Review: Zum Turken Hotel
Reviewer: Frequent european traveler who livied in Italy for six years
In planning a trip from Venice to Bavaria (and back) in October 2006 I came across an excellent review of a hotel in Obersalzberg called "Zum Turken." As serendipity would have it , I was reading the 5th edition of Frommer's "Munich and the Bavarian Alps" and found that the only hotel reccommended in Obersalzberg is Zum turken.
I was moved to write this review as it was the highlite of our two week tour. I would recommend rooms with a terrace as they provide the best view of the magnificent surrounding Alps. You can see why Hitler choose this area for his "Eagles Nest."
Frau Ingrid Schargenberg runs the hotel now and manages to keep everything spotlessly clean. This is a basic hotel, no spa, on fancy food(but a good Bavarian Breakfast that will hold you until dinner). What I enjoyed was the feeling of the history that has passed here and the warmth of an alpine- style inn. I think there is no better deal at these rates (less than $100/day) Enjoy !

My husband and I have stayed at the Zum Turken many times. He was there in the 70's when he was in the U.S. Army, stationed in Germany. Since then we have gone back many times. He says it has changed very little since then. I first went 17 years ago, and it has not changed at all since I first went, although the surrounding area has undergone some dramatic changes. Its consistency is one of its charms. The hotel is quaint, authentic, homey, interesting, historical, safe, reasonably priced, clean, and more. The owner is a good mixture of friendly and professional. I have travelled extensively, and of all the hotels where I've stayed, this is by far my favorite, in one of my favorite places in the world.

This is a great place for a WWII history buff to stay for a night or two while visiting the sites in the Berchtesgaden / Obersalzburg area. The hotel is very clean and owner and staff are also very nice.

It's not the most comfortable hotel physically, and frankly it's a bit spooky to remember the things that happened there, but it's an unforgettable experience to say the least. If you plan on staying in the area try to spend at least one night at the hotel Turken.

It's possible to enter the bunker system under the Hotel Turken and tour some of the bunkers. (You do not need to be a guest of the hotel to enter the bunker under the hotel – you just need to put 2.50 Euro into an unmonitored turnstile.) This section of the bunker system has not been well maintained and is very damp and moldy - probably not a great idea to be down for long if you have respiratory issues. Also, as the bunker under the hotel is open to anyone and is not patrolled or monitored, there's an abundance of neo-Nazi graffiti. The portion of the tunnel system that's maintained by the museum up the street (the "Dokumentation Obersalzberg") is in much better shape.

I stayed at the Turken Sept 19-21,2006, and really enjoyed my stay. I was very pleased with the accomodations, I highly recommend room number 6. Large room with balcony and a wonderful view. The hotel is old fashioned and more like staying in a home with friends. I also recommend a visit to the underground bunkers under the hotel, very interesting for a history buff. Frau Sharfenburg <sp?> is a very nice lady who speaks excellent english and is a good hostess. I would definitly stay at the Zum Turken again on my next vacation, it is very peaceful and clean. It is also an easy walk to the remains of the Berghoff and the parking lot for the buses to the Kehlstein haus <eagles nest> which I also highly recommend a visit to.