Join KDIH on a unique tour through Bavaria and Austria, visiting key sites of the early and final years of the Third Reich. In the 12 years of Hitler's "Thousand Year Reich", vast construction projects were a staple of the regime, from monumental displays of power during the early years to megalomaniac bunkers to shield the collapsing Reich from Allied bombs. From the famous parade grounds in the “Führer City” of Nuremberg to enormous concrete bunkers housing jet fighter factories, participants will experience a combination of idyllic towns and exclusive historical places.

The first stop on the tour will be the parade grounds in Nuremberg. We’ll also visit the Palace of Justice in the city, learning about the most important war crimes trial of Nazi leaders. From Nuremberg we move to Landsberg am Lech. It was in the Landsberg prison that Hitler penned his infamous manifesto, “Mein Kampf.” The prison cemetery is also the resting place for key Nazi leaders. Next stop is Dachau, a Bavarian town whose name will forever be tainted by the establishment of Hitler’s first concentration camp in the 1930s. Moving to Mühldorf, Germany we’ll tour the Weingut Me 262 bunker site and Außenlager Mühldorf, a major Dachau sub-camp. 

From Mühldorf it is on to Austria, with a visit to Ebensee and a tour of the Zement tunnel system, which was originally planned to develop Hitler’s A-9 long-range missile system. The next stop is Berchtesgaden / Obersalzberg in the Alps, visiting the remains of key Nazi elite residences. Finally, the tour will end with a look at Nazi sites in Salzburg, Austria. The juxtaposition of scenic beauty and haunting locations of the Nazi regime makes this a tour you won’t want to miss.

Pick-up at Munich Airport (MUC) at 12:00pm. Drive to Nuremberg. Tour Hitler’s famous rally grounds and the Nuremberg Palace of Justice. Potential for downtime in Nuremberg before dinner. Stay overnight in Nuremberg, Germany. Hotel TBD.

The pick-up and return point for this tour will be Munich Airport (MUC). A specific meeting point will be provided later. Participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the meeting point. Participants with their own vehicles can arrange to meet us at an alternate location.

Note: Because of the traffic around Munich, we will NOT be visiting sites within the city of Munich. However, we encourage tour participants to visit the city on their own before or after the tour. Of course, the Oktoberfest and Beer Halls are always popular. However, historian Mark Felton has also produced several high-quality videos about the Beer Hall Putsch and other key Nazi locations in Munich. These are available on YouTube.

We also encourage participants to prepare for this trip by watching film director Leni Riefenstahl’s 1935 classic “Triumph of the Will.”

Drive to Landsberg am Lech. Tour Landsberg Prison and nearby cemetery in the morning. Drive to Dachau and tour Germany’s first concentration camp in the afternoon. Stay overnight in Dachau, Germany. Hotel TBD.

Drive to Mühldorf am Inn, Germany, and tour the Weingut Me 262 bunker site as well as the Außenlager Mühldorf, a major Dachau sub-camp. Stay overnight in Germany. Town and hotel TBD.

Drive to Ebensee, Austria, and tour the Zement tunnel system. This system was originally planned to house the development of the A-9 long-range missile system, but the tunnels built there were ultimately re-purposed for other armament production. We hope to visit both tunnel systems, A & B. In addition, we will walk the Löwensweg (“Lion’s Path”) that the prisoners walked between tunnels. 

This will be an intense hiking day. Good shoes are a must. Stay overnight in Germany. Town and hotel TBD.

Drive to the Berchtesgaden / Obersalzberg Region. Visit the remains of Hitler’s house, the Kehlstein Haus (Tea House atop Berchtesgaden) and a salt mine, where the Nazi regime stored its plunders and national treasures. There will also be walks in the woods showing the remains of famous Nazi’s houses, tunnel complexes, etc.

This will be another intense walking day, designed to include the option for participants to sit out a portion of the walks. Stay overnight in Salzburg, Austria. Hotel TBD.

Tour of Third Reich and Sound of Music sites in Salzburg, Austria. Downtime for shopping and sightseeing in Salzburg. Farewell lunch in Salzburg, before driving back to MUC. We anticipate arriving at MUC around 5:00 pm.

Please Note: Participants are responsible for arranging their own accommodation before flying back to the U.S. in the morning or further travel plans.