Berchtesgaden, Germany

We made another quick stop by a picturesque place in the Bavarian Alps before continuing on to Munich. From about 10am to 1pm we enjoyed quaint little Hallstatt. About an hour away to the west lies Berchtesgaden, Germany. We spent about 3 hours here before heading on to Munich.

The drive into Berchtesgaden.

Ian was the one who spoke of his interest in visiting this place. I had previously never heard of it. However, Berchtesgaden is a very famous spot. Hitler was enamoured with this place because of its obvious beauty and serenity. The Nazis bought the land near Berchtesgaden and used it as a mountain retreat. 

The little town of Berchtesgaden, nestled in the mountains.

The mountains towering over the town of Berchtesgaden contain Hitler's Eagle's Nest, a personal mountain retreat that was built for Hitler as a 50th birthday present. There are still tours up to the Eagle's Nest. Unfortunately, due to the cold and wet spring, the Eagles Nest was still closed to visitors when we visited in mid-May. If you plan on visiting, make sure to check out the opening/closing dates and visiting hours.

Since the Eagle's Nest was closed to visitors, we decided to take a scenic hike to an overlook of the Konigsee - a serene mountain lake.

Konigsee Overlook

We passed over this stream on a footbridge while on our hike.

We made it back to the car just as a storm started rolling in. Perfect timing!