Obersalzberg · place of learning and remembranceDokumentation Obersalzberg

Opening hours and closing days

The Dokumentation Obersalzberg is open Monday to Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00, including in winter, when the Eagle's Nest (Kehlsteinhaus) is closed. Last admission is at 16:00.

Admission: who pays and who doesn't

The multimedia guide costs nothing: you get the loan device with your admission ticket, and the app is available for iOS and Android. For the loan device you need your own headphones.

What there is to see in the museum at Obersalzberg

The permanent exhibition is called “Idyll und Verbrechen” (“Idyll and Atrocity”). It has been on show since the new building opened in September 2023 and was conceived by the Institut für Zeitgeschichte München–Berlin (Institute of Contemporary History). Around 350 objects, documents, photographs and media stations explain the place and tell of the fate of the victims.

The exhibition has five chapters: “Die Bühne Obersalzberg” (the stage of Obersalzberg) – how a village became a sealed-off seat of the Führer and a propaganda backdrop. “Führer, Volk und Sperrgebiet” (Führer, people and restricted zone) – the pilgrimages to Hitler and the exclusion of those who were not meant to belong. “Bergwelt und Weltmacht” (mountain world and world power) – Obersalzberg as a place of foreign and war policy. “Täterort und Tatorte” (site of the perpetrators and scenes of the crimes) – the crimes that go back to decisions made here, and the people they struck. “Nach Hitler” (after Hitler) – how the place has been dealt with since 1945.

The exhibition does without explicit images, but it deals with persecution, war and mass murder. The centre recommends a visit from the age of 12, or from 8 with the audio guide for children. In 2025 the Dokumentation received the Luigi Micheletti Award of the European Museum Academy for the new permanent exhibition.

The bunker complex at Obersalzberg

The bunker complex is the largest exhibit and is accessible during opening hours as part of the permanent exhibition – at no extra charge and without a guided tour. The system of tunnels was built between July 1943 and the end of the war, by several thousand forced labourers of many nationalities. It was meant to connect the buildings of the restricted zone underground; it was never used as a Führer headquarters.

Practical: the floor is uneven in places, and at some points you walk across walkways of metal grating. The centre recommends suitable footwear.

Guided tours: the public tour

When

Wed + Sat 11:00

Duration

90 min

Price

€5 + admission

Places

20

The tour leads through the permanent exhibition and the bunker complex. Booking is not possible – if you want to join, be at the ticket desk in good time, because 20 people is the limit. Guided tours for groups of up to 20 people are booked through the centre's education programme.

How long does the visit take?

For the exhibition and the walk through the bunkers, the Dokumentation recommends one and a half to two hours. A short tour with the multimedia guide takes around 40 minutes.

Honestly: The 40 minutes are a stopgap. If you come down from the Kehlstein at 15:30, you will still make last admission – but not the exhibition. In that case it is better to come back the next morning. Keep the Kehlstein ticket all the same: it only counts as admission on the same day; after that you pay €4.50.

Getting to the Dokumentation Obersalzberg and parking

Address: Salzbergstraße 41, 83471 Berchtesgaden. From Berchtesgaden station, RVO route 838 takes 12 minutes to the stop “Dokumentation Obersalzberg”. By car, you park in the fee-charging car parks at Obersalzberg; disabled parking spaces are in P2, and from there the building can be reached on the level. The Dokumentation does not state the amount of the parking fee. Departures and details are under bus, getting there and car park.

Accessibility and house rules

• Wheelchair: All indoor areas are accessible, and all floors can be reached by lift. A 19-metre-long ramp with a 9% gradient and no intermediate landing leads into the bunker. The passageways in the bunker are 79 to 87 cm wide and not suitable for wide electric wheelchairs.
• Dogs: not allowed, with the exception of recognised assistance dogs.
• Luggage: rucksacks, large bags and child carriers may not be taken into the exhibition.
• Photography: without flash and for private use only.
• Food and drink: drinks and snack machines in the basement.

To put the place in context, read Obersalzberg today; the history of the house on the summit is under Eagle's Nest – history. You will find the overview of the trip up on the Eagle's Nest page.