Day 7
This is our Hitler day. The sun is shining and so we head up to the Kehlestein or "Hitler's Eagle's Nest". This is a retreat center of Hitler's that was built for him and given to him for his 50th birthday in 1938. He only visited it a few times because it is high above Berchtesgarten and he was afraid of heights. You drive half way up the mountain and then have to take a bus to the bottom of the ledge. From there we walk through a tunnel of the mountain and take an elevator up to the top throuogh the mountain. THe elevator is the original - with solid gold walls and the orignal phone in the elevator. At the top you can look over all of the Obersalzberg and down to Berchesgarten. An incredible view. Once again we are amazed at the beauty and majestic mountains that God has created. Breath-taking!
We have lunch at the top in the Kehlestein and watch as clouds start to roll in.
Next we head back to where Hitler had his home. The Hotel Cumturken was next to his home and was taken over by Hitler during his reign. When the US bombed Hitler's home, the hotel was untouched. We met the lady who was a little girl when her family owned the hotel before Hitler took it from them. She finally got the hotel back 10 years ago and it was then discovered that there was a huge bunker system built under the hotel and Hitler's home that was still intacted. We went down into this bunker system and saw where it led to his home. It was created with massive thick walls, had rooms for the soldiers that protected Hitler and separate rooms for Hitler and Eva Braun, his girlfriend. We then found another bunker that runs under this large field in the valley, near a resturant that Hitler often visited. Small pipes come up through the ground in the field that were the air system for the bunker.
We discovered the first hostel in the world that is still being run as a hostel. Hitler often would go there and take pictures with the teens staying there. Strubkaserne is just down the street from it. This is a German military base. The buildings are from the Third Reich and were built by Hitler.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Day 7:
July 9, Wednesday
This is our Hitler day. The sun is shining and so we head up to the Kehlestein or "Hitler's Eagle's Nest". This is a retreat center of Hitler's that was built for him and given to him for his 50th birthday in 1938. He only visited it a few times because it is high above Berchtesgarten and he was afraid of heights. You drive half way up the mountain and then have to take a bus to the bottom of the ledge. From there we walk through a tunnel of the mountain and take an elevator up to the top through the mountain. The elevator is the original - with solid gold walls and the original phone in the elevator. At the top you can look over all of the Obersalzberg and down to Berchesgarten. An incredible view. Once again we are amazed at the beauty and majestic mountains that God has created. Breath-taking!
We have lunch at the top in the Kehlestein and watch as clouds start to roll in.
Next we head back to where Hitler had his home. The Hotel Cumturken was next to his home and was taken over by Hitler during his reign. When the US bombed Hitler's home, the hotel was untouched. We met the lady who was a little girl when her family owned the hotel before Hitler took it from them. She finally got the hotel back 10 years ago and it was then discovered that there was a huge bunker system built under the hotel and Hitler's home that was still intacted. We went down into this bunker system and saw where it led to his home. It was created with massive thick walls, had rooms for the soldiers that protected Hitler and separate rooms for Hitler and Eva Braun, his girlfriend. We then found another bunker that runs under this large field in the valley, near a restaurant that Hitler often visited. Small pipes come up through the ground in the field that were the air system for the bunker.
We discovered the first hostel in the world that is still being run as a hostel. Hitler often would go there and take pictures with the teens staying there. Strubkaserne is just down the street from it. This is a German military base. The buildings are from the Third Reich and were built by Hitler.
Then we went adventuring - looking to find Paula Hitler's grave. She was Adolf's only sister. She never married and lived just outside Berchtesgaden. We found the cemetery but the workers there refused to tell us where the grave is. So we start walking around and ran into a lady pushing a stroller. She points in one direction and starts to tell us where it is when the grave yard workers come running after us and yelling at her, "You can not tell"! So as she leaves us we go in the direction she was pointing when a quiet little old man walks up behind us and whispers, "I'll show you." So he takes us to the grave. It is marked with a different name because they were tired of people coming through the cemetery but on the internet you can find the story showing this exact grave. Only the marker is changed - the tall wooden monument still stands.
A few impressions about Germany and Germans:The technology here is far beyond America. They are very environmentally advanced. Very "green". Most buildings and hotels have motion detector lights in all the halls and bathrooms so they only go on when you use them. The toilets and bathrooms are beyond clean - even in gas stations - They have a little automatic cleaner so after you flush the toilet, the toilet seat makes a circle and gets cleaned.
