Eagle's Nest (Kehlsteinhaus)

Many visitors consider the Eagle’s Nest and the Documentation Center as one site, even though they operate as separate entities. It’s easy to visit both in one day, as the official transport stop for Eagle’s Nest is right by the Documentation Centre. Serving as a World War II history museum, the Documentation Centre commands a small entrance fee for its permanent exhibitions, which also includes a multilingual audio guide.

The Eagles Nest restaurant and beer garden have no fees, but you must pay for official transport—a bus and a brass elevator—to scale the steep mountain pass and rock face safely. Guided tours and day trips from Salzburg and Munich typically include transport, a guide, and often extra visits to nearby salt mines, Lake Königssee, or the village of Hallstatt.

• Wear sun protection and dress in layers, as the weather changes quickly at the high altitude of the Eagle’s Nest.

• For a Documentation Centre visit, plan to stay for two hours to include the permanent exhibition and a bunker tour.

• For an Eagle’s Nest visit, plan to stay for at least two hours to enjoy both the food and views.

• Tickets for the Documentation Centre and Eagle’s Nest transport can be bought in advance online. However, it’s best to buy the Eagle’s Nest transport tickets on-site, so you can skip it if it’s a cloudy, view-obscured day.

• Children can enter the Documentation Center, although some exhibits are aimed at an audience over 14 years, covering themes of persecution and war crimes.

• There is limited parking for visitors with reduced mobility in the P2 parking lot at the Documentation Centre.

• All indoor areas at the Documentation Centre are wheelchair accessible with several ramps and elevators. Note that some bunker passageways are narrow, and wider electric wheelchairs might not fit.

Skip the Documentation Centre’s paid car parks, which are either busy or icy depending on the weather, and take the public bus instead. The 838 between Berchtesgaden main station and the Documentation Obersalzberg stop takes less than 15 minutes. To continue up to the Eagle’s Nest mountain top restaurant, buy a ticket at the car park kiosk to cover your onward journey by shuttle bus (aka the Kehlsteinlinie or 849) and mountain elevator.

The Eagle’s Nest mountain top restaurant is closed in winter. While exact opening dates are weather-dependent, the restaurant is usually open for lunch, drinks, and snacks from the middle of May through early October. The Documentation Centre stays open year-round, albeit with reduced opening hours between November and March.

If the weather’s fair and you’re feeling active, you can skip the busy bus-elevator combo to the Eagle’s Nest, and hike instead. A signed pathway meanders up through the mountain forest, leading from the Documentation Centre car parks. The leisurely round-trip walk with time for lunch will take up a good chunk of your day— the one-way track covers just less than 3 miles (5 kilometers)— but you’ll be rewarded with nature, exercise, and history in one swoop.

The Eagle’s Nest is only open in the warmer months—usually from mid-May through October—as it sits high up a rocky mountain pass and the road must be free of snow and loose stones to safely pass. Note: The site today is a restaurant, and no reservation is needed.

The Eagle’s Nest mountain restaurant has no parking, as it’s only reachable via the elevator and special bus that can take on the road’s 27 percent incline. The nearest parking option is the Hintereck parking area at Obersalzberg (fee required) with an Eagle’s Nest bus stop. You can also do a 2- to 3-hour hike from the lot.

You can visit the site without a tour and Eagle’s Nest tickets are available at the entrance, but the restaurant and Documentation Center feature high on many visitors’ lists of German historical landmarks, so tours tend to sell out quickly. If you want to take a tour in the summer, book in advance to secure your preferred date.

Most tours cover the shuttle bus from Obersalzberg, the mountain elevator, and free time at the Eagle’s Nest—which today is a panoramic mountain restaurant that offers views of the Bavarian Alps. History-focused tours might include visits to the Documentation Center Obersalzberg where exhibits about the Eagle’s Nest during World War II and underground bunkers can be seen.

To visit both the Documentation Center Obersalzberg and Eagle's Nest mountain restaurant, set aside a full day. This allows you to browse historical exhibits, travel up the mountain, and enjoy lunch with panoramic views. Many organized tours cover both in half a day, with time to visit Lake Königssee afterward.

Yes. The mountaintop chalet operates as a restaurant, with little in the way of World War II artifacts. Visit it for lunch—the kitchen is open from morning until late afternoon—or a drink while soaking up the views. Menus are available to see online on the Eagle’s Nest (Kehlsteinhaus) official website.