Caffè pot from the Rasthaus am Chiemsee the formal dining hall, marker is Geb.Hepp. Chiemsee is a large resort lake in southern Bavaria, and was chosen by Adolf Hitler to be the site of the first Rest House of the Autobahn system. One of the earliest of Hitler’s Autobahns was the route between Munich and Salzburg, since Hitler traveled this way often en route to his home on the Obersalzberg. Hitler wanted the best for this Autobahn, including a route that passed by the shore of Chiemsee lake. This required quite a bit of engineering work, as the planners wished to route the highway closer to the mountains where the land was firmer, and the lakeside route required additional roadbed preparation. However, Hitler’s wishes were fulfilled, allowing a large Rasthaus complex to be built directly on the shore of the lake, which opened in 1938. This complex served its function for only a few years, before being used as a hospital during World War II.Following the end of the war, this complex was taken over by the U.S. Army and for many years this building was the Lake Hotel, part of the U.S. Armed Forces Recreation Center at Chiemsee. However, the AFRC closed its Chiemsee facilities in September 2003, and following the return to the German government.
