Thursday 7 July 2016

Bavaria Region

On July 18th, we boarded a plane for a summer holiday trip to Germany and Austria.
We spent the first two days in Munich, Germany where we climbed St. Peter's tower, shopped around a bit at the market, watched the glockenspiel at New Town Hall and spent a day at the Deutsches Museum. We then headed to Garmisch-Partenkirchen for a week. What a beautiful country the Bavaria region is in Germany. Not too often does Randy say he would come back to an area. We all loved waking up and looking out to the mountains, the people were very kind and the weather was beautiful and warm! Our first day in Garmisch we hiked the beautiful Partnach Gorge, walked around some gardens, went on a luge and visited the Olympic ski jump. Day two consisted of touring Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles with lots of hiking and exploring including a horse and carriage ride. Day three we toured another of Ludwig II Castles, Linderhof Palace, which was so beautiful and based off the Palace of Versailles. We spent the afternoon on another luge and the shopped around another small town, where we found a Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas store. Day four we headed up to Zugsptize, Germany's highest mountain at 2,962m above sea level. The kids enjoyed playing in the snow, sledding, face size pretzels and throwing some snowballs. Day five did not start out well for us but God provided in several ways. We had to replace a flat tire on our rental car and thankfully the dealership in town had a replacement. Randy had to work because of the Brexit vote so I took the kids to Austria to another luge. It was a concrete luge instead of the ones they had been on and I failed to tell them not to go full speed. Colin and Abby went down first and ended up with many skinned elbows and other areas. That did not stop Colin, of course, from going two more times. :)
After a week in Garmisch we drove to Berchtesgaden Germany to visit Hitler's Eagles Nest on the way to Salzburg Austria. It was a beautiful view and hiking but such a sad history. Before heading all the way to Salzburg we made one more stop to a Salt Mine and toured that. The kids loved the slides in the mines as well as it still being an active mine.
In Austria we spent time exploring the city and a morning doing Maria's Sound of Music Bike Tour. So amazing - I cannot begin to tell you how fun it was and everyone in our family enjoyed it!

Munich

Market

Museum

Museum 

Museum 

Up in St. Peter's Tower

Marienplatz 

Colin loves donuts and they had a pretzel shaped one.

Marienplatz 

Glockenspiel 


Garmisch

Day 1:

View out of our room.

Partnach Gorge Hiking

Partnach Gorge Hiking

Partnach Gorge Hiking

Partnach Gorge Hiking

Partnach Gorge Hiking

Partnach Gorge Hiking

Partnach Gorge Hiking

Partnach Gorge Hiking

Partnach Gorge Hiking

Partnach Gorge Hiking

Partnach Gorge Hiking

Partnach Gorge Hiking

Partnach Gorge Hiking

Olympic Ski Jump

Olympic area

Olympic Ski Jump

Kaden on luge.

Abby on luge.

Love the Bavarian style buildings and houses.





Day 2:

Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle

Abby & Cuddles, The ACS Bear, at Neuschwanstein Castle.

View from Neuschwanstein Castle.

View from Neuschwanstein Castle.

View from Neuschwanstein Castle.

View from Neuschwanstein Castle looking down at Hohenschwangau Castle.

Marien Bridge at  Neuschwanstein Castle, it was closed for maintenance. 

Hohenschwangau Castle.

Up in Hohenschwangau Castle.

Hohenschwangau Castle

Shopping around.

We got big laughs from all the Ausfahrt signs. It means exit 
but the signs are every where instead of town signs it says Ausfahrt on the motorways.

Day 3: 

Colin exploring the river.


Linderhof Palace garden.

Linderhof Palace

Linderhof Palace garden.

Linderhof Palace garden.

Linderhof Palace

Linderhof Palace

Linderhof Palace garden.

Linderhof Palace garden.

Linderhof Palace garden.

Linderhof Palace garden.

Linderhof Palace garden.

Grotto at Linderhof Palace.

Grotto at Linderhof Palace.

Luge, going up the ski lift.

Luge, going up the ski lift.

Luge, going up the ski lift.

View from the ski lift.

View from the ski lift.

View at the top of the luge.

Christmas Shop



Day 4:

Gondola up to Zugspitze.

Going up!

Lake Eibsee

Lake Eibsee

Top of the Glacier area.

Snow!

Top of Zugspitze.

View from the top of Zugspitze.

View from the top of Zugspitze.

Snow ball fight!

Snow ball fight!

Snow ball fight!

Sledding

Abby

Kaden and Colin


View from the glacier.

Top of Zugspitze 

Top of Zugspitze 

Face size pretzels, yum!

Day 5:

Going up ski life to the luge.


Luge

Colin coming down.

Kaden coming down.

One of Abby's injuries from the luge.

Colin's injury.

Abby's elbows.

After that day, we needed a treat.

Abby loved all the benches and chairs around the town.


Berchtesgaden Germany & Austria

Hitler's Eagles Nest:

Entrance to the tunnel at the bottom.

View from above.

At the Nest.

Hitler's Nest

April & Colin

Colin sized cubby hole.

Hiking


Views from the top and hiking around.


Kaden & Abby at the top of the Nest.


Salt Mine tour.

Slide inside.

Salzburg, Austria:



Lock Bridge


Grabbed our mug and some drinks!

Fun pretzel shop.

Pretzel

Bike Tour:





Fountain that Maria is splashing the horses.

Fountain that Maria is splashing the horses.

Colin, Randy and Kaden 

Pit stop and playing with hats. 

Bretzels not pretzels! Delicious sweet ones.

Bretzels not pretzels! Delicious sweet ones.

This was the building that was the Nazi headquarters in the movie.

Side door to the theatre that they escaped from.

Theatre entrance

Place the car sped down and the police were after them.

Nonnberg Abbey

Entrance to Abbey

Inside Abbey

Inside Abbey

My biking partner!

Von Trapp Home



Gazebo

Schloss Hellbrunn Gardens

Schloss Hellbraune Palace

Schloss Hellbraune Palace


Gates to home


Mirabell Gardens

Mirabell Gardens

Mirabell Gardens

Mirabell Gardens

 Exploring: