Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles

September 27, 2014 ---- Bavaria is the largest state of Germany and from its long history it has a lot of historical buildings, palaces and castles all over the state. Nathan and I bought an annual ticket from the Bavarian Palace Department so that we can visit over 40 sights (palaces, castles and museums) in Bavaria.

Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles are located 2 hours (by train) south of Munich. Nathan and I bought a Bayern ticket ( €27 for one-day unlimited ride for two people) and took a local train from München Hbf to Füssen station. Once we arrived at Füssen, we hopped on the bus #73 (and #78) to Hohenschwangau / Alpseestraße and it took about 5-10 minutes to reach the Ticket Center. (The Bayern ticket also included all local transportation fees.)

Even though we had the annual ticket for Bavarian palaces, we still needed to get in line to be scheduled for the castle tours. We decided to take the morning tour at the Schloss Hohenschwangau  (€11) and the afternoon tour at the Neuschwantein Castle (free with an annual pass) and then to spend late afternoon in the Museum of the Bavarian Kings (€9.50).

After we got all of our scheduled tickets, we strolled through Hohenschwangua town toward Alpsee Lake. The scenery of the lake and the mountains behind it were stunning. To the right of the lake was the road up to the mountains and Hohenschwangau Castle. It wasn't too far or steep, but I could see that it might be difficult for people with disabilities. However, horse-dawn carriages are available for a fee.

Hohenschwangau Castle was a summer palace built in 1832 by King Maximillian II. After the king passed away, his son, King Ludwig II, took over the third floor while his mother stayed on the second floor. The inside of the palace was elaborately decorated, and the guided tour took about half an hour.

Neuschwanstein Castle is located on a higher mountain nearby. It took us about 30 minutes to walk up to the castle from Hohenschwangau Castle, but there are shuttle buses and horse-dawn carriages provided for a fee. The guided tour of the Castle's interior took about 40-45 minutes, and it was really worth going in because every single room was decorated beautifully. The view of the Alpsee Lake, Hohenschwangau town, and the Alps was stunning. After the tour of the castle, Nathan and I kept walking up the road behind the castle to Marienbrücke for a good view of the castle. A lot of people just took the shuttle bus from town up to Marienbrücke and then walked downhill to the castle, but we did all the walking uphill and took the bus down to town. Good exercise!

After all the castle tours, we went to the Museum of the Bavarian Kings. An audio tour was included in the ticket price, and it was very informative. We spent about an hour or so strolling through all the exhibits and learning about the Bavarian royal family. 

Around five o'clock we went to the bus stop waiting for the bus (#73, 78) back to Füssen. There were a lot of people waiting, but the bus seemed to only come hourly. (They should have had more buses on weekends.) Anyway, we got to the train station in Füssen by 5:30 p.m., so we went strolling in the small town a little bit before our 6 o'clock train. 

Our day trip to Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles was enjoyable and worth the visit. I highly recommend everyone to go once if you are in Munich or close-by.

Oktoberfest in Munich

September 19-20, 2014 ---- Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, is well known worldwide. Every year millions of people around the world make a journey to Munich to attend the beer festival with locals. The festival starts around late September and continues to the beginning of October, and there is a parade at the opening ceremony when the mayor taps the first Oktoberfest beer keg. At the fairground you will find many roller coasters, beer tents, food vendors, and all kinds of shops.

Nathan and I had a chance to join the festival in 2014. We went to see the parade on the opening day and followed the crowds toward the fairground. It was like Disneyland in Munich! The biggest fair I have ever been to. Most people dressed up in traditional German clothes and went to the huge beer tents.  You had better get in there before noon; otherwise, you will never get a seat.

There was a traditional costume parade on the second day of the festival. We went to see it briefly before going to a party elsewhere. Overall, the festival can get crazy as lots of people get drunk and fight over nothing. Hotels can be booked up far in advance. Trains, trams and subways to the fairground are always very crowded and full of drunk people. However, it's fun and people can  loosen up a bit.   ;-)

For more information about Oktoberfest, check out its official website: http://www.oktoberfest.de/en/

Opening-Day Parade

Oktoberfest Fairground 

Traditional Costume Parade

Free Things to do in Munich

A year in Germany allowed Nathan and me to explore Europe, and our home in Munich served as our base and helped us to wander around Bavaria easily. There are many interesting and FREE places you can visit in Munich. Due to the convenience of Munich's transportation system, you can get to these places in the blink of an eye.

 

1. Marienplatz Square

Marienplatz Square is the HEART of Munich. Everyone has to go there to see the carillon in the New Town-hall that resounds at 11 a.m., 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. (in summer). There are also a lot of shopping malls, shops, restaurants, and street venders.

