Berchtesgaden, Germany

One of our day trips from Salzburg took us to the Berchtesgaden area, just over the border in Germany. The draw to this area is varied, from lakes and mountains to salt mines and World War II history. We started our day half way up the mountain in Obersalzberg. If you’re not up on your war history, Obersalzberg was home to Adolf Hitler’s beloved mountain residence, the Berghof. After falling in love with the area, he bought his residence in 1933 and by 1935 all residents in the area were either bought out or kicked out, and the area was blocked from public use. Other Nazi leaders soon built homes and the area was heavily expanded with military installations. The Fuhrersperrgebiet (the Fuehrers off-limits area) became the second seat of power besides Berlin.

The area was heavily bombed near the end of World War II and today only a few buildings remain, including Kehlsteinhaus (aka The Eagle’s Nest) and the underground bunker complex. It’s a very chilling area, and not because of the weather.

The museum in Obersalzberg is very interesting, but we whizzed through it as parts are not exactly kid friendly. Above is the entrance to the underground bunker system which is still very much as it was. Below is one of the Adolf Hitler street signs. Within a few years of Hitler taking control, every town in Germany is said to have had a main street in his name.

At the base of the mountain is Lake Konigsee.  If you zoom way in on the tip of the mountain peak in the background of this photo, you'll see the Eagle's Nest perched on the cliff.  This was a birthday present for Hitler's 50th birthday in 1939.  It was said he didn't use it much though, as he had a fear of heights.
Next it was on to the underground salt mines. We boarded a little train and whizzed a couple of kilometers straight down under the mountain. Salt is a major industry in this region and this particular mine has been in operation since 1517. (Salzburg by the way means “salt castle”.)

In this photo are we...    a.) about to leave for a trip around the moon.   b.)off to an early halloween party.   or c.)working as salt miners to help pay for our trip.
The kids loved the slides located throughout the tunnel system.  The miners use them instead of steps.
This is the little train we whizzed underground on.
This is one of the underground salt lakes.  What looks like the bottom of the lake is actually a reflection of the ceiling.  After taking a boat ride across, everyone stuck their finger in the water for a little taste.  Yuck!!