If you love your hiking and the chance to save a little dosh then walking to The Eagles Nest might be your best option!

I jumped on the first bus of the day from Salzburg and made my way to Berchtesgaden in Germany. I then jumped straight on another bus and headed for the documentation centre where you can choose to take the bus straight up to Eagles Nest at a cost of €16.60 or to begin your ascent up the mountain.

There are many reasons why hiking is so much more appealing to me so it was a no brainer!

I started the ‘4 hour’ hike at 10.06am and wanted to hit the top around lunch time. Challenge on!

When I got to the next sign saying I had only 3hrs left to hike, it was only 10:22! I know because of the time stamps on my photos. So the first hour of the hike takes only 16 minutes at my pace, which is just bizarre.

So the signposts really are just a rough guideline!

The whole walk was mostly paths so walking in trainers was absolutely fine for me. You’ll pass a lot of people in full hiking gear the full shebang but I don’t think it was needed and I managed just fine.

I really enjoyed this hike even though towards the end it becomes steep and seems to go on forever. If you read my previous post yesterday about my hike up Gaisberg in Salzburg, well this is completely different. You’ll feel like it’s never going to end but eventually you’ll reach the bus stop at the top of the mountain just before Eagles Nest itself.

Here you can buy a drink or souvenirs at the shop, use the WC for free and sit on the benches. There are a lot of people here because this is where those that didn’t hike depart the bus. Let’s not forget to mention that view!

I reached this point EXACTLY 2 hours from the moment I took the photo of the first signpost. Strange..

I dordled a lot taking photos and messaging friends but still demolished the 4 hour hiking label.

The ’35 minute hike’ from the bus depot up to the nest took me 12 minutes including stopping for photos.

So that should give you an idea of what to expect. The hike up is all windy paths heading uphill and only a small portion goes through woodland right at the beginning.

When I reached Eagles Nest I was very ready to rest! Its a lot colder at the top and a little more cloudy because it is so high up. I had a very good view of the surrounding mountains and occasionally could even see Lake Konigssee when the fog cleared.

There are so many hikes you can do in different directions from the top but I think one was enough for me for the day!

I stopped for lunch at Hitlers former gathering place and the service was super quick considering how many people were up there. Never thought I’d be eating spaghetti bolognese from the top of a mountain. Amazing what you can do.

I read on somebody’s blog recently that the view is more rewarding if you have made the journey up the mountain yourself. I really did feel that way and it was a reward to enjoy lunch at the end of it. I even used the money I saved from the bus ride to pay for it!

I would highly recommend the hike. Whilst it states 4 hours to the top it only took me 2 and I stopped A LOT to take pictures and message friends.

Please bare in mind that at the time of writing this I am only 28 years old and could be described as fit and relatively active. I walk everywhere and love hiking. So it may take 4 hours for others to do this hike but I’m sure many can do it in much less than 2 as I really strolled along the walk taking pictures as I went.

If you opt for the bus option this will cost you €16.60 and whilst I can’t comment on the experience when you’re doing it I can comment on what I witnessed. Endless queuing! You queue for the bus that takes you up there. You queue to get a departure time to head back down. You queue to get the lift to the top then you queue to get on the bus down. There were so many bundles of people that I was so glad I hiked it. I understand that sometimes you don’t have a choice like if you’re unable to hike it yourself but I can’t say it looked like an appealing experience.

I really enjoyed my day and thankfully the clouds cleared away and the sun came out so I was able to do this. In comparison with Gaisberg mountain in Austria I would say this hike is not as fun. It is longer because of the way the paths wind round and it is definitely worth doing with the views at the end!

But overall if you want something more challenging and a bit more adventurous off the beaten track then I’d head for Gaisberg. But climbing Kehlstein to visit the Eagles Nest is a must if you’re in the area and you’ll really feel like you’ve witnessed something extraordinary once you’ve done it!