Tourist Destination Number One in Germany

We had spent the last weekend in Munich in order to celebrate Roland's birthday. It was a special birthday, one of those ending in a big zero, and it had to be celebrated royally.

It was all fogged up when we started our journey, however with the ascent into the mountains the view became clearer. Our short trip took us through the Bavarian hinterland towards one of the most popular tourist destinations of Germany, if not Europe.

By the time we arrived in Hohenschwangau the weather was stunning, although quite nippy. We were obviously here for one main reason: Insert 'royal' here! Because here is where you will find Disney's inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty Castle: The famous Castle Neuschwanstein, the refuge of King Ludwig II of Bavaria.

An annual 1.4 million visitors from all over the world come to see German Kitsch at its best. Even on this November day, the place was packed with tourist crowds.

In order to get our 'money shot' we decided to hike up the hill while most tourists take a tour bus or a horse carriage. It was the best way to enjoy the various vistas on the castle.

The ideal photo op is undeniably from Marienbrücke (Mary's bridge) for the panoramic shot of the castle and the lakes. Picture perfect!

After the hike down we had definitely earned some refreshments at lake Alpsee. Bavaria doesn't get better than this: Yes, it was November (!), and we were sitting outside (!) in a beer garden (!) enjoying an alcoholic beverage (!) in public (!).

Later back in Munich we strolled around in the park of Nymphenburg Palace, a five minutes walk from our hotel. The palace and the surrounding park area are a very crowded refuge for the locals, full with runners, photographers, lovers, dog walkers, wedding parties and - of course - tourists. The evening sky was just fantastic, and we enjoyed the beautiful light.

Mecklenburg Switzerland? Come again?

South of Stralsund the landscape is getting a little uneven, and up to about sixty meters elevation. It becomes high enough for the flatlanders to dub the area the 'Switzerland of Mecklenburg'. We are not kidding! Talk about nordic humour.

Given that we live in a highly populated country this area is relatively unspoilt and preserved as a National Park covered by lakes and woodlands.

We drove over hills and through tiny villages, visited another witness of the brick gothic former monastery and palace ruin in Dargun. Built and destroyed in the 12th century the monchs relocated to Eldena, the abbey ruin we had paid a visit two days before.

Some duke converted the ruin into a renaissance castle in the Middle Ages, it was destroyed by a fire during WWII.

The best part of the ruin is a little shop with ceramic artwork, liqueurs, vinegars, oils, jams, mustards, spices and soaps made by local farmers, artists and monks. We left with a plenty of tasty stuff.

We stopped for lunch in Waren, a picturesque small town located at the lake shore of Müritz. the food was nothing to write home about, however an ice cream parlour offered lactose free ice-cream and Sonja could't resist. It had been a long time, and the chocolate flavoured ice-cream was delish!

We felt it was time for some relaxation, and returned to Stralsund for an afternoon nap. The rest of the day was spent (window) shopping in town.

Today's trip was 240km on byways, part of it along the German Avenue Road.

We have seen a lot during our week at the Baltic Sea, and we were lucky with the weather, too (at least it stayed dry most of the time). Now it is time to say goodbye to Stralsund.

The white Cliffs of Rügen

Rügen is the biggest German island, and a popular tourist destination for domestic as well as international travellers (a.k.a. busloads of Asians...). From endless sandy beaches to white chalk cliffs, from ocean to lagoons, from bubbly seaside resorts to sleepy fishing villages, the island has a lot to offer.

Our first stop was Binz, a popular seaside resort. We walked along the beach and strolled through this lovely town with its intriguing resort architecture of the 19th and early 20th century.

A few clicks further North we were delivered a harsh contrast to the playful resort architecture and received another lesson in history. We entered Prora, a product of Nazi-German megalomania, built in the mid 30's to provide an affordable and organised leisure time for up to twenty-thousand holidaymakers, a.k.a Kraft durch Freude (Strength through joy).

A colossal architectural disaster with eight identical buildings over a stretch of 4.5km, a mere 150m away from a beautiful beach. Well built obviously and seemingly indestructible, it is not that it hadn't been tried before to blow up, and tear down this concrete cluster of ugliness.

Today some of the complexes are being renovated and reactivated, two buildings house a youth hostel, and an art center, but the builders couldn't change the shape. It will remain a sore spot in the midst of a beautiful landscape.

The by far best part of Rügen are the cliffs in the North East of the island. They aren't easily accessible, and hence a splendid destination for those seeking solitude. We parked our car in Lohme, a sleepy fisher town.

First we followed a steep and slippery trail downhills through the beech forest, mildly alarmed by the signs warning that it is a challenging trail. The signs were right. And the challenge didn't end at the beach. A small pebble beach provided just enough distance between the ocean and the cliff. On a windy day the beach would likely become impassable but the sea was calm today. And it wasn't easy either, as the traveler will need to balance over countless slippery rocks.

The hike might occasionally get interrupted by combing the beach and building pebble towers. Finally one arrives at the blindingly white chalk cliffs, and stands breathless (not only caused by the hike, but in awe), taking in the scenery and as many pictures as possible.

The white Cliffs of Rügen

The exercise however didn't end here. After an excessive photo session one still needs to climb up the cliff. A mere 412 steps of a slippery wooden staircase which has been there forever (and is being maintained and renewed regularly).

Given that we are not the fittest people under the sun, we felt that we actually did quite well during the ascent, and we can proudly report that we even overtook folks younger than we. On top it was only two miles back over a forest trail, a relaxed walk back to our parking spot in Lohme. And overall we'd say that despite the difficult terrain the hike was well worth the effort.

We travelled 170km today, and hiked about 12km.

Rügen Island - Source: Wikipedia