Having soaked myself up and having my heart full at the Oktoberfest in Munich I was looking at what more this Deutschland had to offer. And it turned out the city of Munich flabbergasted me with its landscape, automation and memoir!
Having arrived in Munich on the very first day with the lovely weather on my side it was time to soak up the city culture in me. Making my way to Marienplatz the main city square and also the heart of this Bavarian land I could already get the city vibes the German Way.
Strolling along this impressive 100-meter-long-gothic building, I was determined to spend my evening effortlessly here feasting in some of the most indigenous German houses.
Ascertaining the place further I reached right at the foot of Rathaus Glockenspiel. With the clock striking sharp at noon hearing the Glockenspiel ring and watch with the 32 life-sized figures reenacting historical Bavarian events was a sight! By far this was one of the world's most extravagant clock I had witness after Big Ben!
Next day on my plan was an early beginning to visit the Neuschwanstein Castle, one of the most popular of all the palaces and castles in Europe. With 1,4 million people visiting this "fairytale castle" every year the closer I arrived to the castle I was taken back to my childhood remembrances.
Reaching the castle involved an hour long train journey and an irksome climb too, but with the childlike zeal in me I was up there in no time to witness this Disney inspired fairytale. Exploring this fairy world time seemed to have passed rather quickly.
On the way back I made a short trip to the Schloss Nymphenburg as it was not far away from the city center, the 200-hectare park built in 1671 here was the perfect place to redeem oneself with the view of the canal right in the middle of the park.
Sitting on the edge of this canal that runs from the palace to the marble cascade and two lakes one can only think how much this city has to offer.
And is that was not it, the next day I was certain to be wowed by the wilderness this city has to offer. Taking the 60 km road from Freudenstadt to Baden-Baden I was all determined to unearth The Black Forest. Only once you are on this route you comprehend why it has been named so! With woods so dense along the road the sun can scarcely lance the thick pine trees. And that's why the name 'The Black Forest'.
But my journey on this road was anything but dark! With its vast forests, open mountain heights and peaks with grandiose views, the mysterious cirque lakes and charming valleys, is what makes this unspoilt landscapes a phenomena!
After making my 60km drive, the countryside aficionado in me implored for something more! Being in Deutschland a must on the itinerary should be a trip to The Romantic Road.
I am sure these three words conjure up images of fairy tales and charming little villages. And the thought of this got me excited to make a trip down this road, which is arguably the best-known holiday route in the world too! Yes a completely not so trumpeted plan on the itinerary. To get a more nomad experience I ditched the daily departure tours and hired my own vehicle and set on the road and was happy to avoid much of the congestion of the Romantic Road coach tours. You can drive down this Romantic Street for a straight 255 mile (410km) route running from Würzburg right down to the Bavarian Alps, straddling Austria and Switzerland covering in a nice 4-5 days.
For a one-day junket I chose to make a stopover at some of the most known small cities and experience it all. While on the road at every seam I was left baffled by the gorgeous picturesque scenes and sundowners. My stops included wonderfully preserved medieval towns of Harburg and Rothenburg. Exploring the Harburg Castle definitely was an adventure as I was the early visitor having the castle all to myself, while others were still battling heir coach tours (One great decision I made) One thing is for certain; The Romantic Road had a lot more surprises in store the more I drove towards my destination. From stretches of eternal landscapes to unexpectedly arriving at pretty little towns of Rothenburg o.d. Tauber, the drive was just getting better.
Thanks to its picture-perfect buildings and cobbled streets I now began to comprehend why Rothenburg is known to be Europe's best preserved medieval cities. A must try local savour here were the freshly roast apple chips. A bit into these delicious crisps produced in this trivial town will definitely long you wanting for more. I did stock myself up with bunch of them to last me throughout the journey.
Spending time in this city gives true meaning to the word 'Romantic'. I know how my romantic heart felt while leaving this tinsel town!
If that was not enough, the next day was stark opposite to last evening's escapade. Today I booked myself onto pioneering automobile inventions and excellent driving experience. For every car enthusiasts visiting Munich, should make sure they head to the amazing BMW museums in this picturesque German city.
On my visit to the fascinating BMW Museum, I got acquainted with exhibits from the near 100-year history of BMW. At BMW Welt there were also exhibitions on the cheeky Mini, elegant Rolls Royce, new BMW motorcycles, and a lot about this Bavarian Motor Works Company.
At the Gallery of Driving Pleasure in BMW Welt I got to fathom all about the engines, technologies, design process and current models of BMW.
While I was left gazing at these automobiles the sudden vrooming of a bike showcasing its stunts right in-between the auditorium took everyone by surprise and even me. Look out for core BMW mobiles like the luxury BMW i8, the C600 Sport Roadster and the all new BMW M3 Sedan. Overall this one was one space-age experience breaking the monotony of wilding myself away to nature.
Now thats what I call a magic packed experience in this Deutschland. I wish I could pack a lot more memories from this city.
Cannot Miss:
- Self drive down The Romantic Street
- A must stop at the most beautiful city of Europe - Rothenburg
- Explore and rekindle with your childhood fairytales at Neuschwanstein Castle
- Check out the mechanisms of the world famous automobile at the BMW Museum and Welt
GlobeTrotting365Days: Munich 22 July 2014.
This blog was originally published on 'globetrotting365days'
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