Follow the Rhine

Frankfurt, Germany

View from the cable car over Rudesheim

Back from Dachau, we gathered our luggage from the hotel and hot-footed it to the ICE (Inter City Express) that would take us, in a mere 3 hours, to Frankfurt, home of big business, bankers and car shows.  Frankfurt is to cars as Annapolis is to boats.  Luckily, we had booked accommodation well in advance – sometimes planning pays off!

The area near the station is said to be a seedy red-light district but as we wandered past nearby eateries in the pouring rain to find dinner, we felt damp rather than in danger. 

Next morning our friends, Karin and Tony, collected us from our hotel and took us on a “Cooks Tour” of the famous Rhine Valley, an area long known for its spectacular scenery and excellent wines. 

Visiting with Karin & Tony

We stopped for a delightul lunch at Eberbach Abbey (1163)

First stop was a hearty lunch (with wine!) in the Eberbach Abbey (1136) a vast and evocative Cistercian monastery with a common thread of wine making throughout its history.  Whilst wine-making continues, the complex, now owned by a charitable organisation to preserve its historical significance, serves as a venue to celebrate the arts, with musical events being held in the grounds.  Significant buildings include the church, cloister, refectory and dormitory.

Rudesheim, colourful and touristy

Next stop was the busy tourist town of Rudesheim where we took a cable car up to the Niederwald Monument.  Despite the inclement weather (yes, again!) we were still able to take in some stunning views over the famous Rhine Valley. 

The monument itself is a 38m statue of Germania (1883), commemorating the Franco-German War (1870-71) and re-establishment of the German Empire. Although the area is also well known for its scenic hiking trails, we floated over masses of tidy vineyards back to Rudesheim.  

It was time to head for the Frankfurt Airport – but not before a bowl of Karin’s warming chicken soup to give us strength for our red-eye flight back to Oz.  

Yes, we've finally reached the end of the trail for this year...

It's the end of the ride, cowboy!

Quietly spectacular - Germania stands proudly
 on this Monument (1883)

Camp Despair

Dachau, Germany

Dachau bears the unfortunate attribute of being Nazi Germany’s first concentration camp.  The grounds have now been converted into a sobering and silent memorial to those who walked through its stark iron gates and suffered.  More than 200,000 inmates and 43,000 deaths are chilling statistics.  The Museum deserved more time than we were able to give it; its exhibits offered perhaps the most gruelling evidence of life and death under that regime.  The facts are presented honestly, absolutely black and white, and as a valuable lesson for us all. 

Entrance to Dachau Prison Camp (Wiki) with 
 delusional and chilling words "Work Sets You Free"

Foundations of the rows of accommodation barracks

A Confectioner’s Delight

Oberammergau, Germany

A little local colour in the main street on an overcast day

I can remember (rather too many) years ago looking over my shoulder as we left Oberammergau to admire that fantastic alpine view.  I wondered at the time if I would ever return to this magic scene, a setting as romantic as “The Sound of Music” (1965), a film my mother had taken me to see countless times.  This stunning vista has stayed with me and it was a highlight (in a year jam-packed with them) to be able to re-visit Oberammergau this year.

Spot the fairy tales.  Too many quick "snaps" from the bus though!

Crammed in between our visit to Ludwig’s two castles, we made a brief stop at this fairy tale village.  Oberammergau is home of the famed Passion Play, the fulfilment of a contract with God drawn up after the villagers' release from the plague in the 17^th c.  Performed by locals and held every 10 years, we were either five years too early or five years too late for the performance.  Never mind, this luftmalerei painted confection of a village is a sight to behold any time; that and shops stocked to the rafters with hand carved wooden souvenirs.  The village has been home to a wood carving school for over 500 years and even today, some 60 woodworkers live in the area supporting demand, both local and international, for their intricate craft. 

A quiet little park outside the main theatre area

Given that our own little patch of paradise is already a bird haven (an early, early morning rise is always guaranteed!) we felt little need to add to this cacophony with a cuckoo clock!  Thus, armed with this argument, the Cap’n avoided yet another attempt to improve upon his (recently) self-imposed 15kg luggage limit…

(Besides, just don't ask why that beautifully carved little rabbit is upside down....  Yes, a cuckoo clock for all seasons/reasons!  Even so, isn't it just magnificently decorative?)

A Vision Most Splendid

Bavaria, Germany.  Castles & Dragons

Firstly, just a wee bit about King Ludwig II of Bavaria:

Mad or just plain gifted, King Ludwig II of Bavaria (1864 – 1886) was, by virtue of his royal crown and capacity to fund extravagant projects, one of the world’s most fascinating characters.  His life story is full of intrigue, mystery and sadness; a man out of step with the machinations of a roiling political system and the lofty ambitions of others.  Yes, he was decidedly odd but when confronted with the drama of his famous architectural achievements, you want to hail this most creative spirit and be grateful that he was given the space to develop them to (almost) fruition.

