Bavarian Dream - August 20, 2011

Today was a fairytale as we visited the castles of King Ludwig II of Bavaria.  From Garmisch we drove an hour thru what was like the Bavarian version of the White Mountains to Ludwig’s famous castles, Hohenschwangau (High Swanland) and Neuschwanstein (New Swanstone), each perched on its own cliff.  It really was like Disney World with the Fast Passes, but not the rides.  Watch for your entrance time on the monitor, scan your ticket at the turnstile within minutes of seeing you time, enter the number que, and off you go on a large language-specific tour.  Miss your time, and you’re out of luck.  As touristy as this place is with its horse and carriage rides, made-up German town at the base of the castles, it was worth the visit to see these two very different castles.

Highlights:

·         Hohenschwangau: Ludwig’s childhood home is still furnished from the 1830s and is decorated with murals of medieval life…it is much brighter inside and feels more like a summer palace.  Our short tour covered the king’s and queen’s floors of the castle including a room with a piano that Richard Wagner would play when he visited.

One of the sophisticated monitors all around explaining your entry times...don't be late

 ·         Shuttle bus to Neuschwanstein: Great tourist gig…for a small fee, a tour bus brings visitors to uphill to Neuschwanstein.  The only downside…there’s still a 10-15 minute walk to the castle from the bus stop. (Tourist note: Leave yourself plenty of time to get up here.  Buses only run every 20 minutes, plus time needed to walk from the bus stop to the castle).

·         Neuschwanstein: Although it was never finished, this place must have taken some serious planning (and money) to create.  Built from 1869-1886, Ludwig used Neuschwanstein’s walls to display scenes from to his good friend Wagner’s operas.  Many rooms here have carved wood making for a darker atsmosphere.  Some of the more notable rooms included the Throne Room, with an enormous crown chandelier and painting of Jesus up in the clouds with a rainbow (and the Carebears), the king’s bedroom with its wood carved canopy of Gothic spires, and the theater.  The swan (Bavarian symbol) is everywhere…one the walls, used as the faucet for a washbasin, and in the upholstery.  Ludwig even had a artificial cave with faux stalactites and stalagmites built inside where he like to sit alone to listen to Wagner’s operas.  Talk about an odd duck!  Sadly, Ludwig only lived here for 172 days before his mysterious death. 

    

·         Marienbrucke: Bridge that runs over a gorge providing a beautiful view of Neuschwanstein.  Probably wasn’t built to hold so many people at one time, so be careful!

·         Prices: For a touristy town, I was shocked to see 0,60 postcards and free WCs! 

·         Tegelberg Luge: We’ve found ourselves in alpine areas several times, and never tried one of these until today.  Excellent choice!  It brought me right back to my childhood ride at Attitash!

 

·         Border ride: Route 17/179/187 back to Garmisch was a real treat!  Lots of scenic views, pine forests, and dramatic mountains like Zugspitze (Germany’s highest peak) that towers over the road on the Austrian/German border.

·         Garmisch Ski Jump: I now an even better appreciation for ski jumpers after seeing what they launch themselves off of.  The wooden ramp we saw was from the 1936 Olympics!

Food:

·         Fussen street festival: Great place for excellent bratwurst & mustard sandwiches, bretzels, bier for Joe, and live music.  Too bad parking for an hour cost more than the sandwich!

·         Techmer’s: Lisa & Benson’s favorite Garmisch restaurant…I loved my Women’s Papa (baked potato topped with creamed spinach, grilled turkey tips, and cheese.  Yum!

After a day at the castles, Benson & Joe decide to hit the bar for a few and shoot some pool. Can you guess that we were in an American military establishment?