Classic Trip: Bavaria, Germany - 2009

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Below is our newly re-edited video of this trip, Parts 1 in addition to 2.  Part 2 should start straightaway after Part 1 ends.  Click on the links inwards this paragraph if you'd similar to sentinel them separately.

Watch The Video!

Previously...we were inwards France. In this, the 2d installment of the trip, nosotros wing over the Alps to Munich.

First, allow me state that Munich is the most accessible urban core I've ever works life exterior of America. It's fifty-fifty to a greater extent than accessible than many American cities, in addition to that includes my hometown of Los Angeles. Railed transit goes everywhere hither in addition to it's all accessible to wheelchairs...granted inwards some of the larger stations it may accept a niggling patch to locate an elevator, but they're there. The entirely non-accessible transit nosotros encountered is that some trams are non accessible but they seem to receive got a policy that if a non-accessible tram shows up, the following 1 (usually within 10 minutes) volition hold upwardly accessible. Munich is a wonderfully accessible city. In fact, it would hold upwardly easily doable inwards a ability chair.

An early on forenoon flying from Nice has us at our hotel inwards Munich at 9:00 inwards the morning. There are 2 trains from the airdrome into town, the S-Bahn lines S1 in addition to S8. Our hotel is the Vi Vadi which is 1 block due north of the chief prepare station, the Hauptbahnhof. The station is huge (larger than Grand Central) in addition to it takes us a niggling patch to observe our agency out in addition to to acquire our bearings for the hotel.

Since it’s early on morning, nosotros are thinking we’ll drib off our luggage in addition to sightsee until cheque inwards time. We are surprised to observe our room is already create thence nosotros become upwardly in addition to unpack. Again, it is pretty much step-free access (a minor 2 inch mensuration into the entrance hall is all at that topographic point is) in addition to nosotros receive got a room amongst 1 bedroom, kitchen, tiny dining area, bend out couch in addition to a loft amongst 2 beds. The bath is tiny in addition to none besides accessible but nosotros are able to musculus are agency around it amongst the shower chair provided past times the hotel.

The room is real squeamish otherwise amongst 3 flat-screen TVs in addition to a total breakfast provided each forenoon inwards the eating house following door. The cost is $1000 for vii nights, or $200 each for the 5 of us.

Tim has said he wants to consider the 1972 Olympic site and, specifically, become to the athletes hamlet to pay his respects to the Israeli athletes who were taken hostage in addition to murdered during those games.

It’s dorsum to the prepare station, this fourth dimension to the U-Bahn (U-Bahn is the local subway, the S-Bahn is to a greater extent than of a commuter scheme for the suburbs) where 2 trains in addition to fifteen minutes accept y'all to the Olympic common station.

Israeli Athletes Quarters from 1972 Olympics

You demand to know where you’re going if y'all desire to see the Israeli athletes accommodations…it is non advertised or encouraged at all. At the station, y'all walk towards the big, white even out buildings in addition to observe the agency for Connellystrasse. There’s a niggling mini-mall in addition to dissimilar colored pipes Pb y'all to dissimilar streets inwards the complex. These apartments were the Olympic hamlet inwards 1972. The calorie-free bluish pipage leads downward Connellystrasse…watch for the ramps to Pb y'all downward to each level. The athletes were inwards the 2 apartments on the 2d flooring of 31 Connellystrasse where a minor memorial marks the spot in addition to lists the names of the athletes who died.

On the 24-hour interval nosotros were there, 2 fresh bloom bouquets had been placed at the memorial. Later, nosotros works life out we’d happened onto the site in addition to on the anniversary of the attack, September 5th.

Afterwards, nosotros made our agency dorsum to the U-Bahn station via a niggling bakery run past times a real squeamish lady at the to a higher identify mentioned mini mall. We had some delicious donuts in addition to strudel earlier continuing on.

On the other side of the station is the massive BMW factory. Adjacent to that is BMV Welt, a visitor’s oculus for all things BMW. Here, y'all tin forcefulness out brand arrangements to tour the factory, consider the museum, browse all the BMW models on display, consider their race cars, see the gift shop, and…for some argue most fun of all…watch the people who move hither to pick upwardly their novel automobile correct off the manufacturing works life line.

There is a middle grade where customers sentinel every bit their novel automobile is brought upwardly past times lift from the factory. Then it is driven onto a presentation turntable every bit the BMW people learn the novel owners well-nigh their car. When done, they drive off downward a massive ramp through the large populace space.