Schloss Neuschwanstein (Wiki)

And nearby Schloss Hohenschwangau

Ludwig II's Coronation (1865) (Wiki)

King Ludwig spent his early years with freedom to explore one of the world’s most picturesque corners, the Barvarian Alps.  His home, the fabulous sun-yellow Schloss Hohenschwangau (built 1832 - 1836) was no ordinary structure, and in many ways set a precedent for Ludwig’s castle concepts.  His father, Maximillian II, rebuilt this Neo-Gothic palace over the ruins of a stronghold held by the former Schwangau knights.  It is decorated throughout with frescoes depicting German history and legend, the swan a key motif.  The story of the Swan Knight, Lohengrin, and the operas and music of Richard Wagner were to be major influences on young Ludwig.  

Upon attaining the crown, King Ludwig II was considered an enthusiastic leader.  He had schools and colleges built to improve the educational level of the Bavarian people, supported arts and crafts through various programs and had a charitable heart, being one of the first to support Henri Dunant’s “Red Cross” movement.  Following the creation of the German Reich in 1871, Ludwig was increasingly isolated and thanks to Bismark, kept busy with pots of money.  

His obsession with the Sun King, Louis XIV of France, drew him to plan grand castles, lavishly decorated - all inspired by Louis’ absolute power and extravagant tastes.  Similarly inspired by Wagner’s operas, he also explored grand themes of legend and romance wanting to create and retreat to, a spiritual paradise.

So, with all this in mind, it's off to our first stop of the day, Schloss Linderhoff.

Schloss Linderhoff

Schloss Linderhof seems bigger (& certainly grander) than it looks

Schloss Linderhof, a Rocco vision completed over nine years (1878), was our first stop of the day.  Built on the site of his father’s hunting lodge (moved only a short distance away), this tiny palace is Ludwig’s only completed dream.  Set in landscaped grounds manicured to perfection, this fascinating palace speaks volumes of Ludwig’s artistic capability - he was a set designer extraordinaire.  

The grounds include a lake (with resident evil swans attempting to improve their annual statistics of wounded tourists), man-made waterfalls, grottos, follies, fountains and mysterious kiosks.  Diminutive Linderhof takes centre stage and somehow, the short guided tour of this wondrous gem is over oh, so soon.  It is said that Linderhof was Ludwig’s favourite, that he spent much of his time here surrounded by its beauty.  Who could not?  One of his favourite pastimes was to ride around the estate at night.  His plans for a fantastical swan sleigh were sadly never realised; at least we are left with the drawings.

Schloss Linderhof (Wiki)

Gardens at Linderhof

And grand sculptures too

Our tour ended at the Gift Shop, where GS managed to find a tiny swan in the Fabergé style as a memento of this grand adventure.  The cap'n was not pleased!  On to our next Castle then!

Schloss Newschwanstein

Romantic Schloss Neuschwanstein (Wiki)

Building commenced on nearby Schloss Neuschwanstein in 1869.  It is easy to understand the magic Ludwig felt, not only for the area but its magnificent scenery.  His castle, built perched high on Swan Rock, would celebrate these surroundings with its romantic, medieval (Romanesque) style.  Ludwig imagined this palace as a stage to celebrate his intense feelings for Wagnerian operas and medieval knights.  Sadly he died (was murdered) before this vision could be realised.  Schloss Neuschwanstein however, was opened to the public almost immediately in order to recoup at least some of the vast amounts of monies (both public and familial) expended.  The tour through this fabulous fairy tale castle is worth every cent; the detail is exquisite but the memory (mine) poor.  How I wished there was time to see it all again.

Do these fairytale views remind you of another?  Yes, Walt Disney based his magic kingdom castle on Neuschwanstein!

Another borrowed shot.  The Castle is
incredibly difficult to photograph

A 40 minute walk uphill to the Castle
(or take the easy way!)

Castle Model - one of the few interior
photos we were allowed to take...

This ornate (Swedish) heater is
in what was to be the pool room

Sadly, we did not have time to visit the magnificent Schloss Herrenchiemsee (1878). Created after visiting the palace at Versailles in 1867, it is said the Ludwig's "vision splendid" improved on the original.  (I’m not sure Louis would have been too happy about that and is probably still rolling about in his grave!) Incomplete, this palace is set on a forested island amid carefully clipped garden landscapes.  

Neither did we find time to explore another palace in Munich with Ludwig associations. Schloss Nymphenburg is described as one of the loveliest park and palace ensembles in Europe.  This magnificent estate is where Ludwig was born. 
 
