Today we set out to see Neuschwanstein Castle. This castle was about a 2 hour bus ride outside of Munich and located in the beautiful region of Bavaria.
Construction of the castle began in 1868 by order of King Louis II, or as our tour guide referred to him as "Mad King Ludwig". The castle was never completed, but after King Louis II death in 1886, the castle was open to the public. We were told the king was very nostalgic, but also fantasized the future; however, he was never content with his current place in time. The guide pointed out that the architectural style of the castle is Romanesque giving it a medieval, but it was only built in the mid 1800s so it is not as old as it looks. There was also running water and telephone lines which made the design very modern.
My favorite room on the tour was the Throne Room. It was a double height space with very lavish paintings with a intricate mosaic flooring and a large gold, crown-like chandelier. This room was inspired by a Byzantine Basilica. It was a very grand room! Here they guide explained that the floor depicted life on earth, the ceiling depicted God and the crown-like chandelier represented the king, and the king floats freely above the ground connecting life and God. Unfortunately, the tour did not allow us to take any photos inside the castle in order to preserve it from the millions of visitors it receives a year.
My favorite part of the castle was hiking to a scenic view of the castle. There was a beautiful bridge that span above a gorge with a fantastic view the castle with the flat rolling fields of the valley in the background. It was breath taking.
After our visit we ate lunch in a neighboring town. I had spaetzle for the first time. This traditional German food is similar to a mac-n-cheese casserole. The description is cheesy egg noodles that it is baked with fried onions on top.
On our journey back to Munich we stopped in a famous town called Oberammergau. This quaint town is known for The Passion Play which has been performed since 1634. This play is performed every 10 years and displays the life and death of Jesus. There are also several buildings around the town painted with illustrations that make this town even more attractive, especially for tourists.
After a packed day of site seeing, we headed to Augustiner Keller. The oldest brewery in Munich, established in 1328. Yet again, we indulged in a couple liters of beer.
Total mileage: 5.4
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