The next morning, we took a walking tour of the city. Our tour guide was so knowledgeable about Munich. We began our tour in Marienplatz. The architecture is amazing!
Our tour took us all over Munich. The city is incredibly rich with history, especially due to World War II. We saw a few memorials, including the Viscardigasse. The Viscardigasse is an alley which has a pathway of gold bricks. During the Third Reich, Hitler built a memorial to 16 dead Nazis that were killed during the Beer Hall Putsch. This event was an attempt by Hitler to seize power in Munich. After the memorial was built, everyone who passed it was forced to salute. If someone did not salute, they were either brutally beaten or sent to the Dachau concentration camp. In an act of civil defiance, people began taking a shortcut through this alley in order to avoid the memorial. These bricks symbolize the path they chose.
After our tour, we visited the Peterskirche, a church right near Marienplatz. For one euro, you can climb steps to the very top and get an incredible view of the city. There are 303 steps to climb, but it's so worth it!
Later in the day, we participated in a beer challenge. The Germans certainly love their beer. Munich is often called the beer capital of the world! It's not my drink of choice, but I wanted to experience the Bavarian lifestyle. Haha. The beer challenge took us to a beer garden and three bars. I loved the beer garden; beer gardens are outdoor areas where people go to eat and drink. There are tons of benches surrounded by stands to buy food and beverages. It was so nice to be sitting there with my friends, enjoying the weather and laid back atmosphere. I also loved going to the Hofbräuhaus, a beer hall we visited during the beer challenge. It was so much fun! The place was buzzig with people, and they even had a traditional umpapa band playing.
Despite what the above picture may illustrate, I did not drink a lot. Haha. A lot of the people on the challenge with us were poking fun at me because of it, but it was all in good fun. :) Even though I didn't drink a lot of beer, the challenge was incredibly fun. We met some nice people, and we were able to experience the Bavarian way of life. However, my favorite part of our Munich trip was our tour of Neuschwanstein. Emma, Shauna and I took a two and a half hour train out to a village in southwest Bavaria. The ride there was incredible. The Bavarian countryside is breathtaking. We passed so many fields, hills and moutains. The Bavarian Alps are gorgeous.
In order to get to the castle, we had to hike up a rather large hill. It was definitely worth the effort. Neuschwanstein is awe-inspiring. It's actually the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. Shauna and I toured the inside of the castle. It was so ostentatious and grand. There was even a room decorated to look like a cave! The castle was commissioned by King Ludwig II, a man with a very interesting history. He dedicated the entire castle to his favorite composer, Wagner. The castle was never finished; therefore, the back of the castle is covered in scaffolding.
The parts of the castle that they did finish are really picturesque. After touring the interior, we walked to the bridge. The Marienbrücke crosses the giant gorge near the castle. Many people flock to it in order to catch a glimpse of the castle in its entirety. This can be a bit problematic because the bridge itself is very narrow. Although it was very crowded, I was still able to enjoy the view.
I had such an incredibly time in Germany. I loved everything about it. I had a great time with some great people. Germany absolutely stole my heart, and I would love to return someday.
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