July 2020
My current immigration status only allows me to stay in Germany, or return to the USA. I am going to make the most of my time allowed in Germany.
Before going to Neuschwanstein castle, we stopped by Munich for a night because it is great and the closest major city to the castle.
Being the 4th of July, a burger seemed appropriate. It was a pretty manly “kid’s burger.”
Surfers come from all over the world to surf this wave in the English Garden.
Good beer in Bavaria.
The next day we headed to the castle. Neuschwanstein Castle was built by King Ludwig II in the late 1800’s. After his suspicious death, construction was immediately stopped and much of the interior remains unfinished today, though what is finished is magnificent. The castle is incredible, but I liked hiking around the area even more. It is a beautiful location in southern Bavaria.
You can see another one of Ludwig’s castles in yellow here.
Happy 4th of July from Germany.
This castle was the inspiration for the Disney castle.
The following weekend I took a day trip to check out two castles in my current home state of Baden-Wurttemberg. First was Burg Hohenzollern. This is the ancestral seat of the Prussian Royal house, which includes Frederick the Great and Kaiser Wilhelm.
Driving up I was a little concerned that it was not the best day to visit the castle on top of this hill.
Then it opened up to a beautiful day.
This is the family tree of the Prussian Royal House, it dates back 1,000 years. The blue is the Franconain line, while the red is the Swabian line.
This is the Prussian King who appointed Otto von Bismarck who united Germany under the leadership of Prussia.
It looked much better going out.
From this castle I took a brief train ride to go check out Schloss Lichtenstein. It was an enjoyable hike up.
I could tell you so many interesting things about this castle if only I knew German.
Building this castle was certainly a bold move.