Yes, Hitler's Eagle's Nest is still standing and is now a restaurant and tourist attraction in the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden, Germany. It was originally built as a diplomatic meeting house for the Nazi regime in 1938 but was rarely used by Hitler himself.
Today, the Eagle's Nest is the #1 tourist attraction in Berchtesgaden, Germany… a town that desperately wants you to forget all the horrible stuff that took place here.
Today the Eagle's Nest remains in its original state. In 1960, on the occasion of the 150th celebration Berchtesgaden's incorporation to Bavaria, the Bavarian government relinquished its control over the building to a trust that ensures that the proceeds are used for charitable purposes.
It was rebuilt in 1950 and reopened as a hotel before Christmas. Visitors can still explore the historic underground hallways and tunnels that had been used by the Nazis.
In 1952, what remained of the Berghof was blown up by the Bavarian government in order to prevent the site from becoming a tourist attraction. The Fuhrer's former apartment building is still standing and now houses a police station.
Adolf Hitler's sister Paula, who died in 1960 and did not have children, was the last member of the family still bearing the Hitler surname on their tombstone. As of 2023, only five members of the Hitler family bloodline, all men who bore no children, were still living.
However, few visitors realize that Hitler's home (called the Berghof) and southern headquarters – his second seat of power – was located on Obersalzberg, at the foot of the Eagle's Nest mountain. Due to its high elevation, the Eagle's Nest generally does not open until mid-May.
The Fifteenth Air Force proposed bombing the Berchtesgaden area in February 1945, but this was blocked by the USAAF's high command due to the difficulty of accurately hitting the target and a continuing belief that the Allies were better off with Hitler still in command of the German military.
The Berghof was damaged in a British air raid on 25 April 1945 and burned down by the Obersalzberg SS a few days later. The postwar US military government ordered the ruins to be blown up in 1952 to avoid it becoming a shrine, with fast-growing trees planted over them. A foundation wall is all that remains today.
But did you know there's an Eagle's Nest hike? Though the vast majority of visitors to Berchtesgaden take the quick bus up the mountain, you can indeed hike to the top instead.
Adolf Hitler's final resting place, revealed in 2006, is a modest parking lot in Berlin. The German government kept it secret to prevent neo-Nazi pilgrimages. A discreet plaque marks the site, reflecting efforts to avoid glorifying Hitler and his ideology.
The Wolf's Lair still exists. Today it attracts tens of thousands of tourists a month. It was recently remodeled to reconstruct the conference room where the German army officer Claus von Stauffenberg detonated a suitcase bomb in an assassination attempt on Hitler, or Operation Valkyrie, in 1944.
Most people visiting the eagle's nest, stay in Salzburg, and do the eagle nest as a day trip. The eagle's nest is only 30 kilometers from Salzburg, and public transport is convenient. You take two public buses, and then a shuttle bus takes you up to the Eagle's Nest (Kehlsteinhaus).
The excavated sections of the old bunker complex were mostly destroyed during reconstruction of that area of Berlin. The site remained unmarked until 2006, when a small plaque was installed with a schematic diagram. Some corridors of the bunker still exist, but are sealed off from the public.
Moving memorials and famous monuments are often on the to-do list of many visitors. While you're in town, familiarize yourself with a part of local history at Hitler Birthplace Memorial Stone. This place of remembrance in Braunau am Inn comes recommended by many travelers, so make a spot for it on your schedule.
It doesn't actually cost anything to visit Kehlsteinhaus, but there is a charge for the bus journey. A return bus trip costs about €30 per adult (2024 prices) and also includes a ride in the famous brass elevator. Alternatively, you can hike up to Hitler's Eagle's Nest from the Documentation Centre for free!
In his last will and testament, Hitler left his entire estate to the German government: "What I own, as far as it is worth anything, belongs to the party.
On the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of WWII, the BBC hears from Rochus Misch, the last surviving person to have been in Hitler's bunker between April and May 1945.
While the U.S. 3rd Infantry and French 2nd Armored Divisions liberated Hitler's Eagle Nest, the paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division had the honor of occupying the souvenir-laden area. The Screaming Eagles made the most of their stay.
When connected to the Sperry C-1 Autopilot, the Norden bombsight provided unprecedented accuracy. Although newspapers at the time claimed it was so accurate that it could "drop a bomb into a pickle barrel," the Norden bombsight seems archaic by the standards of today's U.S. Air Force.
The first enemy bomb to fall on the Isle of Man was on 18 September 1940, when high explosive bombs caused four large craters in the Dalby area – without damage or injury. On the nights of 7, 15, and 16 April 1941, enemy bombers were again over the Island.
The Berghof was rebuilt and renamed in 1935 and was Hitler's holiday residence for ten years. It was damaged by British bombs in late April 1945, and again in early May by retreating SS troops, and it was looted after Allied troops reached the area. The Bavarian government demolished the burned shell in 1952.
The tour is offered on request and depending on our accredited guides' availability, when the Eagle's Nest is open, (usually from mid-May through October, weather permitting) and lasts approximately 3,5 to 4 hours.
The Kelsteinhaus, known as the Eagle's Nest, built in 1938 as a 50th birthday gift to Adolf Hitler, was bought by the San Tommaso SRL company owned by Volodymyr Zelensky, according to German media.