After that, an leave of absence out the dorsum of the edifice leads to a pleasant walk to the Olympic stadium. You cross a span over the autobahn…the same span that led the athletes into the opening ceremony…and into the Olympic complex itself. It’s 2 Euros to become within the stadium amongst its spider-web acrylic panels roofing the stands. For an extra accuse y'all tin forcefulness out tour that roof…not accessible…and accept a zip-line ride across to the other side.

Olympic Stadium


We left the stadium in addition to a brusk walk subsequently ended upwardly at the Schwimhalle, the indoor puddle where Mark Spitz won his thence tape of 7 gilded medals. It is hot within the puddle area…like a sauna…so it felt real adept to acquire out. These days, y'all tin forcefulness out pay a minor fee to become swimming in addition to utilisation the diving pool. The 24-hour interval nosotros were there, the large puddle was drained but the diving puddle was to a greater extent than than large plenty for the crowd.

Outside, the one-time Olympic surface area is at nowadays a rather large common where locals become to relax, receive got fun, in addition to acquire some sunshine. There’s a squeamish lake loaded amongst swans, ducks, in addition to geese; a large loma to climb; an fifty-fifty bigger tower to ride the lift upwardly to; in addition to a walk of fame around the lake where celebrities receive got left their handprints in addition to signatures inwards the cement, a la Grauman’s Chinese Theater inwards Hollywood.

Still having some fourth dimension to kill, nosotros walked dorsum to the U-Bahn in addition to caught a prepare dorsum to the pump of town, Marienplatz. The lift out of the station deposits y'all straight on the chief plaza, saving y'all a lot of walking that y'all practise at other stations.

Marienplatz is your typical, medieval trend European town foursquare amongst its many ornate buildings, churches, in addition to street performers except this time, non much of it is ancient. Most of this surface area was bombed into oblivion during World War II in addition to what y'all consider is a real adept recreation of what was hither before. We’ll render to the plaza subsequently inwards the trip, today nosotros desire to become to the local market, the Viktualienmarkt, located a brace of blocks away from the plaza behind Sankt Peter Kirche (Saint Peter’s Church).

The Viktualienmarkt

One of the peachy things to practise inwards whatever European urban core is to explore the local market. Here, along amongst the common create stands are vino shops, cheese makers, butter dealers, sausage counters, bloom shops, in addition to more. The centerpiece is the biergarten (beer garden) sitting inwards the middle. Around 100 tables sit down here. The few amongst tabular array cloths are for service past times the waitresses. The balance are opened upwardly to anybody. Browse the market, pick upwardly a picnic, in addition to accept a table. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 brace of beer stands volition hold upwardly to a greater extent than than willing to quench your thirst.

Our start trip to a existent High German beer garden is initially intimidating…we are rookies on protocol…but nosotros presently acquire the gist. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 stand upwardly at 1 halt sells food. We acquire some large crimson sausages, served amongst your selection of sauerkraut or roasted in addition to pickled potatoes. We acquire 1 of each. You tin forcefulness out also acquire the sausage served on a curlicue or amongst a pretzel. 

The beer stand upwardly following door has large mugs of mutual coldness brew on the counter. Take every bit many every bit y'all like, pay the guy on the agency out, in addition to brand your agency dorsum to your table. Now eat, drink, in addition to start talking to the friendly locals sitting around you.

It helps to at to the lowest degree receive got some basic phrases learned inwards the local linguistic communication earlier y'all go, such every bit greetings, call for for directions, or ordering food. You’ll observe that this breaks the H2O ice in addition to that in 1 lawsuit y'all opened upwardly up, many Muncheners also speak English. They’re real friendly hither inwards the beer garden in addition to nosotros receive got a peachy fourth dimension hanging out amongst them.

We walk dorsum to our hotel, taking inwards our first, major glimpses of the urban core earlier settling downward for the night. It’s entirely a 10 infinitesimal walk back, or 2 stops on the underground.

The following 24-hour interval is depressing. There’s no agency around it, but this is something that I recollect is necessary to do. Today is the 24-hour interval nosotros become to Dachau.

It’s less than one-half an sixty minutes past times S-Bahn to Dachau…which is a lovely niggling village…and thence well-nigh a kilometer autobus ride to the memorial which was Hitler’s start concentration camp, at nowadays a memorial to Nazi Germany’s victims.

