Dokumentation Obersalzberg, the History of Nazism on the Mountain

What it is

The Dokumentation Obersalzberg is the documentation centre on what this mountain above Berchtesgaden was between 1933 and 1945: one of the centres of Nazi power. Hitler had his house here, the Berghof, and decisions were taken in it that led to persecution, war and genocide. The village became a cordoned-off zone, and propaganda sold from here the false image of a "people's chancellor" in the Alps.

It opened in 1999 and, after an extension, reopened in September 2023 with a new permanent exhibition, "Idylle und Verbrechen" (idyll and crime). It is run by historians from the Institute of Contemporary History in Munich-Berlin. The building stands on the foundations of a guesthouse of the former Platterhof hotel, and the visit includes part of the bunker system that survives beneath the mountain. In 2025 it received more than 213,000 visitors, and in 2026 it won a special mention in the European Museum of the Year Award.

What you will see

The exhibition is organised in chapters: the Obersalzberg as a propaganda set, the leader and the people facing the forbidden zone, foreign policy and the preparation for war at the Berghof, and the place as a stage for crimes. There are no explicit images, but there is a great deal of information on persecution, war and mass murder.

Afterwards you go down into the bunkers: a historic structure, with uneven floors in places and grating walkways. From 26 November 2026 to 11 April 2027 there is also a temporary exhibition with the Hitler cartoons of the illustrator Achim Greser.

Opening times and closures

Open every day from 9:00 to 17:00; last entry at 16:00. It closes on 1 November, on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 January, and for maintenance from 16 to 24 November 2026 and from 1 to 8 March 2027. On 25 November it closes at 16:00. Check the visiting page before you go, because changes are announced there.

Tickets

General admission costs €4.50, and €3.50 with a guest card. Under-18s do not pay, nor do students, teachers, apprentices and people with a severe disability, plus one companion, with their accreditation. The multimedia guide is included, on loan or with the free mobile app.

Visits with the multimedia guide

• Long tour: 80 minutes, in German and English.
• Short tour: 40 minutes, in German, in German Sign Language and in 13 other languages, including English and French.
• Children's tour: 16 stops for over-8s, best accompanied by an adult.

Allow between an hour and a half and two hours for the exhibition with the bunkers.

How to get there and park

From Berchtesgaden station, bus 838 drops you at the Dokumentation Obersalzberg stop. By car, use car parks P1 and P2, paid. If you have heard about the fire at the Kehlsteinhaus, the "Eagle's Nest": the centre states it was not affected and it is open as normal.

Who it is for

It is a visit for adults and teenagers. From age 8 there is an adapted tour, but the themes are hard: consider whether your children are ready. Dogs cannot enter, except accredited assistance dogs. For the accessibility of the building and the bunkers, the centre has a specific page: check it beforehand if you are going with a wheelchair.

A good plan for a rainy day in Berchtesgaden, together with the salt mine, in the Berchtesgaden valley.