The history of hotels in Berchtesgaden National Park

The InterContinental Hotel Berchtesgaden, also known as "Germany's First Mountain Resort", was originally Hitler's "Eagle's Nest" (German: Kehlsteinhaus or Adlerhorst, English: Eagle's Nest), a villa. It is located on the top of a mountain called Kehlstein in the Obersalzburg Mountains. In order to celebrate Hitler's 50th birthday (1939), Martin Bormann ordered the construction of a villa on the top of Kehlstein Mountain, 1881 meters above sea level, in Obersalzburg. As a gift from the Nazi Party to Hitler, it later became the famous The "Eagle's Nest", from which you can see the Berchtesgaden Alps, was originally designed for Hitler to receive official guests. The villa and supporting facilities were completed in 1938 after 13 months of construction. The road up the mountain from the foot of the mountain does not lead directly to the villa, but to a 1,700-meter-high platform. The 124-meter distance from the platform to the villa requires an elevator. Built inside the mountain rock, the entrance to the elevator can be reached from the platform through a cave door and a passage about 130 meters long. But Hitler only visited the "Eagle's Nest" about 10 times, and each time he stayed for less than 30 minutes. The "Eagle's Nest" did not have the defensive measures to launch a surprise bombing by the Allies. After the Allies began air raids on most areas of Germany, the Nazis strengthened their air defense facilities in the Obersalzburg area and laid underground bunkers at the bottom of the mountain.

Before the end of World War II, while planning to occupy Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany, Dwight Eisenhower was worried that the SS and other core Nazi troops would retreat to the Alps, so he ordered the Allied forces to attack Berlin on April 25, 1945. A large-scale bombing was carried out on the Salzburg Mountains, but most areas of Berchtesgaden were not bombed. Most of the buildings in Hitler's Obersalzburg residence were destroyed, leaving only Hitler's protocol house and the underground. The bunker "Eagle's Nest" did become a major bombing target, but was not damaged. Berchtesgaden was captured by the Allies on May 4, 1945.

The "Eagle's Nest", Hitler's luxurious villa, was not well known before the end of World War II. It was not made public by the media until after the end of World War II. British journalist Ward Price reported after the war Call it "one of the eight wonders of the world" and name it the "Eagle's Nest". Today's "Eagle's Nest" still maintains its original original state and attracts countless tourists. Hitler's residence in Obersalzburg was converted into the InterContinental Hotel Berchtesgaden in 2005, also known as "Germany's No. 1 Mountain Resort".