Neuschwanstein & Linderhof & Dachau

The last two days of our European journey was spent around the outskirts of Munich. Joining a tour group to visit our final castle destination, Neuschwanstein (New Swan Rock), we were treated to Linderhof and Oberammergau as precursors.

Linderhof was said to be the favorite estate of King Ludwig II. He had spent time in his youth with King Maximilian II of Bavaria on hunting trips in this area of the Bavarian Alps. Enlargements of this inherited Konigshauschen was done in 1874 in the style of the second-rococo period. Ludwig II had toured Chateau Versailles by this time and much admired the palace of French Sun-King Louis XIV. Thus Versailles was an inspiration for the construct of Linderhof. The bedroom of the absolute monarch represents the largest chamber of Linderhof Palace & by facing North, Ludwig inverts the symbolism of its Versailles counterpart, showing Ludwig's self-image as a "Night -King" 

En route to Neuschwanstein, we passed the village of Oberammergau, a most charming Germanic town known for its Passion Plays since 1634 (faithfully performed every 10 years, on fulfillment of a vow to God for sparing the villagers from the plague) and its "Luftlmalerei", or frescoed houses that depict scenes from the bible, as well as fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood.
The name "Ober" means "upper" and "Ammer" is a river in this region & "gau" means area or province.. thus Oberammergau means the upper part of the Ammer River region ...see?...logical.. now it's so much easier to pronounce!

Outside the cafe for a quick snack - "doggone it ..don't we get some?"

Placed on the square just in front of the Passionhouse theatre - the statute of Jesus and the donkey

Scene from the bus ride from Oberammergau to Neuschwanstein 

Hohenschuangau castle ( just across the hill from Neuschwantein ) was the childhood home for Ludwig II and his younger brother, Prince Otto, who was truly mentally ill.  From 1873, Prince Otto was held in isolation in the southern pavilion of Nymphenburg Palace

Here we are, on the bridge atop a deep gorge & across the alps for a spectacular appreciation of the enchanting Schloss Neuschwanstein

We were not allowed to photograph any interiors during our tours of both Linderhof and Neuschwanstein castles...just as well, as our camera memory cards by now were close to full capacity ..lol

The tales told about King Ludwig II, the "fairy-tale King" are quite intriguing and enthralling. His avant-guard perspectives on sciences & arts and his penchant to do things differently according to his whimsical self-will combined to create a tapestry of a life meant for the story books... or screen-play anyone?

Back in Munich and strolling the pedestrian zone between Marienplatz and Karlsplatz .. you get a good slice of Munich city life.

Dusk was falling and we are meandering around the streets of Kaufingerstrasse and Neuhauserstrasse looking for food & libations !

The Fischbrunnen or Fish Fountain - originated 1984, destroyed WWII and rebuilt in 1954

Our last full day in Europe & we decided it would be opportune to take in the tour of Dachau - the first Nazi  concentration camps opened in Germany

Inscription on the gates into Dachau "work makes free"... the lie of many lies told to victims

Memorial sculpture made of dark bronze by Nandor Glid, a Hungarian Jew and Holocaust survivor, at the camp in 1997

Memorial displaying the patches and colors which separated one group of prisioners from the other

Astounded by the largeness of the compounds in Dachau, the question was asked to our guide how large is Dachau in comparison to the other over 1000 such camps during the Nazi occupations. The answer was not easy to be had it appears. For example, Auschwitz, one of the largest concentration camps, was over ten times this size !! On later research...Auschwitz was in fact 40 square kilometers, prisoners swelled to 20,000.. whereas in Dachau, in comparison, was just over one square kilometer in size..."facto horribilis"!

Memorial to the "unknown inmate" erected in 1950 north of the old crematorium. The words on the base of the statue, "To honor the dead, to admonish the living".

Outside the crematorium

It was a sobering day to reflect on this dark and evil period of history... but more than necessary.. the refrain must not be muted .. "NEVER AGAIN"

Our last dinner in Munich was spent discovering yet another famous bierhalle - Augustiner.We settled to try the restaurant on the pedestrian mall as the historic (1328) Augustiner brewery was a bit too far after our return via metro

Fitting end to our trip ...as we say auf wiedersehen to Germany & until next time... Prost!