How to get there:  S Bahn 1-8, U Bahn 3/6, Bus 52 to Marienplatz stop

2. Karlsplatz and Karlstor

 

After a walk at Marienplatz, you can walk along the beautiful Neuhauser St. to Karlsplatz and take in the scenery of old, charming buildings. You will pass many beautiful churches and brand-name stores. Karlstor is the18th-century city gate with arches and 2 towers, and Karlsplatz has a huge fountain where kids love to run around in the summer.

How to get there: S Bahn 1-8, U Bahn 4/5, Tram 16/17/18/20/21/27 to Karlsplatz (Stachus) or Karlsplatz Nord stops

3. Viktualienmarkt

 

Viktualienmarkt is a big farmers' market in the city center. It's doesn't look like any farmer's market I have been to. You can find anything here: meat, vegetable, fruit, spices, cheese, wine, souvenirs, etc. There are many restaurants and a beer garden. Most people are visitors, but locals do shop here too.

How to get there: 
Bus 52 and 62 to the market
S Bahn 1-8, U Bahn 3/6, Bus 52 to Marienplatz stop and 5-minute walk to the market
Tram 16 and 18, get off at Reichenbachplatz and 5-minute walk to the market

4. Englischen Garten

 Englischer Garten or English garden is one of the largest public parks in the world. You can bike, walk, picnic, or even take off your clothes and sun bath there. There are also restaurants and beer gardens in the park. A good place to stroll on a hot, sunny day.

How to get there: 
U Bahn 3/6 to Odeonsplatz, Universität, and many other stops.
Tram 18 to Nationalmuseum/Haus d.Kunst, Paradiesstraße, or Tivolistraße stops
Tram 23 to Münchner Freiheit stop
Bus 53, 54, 142, 144, 154

5. Schloss Nymphenburg's Gardens

Schloss Nymphenburg or Nymphenburg Palace has beautiful gardens that are free to enter. A lot of locals like to jog along the long, shaded road behind the buildings. The palace grounds cover a huge area, and some parts of them are forest-like parks where you can go hiking.

How to get there: Bus 51, 151 // Tram 16, 17 to Schloss Nymphenburg stop

6. Hirschgarten

Hirschgarten is a public park with lots of deer and two playgrounds. It's a lovely place for kids! Adults can also enjoy the park at the huge beer garden. It might be the biggest beer garden in the city.

How to get there: Bus 62, Tram 16, 17 to Steubenplatz stop

7. Das Kartoffelmuseum

Das Kartoffelmuseum or Potato Museum has a nice little exhibit about potatoes' history, unexpected ways of use, and the Pfanni company. You can spend from 30 mins to 1 hour there. It is open Tuesday-Saturday, but on Tue-Thu you need an arrangement for visiting. Check the current info here: http://www.kartoffelmuseum.de/

How to get there: S bahn 1-8, U Bahn 5, Tram 19 to Ostbahnhof station and 5-minute walk to the museum.

8. BMW Welt

BMW Welt is completely free, while BMW Museum's entrance fee is 9 euros. If you love cars and like to see new models of BMW, this is the place to go. Check out the current opening times here: http://www.bmw-welt.com/en/visitor_information/opening_times.html

How to get there: Bus 173, U Bahn 3 to Olympiazentrum stop

 9. Hofgarten

Hofgarten is a beautiful Italian-style garden located in the middle of Munich, and it is only a few minutes on foot to the Englischer Garten. On a warm, sunny day people like to sit on a bench, eat their lunch or be carried away by the romantic atmosphere of the fountains and gardens. Sometimes there's a person playing a piano in the dome, too.

How to get there: U Bahn 3, 6 // Bus 100, 153 to Odeonsplatz stop.

 

10. Odeonsplatz

Odeonsplatz is a large square where many civic and public events have been held, including Oktoberfest. The area consists of some tourist sites, for example, Hofgarten, Feldherrnhalle and Munich Residenz.These places are free to walk around the outside, but if you want to see the interiors or museums, you must pay the entrance fees.

How to get there: U Bahn 3, 6 //  Bus 100, 153 to Odeonsplatz stop.

11. St. Peter's Church

St. Peter's Church is Munich's oldest church. It has been destroyed and reconstructed many times, and the one that we all see nowadays was just built after the World War II. Inside the church are the skeletal remains of St. Mundita. If you like, you can pay 2 euros and climb 306 steps up to the viewing platform. You will see not only the entire city, but also the Alps if it's a clear day.

How to get there: S Bahn 1-8 // U Bahn 3, 6 // Bus 52, 132 to Marienplatz stop.

12. Isar River

Isar River has its origin in the Karwendel range of the Alps in Tyrol, Austria, and flows through Bavaria, Germany. On a nice, sunny day, a stroll along Isar River is a must and you will find a lot of locals hanging around the river bank, swimming or sunbathing.

How to get there: Tram 16, 17, 18, 19 // U-Bahn 1, 2, 4, 5 //  Bus 132




13. Olympiapark


14.