The beds all have big feather duvets - two single ones so each has their own - saves pulling the covers! The fancy hotels that we stayed in all had robes and slippers to go to the pool. The tables are set with the knives on a rock or shell under the tip of the knife. Fresh flowers are everywhere on the tables.
People are very friendly. They don't know much English but we are beginning to talk a few German words to get by. Signs are all in German only. People are very quiet and very proper. They won't think of breaking the law - we don't see police ANYWHERE. I guess they are not needed like in America. They get upset if we stop on the side of the road because that is not done. The bend over and talk quietly in restaurants. They believe in building buildings to last - average is for 200 years, where in America houses last about 70-80 years. We have seen some OLD buildings! Built in the 1400's. People are very health conscious - they walk everywhere with walking sticks - like ski poles in both hands. All throughout the mountains are cars parked and people no where to be seen - out walking the trails of the mountains. Or they are biking up and down the mountains - AMAZING! Even very old people.
July 9, Wednesday
This is our Hitler day. The sun is shining and so we head up to the Kehlestein or "Hitler's Eagle's Nest". This is a retreat center of Hitler's that was built for him and given to him for his 50th birthday in 1938. He only visited it a few times because it is high above Berchtesgarten and he was afraid of heights. You drive half way up the mountain and then have to take a bus to the bottom of the ledge. From there we walk through a tunnel of the mountain and take an elevator up to the top through the mountain. The elevator is the original - with solid gold walls and the original phone in the elevator. At the top you can look over all of the Obersalzberg and down to Berchesgarten. An incredible view. Once again we are amazed at the beauty and majestic mountains that God has created. Breath-taking!
We have lunch at the top in the Kehlestein and watch as clouds start to roll in.
Next we head back to where Hitler had his home. The Hotel Cumturken was next to his home and was taken over by Hitler during his reign. When the US bombed Hitler's home, the hotel was untouched. We met the lady who was a little girl when her family owned the hotel before Hitler took it from them. She finally got the hotel back 10 years ago and it was then discovered that there was a huge bunker system built under the hotel and Hitler's home that was still intacted. We went down into this bunker system and saw where it led to his home. It was created with massive thick walls, had rooms for the soldiers that protected Hitler and separate rooms for Hitler and Eva Braun, his girlfriend. We then found another bunker that runs under this large field in the valley, near a restaurant that Hitler often visited. Small pipes come up through the ground in the field that were the air system for the bunker.
We discovered the first hostel in the world that is still being run as a hostel. Hitler often would go there and take pictures with the teens staying there. Strubkaserne is just down the street from it. This is a German military base. The buildings are from the Third Reich and were built by Hitler.
Then we went adventuring - looking to find Paula Hitler's grave. She was Adolf's only sister. She never married and lived just outside Berchtesgaden. We found the cemetery but the workers there refused to tell us where the grave is. So we start walking around and ran into a lady pushing a stroller. She points in one direction and starts to tell us where it is when the grave yard workers come running after us and yelling at her, "You can not tell"! So as she leaves us we go in the direction she was pointing when a quiet little old man walks up behind us and whispers, "I'll show you." So he takes us to the grave. It is marked with a different name because they were tired of people coming through the cemetery but on the internet you can find the story showing this exact grave. Only the marker is changed - the tall wooden monument still stands.
A few impressions about Germany and Germans:The technology here is far beyond America. They are very environmentally advanced. Very "green". Most buildings and hotels have motion detector lights in all the halls and bathrooms so they only go on when you use them. The toilets and bathrooms are beyond clean - even in gas stations - They have a little automatic cleaner so after you flush the toilet, the toilet seat makes a circle and gets cleaned.
The beds all have big feather duvets - two single ones so each has their own - saves pulling the covers! The fancy hotels that we stayed in all had robes and slippers to go to the pool. The tables are set with the knives on a rock or shell under the tip of the knife. Fresh flowers are everywhere on the tables.
People are very friendly. They don't know much English but we are beginning to talk a few German words to get by. Signs are all in German only. People are very quiet and very proper. They won't think of breaking the law - we don't see police ANYWHERE. I guess they are not needed like in America. They get upset if we stop on the side of the road because that is not done. The bend over and talk quietly in restaurants. They believe in building buildings to last - average is for 200 years, where in America houses last about 70-80 years. We have seen some OLD buildings! Built in the 1400's. People are very health conscious - they walk everywhere with walking sticks - like ski poles in both hands. All throughout the mountains are cars parked and people no where to be seen - out walking the trails of the mountains. Or they are biking up and down the mountains - AMAZING! Even very old people.
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