The Building
The Kehlsteinhaus today
In the years immediately following the end of the war, there were some - including the many in the Bavarian State parliament - who suggested that the Teehaus was little more than a Nazi relic, and that it should be destroyed. Common sense prevailed however, and thanks to the hard work of Karl Theodor Jacob, a local councillor and later the founder of the Berchtesgadaner Landesstiftung, the decision was made to open the the house to the public and promote it as a tourist attraction. In 1952, the house was leased for ten years to the Alpine Association, which in turn subleased the restaurant to one Josef Kellerbauer, who was to be responsible for much of the repair work that was to take place over the following ten years. After the expiration of the Alpine Association lease, the house was then leased to the local Tourism Association, which renewed Kellerbauer's lease of the restaurant. Kellerbauer was followed by Franz Sichert and then Norbert Eder, who runs the restaurant today.
While the repairs made to the Teehaus were extensive, there were no glaringly obvious additions to the existing building, the sole exception being the large outdoor terrace (pictured left, with the editor in the foreground) that was added to the south side of the building in the 1960s to accommodate those guests who wanted to sip their coffee or beer while taking in a healthy dose of the fresh Alpine air. The large table in the main dining room was removed, and was replaced by a number of small tables that are used today by guests of the restaurant. A number of other rooms also found themselves being converted for use as dining areas for the restaurant - these included the Scharitzkehl room, the guard room and the octagonal main reception hall.
You will also find a small kiosk on the southern terrace, where you can purchase a selection of light snacks, ice cream and refreshments as well as a number of helpful guidebooks and historical studies of the Kehlstein, Obersalzberg and the surrounding area.
An excellent way to build up an appetite - best fulfilled at the restaurant - is to take a hike around the mountain, along paths that are clearly marked (the "Rundweg"). The panoramic views of both the crystal-clear lakes and surrounding mountains are simply stunning, as is the "oneness with nature" feeling that one gets when one's only partner is the silence and solitude.