The Eagle's Nest Chalet
In the 30s, Hitler wanted to find the perfect place to establish a mountain retreat, a Camp David for his Nazi regime. He eventually decided on Obersalzberg,a scenic mountain area a few miles uphill from Berchtesgarden. This region had been one of the romantic corners of Germany for quite a while. He would get a chalet here for his 50th birthday, which we now know as The Eagle's Nest chalet (Steves). The opening of the building was gaurded by heavy wooden gates, which led into a 124 meter tunnel into the heart of the mountain. No slave-labor was used, highly paid Austrians, and Italians built it. Twelve men died during it's construction (Karen).