- Summits
- Eagle's Nest
- Elevator
Eagle's Nest · inside the mountainEagle's Nest elevator & tunnel
You don't ride the last stretch to the Eagle's Nest (Kehlsteinhaus), you walk into the mountain: 124 metres through a tunnel, then 124 metres straight up. The lift is included in the bus ticket.
- Bus car park
- Tunnel 124 m
- Lift 124 m
- inside the house
- Footpath
- around 25 min
- Wheelchair
- tunnel passable
- Dog
- allowed
Details checked on 21 September 2026 · Source: Zweckverband Bergerlebnis Berchtesgaden · Photo: Richardelainechambers, CC BY-SA 3.0
How you get from the bus into the Eagle's Nest
The Kehlstein bus stops on a plateau below the house, the Kehlstein car park. From there you see the house itself up on the ridge – 124 metres higher. In the rock face next to the turning area there is a portal of natural stone. Behind it a tunnel leads 124 metres horizontally into the mountain, lined with natural stone and lit.
At the end of the tunnel the lift is waiting. It takes you a further 124 metres up and stops inside the Eagle's Nest. You step out and are standing in the building, not in front of it.
The Eagle's Nest elevator: brass from 1938, technology of today
The inside of the cabin is lined with polished brass. The Zweckverband (the regional tourism association) calls the lift “magnificent” and “historic” – it dates from the construction of the house in 1937/38, but is operated with modern technology today.
The house was built in 1937/38 as a representational venue for the Nazi leadership; the tunnel and the brass cabin are part of that architecture. It is worth knowing this when you stand in the cabin. More on this under history of the Eagle's Nest.
Eagle's Nest elevator: price and ticket
There is no separate price for the lift. The operator states expressly: the ticket pays for the bus journey and the lift, and no additional admission is charged for the Eagle's Nest. That applies to the online ticket just as it does to the ticket from the ticket office.
| Ticket | Price | of which lift |
|---|---|---|
| Adults | €34.70 | included |
| Children aged 6–14 | €17.20 | included |
| Family ticket | €70.90 | included |
| Children up to 5 | free | included |
All fares, the guest card and the family tickets are under tickets & prices.
Honestly: If you hike up the Kehlstein on foot, you save yourself the bus – but the lift on its own is not listed as a separate ticket in the fare sheet. Whether, and at what price, hikers can get on at the top is something you should ask the operator before your hike (+49 8652 2029), rather than relying on what forums say.
The alternative: on foot from the bus car park to the house
You don't have to take the lift. From the Kehlstein car park a path zigzags up to the house; the Zweckverband gives a walking time of around 25 minutes and recommends sturdy footwear. You find the start by walking a short way back along the road from the turning area and then taking the narrow path up to the left. Look out for closures – the path is not always open.
Rule of thumb: Up by lift, down on foot. That way you have seen both, and the descent is easier than the climb. Bear in mind that your return bus journey is printed on the ticket – if you dawdle, rebook it at the terminal at the turning area.
With a wheelchair or pushchair: what works and what doesn't
The operator describes the Eagle's Nest as “accessible to a limited extent”. In detail, that means:
- Bus: The Kehlstein line is served by low-floor buses with designated spaces for wheelchair users.
- Tunnel: tarmacked and passable by wheelchair, as far as the lift.
- At the top: The restaurant and parts of the terrace can be reached step-free. A few steps lead into the large hall with the fireplace.
- Not reachable: the summit cross.
- Toilets: accessible toilets at the bus departure point at Obersalzberg (Hintereck car park), at the Kehlstein car park and in the restaurant.
The operator recommends coming with a companion. Severely disabled visitors with a degree of disability of 50 or more pay 10% less than the standard fare; with a valid “Wertmarke” (the token on the German disabled person's pass) the journey costs €5.10.
Honestly: The operator gives no information on the size of the cabin or on waiting times at the lift. If you depend on an electric wheelchair or a wide pushchair, you are better off phoning beforehand than spending €34.70 on the off chance.
Eagle's Nest lift: three questions that come up often
How much time do I need? The operator reckons on two hours for the whole visit, including the bus journey there and back. It gives no information on the lift's travel time or on waiting times. It advises taking the first buses in the morning; Saturdays are the busiest day on the line.
As a hiker, do I pass the lift? Yes. The signposted hiking trail from the Ofnerboden on the Roßfeld panoramic road comes out at the bus turning platform, that is, right at the tunnel portal, 124 metres below the house. From there you either carry on along the asphalted zigzag path or find out on the spot whether you can use the lift.
And if I don't like confined spaces? Then take the footpath. The tunnel and the cabin lie entirely within the rock; the path round the outside is the only alternative.
Dogs, weather and what else matters
Dogs are allowed on the Kehlstein and travel free of charge on the bus; muzzles are compulsory on the bus. In storms, snowfall or rockfall the operator suspends the bus service – and then the house stays closed too. In winter the whole site is shut. Exactly when is under opening times and season.
Where the figures come from
| Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Tunnel 124 m, lift 124 m, brass, included in the ticket, footpath around 25 minutes, route description, accessibility, dogs, weather closures | Zweckverband Bergerlebnis Berchtesgaden – Kehlsteinhaus (in German) | 21 September 2026 |
| How the visit works, no additional admission, rebooking terminals, concession for severely disabled visitors | Kehlsteinhaus – frequently asked questions, as of January 2026 (in German) | 21 September 2026 |
| Lift 124 m, tunnel tarmacked, toilets, hall with fireplace, summit cross | Kehlsteinhaus, operator's website | 21 September 2026 |
| Ticket prices | Fare sheet “Fahrpreise Kehlstein 2026” (in German) | 21 September 2026 |
| Built in 1937/38 as a representational building | Sven Keller: Obersalzberg, Historisches Lexikon Bayerns (in German) | 21 September 2026 |