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| From the top of St Peters the New Town Hall and main Christmas market in Munich |
Hello All!
Kelli, Anna, and my travels have been going great so far! We have gotten through our first city with great success and even made our way through a couple of day trips with no problems! Our first city was Munich where we spent four days in the city with two of those days devoted to day trips. It's crazy to think back at how much we have done and the fact that we're not even half way through yet!
Day One!
Our first day in Munich we spent the morning exploring the city with a free walking tour. Our tour guide was amazing and it was a great way to get introduced to the city. After our tour we visited St. Peters Church and climbed it's tower for an amazing view of the city.
We spent the afternoon touring the Munich Residences. Which was the main palace for the Bavarian Rulers who had titles as Dukes, Electors, and finally Kings. The Residence was stunning and was a wonderful addition to our walking tour on the history of Munich.
Our first day was packed full and left us exhausted but excited to see more of the beautiful city.
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| Church of our Lady in Munich |
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The Feldherrnhalle on Odeonsplatz. This is a monument to the Bavarian army. However, it also has a dark past with the Nazi's as this was the site of Hitler's first attempt to grab power. Also known as the Beer Hall Push in 1923.
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The Hofbrauhaus!
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Our tour guide Karl talking about
the Hofbrauhaus |
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| Inside St. Peter's Church |
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| St. Munditia in all her creepy glory |
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| The view from the top of St. Peters |
The Munich Residence
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| One of the Halls in the Munich Residenses |
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| Looking outside at a courtyard in the Residence |
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| A Christmas Market in one of the courtyards |
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| Another Beautiful hall in the Residence |
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| The Residences private chapel |
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| The Residences private chapel |
Day Two
Our second day in Munich was spent enjoying the christmas markets and taking a walking tour about the Third Reich and Munich's Role in the National Democratic Socialist Party's, or NDSP, rise to power.
Here are some photos from our morning.
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| Started the morning with a breakfast pretzel. |
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| Had to pause our shopping to see the Glockenspiel |
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| Look Mom I made a friend! |
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We managed to stumble upon a couple of
Krampus getting ready to run through the city!
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Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure
described as "half-goat, half-demon",
who, during the Christmas season,
punishes children who have misbehaved. |
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| This is the only photo I took during our Third Reich tour. This statue is Munich's memorial to the Holocaust. The city still struggles with its past and how to remember it many of their monuments are small and nondescript and like this there are often no words to explain its significance. |
Day Three - Neuschwanstein
On our third day in Munich we decided to leave the city and head to the small town of Schwangau. Where two of the most famous castles in the world reside.
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| Hohenschwangau castle |
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| Neuschwanstein Castle |
Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castle
Hohenschwangau is the older of the two castles and was the Wittelsbach family (the Bavarian Royal family) summer home. On the other side of the valley King Ludwig built Neuschwanstein, The Fairy tale castle that Walt Disney took his inspiration from.
The day was a fairy tale of us enjoying the winter wonderland around us and being in the shadow of these two great castles, while learning more about Bavaria and its royalty.
Here are my photos from the day!
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| The view that greeted us when we came off the bus! |
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Story Time!
Once Upon A Time there was a newly-wed couple that for their Honeymoon traveled around the world on a rainy night they drove into the small town of Schwangau and followed signs that lead them up a narrow winding road. At the top in the dark they saw lights from a small inn. The travelers decided to ask and see if there was a room available. The poor desk clerk shocked that they made it up the hill said there was one room left in the inn and so the weary travelers went to sleep. The next morning as they pulled open their blinds they were greeted with Neuschwanstein right outside their window.
A story I've heard a hundred times the white building in the photo is where my parents stayed so many years ago and this was the view of Neuschwanstein they were greeted with! |
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So happy we made it on the good old
German transportation |
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| Look! I got to make a snowman! it was truly a winter wonderland while we were there. |
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| Hohenschwangau through the trees |
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| The beautiful lake you often see in photos of the Castles! |
Day Four - Dachau
On our final day in Munich we decided to go and see Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. The experience of seeing a Concentration Camp for the first time is incredibly difficult. In a way it was an incredible experience that I will remember forever, and yet, it was also one of the most sickening and awful things I have ever willingly visited. It gave the holocaust a sense of realism that I have never experienced before. I am glad that we choose to go and as I said before I will remember my visit probably forever.
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The Dachau Memorial
Cheers!
Meghan
“Travel far enough, you meet yourself.”
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