Newschwantstein Castle, Salzburg
Bavarian countryside
Day 9
and 10
Bavaria was the majority of our vacation itinerary when we planned our original trip to Germany in 2021. I was especially excited to visit the beautiful Neuschwanstein castle and take in its breathtaking scenery. Although not a real castle or fortress, it is still impressive. King Ludwig II, who designed many of the rooms, seemed to have drawn inspiration from Richard Wagner, the world-famous composer whom he idolized.
Hohenschwangau castle
view from Marienbrucke (Mary's bridge)
Did you know? The castle had over 200 rooms, but only 14 were ever finished before King Ludwig died. He had the castle equipped with heating, toilets that flushed, and a ventilation system to keep the rooms comfortable. It is also rumored that King Ludwig haunts the castle, searching for a way to reclaim his throne.
Beautiful views from the castle to the village of Hohenschwangau below
We experienced a weather transition throughout the day. It started sunny while we were at Schwangau, but turned cloudy as we made our way up to the Neuschwanstein Castle. By the time we walked back down to town, it had started raining. Fortunately, our tour guide and bus driver had prepared a picnic lunch for us to enjoy. During the bus ride, we had a chance to dry off, rest, and reflect on the trip so far. We were in agreement that we had thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the trip so far.
"Traveling- it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller"- Ibn Battuta
This was another exciting destination I was eagerly looking forward to! The Sound of Music is one of my favorite movies. I couldn't wait to do a "Sound of Music" tour, and we finally were able to do some bicycling (they have a tour on bikes, which I highly recommend). I can happily say I can check that off my bucket list.
https://www.mariasbicycletours.com/
This is an easy city to walk around, with so many activities to choose from!
A little treat after our morning tour with a local Austrian tour guide. These Mozartkugl are handmade individually.
St Peter's monastery
Kirche St. Blasius
Salzburg Cathedral
Mirabelle Gardens
Residenzplatz
Salzburg Franziskanerkirche
Various pictures from the bike tour. I learned a lot of truths, and tricks in the making of the Sound of Music.
Pictures from the Salzburg fortress
Quirky! The Sound of Music is considered second to "Gone With the Wind" in its success, but most Austrians have never seen it
Low Down:
Where we stayed: https://www.trumer-stube.at/en
How long we stayed: 2 nights
Highlight: The Sound of Music bike tour
Things to do in Salzburg: Visit the world's oldest dwarf garden, attend a Mozart concert, Mirabell Gardens, Sound of Music tour, Hohensalzburg fortress, visit any of the 22 beautiful churches in Salzburg, visit the salt mines, visit Hitler's Eagles Nest, to name a few.
