On our way down we weren't sure if we would stop somewhere on our way back, or if we would try and just go the whole way through. But on the way down, while I was studying the navigation system as we drove, I noticed how close to Berchtesgaden we were, at about half way. So midway through the vacation, we visited a cafe that had free wlan, and looked up hotels on tripadvisor (my savior!) and made a reservation for our way back. The last thing I want to do when we've just arrived somewhere is drive around looking for places top stay, that have an opening... and I was very glad that we did it, because it took us 2 hours longer than expected to get through the tunnel that's under construction just inside the border (but that's nothing... all the Dutch people headed south for vacay had a 4 hour wait on the other side of the road (Dutch comment is an inside joke...))
The weather wasn't great when we got there, I think it was raining in all of Europe that day (I'm not kidding - OK, maybe not Spain) But by the next day the weather had cleared up, and so we headed up to the Eagle's Nest - Hitlers retreat. I had been to Berchtesgaden as a kid, but never up to the Eagle's Nest. It was pretty cool - and great to see as an added sight on our way home!
In the shot below, you can see a really cool roundabout, which is huge, and also part of the bridge over the river... I consider myself an expert at them now, but not sure about this one!
This was where we had a very nice dinner... Hubertus Stuben.
The shot below is of our hotel - that's the entrance with the word "Hotel" just above the awning you can barely read. Our room had the balcony just above that.
This is the first shot from the Eagle's Nest. To enter the building, or even get up to it, you have to walk horizontally into the mountain about 125 meters, before you get to an incredible, brass elevator - which takes you up, just as far, to the building. Pretty incredible feat of engineering, considering that the place was built in 13 months!
The light wasn't great, but you can kind of see the Konig See in the valley on the left.
That's snow right in the middle of the pic, down there!
That's it - the Eagle's Nest. It really sits perched amazingly on this alp-top promontory, just at the edge of the tree line.
It's only the Americans that call it the Eagle's Nest - here's the official name...
Now, the interior is just a restaurant. It really wasn't a huge place, as it was designed just to be a tea room for Hitler to entertain foreign dignitaries in. It was, however, much more opulent originally!
The road up to the entrance tunnel was also a feat of engineering - also built in just 13 months, it has a 23% grade in some places, and literally hangs off the side of the mountain.
Finally - in the car on the way home... yes, this is what the car looks like when we take a road trip, good thing we don't have any other kids! But everything to keep Luna happy is within arms reach... like the packet of cookies on her lap!
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