Side note regarding our drive into Germany. At one point we did not know which country we were driving in - Germany, Austria, or Switzerland! Everything is so close to each other. No signs were posted. Finally we realized we had arrived in Germany because we merged on to the Autobahn, notorious for its insane driving...which I will definitely get to later.
Bavaria is a large region in southwest Germany (marked with fabulous castles, beautiful scenery, bratwurst, and great beer in my opinion). The state of Bavaria was formerly ruled by the Royal Family; the most common ruler you may have heard of is crazy King Ludwig. Jeff and I chose to stay in a cute little town called Fussen for a few days, because of its location near all of King Ludwig's castles. Fussen has a beautiful riverfront area, as well as cobblestone streets and old buildings. We loved strolling around here; the weather was crisp and very, very chilly.
Driving through Bavaria
"Downtown" Fussen, a couple blocks from our hotel
The riverfront in Fussen.jpg)
Dinner at Pizzeria Il Pescatore: BEST Italian ever. We found this one on Tripadvisor,it was the #1 pick. Ahh, still dreaming about it.
That first day we also visited Hohenschwangau castle, King Ludwig's boyhood home. This castle was used by the Royal Family as a hunting getaway. We took a 30-minute tour which was fascinating, as I hadn't been in a castle before. I absolutely loved the fall colors from up here!
Photo of Hohenschwangau taken from above (when we visited Neuschwanstein castle)
Photo of Hohenschwangau taken from above (when we visited Neuschwanstein castle)
At Hohenschwangau castle, with neighboring Neuschwanstein castle in the distance
Walking up to Hohenschwangau castle
View from Hohenschwangau castleThe second day we visited two more of King Ludwig's castles: Neuschwanstein and Linderhof. Neuschwanstein was built for King Ludwig just "because he could" I suppose you would say. He only spent a total of around 150 days here - can you believe that? No expense was spared; this was clear in the ornate details inside (no pictures allowed). While touring these castles, I kept thinking of what a cold, dark, un-cozy place these castles would be to live in, especially alone! No wonder he was crazy.
Arriving at Neuschwanstein
The famous Disneyland castle is an exact replica of this one
Exquisite fall colors!
Mary's Bridge - Jeff walked out on it despite the signs "Beware: Danger of Death"...this bridge was where King Ludwig would come to admire the construction of his new castleLinderhof Palace is the smallest of the three. It felt like a large house to me, and much cozier (if that's possible) than the others. King Ludwig lived here for the last eight years of his life, so it was home to him. It was so crazy to think of him traveling back and forth between his castles though - I guess it would take all day, because they went by horse and carriage and the roads were horrible. It gets SO cold in Bavaria; what a miserable ride it must've been. This palace has breathtakingly beautiful gardens but all of the statues were covered for winter and the grounds were dusted with snow.
Linderhof Palace and its gardens
Standing in front of one of the many ornate gates (freezing - it was snowing outside)
Our last stop was at the Ettal Monastery. Yet another beautiful and very old church. The monks who live here are not just sitting around studying spiritual things, but in fact are very busy. Apparently it's common for monks in the area to brew their own beer and liqueurs. How cool! Of course we had to try some, so we stopped into a local restaurant across the street from the monastery to give the Ettal beer a taste. Yummy!
We LOVED our Bavarian style hotel in Fussen - the Hotel Kurcafe. Jeff actually found this one after a bit of research, and it was a gem. Right in the cute little city square, and only about 5 minutes from all of the castles. Tons of fab restaurants and bars around too. Breakfast here was amazing!! Unlike most hotel breakfasts that are included with your room, the Hotel Kurcafe's was over-the-top. Bacon, eggs, belgian waffles, pastries, mimosas, a chocolate fountain, fresh fruit, crepes with all the toppings, fruit juices, croissants...we were stuffed both days, and if ever in Fussen again, we will be back!!
Linderhof Palace and its gardens
Standing in front of one of the many ornate gates (freezing - it was snowing outside)
Our last stop was at the Ettal Monastery. Yet another beautiful and very old church. The monks who live here are not just sitting around studying spiritual things, but in fact are very busy. Apparently it's common for monks in the area to brew their own beer and liqueurs. How cool! Of course we had to try some, so we stopped into a local restaurant across the street from the monastery to give the Ettal beer a taste. Yummy!
We LOVED our Bavarian style hotel in Fussen - the Hotel Kurcafe. Jeff actually found this one after a bit of research, and it was a gem. Right in the cute little city square, and only about 5 minutes from all of the castles. Tons of fab restaurants and bars around too. Breakfast here was amazing!! Unlike most hotel breakfasts that are included with your room, the Hotel Kurcafe's was over-the-top. Bacon, eggs, belgian waffles, pastries, mimosas, a chocolate fountain, fresh fruit, crepes with all the toppings, fruit juices, croissants...we were stuffed both days, and if ever in Fussen again, we will be back!!
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