Germany, Austria and Switzerland, 2015
Tour Day 9: Salzburg
Fairytale Fussen
This day was one of our most highly anticipated of the trip! We were visiting Neuschwanstein on the way to Salzburg! While Neuschwanstein is really a 19th century palace of Mad King Ludwig's and not actually a castle, it looks just like a castle from a fairytale! This day had some of the most beautiful scenery of all while driving. We stopped in a meadow at the base of the mountains where Neuschwanstein is perched for a distant view. We loved looking at the snow capped mountains and a beautiful church in this meadow before heading up to the castles. The bus was parked in the lot next to Hohenschwangau, Ludwig's childhood home and an impressive palace in its own right. From there we walked up a long, winding path through a wooded area surrounding the palace, stopping a time or two at overlooks to check out the views.
When we arrived at our destination, we still had some time before our scheduled tour, so those who were interested proceeded up the mountain to St. Mary's Bridge to get a great view of the castle. On our way we got a view of the mountains and the valley Hohenschwangau is situated in, and it was one of our favorite of the trip! The view of Neuschwanstein was worth the extra hike! The bridge was crowded, so we snapped a few quick photos and headed back for our tour. The palace is so highly visited that there is a tour departing every 5 minutes, so it was important to be on time. While the tour was a bit rushed, the inside of the palace is definitely worth seeing! We had never seen anything like it! It has the most ornate and imaginative interior.
 Church at the base of NeuschwansteinOn our way to Mad King Ludwig's castle, we stopped in a field where we could get a distant view of the castle perched in the mountains. We loved this little church in the field. |  First view of Neuschwanstein |  HohenschwangauThis was the palace Ludwig lived in as a child. |
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 NeuschwansteinWe survived the uphill hike to the castle! And boy was it worth it. |  HohenschwangauBefore our scheduled tour of Neuschwanstein, we had time to talk to St. Mary's bridge for the classic view. On the way we saw one of our favorite views of the trip! |  NeuschwansteinView from St. Mary's Bridge |
 Neuschwanstein |  Neuschwanstein |  St. Mary's BridgeThis was a view of the bridge we used to get a view of Neuschwanstein. Scary, huh? |
Wieskirche
Hans had planned to stop for a picnic lunch at the base of the mountains in Fussen, but the weather had other ideas. He found a little restaurant instead that was willing to serve us lunch, and it was a great "through the back door" experience eating at this small restaurant with locals.
As we continued towards Salzburg, Hans surprised us with a stop at the beautiful Wieskirche. In the 1700's it is said that tears appeared on a statue of Jesus. So many people took a pilgrimage to see it that eventually this church was built to house it. It is an incredible Rococo building situated in a picturesque meadow. Stopping there was such a neat surprise!
 Lunch spotHans had planned a picnic lunch near the castle, but the weather did not cooperate, so he came up with this backup plan.This was a true "through the back door" experience, as we ate at this tiny little restaurant that had only locals eating at it. They are not used to tour groups, but they did a terrific job of supplying us a hot meal of spargel soup and bread with salad on the side. Delicious! |  WieskircheHans surprised us with a stop at Wieskirche,this beautiful Rococo church in the middle of nowhere. |
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 WieskircheBoy were we in for a surprise when we went into this church! Stunning! |  Wieskirche Interior |
 Meadow behind WieskircheLoved this view of the mountains with the horses grazing behind Wieskirche. |  Happy to be here! |
 Group dinnerHans would pass around our dinner choices on the bus so we could make our selections and it would speed things up at dinner. It worked great! We loved the time to socialize with our tour mates! |  Wiener schnitzel!You have to try weiner schnitzel when in a Germanic country! I couldn't believe I had never tried it before, but it was delicious! |
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 Salzburg in the eveningWe enjoyed an orientation walk with Hans after our group dinner. Salzburg is beautiful in the evening! |  Salzburg in the evening |
 Newspapers!We were shocked that newspapers are sold on the honor system in packets like this hanging in public places. You are supposed to put your coins in the box and take a paper from the envelope. I can't imagine that system working where I live! |  Classy Salzburg at night |
Salzburg
We arrived in Salzburg in time for a group dinner of Wiener schnitzel and an orientation walk around town. Dinner was great in a cozy restaurant in town, and we enjoyed catching up with our tour mates. We loved the orientation walks around each new city, and Salzburg was no exception. It had beautiful lighting on the buildings, statues and fountains, making for a romantic air. We had whetted our appetite for exploring Salzburg and couldn't wait to dig deeper the next day!