We jumped onto a tour bus with our friends, the Andersons, and headed to Adolf Hitler's Bavarian Headquarters high in the mountains. It has become known as the Eagles Nest.
The city below is called Berchtesgaden.
These "onion-top" church domes are common in Bavaria and Austria.
This is the view of Hitler's Eagles Nest from the valley floor as we approached on the bus.
It was quite a windy ride up on a single lane road.
The city in the distance is Salzburg, Austria. but from this vantage point we are Bavaria, Germany.
It was a relatively clear day and the views were stunning.
The Eagles Nest is accessed by this tunnel that was built for the Nazi leader's use which then leads to a big elevator that goes up through the stone mountain to the building above.
Through this tunnel walked Prime Ministers of France and England, and dictators like
Italy's Mussolini. The most notorious of Hitler's generals were also visitors
which included the architects of the Holocaust.
The guide told us that Hitler was claustrophobic and they used highly polished brass panels in the elevator to give the illusion of more space.
The elevator takes you right up to the Eagles Nest which deserves its name.
In a large room inside the Eagle's Nest is a huge fireplace with marble mantle.
It was given to Hitler by Mussolini.
In the picture below you can see Adolf Hitler sitting in front of the fireplace with what looks like Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Propaganda Minister, and an outspoken anti-Semite.
We know that some of the greatest evil known to mankind came from these men
and many others who visited here at Hitler's invitation.
It was a sobering place to be with the conflicting beauty of the surroundings
and the evil that built this building.
It seemed fitting to include another picture of the fireplace with American soldiers who
captured Eagles Nest at the end of World War II.
It seems appropriate here to include another picture of the Stolpersteine.
Real people whose only crime was being Jewish were singled out and massacred by the Nazi regime. These three died at the infamous Auschwitz Death Camp.
Real people whose only crime was being Jewish were singled out and massacred by the Nazi regime. These three died at the infamous Auschwitz Death Camp.
The vistas were stunning.
A light dusting of snow from the night before can be seen on the mountains in the distance.
This cross sits atop the vista overlooking Eagle's Nest.
This cross sits atop the vista overlooking Eagle's Nest.
It was a fun hike up mountain above the building with beautiful views.
Coming down the trail I had to carefully place my feet to avoid slipping on the slick rocks.
My size 14 shoe got stuck during my descent and the rocks didn't want to let it go.
Fortunately, Joanne came to the rescue.
Ward and Karen Anderson were our fellow travelers in the long five-hour drive from
Frankfurt to Salzburg. We really enjoyed getting to know them.
They serve with Joanne in the Church Communications Department.
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