Hello and welcome to World War 2 Stories. I'm your host, Steve Matthews. Today, we're taking a fascinating journey to one of the most dramatic and symbolic locations of the Third Reich – the Kehlsteinhaus, better known to Americans as the "Eagle's Nest." Perched high in the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden, this mountaintop retreat has captured the imagination of historians and tourists alike, appearing in countless documentaries and even featuring in the acclaimed HBO series "Band of Brothers."

But what was the Eagle's Nest really? What purpose did it serve? And what did Allied troops discover when they finally reached this Nazi stronghold in the final days of the war? Today, we'll separate fact from fiction as we explore this remarkable structure and its place in history.