We will be beginning a "round the world" trip in Munich this July. We were in Munich as part of a trip MANY years ago. We will have 2 days on the ground (including the day we land, but not the day we leave)in Munich. My husband is very interested in WWII. I have been checking out day trips. There is a trip to Dachau that looks good and one to Hitler's Eagle's Nest and Berchtegarden. I don't think we will have time for both. I'd love to hear recommendations from those who have been to these locations. I'd also be open to other suggesstions- just not Salzburg as we have been there numerous times and want something different on this trip.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19232 posts
I'm not that interested in Dachau (why I've been to Munich 6 times and never gone), but in this case it might be preferrable.
I love Berchtesgaden, but the town itself is not too connected with WWII. The Eagles' Nest is nice to visit once, but I don't think it is worth the length of the trip. On the other hand, if you can also see the Dokumentation Center in Obersalzberg, which outlines the Nazi rise to power, it might be worth it.
BTW, with a little research, either trip can be made by yourselves, for far less cost than a formal tour.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32318 posts
Toni,
Trips to both Dachau and Berchtesgaden are both fairly easy from Munich, as are trips to the Castles in Fussen. My suggestion would be to use a guided tour for the trip to Dachau (I used Radius Tours in Munich - check their web site for details - they also offer a Third Reich walking tour and Munich Walks tours). While it's certainly possible to visit there on your own, I found the tour made the experience so much more interesting than seeing it on my own. The Guide was extremely knowledgeable!
As mentioned in a previous post, although very beautiful the town of Berchtesgaden does not have much WW-II history (although there's a war memorial opposite the entrance to the Church in the main town square). You can arrange tours of the Eagle's Nest there if desired - check the Eagles Nest tours website for further information.
The two floor Documentation Centre above the town is very interesting! All the displays are in German, however AudioGuides are available in English. One of the most interesting aspects of the Documentation Centre is the Bunkers built into the mountain behind it. A portion of these are open for visitors and I found it was a bit of a strange feeling to walk through them. There's also a Salt Mine in Berchtesgaden that can be toured if you want.
Good luck and happy travels!
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
694 posts
we did a day trip to dachau from munich in september, it was worth it, we really enjoyed it. like harry says, you can do this on your own very easily. the guided tour on site was excellent try to arrange your visit around the guided tours hours.
Posted by
Breckenridge, CO
239 posts
Toni,
We went to the Eagles Nest in 2002 and the actual building is nothing great, the scenery and history are worth the trip. My husband is a HUGE WWII buff and he enjoyed seeing it knowing what had happened there and who had been there, etc. Obviously, weather will dictate if it is worth the trip...fog or rain would make it a waste of time!