UPDATED FEB 2020. A tourist attraction with Hitler’s name in it sounds a little questionable, doesn’t it? As weird as it is to say though, I think it’s worth a visit. Today I’m sharing a guide on visiting Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest without a tour as well as a weekend itinerary for other things to do in the area.
Visiting Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest Without A Tour And A Weekend Itinerary
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Where to stay
When I looked into visiting Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, I found that most people book a place to stay in Berchtesgaden. However, my visit was so last minute and at the time most places in Berchtesgaden were sold out.
It worked out perfectly because it led me to Hotel Frauenschuh in the nearby town of Salzburg which is where I chose to stay.
I ab-sah-lute-ly LOVED it! If you will be traveling by car then I highly recommend it because was only 30 minutes from the Eagle’s Nest and located in the most picturesque country area by the mountains.
If you will be relying on public transport then it would be better to stay close to the attractions in Berchtesgaden.
Day One Itinerary For Visiting Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest
Visiting Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest
Day one starts by crossing the border into Germany to visit the famous Kehlsteinhaus or Eagle’s Nest.
This is something you definitely need to do early to avoid the crowds. To get up to the Eagle’s Nest you need to wait in line inside a crowded tunnel then take the tiny, famous brass elevator which will have you relating to sardines in a can.
I recommend arriving no later than 9am.
Where to park
Parking for Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest is at the Obersalzberg parking lot. If you use that in Google Maps it will show ‘Freier Parkplatz‘.
The fee for parking is €3 per car.
How to get to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest from Berchtesgaden using public transport
If you won’t have a car, take bus #838 from Berchtesgaden and get off at Klaushöhe, Berchtesgaden. This will take you to the parking lot area at the bottom of the hill and takes about 22 minutes to get there.
From there you can get your ticket to get to the Eagle’s Nest on the shuttle bus or hike up.
Visiting Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest without a tour is easy but it’s a good idea to go early to avoid the crowds.
How to get to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest without a tour
Whether you drove or took public transport, you arrive at the same place.
This is where you get your bus ticket and take a bus up to the top of the mountain which costs €16.10 per adult. You must take a bus or hike to get to the top – there is no way to drive.
Once you arrive at the top you need to get your bus ticket stamped and designate what bus you want to return on. If you go early, 2 hours is enough time to walk around the top and take some photos of the view.
Alternatively, you could hike one of the steep, well-marked paths up to the Eagle’s Nest. It would take about 2-3 hours to get there depending on your pace.
For more information on getting there click here.
What to do
The Eagle’s Nest has been turned into a restaurant, so it’s not like a museum or anything that you will be looking through. You can stop in for a snack if you like, otherwise, just walk around at the top of the hill and soak in the panoramic views.
Next stop – Dokumentation Obersalzburg
Once you are done visiting the Eagle’s Nest, I recommend walking across the other side of the parking lot to the Dokumentation Obersalzberg museum.
It costs €3 per adult to enter and €2 per audio guide – which you need unless you speak German.
The museum will take about 2 hours to get through and has a collection of very informative and interesting exhibits about Nazi history and the significance of the Obersalzberg area which are all displayed over the two floors.
There is even an underground bunker that you can walk through and, in a dark room of the bunker, watch a video that shows a documentary of WWII.
The audio is in German, though the graphic imagery speaks volumes and it is eerie to watch while sitting in the bunker.
Lunch at Berggasthof Obersalzberg
If you’re looking for a place to stop for lunch, I recommend Berggasthof Obersalzberg which is next to the parking lot you originally parked in.
I stopped here because I wanted to get a quick meal and get on the road again. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting anything great given that it was in such a touristy location but my skepticism was quickly proved wrong.
I liked the outdoor seating area where you can gaze at the gorgeous mountains that surround you. I also loved the delicious food which had generous portions without obscene price tags.
They even made iced coffees the same way they do in Australia with cream and iced cream which was a pretty cool novelty. After you’ve eaten, pick up any souvenirs you want from the stores near the parking lot before getting on the road again.
Finish the day with a stroll through Salzburg
Thanks to an epic Endometriosis flare up, I didn’t go into the town to explore. But if I was to do my visit over, I would do a little town exploring here after lunch.
There is a bus stop outside of the hotel which can take you directly into town if you prefer not to drive.
For the afternoon you could do a Sound of Music tour as Salzburg is the home of the real Trapp family and also where the movie was filmed. It’s also where Mozart was born so you could visit Mozart’s Birthplace Museum.
If I were visiting again, I would use this time to stroll around the city without too much of a plan, stopping at things that look interesting, then having a nice dinner before heading back to the hotel.
This website has a lot more information on the tours and activities in the city.
Day Two Itinerary For Visiting Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest
Visit the Mauthausen Memorial
The Mauthausen Memorial is in Austria, an hour and a half drive from Salzburg so it’s another early start to make the most of the day.
Breakfast at the hotel starts at 7:30am so I recommend eating a quick breakfast then leaving the hotel by 8am. There is no entrance fee but there is an audio guide (which you definitely need) is €3 per person.
The Mauthausen Memorial is a former forced labor concentration camp where at least 90,000 people were murdered. The audio guide gives an educational tour of the grounds beginning outside and taking you around the quarry site where much of the work took place.
You also walk through living quarters, the cemetery and also the gas chamber, crematorium and autopsy room.
There is also a museum within the tour with a range of exhibits and short videos. Since you are walking around the entire grounds I recommend wearing comfortable shoes and allow about 3 hours for the visit.
Overall, it’s heavy and made me feel sick in the stomach but it’s very well put together with a lot of information in a respectful manner.
For more information visit the Mauthausen Memorial website.
Explore Lake Königssee
I grabbed a quick sandwich from a petrol station on the way back to Germany for the final stop for the weekend – the beautiful Lake Königssee.
Park in the huge parking lot which costs €3 then wander past all the cute stall towards the lake. The mountains completely surround the lake, right to the edge of the water so you cannot walk around it. Instead, get on one of the boats which will take you on the scenic journey to the other end.
The boat stops during the trip to play the trumpet that echoes against the high mountain walls which is pretty cool.
There are two options for your boat journey. I recommend getting the ticket to the Salet stop which costs €17.80.
This takes you to the very end of the lake where you can walk to see Lake Obersee and the Röthbach waterfall – the highest waterfall in Germany.
If you have more time you can explore the scenic area or return for a swim in the chilly Königssee water – a must-do in my opinion!
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If you have more time, I would give this spot a full day because it is definitely deserving of it. But, if you’re only in the area for a weekend, then the afternoon will do.
There are a number of food stalls and restaurants which makes for a perfect way to finish the trip.
Other guides you might enjoy
- How To Plan A Day Trip To Dachau Concentration Camp
- How To See The D-Day Landing Beaches Itinerary In Two Days
- Hikes In The Dolomites – 17 Day Trips You Don’t Want To Miss
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Nice post. Love the heads up on alternate things to do if time poor. Great photos as always, .travel is about the food too, omg i miss real bread☺
Definitely about the food! Thanks for the comment and support <3
Lake Königsee looks out of this world! Spectacular scenery. My burning question though is: why is it called Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest?!
It was insanely beautiful there – definitely out of this world beauty! The Eagle’s Nest is one of Hitler’s former houses and the house is called the ‘Eagle’s Nest’. It was given to Hitler as a gift.