I lived in Germany briefly out of college and made some great friends there. It has long been my dream to bring my whole family back there to introduce them to our friends and their kids, some of whom are now college age themselves! This summer I was finally able to get a good deal on air tickets, rent a minivan and pack up the kids for a visit to the castles, villages, and parks of Southern Germany that hold a special place in my heart.
We arrived from our red-eye flight and I knew (from a past failed attempt to take kids across time zones) that it was essential to keep the kids busy the first day and get them quickly adjusted to European time. I bought them all rare caffeinated sodas and we set off for one of the highlights of Bavaria- Neuschwanstein Castle. Apparently, this is one of the most visited tourist sites in the world. It is a stunning place, but also a bit hectic. I booked tickets in advance to save us wait times and we walked to the neighboring castle, Hohenschwangau, for a tour of the inside. En-route, we stopped by the stunning alpine lake to let the kids play.
Photo by Mary CurryPhoto by Mary Curry
Hohenschwangau is less visited, but this was the castle where King Ludwig II actually lived, so the inside is more interesting than the famous Neuschwanstein. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed in the interior.
After our visit, we caught the bus up to Neuschwanstein. There's also a nice hike or a horse/ carriage ride offered to get to the top, but we were short on time as we still had a couple hour drive to get to our hotel for the night. Marienbrucke, the bridge in the background of the castle, offers beautiful views. There were also hordes of people during these peak summer dates (never been here in peak season before- now I know why!), but we had a chance to take some quick pics.
Photo by Mary Curry
We also duplicated a photo that was taken in the same spot as a photo we had taken 11 years ago when we came with our two older kids (the fateful trip where I learned that jetlag and toddlers are a poor combination).
Photo by Mary Curry
From here, we hiked down the hill (surprisingly quiet by end of day) and headed toward our hotel located in the center of southern Bavaria, virtually in the middle of nowhere, but a great spot to access our next two castles!
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