Entrance is gratis but at that topographic point is a accuse for the sound tour. The entire site is wheelchair accessible salve for the re-created barracks.

The infamous gate has those High German words telling y'all your piece of job would set y'all free. The large edifice past times the entrance served every bit a processing oculus for newly arrived prisoners. Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, in addition to Catholic priests made upwardly most of the population at this camp. It was non an extermination oculus similar Auschwitz, but over 30,000 prisoners died hither during its operation.

A graphic in addition to roughshod documentary starts off the tour (note – the museum is non recommended for children nether 12 years old) in addition to at that topographic point is an eerie silence, although that is much to a greater extent than appreciated than it would hold upwardly if smiling, laughing tourists were milling about.

It’s an overwhelming place, also noting that disabled people were also on the listing of victims. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot hither is difficult to stomach…

The barracks which held upwardly to 5,000 prisoners each patch entirely having eleven toilets installed; the “kill zone”…a strip of greenish grass earlier the debate where guards had gratis reign to shoot on sight; the wall where prisoners were executed past times firing team amongst a niggling ditch dug inwards forepart to select handgrip of the blood; the volume graves.

The worst, however, are the crematoria. First, a minor edifice amongst 2 ovens for torso disposal. When that proved unable to grapple amongst the demand, a 2d larger facility was built following door.

The Ovens

A macabre assembly line, this edifice was made for prisoners to go inwards at 1 end, strip inwards the waiting room, Pb into the “shower room”…a gas chamber, had the bodies stored inwards the following room earlier beingness burned inwards the novel room amongst 4 ovens. Although it is claimed that the gas chamber was never used, some theorize that it had at to the lowest degree been tested because the Nazi regime were assured that it worked. Nonetheless, all the other rooms inwards this facility were used…in fact overburdened…for their intended functions. There are soundless metallic rings inwards the rafters where prisoners were hung earlier their bodies were fed to the flames.

Incongruously, the surface area around the military camp is beautiful making the daze fifty-fifty to a greater extent than disturbing. Perhaps inwards an endeavour to cleanse the awful spirit of the camp, at that topographic point are 4 religious chapels in addition to a convent at nowadays on the grounds.

In demand of some serious cheering up, nosotros skipped the following prepare out that carried most of the hundreds of visitors inwards our grouping in addition to stayed behind inwards the hamlet for some java in addition to dessert. It was quiet, the sweets delicious, in addition to the friendly people of the café eased our disquiet somewhat over what nosotros had only experienced.

Back inwards Munich, nosotros receive got dinner at the Augustiner Kellar biergarden, which is a two-block walk from our hotel. Munich has around 400 beer gardens in addition to halls in addition to it is our intention to brand a large every bit dent possible on this number!

The Augustiner, a few acres behind a rock wall, has both. The garden is similar a squeamish common that happens to serve beer in addition to food. There’s fifty-fifty a playground here.

The Augustiner Beer Garden

Snack stands are sprinkled around the periphery selling deli sandwiches, fish, roasted chicken, in addition to more. The chief surface area has a cafeteria-like setting of 5 stands where y'all grab a tray in addition to accept ‘em on, 1 at a time. The start stand upwardly has kuchen…German for cake. In this case, it’s much similar a puffed pancake. If you’ve had fried dough, Indian fry bread, or elephant ears, this is similar except it seems there’s a yeast ingredient that makes it fluff up. It’s exceedingly delicious in addition to nosotros works life ourselves going dorsum to this stand upwardly frequently.

Next, y'all tin forcefulness out acquire those great, large High German ham hocks amongst their delicious crackly peel in addition to juicy meat; a multifariousness of sausages; cheeses; salads; soft drinks; calorie-free beer; in addition to thence the concluding stand upwardly amongst the cold, Augustiner brew beingness poured out of a wooden keg into liter sized glasses. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 handbasket of fresh, large pretzels completes the menu. This, in addition to the Viktualienmarkt, turned out to hold upwardly our favorite places to swallow here.

Our hotel features a big, bountiful in addition to hot breakfast buffet at their Italian eating house following door. That’s 1 affair I similar well-nigh High German hotels, breakfast is almost ever included inwards the rate..if y'all observe a hotel that doesn’t, skip it in addition to go on looking.

