visiting the Kehlsteinhaus we took the bus back to the Documentation Center as scheduled. Then we took bus#838 back to the train station. There was still a lot of time left, so we decided to stroll through Berchtesgaden City. It was a pretty hilly town with many restaurants, shops, churches, and a palace. Because we were there on Sunday, all the shops were closed. We visited some churches and squares and then had dinner before heading home.
Berchtesgaden is really beautiful, and I hope to go back there soon. I would love to take a boat in Lake Königssee and do some hiking in the mountains. Hope the weather will be nice some weekend while I'm still in Germany. :-)
The Eagle's Nest
Berchtesgaden
