After disembarking from a cruise we extended our vacation with a few days stay in the amazing city of Munich. Very friendly, easy to navigate and full of life, we easily fell in love with the Bavarian capital. Aside from its own virtues, Munich is a great home base city; a place from which to travel to outlying destinations for the day.
Most of the day trips are by bus and can be easily booked online through any number of tour companies. We used Grey Line Bus Tours as we have used them in the past and found them to be competitively priced, professionally run and offering a variety of destinations. Please do your own research to find the company that’s right for you.
The tours leave from a spot close to the train station and since we had booked a centrally located hotel for our stay was only a short walk away. The tours are generally full days, fairly structured but offer some free time for lunch. We took the time to pack a picnic lunch the night before using some of the tasty foods we had purchased from the market. Having a lunch meant that we didn’t have to use our precious free time in a restaurant. Even though these are structured tours be sure to research the destinations so when you have free time you can explore that special site you have always wanted to see.
Our first trip was to Salzburg, Austria. A bus trip is a great way to see the incredible Bavarian country side as we traveled into the foothills of the Alps through quaint little villages sporting onion topped churches at their center. Depending on the length of the trip there are usually some stops on the way. Despite rain on the day we traveled, we still took pictures at every stop. Once in Salzburg our guide gave us an orientation walk around the core of the city and then we were on our own to explore. We stopped into three beautiful churches to see their art and sculptures and ended up in a courtyard outside of St. Peter’s Church where we ate our lunch. The next part of the trip was supposed to be a cruise on a nearby lake but it was cancelled due to the weather. Instead we visited a quaint little German village, a last minute itinerary change that did not seem to bother anyone. On the way home the iconic Julie Andrews movie “The Sound of Music” was played on the bus and we had a chance to revisit many of the sites we had just seen. I am a huge fan of the movie and had a hard time not singing along.
Our second destination was to visit the Castles of King Ludwig II. There was a morning stop at a smaller castle used by the King as a summer home, but the real destination was Neuschwanstein. Famously known as the inspiration for Disney’s Cinderella castle, even if you have never visited you would know it when you see a picture. Located on the top of a steep bluff (be prepared for a hike up a winding trail when you arrive), the views are breathtaking. Admission to the castle is timed and our group met at the entrance for a guided exploration. Even though King Ludwig II spent little time living in the castle it still reflects his personality. Used to store stolen Nazi loot during WWII the castle has a rich and interesting history.
Our final day trip was to the village of Rothenberg via the Romantic Road tour. On the way we stopped at Harburg Castle to tour its ramparts and medieval tower. Rothenberg is a beautiful village well known for its iconic medieval architecture and stunning St. Jakob’s Church, home to a wood carved altarpiece from 1500. The village is also the home of the Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas Village Shop and German Christmas Museum. As a fan of the holiday I really enjoyed browsing through the many decorations and found a number of new family keepsakes to bring home with us. If you are spending any time in Germany I would recommend spending more time travelling the Romantic Road. It provides an easy to follow self-guided tour of many of the medieval sites in Germany. Our one day tour only covered a portion of it.
There were many other options for day tours out of Munich that will tempt us the next time we visit this great city. Many of the larger cities in Europe also offer a variety of day trips into the surrounding countryside. Take advantage of your home base to visit more of the great sites of Europe.