| Family Travels Bavaria |
| Bavaria is Germany's southermost region...filled with fairytale castles and beautiful farm land. The most famous tourist sight is Mad King Ludwig Neuschwanstein Castle near Fussen. This castle was featured in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (movie) and a inspiration of the Cinderella castle in Disney King Ludwig's dad also built a yellow and orange castle on the nearby mountain.. Hohenschwangau is worth a quick visit. King Ludwigs's "summer home" of Linderhof is also in the vicinity. The interior is ornate and the gardens extensive. You can easily spend a few hours here. And, finally, Wieskirche, (Church on the Meadow), has been a pilgrimage church for 300 yrs since the famous carving of Christ wept. Rick Steves' described it best, saying "...is newly restored and looking as brilliant as the day it floated down from heaven. Overripe with decoration but bright and bursting with beauty, this church is a divine droplet, a curly curlicue, the final flowering of the Baroque movement." With that endorsement, we just had to go visit. |
| Compare these pictures taken in 1990 on a sunny beautiful day to the ones in 2002....plan your day (if you can be flexible) ... go with good weather. |
| Don't miss walking over to Mary's Bridge for the best view and photos. |
| Neuschwanstein is obviously high on a hill...to avoid walking up...take the bus or horse drawn buggy up and walk down for the views |
| Hohenschwangau |
| Pictures just don't do it justice. You have to see it to believe it. White plaster gleams with gilt decoration. The imported pink and green marble is unbelievable. Of course, we were lucky once again... We happened to arrive during organ practice....Yes, this big, beautiful pipe organ. I have to say that listening to that powerful music... Sitting quietly in the pews, looking around at this ornately decorated church ...did make you feel closer to God. |
| Linderhof is a beautiful small castle--actually Mad King Ludwig's summer home. The inside of the house is ornately decorated fitting a king...but the outside is the highlight. The gardens are extensive...with Chinese pagodas, Indian elephant summer house and a Italian underground water grotto. |
| Weiskirche |
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| We happened to arrive at Weiskirche just as the organist started his practice session for Sunday's service. Quite an experience --Dad |
| Walking into the church was pretty incredible... Rose marble, white columns, high painted ceiling. It was awe inspiring. ---Erica, age 13 |
| There were at least a mile of both gardens, staircases and fountains coming down the hill. ---Brent, age 11 |
| Linderhof |
| We were driving through Bavaria toward Neuschawnstein and we saw a sign that said "Kase" Yummy -- Cheese!!! so we stopped and bought some and had a great picnic lunch sitting in this lush green field. It happens to be next door to a local bakery ... so we bought some incredible desserts...it was so good!!! ...we went back and bought more |
| The chocolate covered bananas were the best. --Amanda, age 6 |
| Neuschwanstein |
| Dates Visited -- 1990, 2002 |