Munich, Germany

We arrived in Munich just as the European soccer match between Denmark and Germany was playing. After a short cab ride to check into our hotel "The Platzl", we rounded the street corner to Hofbrauhaus for a roiling time with both locals and tourists amid the Bavarian Um Pah Band, cheers and toasting everytime Germany made a good play. Some pics from Tom's iphone :

Our brewery mates from Ireland

For the following three days, we acted like proper tourists and tried to cover all the essential attractions in this lively city. First off, we headed to the central town square, the Marienplatz. We paid the ticket to climb up St. Peter's Church for a 360 degrees view of Munchen. Around noon, gathering with other tourists, we put ourselves in front of Glockenspeil and witnessed the enchanting combination of clock chiming, followed by music and jousting knights on horseback & medieval figures doing the Schalffertanz (Copper's Dance).

Our stay for four nights Platzl Hotel - really good & can't beat the location!

Altes Rathaus - rebuilt after a 13th century fire & again after WWII 

 In front of Munich's town hall stands the Mariensaule, a column topped with gold a Virgin Mary. Four figures at its base signify war, heresay, famine and plague 

Climbing up St. Peter's 

Top of the Neus Rathaus built in 1867 & 1909 in Flemish Gothic style

Views from across Marienplatz, on top of St. Peter's

The onion domed ceiling is the Frauenkirche, Bavarian church also known as Church of Our Lady

Glockenspeil & it's 43 bells play a 15min carillon whilst 32 mechanical figurines re-enact the marriage of Duke Whilhelm V to Renate von Lothringen in 1568

Inside St. Peter's Church

Only a few minutes walk and we'll in Viktualienmarkt -Munich's oldest farmers market dating back to 1807

Right in the centre of the city of Munich, we find the Palace Residenz which housed the "Wittelsbachs". The afternoon was spent touring the extensive palatial rooms, treasury exhibits and the Royal Theatre. The Palace was severely damaged by bombing during WWII, but most of the rooms were reconstructed by the 1980's.

Here is a brief history of the House of Wittelsbach :

                      "The rise of the Wittelsbach began in 1180 when Otto von Wittelsbach was 
                       invested with a freehold estate with the Duchy of Bavaria. From that point
                      onwards, the Wittlesbachs ruled without interruption until 1918, first as
                      Dukes, after 1623 as Electors, and then, from 1806, as Kings of Bavaria.
                     
                      In 1329 the dynasty divided into a Palatine and an Old Bavarian line. The
                      old Bavarian duchies were united in 1506. In 1623 Maximilian I gained the
                      status of Elector for the rulers of Bavaria.

                     The Old Bavarian line died out in 1777. Elector Karl Theodor of the Palatinate 
                     then took over as ruler of the now reunited territories of Bavaria and the 
                     Palatinate. His successor, Elector Max IV Joseph, ruled over the Kingdom of
                     Bavaria from 1806 as Max I Joseph.
                     The last Bavarian ruler was King Ludwig III. When the Free State of Bavaria 
                     was proclaimed at the beginning of November 1918, he had to leave the residence."

One of the most bejewelled pieces in the extensive treasury museum in the Residenz. The encased statute of  St. George slaying the dragon 

 Royal Regalia of Bavaria 1804

The Residenz museum also housed numerous Chinese & Japanese porcelain treasures & art work

The Renaissance Antiquarium 

Portrait room of the family

Ceiling details, Royal Chapel, the private Prayer room of the Duke Maximilian I in the Residenz

Reiche Kapelle Ornate Chapel, Residenz Museum

The Baroque Ancestral Gallery

The Residenz Theatre was totally destroyed during WWII - rebuilt in 1950 & renovated in 1981

Theatine Church & Field Marshal's Hall to the side

 Lady in Pink outside the Catholic Theaterinerkirche
(looking abit nonplussed perhaps at my camera)

 Cutest little boy playing hide and seek with his family just at the entrance of the Theatine Church

 Walking through Hofgarten or Court Gardens

 The river Isar runs through the Englisher Garten and provides lots of amusements on a hot sunny day 

beautiful pond just by Japanisches Teehaus

 No kidding - you can sunbath nude in Englisher Garten

The Isar, a natural lazy river - very tempting to just jump in

Chinesischer Turm - created back in 1789

 Holy Mackerel !!..more than just bratwursts in the biergarten of Englisher Garten 

Returning to Hofbrauhaus for weissbier & radler/ross'n and roast pork knuckles