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  • Tag: Berchtesgaden

    • Kehlsteinhaus

      Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on August 12, 2019

      Near the summit of the Kehlstein mountain in Berchtesgaden Germany sits The Kehlsteinhaus, also known as The Eagles Nest. It was here where Hitler and members of the Third Reich made plans for the war and mass murder. The building was built in 1939 for the Nazi party and was speculated to be a 50th birthday gift to Hitler, however this was not true.

      In fact Hitler rarely visited Kehlsteinhaus. 

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      Perhaps it was his fear of heights, or perhaps he wasn’t interested in the panoramic views below, but despite the horrific plans that occurred here I can’t deny the amazing views from the building. Kehlsteinhaus is one of the few buildings that was not touched by ally bombs during WWII, and is still largely preserved in its original state.

      Before I moved to Germany, I remember sitting in my dads living room looking at the website of the hotel I currently work for. My dad and I were looking at the myriad of tours offered by the hotel, and The Eagles Nest was one of them. I’d not heard of this place until that day, and it planted a seed in both the brains of my dad and I.

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      One of the top places in Germany my dad wanted to see when he visited me last month was The Eagles Nest, so we planned for a day trip to see this important piece of history. I think places like this are important to see, but I don’t agree with the overly commercialized money making scheme that has been created around Kehlsteinhaus.

      It’s one thing to pay for a ticket to enter and to visit, it’s another thing to sell t-shirts, sweatshirts, postcards, and stickers as if this were Disneyland. Maybe it’s just me, but I wouldn’t want to walk around wearing a sweatshirt that says Kehlsteinhaus on it. The building is now used as a restaurant, and a busy one at that, however that doesn’t take away from the original use of the building.

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      To reach Kehlsteinhaus, a bus is needed to drive about 20 minutes up the mountain. Once near the top, there is a tunnel built into the mountain (original tunnel) that leads to a golden elevator. The elevator room was designed to “dazzle” its guests and impress them with the glamour of the Nazi building. Although the building is now a restaurant, there are rooms inside that are still rich with history.

      Inside one of the dining areas is an original fireplace that was gifted to Hitler from Mussolini. The fireplace is made of marble and has a beautiful brown color. The room that was once used as a sunroom is now used as an informational room with history of the Third Reich. The room has an amazing view of the lake and surrounding mountains.

      The mountain itself is a host to a network of trails, of which I hope to return someday to explore. The views of Königssee below are breathtaking. 

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      We spent enough time at the top to walk around a bit for the views, and sat for a bier and a bite at the restaurant. It was surreal to see photos of Hitler taken in some of the places we stood, and I couldn’t help but feel distain for him. I’ve since seen someone outside of this area wearing a Kehlsteinhaus sweatshirt and it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

      Am I alone on this? 

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      The Kehlstein mountain trails are seemingly endless, and if we’d had more time I’d have tried to explore more. The surrounding area of Berchtesgaden is a sight to see, and the German alps are massively dominant. These are the types of mountains that will swallow you whole if you’re not careful.

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      If you have any kind of interest in the history of WWII, I recommend a visit to Kehlsteinhaus. A place of terrible plannings, but a place of history nonetheless.  Just do me a favor, and don’t buy any crazy souvenirs. 

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      Q: What time in history interests you most? For me it’s WWII. 

      brittany

      | 18 Comments Tagged Berchtesgaden, Brittanys Life Abroad, Germany, History, WWII
    • Königssee, Berchtesgaden National Park

      Posted at 5:00 AM by Brittany, on August 5, 2019

      One of my favorite things about blogging is getting to relive an adventure I went on. Writing this post allows me to relive the start of an awesome week with my dad and my stepmom. These two wonderful people blessed me with their presence for ten days in the middle of July, and I am so thankful for all the fun things we were able to do.

      The first day they arrived, I met them at the airport in Munich and we drove our rental car back to Garmisch. 

      The beauty of a rental car is the freedom it provides, and the day after they arrived we took a trip to Berchtesgaden National Park. The main goal was to visit the Eagles Nest, which I will share more of in my next post. After the Eagles Nest we went to Königssee, a lake I’d been dying to see located in Berchtesgaden National Park.

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      Berchtesgaden is an adorable town, with a boardwalk like area of shops and ice cream vendors located near the foothills of the German Alps. At the end of the shops, you’ll find the lake, and a kiosk where you can purchase tickets for a boat ride to one or two of the stops at the other end of the lake. According to the boat driver, this lake is the cleanest lake in all of Germany, so clean the water is drinkable.

      I didn’t test this water, but I did once drink from a stream in Alaska where my dad swore I’d get giardia. 

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      My first month in Germany I looked up things to do in Bavaria, and Königssee popped up as a must see lake. It’s not close to where I live, so I wasn’t sure when I would get to visit. When I realized the Eagles Nest was right next door to the lake, I was stoked. I didn’t realize the lake was in the national park, so this was an extra bonus.

      I was very excited my family was up for this adventure.

      We bought tickets for both of the stops on the boat, and my only regret was not having enough time for exploration. We spent most of our time at the Eagles Nest, which didn’t leave much time for getting off the boat and wandering the trails at the other end of the lake.

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      We went straight to the second stop, which dropped us off near a network of trails. I’ve daydreamed about hiking these paths since I left. We had only enough time to walk the 15 or so minutes to a man made lake called Obersee. The reflection on the lake of the mountains surrounding it were amazing, and there was a waterfall in the distance I would love to go back and hike to.

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      The last boat ran around 5:45p, which is why we had limited time. Because of this we weren’t able to stop at the first stop. The first stop has a cathedral that I really wanted to go into, alas time did not permit. This just means I need to go back! The good thing about Berchtesgaden is that it’s only a couple of hours away, so I can easily take a trip back for a weekend.

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      The boat ride itself was a bit long, it took an hour to get to the end of the lake and then another hour to get back, and after a long morning we were struggling to stay awake on the boat ride back. The drive back to Garmisch was equally eventful. My dad was struggling with some delayed jet lag, it was dark, and it was a long day.

      We ended up missing our exit (twice) adding an additional hour to our journey. We also stopped for late night coffee at Mcdonald’s in an attempt to perk up the driver. This was the second Mcdonald’s we’d gone to that day and BOTH of them had fresh flowers on the tables, and a fancy inside area.

      European Macd’s are bougie y’all.

      We finally made it back to Garmisch around midnight, and slept soundly that night. Our first family adventure was a success, and set the tone for a wonderful week in Europe!

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      Q: What do you do when you’re feeling tired while driving?

      brittany

      | 14 Comments Tagged Berchtesgaden, Brittanys Life Abroad, Garmisch, Germany, National Park
    • BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long bike rides, deep connections, exploration, and lots of cucumbers.
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