St. Peter's Cemetary, Salzburg Austria

We're heading downward to the wire every bit nosotros receive got some other bountiful breakfast at the Vi Vadi Italian restaurant, which only happens to hold upwardly attached to our squeamish Vi Vadi Hotel inwards Munich.

Well fed in addition to rested up, nosotros caput over to the Hauptbanhof for our following adventure. We’re off for a 24-hour interval trip to Salzburg, Austria…home of Mozart and, perchance ameliorate known as, the setting for the motion-picture present The Sound of Music.

The Train to Salzburg

The long prepare is at a far platform outside. Two cars, 1 at each end, are designated for wheelchairs. The closer 1 smells similar the bath is leaking thence nosotros brand the long trek to the other halt where it is much nicer. It’s a lxx minute, real scenic ride.

We buy Salzburg Card at the Tourist Information business office at the Salzburg Hauptbanhof. This gets us admission to most sites along amongst rides on the populace transportation. It’s a brusk autobus ride from at that topographic point to the old city. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 note: most of the buses are accessible but no driver nosotros saw would motion a musculus to help.

Salzburg Cathedral

After the ride, nosotros brand our agency to the Mozart Plaza close the chief cathedral, which has a ramp for accessibility. Inside is a huge sanctuary filled amongst priceless artwork amongst 4 organs surrounding the altar. As Mozart was the organist hither for 2 years, his fingers receive got graced those keys. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 brass baptismal close the entrance is where the infant Wolfgang Amadeus was baptized.

Behind the cathedral is a large fountain that turns out to hold upwardly a Equus caballus wash. Like today’s automobile washes, except horsemen would utilisation it to launder their steeds. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 ramp leads inwards to brand it slow for the horse. Just upwardly the alley is an accessible funicular that takes y'all to the Hohensalzburg, a peachy 900 year-old fortress on top of the hill. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 large terrace hither grants y'all superb views of the urban core below. This, in addition to an following restaurant, are all that is accessible here. Many stairs Pb into the castle itself.

The Horsewash

Back at the bottom, around the corner in addition to upwardly some other alley is St. Peter’s cemetery, an absolutely gorgeous burial the world amongst a monastery built into the hillside. This is where the Von Trapp identify unit of measurement hid from the Nazis inwards the movie, although it was genuinely a set built to await similar this cemetery. In 1 of the niches on the hillside is buried Mozart’s sister. Out the other halt of the cemetery is the Felsenreitschule Theater, famous inwards the motion-picture present every bit the identify where Captain Von Trapp sang Edelweiss. Tours are available but normally y'all cannot consider the interior. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marketplace dominates the following street earlier y'all acquire to the Getreiedegasse, the chief shopping street.

Before y'all become on, at that topographic point is an accessible restroom inwards the marketplace, inquire 1 of the workers inwards the eating house following door for the key. The concluding affair nosotros consider hither is Mozart’s birthplace, which is non accessible. Back across the river is Mozart’s identify unit of measurement solid that is accessible but past times the fourth dimension nosotros got here, nosotros entirely had fifteen minutes to consider within earlier closing. That’s ok because it was real hot inwards there.

On the agency dorsum to the station, nosotros consider Mirabelle gardens where the motion-picture present Maria Von Trapp taught the children how to sing…think “doe, a deer…a woman someone deer…”

It’s a quick autobus ride from hither dorsum to the station in addition to thence dorsum to Munich.

In the morning, I pick upwardly a station railroad vehicle from the Hertz desk at the Haupbanhof. The destination for today is Neuschwanstein, King Ludwig II’s fairy tale castle close the border of Austria. Think of Cinderella’s castle at Disneyland, it was modeled after this castle.

Tours for the disabled are offered at closing fourth dimension (6pm) every Wednesday. Advance reservations are a must in addition to the disabled invitee gets a 1 Euro discount in addition to an attendant goes along for free. Any extra people demand to accept the regular tour.

Since nosotros receive got all 24-hour interval to acquire there, nosotros hitting the autobahn trying to brand it to Lichtenstein for lunch.

Once exterior of the city, the speed limits halt in addition to nosotros essay to brand a cruising speed of 100 miles per hour. Like dorsum home, however, at that topographic point is ever some knucklehead that wants to fountain inwards forepart of y'all inwards the left lane going fifty.

