Under and above. Today started off with a trip to the Hotel zum Türken, (hotel of the Turkish) an inconspicuous, albeit very fancy hotel. Though on the way I completely accidentally  stumbled on the remains of Hitler’s Berghof residence. It started as a nice small pretty chalet style home that Hitler had rented to finish his book after being released from Landsberg prison. He spent much time here, and added onto it and expanded it as he took power. He spent far more time here than at the Eagle’s Nest where he spent very very little time. During WW2 the Berghof, as he called it was bombed by British planes and moderately damaged. The SS burned and destroyed the rest to prevent capture. It was mostly all cleared away in the 1950s. All that remains today is the original foundations, a bunch of dirt, and trees where the house stood.

Anyways, the hotel is not the attraction however. The little ticket desk at the side is, as there is a lengthy spiral staircase straight down just before another very long stairway leading directly into another one of those machine gun death traps (see previous post images). Under the hotel is another significantly larger section of the extensive bunker network under Obersalzburg than what is available at the Documentation center. I went down alone as there was nobody else, except the clerk at the top and a few other tourists who were coming out. And I must say it is one of the scariest things I have ever done. One floor below is a prison, and then the long long stairway to dark hallways of old Nazi bunkers, with more stairs leading down to another large floor below about 270 feet underground. Total silence when younstop. Moisture in the air, the sounds of drops of waters, every litte sound echoing, your own foot steps sounding down the empty concrete hallways ringing back to you making it sound like someone is right behind you, while images of Nazis and guns and ghosts enter your mind. I don’t recommend doing it alone. Wow. Though perhaps the truly unfortunate part is all over there were swastikas carved in the paint and walls, though they were “squared out” by others who are less sympathetic to the Nazis. (They added lines to the edges to make it look like a box with a + in the middle). I managed to escape with pictures and memories of how scary going in alone was.

I took the bus back, and as I hoped to do returned to Königssee for a boat ride to St. Bartholomä’s lonely chapel and the surrounding landscape. And damn was it worth it. It’s a 35 minute boat ride one way, and you are treated to a trumpet show against one of the montainous lake walls to hear the tune echoed back. I am trying to upload the video but it isn’t behaving. Anyways at the destination there is a gift shop, the unique world famous pilgramage church of St. Bartholomew, the area’s fulltime resident and fisherman and his fish shop and a couple other buildings of no discernable purpose. There are numerous hiking trails, and I feel like I picked the right one. Pictures will show. It was too cloudy but I wasn’t overly annoyed because I could still see a lot. It was in this area I met the best companion I ever had, we went all over together, he helped me greatly up and down on the hike, and we bonded deeply sharing in laughs, tears and everything in between. He was my hiking stick and his name was The Gandalf. In the end we had to part ways, and it was with deep sorrow I had to return him to the lake…where he broke and promptly washed back ashore.

There were also 2 guys who ran into the lake as I passed by and sarted swimming. It was barely over freezing but they were sure as hell enjoying it.

There is another stop after St. Bartholomä’s but it took a different ticket (which I could have bought) that takes you to the end of Königssee and nearby Obersee, another beautiful lake with more hiking trails, one of which takes you to Germany’s tallest waterfall. But that is an overly long hike and you end up with little time for anything else.

More or less ironically I am watching a documemtary on Hitler and WW2 as I write this.