Hitler's Holiday Home
So he was a raving lunatic, but Adolf Hitler had good taste in holiday destinations.
Varun Sharma, Presenter of Inside Luxury Travel
Well, I didn’t get that job and just recently I was able to go home and tell my father that, sometimes, first impressions don’t last!
I bring this up as my visit to the Bavarian town of Berchtesgaden turned from gloom into delight in a matter of minutes.
Berchtesgaden is historically infamous; it was here that Hitler spent a sizeable part of WW2 with lover Eva Braun and innocent pup – Blondie. He is often pictured standing at the Eagle’s Den overlooking the stunning countryside and mountains that make up the German Alps. It’s obvious to see why he chose the location as his safe-house. It’s just two hours drive from Munich, forty-five minutes from the Austrian city of Salzburg – up in the mountains and surrounded by dense forest.
I landed at Munich airport at the height of World Cup fever. The stretch limousine wound its way towards Austria and after what seemed like an endless climb I arrived at the Intercontinental Resort – Berchtesgaden. The resort is over 1000 metres above sea-level and the mountains surrounding it were still snow-capped.
From the outside I was shocked – the grass verges had not been mown and the resort looked generally unkempt. I remember thinking that I was about to spend a miserable weekend … in misery … surrounded by misery.
The mist of gloom started to dissipate on entering the lobby. In front was a large modern open-fireplace, to the right a bar area with walk-in humidor and to the left reception and library. The room is enormous but with the contemporary furniture, art and features it felt rather cosy.
Service at reception was courteous. The resort currently caters for a mainly German and Austrian clientele but it is now hoping to attract more international guests – meaning that the staff are multi-lingual.
I was shown up to the Watzmann suite (named after the mountain that dominates the Berchtesgaden skyline), one of the 12 suites in this 138 room property.
The resort was only opened this year but my duplex suite looked lived-in. The ground floor featured a desk (wi-fi as standard), a large snuggle-sofa, shower room and balcony overlooking the heart of the building. Up some steps and the living area featured a working fireplace, more large plasma televisions, well furnished bedroom, walk-in closet and modern, large bathroom.
If there is one thing I will remember about my suite, it’s the view from the top sundeck. I could see forever … and more; the mountains, the forest and a wee glimpse of the Berchtesgaden golf course.
I spent many a happy hour on the deck, breathing in the fresh air, polluting it with cigar smoke, drinking the local beer and swinging a golf club!
There are two main restaurants in the resort – Le Ciel where you can sample haute-cuisine and 360 Degrees - the less formal offering. The food is well-presented and on the whole quite tasty. If you are a fan of white asparagus then June is the month for you … there’s even an asparagus dessert.
While there’s a well stocked vinotek – I was very impressed by the selection of malt whisky on offer. The resort boasts over 400 different labels including a Bavarian single malt – it’s strong, peaty and incredibly tasty! German whisky? Who would believe it?
Being a fair-weather golfer I ventured out to play the local 9-hole course. Berchtesgaden is well-known as a ski resort but in the summer, the ski slopes become a golf course … the club-house doubles up as a ski-centre. The course is incredibly difficult – some of the fairways are almost 45 degrees and walking up to a green is a real effort. As there are no buggies available, fitness is the key. In fact, to really get the most out of the resort, you have to have some semblance of fitness … or you could find yourself spending much time exhausted!
After a couple of rounds of the course I ventured back to the resort to visit its jewel in the crown – the spa. It’s a truly amazing complex – with indoor & outdoor swimming pools, treatment rooms and sauna/steam-room. I had an excellent massage from a Colombian girl! One thing to note though – Bavarians like to let it “all hang out” i.e. wearing clothes in certain areas of the spa is frowned upon.
The hotel is run by youthful General Manager Tom Bauer. I caught up with him on my last morning. He is rightly proud of what Intercontinental has achieved. While the resort cannot escape the history that surrounds it, he believes that the people of Berchtesgaden are not hiding the past …
“The Dokumentation Obersalzberg is a must for guests to visit. (it is a building next to the hotel). It tells the history of the area and shows its dark past in full. It’s not at all sympathetic, it tells it how it was. A very dark time. We encourage our guests to visit Dokumentation … it’s important.”
The infamous Eagle’s Nest is now a teahouse and boasts over 350,000 visitors a year. It’s an arduous journey to get there and the views it offers are spectacular.
For those who like to explore the surrounds of where they stay, Tom has a few ideas. “There’s the small beer brewery in the village, an art school from where we get our impressive artwork from, there is para-gliding and of course Salzburg is only a few kilometres away – an ideal day-trip.”
There is no doubt that the resort is a winner. I thoroughly loved it. Selling Berchtesgaden as a destination will not be easy but I believe that once bitten, utterly smitten.
Oh and by the way, as the resort is part of a National Park, there are laws in place to protect the environment. To this end, the grass & plants not being culled is actually in keeping with the area – its rustic chic – Bavarian style!
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