We practise acquire a flake lost trying to observe the correct route to Vaduz in addition to halt upwardly inwards a minor town inwards Switzerland instead. We receive got a picnic tiffin at that topographic point earlier doubling dorsum to Schwangau, abode of Nueschwanstein.

Although I don’t similar or sympathize the restrictions set inwards identify for disabled visitors, 1 practise goodness is that disabled visitors are the entirely people allowed to drive their automobile upwardly to the castle. We common within 10 feet of the coming together identify for the disabled tour. Since 3 of us cannot become on that tour, the ticket business office downward below books us on the concluding mainstream tour of the day. My mom, finding out that at that topographic point are over 300 stairs on the tour, volunteers to become on the step-free tour amongst Tim.

We hold back inwards the castle courtyard for our appointed time, patch Tim in addition to my mom hold back past times the car.

Finally, our tour grouping is called in addition to inwards nosotros go.

Neuschwanstein

Ludwig worked on this castle for 2 decades, bankrupting his country’s treasury inwards doing so. He had finished 6 rooms within earlier he was declared insane in addition to deposed. The following day, the one-time Rex in addition to his psychiatrist were works life floating human face upwardly downward inwards a lake. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few days after his death, the castle was opened to tourists in addition to has been 1 of the top attractions inwards Bavaria ever since.

The one-half sixty minutes tour takes y'all through those 6 rooms. Imagine our surprise, after climbing all those stairs, to consider Tim in addition to my mom amongst their grouping inwards the start room.

Each room is lavish. The throne room has a golden brass chandelier amongst inlaid Bavarian drinking glass jewels amongst an empty spot for the throne that was never delivered. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 theater/ballroom leads to a imitation cave, consummate amongst stalagmites in addition to stalagtites. In the king’s bedroom, a porcelain swan faucet pours H2O from a fountain 150 feet upwardly the mountainside.

The 2 tours are identical, amongst the exception that the normal tour also gets to consider the kitchen in addition to is routed through two(!) gift shops on the agency out.

We acquire a flake lost on the agency dorsum in addition to halt upwardly dorsum inwards Munich good after dark.

Since nosotros receive got the automobile till the halt of the trip, the following 24-hour interval is some other 24-hour interval trip, this fourth dimension to the northern Italian town of Bolzano for tiffin in addition to to consider Otzi.

It’s around a 2 sixty minutes drive on the autobahn...which turns into the autostrada inwards Italy...over the Brenner laissez passer on through the alps. Into the oculus of Bolzano, nosotros plow into an hugger-mugger automobile common in addition to brand our agency to the key plaza where nosotros dine on pasta, pizza, in addition to shrimp.

A brace of blocks away is the Archaeological Museum in addition to the abode of Otzi. Back inwards 1991, a brace were hiking inwards the nearby mountains in addition to saw a torso at the border of a melting glacier. The regime were called, because it looked similar an avalanche victim was uncovered past times the fountain thaw. The torso was taken to the local examiner where it was discovered that this was genuinely a 5,300 twelvemonth old body.

Today, the museum focuses on dissimilar types of mummies, amongst its chief attraction beingness that 5,300 twelvemonth old works life inwards the mountains...Otzi.

There are many human in addition to fauna remains on display hither amongst diverse types of mummification methods. It is completely wheelchair accessible in addition to at that topographic point is fifty-fifty an in-floor lift that raises y'all in addition to your chair upwardly thence y'all tin forcefulness out consider into the vault where Otzi’s torso is stored. If this all sounds a flake morbid, it’s not. It’s only some other real interesting museum that lacks whatever feel of the macabre at all.

One to a greater extent than drive dorsum to Munich, in addition to 1 to a greater extent than run a hazard to acquire lost, which nosotros practise when the autobahn ends in addition to I can’t observe a sign pointing us dorsum to our neighborhood. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Best Western hotel is nearby in addition to the desk clerk helpfully points me inwards the correct direction.

Our concluding 24-hour interval is spent wandering in 1 lawsuit again around the oculus of Munich, taking inwards the surfers in addition to naked people of the Englisher Garden; spending some other tiffin sixty minutes inwards the beer garden of the Viktualienmarkt; seeing the devil’s footprint inwards the Frauenkirche (Munich’s cathedral in addition to tallest building); the puppets of the Glockenspiel, in addition to of course, having 1 to a greater extent than lingering dinner nether the chestnut trees of the Augustinerkellar beer garden earlier going home.

-Darryl

Copyright 2009 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved