With Expopharm wrapped up, it’s time to see some of the sights of Bavaria. The Bavarian kings loved a good castle, so first up we visited Nyphenberg Palace in Munich itself, the summer home built in the 1600s.
The interior was stunning and the gardens were incredible! It was perfect for a beautiful stroll on a lovely sunny day (or an ungainly stomp around on crutches as was closer to the reality).
I’m never a huge fan of the tourist bus tour, but it was the only real way for us to visit both Linderhof and Neuschwanstein Castles in a day, with the added bonus of a stop at Oberammergau village in between. Linderhof was first up and was surprisingly small as far as palaces go.
Amazingly elaborate, with gold leaf covering everything in homage to Versailles, Ludwig was also an innovator who came up with early models for central heating and electricity. No photos allowed inside the castle, so I can’t show you his magic dining table which could be set in the kitchen then raised to his apartment for him to dine with no one watching. He was an innovator yes, but was widely renowned as a very odd individual. He definitely knew how to build a great castle though, with Neuschwanstein (it provided the inspiration for the Disney Castle) also part of our itinerary.
It wasn’t the most accessible of castles for those on crutches with an ankle that doesn’t really seem to have shared my passion for Bavaria as it requires a 45 minute steep uphill walk to get to the castle itself! Then, the tour includes 359 stairs (gleefully counted by the kids). I decided to to pass on the tour and just take the bus up and back to the bridge, then wander around the village while the others toured the castle (you can see the bridge with all the tiny people here. Too far away though to see the pushing and shoving as crowds of tourists tried to get their perfect photo).
I did have a quiet giggle about this disabled ramp I encountered. At 45• slope, I decided the stairs were a better option!
Oberammergau village made for a great interlude with its beautiful painted buildings:
The gift shops filled with cuckoo clocks and beautiful Christmas wood carvings:
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Plus, what would have to be the most beautiful pharmacy building ever:
It was a lovely couple of days exploring this stunning part of the world, where the Wordlens translation app for Glass came in very handy.
Next up is Oktoberfest, where I’m sure there will again be plenty to see!