Plagued by accusations of insanity, isolated by friend and foe and undermined by his family, Ludwig II was ultimately “arrested” and imprisoned at Berg Castle. Only one day later (13 June 1886), his body and that of his physician, was found in Starnberg Lake.  Mysterious circumstances, inconclusive evidence and outright deceit led to a host of conspiracy theories, yet it only saddens the ending of a wonderful if not, ill-fated, fairy tale.  We are left however, to celebrate his absolutely stunning legacy.

Back in the village we found time for a little chat with friends

And GS scared the Cap'n again with her talent for spotting expensive fripperies

So, Where’s the View?

Eagles Nest, Germany

Let's pretend there's a view

Beautifully carved sign at the entrance

Glimpses of what might have been - on the way down of course!

Having ventured north into farming heartlands looking for romance, it was now time to head south for a history lesson in those famous Bavarian alpine playgrounds with massive views.  Oh dear, it was overcast and raining (again!)…..  This was not the best of days to be heading off to tour Berchtesgaden and visit what remains of Hitler’s Alpine HQ of the Third Reich.

Along the way, we dropped off some of our fellow passengers at Lake Chiem for their visit to Ludwig’s famous Herrenhiemsee, a wondrous palace built on an island in the lake – a replica of Versailles!  Bavaria is one of those places where you simply wish you could stop and see everything, but we stayed on the bus, climbing higher and higher into the Bavarian Alps to reach destination Obersalzburg.

A good indication of the places we visited in the Bavarian Alps from Munich

First stop was the “elevator bus” to take us to Eagles Nest.  Somehow we imagined this bus to be a futuristic, innovative German-engineered rig.  It was in a way, just not what we had envisaged.  The road up to Eagles Nest is incredibly steep and ordinary vehicles are not allowed.  (Even the maintenance staff drove trucks that would have happily been at home in a US “monster truck derby”.)  The views from the bus though are expansive and the drop to the valley floor deadly; it quite takes your mind off mere technicalities.  The end of the road was a simple tunnel entrance to a not-so-simple Elevator.  Made from polished brass with green leather benches and Venetian mirrors, it was confection enough to make any interior designer of the times swoon. 

Tunnel to the Elevator

Selfies? in the Elevator

Mussolini's Marble Fireplace

Inside Eagles Nest

Eagles Nest itself is situated high on a rocky outcrop in the Alps and this smart elevator takes you the last 124m skyward to a modest stone lodge.  Presented by Martin Bormann to Hitler for his 50^th birthday, it was rarely used.  Sadly, the Italian marble fireplace, a gift from Mussolini, was damaged by souvenir hunting soldiers after the war.  Currently, a charitable organisation operates a restaurant at the top.  It was raining and miserable, so with no spectacular views for us to contemplate today, we bussed back down the slopes. 

Obersalzburg has a sobering history.  It seems that Hitler enjoyed vacationing here and initially rented a chalet.  That was until owners and neighbours were “encouraged” to leave, making way for the area to become Alpine HQ with the chalet modified into the famous Berghof.  Others in the Nazi upper echelon lived nearby, the area a fortified pleasure garden and warren of tunnels.  The Documentation Centre, a resource of historical information about the area under this regime, has been built over the former Guesthouse.  Little remains of the complex given that it was heavily bombed following the end of WW2.  One of the original buildings, Hotel zum Turken (a hotel prior to its occupation by the SS) sits serenely in what is now a quiet forested area albeit with a nearby bus terminus busy with Eagles Nest visitors. 

Remains of the Berghof's solid retaining walls

Restaurant near our steep ride to Eagles Nest

We had lunch (inside) this restaurant - hearty, German-sized portions & hot chocolate, celebrating having survived the trip down!  Eagles Nest is up there somewhere  - in the clouds.  It was certainly closing in for the day.

Our final stop for the day was at a damp Berchtesgaten, once famous for its salt mines, now a resort town with immediate access to winter ski resorts & sports venues and summer pleasures on deep glacial lake, Königssee.  We strolled briefly around this picturesque village to take in, aside from some lovely buildings, those delightfully romantic external frescoes known locally as luftmalerei painting.  Wealthy merchants in the 18^th c had wall murals applied to their homes, themes varying from the religious to folk lore, fairy tales included.  We stuck our noses briefly into the church, but not wanting to drip in one of the few dry places in town, moved on to “window shop” before taking the journey back to Munich.  

Town Square - church & palace

Town Square - decorated with luftmalerei paintings

  

Inside the Church

Fashionable Dirndls

Shop window full of hand painted goodies

During this run up the A8 highway we noticed a large police checkpoint just out of Salzburg and lines of delayed traffic - all part of organising the bourgeoning flow of refugees & migrants.  In fact our whole trip had been re-routed along country roads to save the inconvenience of border crossings.  There were few amongst us who had not left passports locked in our hotel safe.  Kudos to Grayline for this quick thinking!!

It was going to be a wet ride home...