During my stay in Munich, I’ve taken numerous photos on my way to or from my destinations. On my last day here’s a montage of things I found interesting.

(Title translation: Munich sights 2)

Along the River Isar.  

Chocolate muesli. Breakfast of champions! 

Anyone for fireworks? 

Would sir like a table inside or outside? 

Christmas tree with REAL snow. 

This is how that pretty white snow ends up in the city. 

I think I could manage this kind of Christmas tree.  

Onboard the ICE trains (first class). 

Onboard an U-Bahn train. 

A few years ago, when I travelled to Krakow in Poland, I had the chance to visit Auschwitz. Other things took priority, so it didn’t happen. So, I particularly wanted to visit Dachau while in Munich if I could. I had intended to go yesterday, but had a bit of a meltdown day with social anxiety getting the better of me. Today is my last day in Munich, so it was now or never.

I head out at 0910. It’s snowing again. As I walk to Marienplatz station the snow intensifies. This is the heaviest I have seen. I have read of problems with the S2 line, so I’m not sure which way I will get to Dachau yet. At 0925 I catch the U3 to the Hauptbahnhof. From there it appears that trains are running on the S2 OK. So at 0925 I catch the S2 to Dachau Bahnhof. We arrive at 1000 and from there I catch the 726 bus to the site.

It’s now called the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial. Only one row of reconstructed prisoner barracks remains. The other rows are marked by the outline of their foundations. The snow reinforces the bleakness. There are many groups and individuals slowly walking around the site.

I end up at the crematorium. I see the ovens. I walk through the gas chamber.  

It’s an emotional moment. It’s horrific. It still defies belief.

There is a museum in the maintenance building which still stands. It’s very comprehensive and very well done.

It’s still snowing and very cold.

I don’t take many photos. It doesn’t feel right.

I leave quietly and reflectively at 1230.

(Title translation: Tears in the snow)

Work will make you free. 

Today will be my last big adventure for the trip, so I’m up early at 0500. I plan to head south to Füssen ad then visit the famous Neuschwanstein Castle. But I have a dilemma. The website says to not bring rucksacks and that photography in the castle is not allowed. So I have two choices: 1) go on a tour of the castle and don’t take my good camera or 2) take my good camera and forgo the tour. I decide on that latter. To be honest, I’m more interested in the outside of the castle and the iPhone is not so good for distance photography.

At 0727 I catch the U3 from Marienplatz to the Hauptbahnhof, arriving at 0730.

At 0752 BRB62703 departs Munich calling at: München-Parsing, Geltendorf, Kaufering, Buchloe, Kaufbeuren, Biessenhofen, Ebenhofen, Martktoberdorf, Leuterschach, Lengenwang, Seeg and Weizern-Hopferau.

It’s a long trip. At 0955 we arrive in Füssen. The snow has been getting thicker on the ground as we have progressed. Füssen appears to have had fresh falls and looks magical.

Next I need to get to Hohenschwangau. There is a bus service that I guess normal people would take and I see most of the people from the train head there. But google tells me it’s only a 40 min walk so I decide to give that a go. I have no idea whether it will be suitable for walking though. I head out and find that there is a good walking/bike track connecting the two towns and it’s been cleared recently. The walk is easy and takes me right past massive white fields and forests of snow dusted pine. Good choice Ian!

I get to Hohenschwangau around 1115. It took me a bit longer than 40 min but there were frequent photo stops. On the approach I get a glimpse of grey Neuschwanstein Castle perched on one side and the slightly less glamorous ochre Hohenschwangau Castle perched on the other. The town is all about the castles and there are people buzzing around. I start the 30 min winding walk up to the castle. Interestingly, for me the castle becomes less enchanting the closer I get to it. It was built in the mid 19th century, so in some ways it’s not a “real” castle. This shows in the tidy ness of the block work. Plus, they are doing restoration on the entrance which is covered. This does spoil the fairytale a little. In the end, I prefer the distance images. There are some great views of the surrounding area from the castle though.

I descend and walk back to Füssen. It’s been a good workout; about 6 km round trip not including the walk up the mountain.

As I reach Füssen, I notice that it appears to have a pretty old town but I’m just too tired to explore. Then as I approach the station I glance down to see a glorious street scene and I just have to look a little.

We depart Füssen at 1412. I’m exhausted. I keep starting to doze off, only to be startled by the loud train announcements. I get back to the hotel at about 1640. It’s been a long but great day.

(Title translation: There are castles in the mountains) 

Hohenschwangau Castle. 

Neuschwanstein Castle. 

Back in Füssen. 

Today is a designated rest day. I’ve been doing something every day for the last week and I need to relax if I’m going to go home refreshed. Then I look out the window and the soft snow falling bewitches me. I decide to head out for a couple of hours.

I walk to the U-Bahn station. The city streets are sludgy and wet now. There are big piles of dirty melting snow.

At 0913 I catch the U6 from Marienplatz to Studentenstadt. I want to explore the northern end of the Englischer Garten. I arrive at Studentenstadt at 0922 and make my way to the park. The northern part is less open and more like woodland, at least under snow. There is light snow falling and a few people around, mainly walking dogs or jogging. I walk all the way down to the southern part where I was yesterday. It’s still white but the paths are clearly worn. They are quite sludgy too. It was lots of fun walking through the snow, but very hard work.

By 1200 I’m back in the hotel and spend the rest of the day relaxing and working on the jigsaw puzzle.

(Title translation: Still more white) 

We‘re melting! 

Here’s my modest contribution to slow TV. A short montage of video I took yesterday during my snow filled adventures. The Englischer Garten may not look very busy in the video, but I was trying to avoid filming people.

Play it in HD (720p) if you can. 

As I walk back from the supermarket to the hotel I notice there are people at the top of Peterskirche. I had wanted to climb to the top when I first arrived but the queues were way too long. Maybe today would be a good day. It would be icy up there, but I decide to give it a go. At 1300 after dropping off my supplies I make my way over, pay my €3 and climb the 300+ steps to the top.

And it’s worth every step. Yes, it’s freezing, but the view of snow coved Munich is beautiful.

While publishing my blog post for Salzburg I notice it’s started to snow. I hurriedly get ready and at 0920 head to the Englischer Garten.

Wow! What an experience. The park is blanketed in snow. To begin with there are a few other people walking, but by the time I leave the park is buzzing with people walking, jogging, walking their dogs, pushing prams, skiing, dragging children in sleds, making snowmen, having snowball fights and playing a football match. Everything you’d imagine and very much a real winter wonderland.

Yesterday I noticed that the trees near a mound in the park had hay bales at their bases.  I wondered why. Now, with people riding down the mound on their sleds I assume they are to cushion the blow if a collision occurs.

I mainly use my iPhone for photos. The snow is wetter than the other day and I’m nervous about getting my camera wet. When I do get it out I use a plastic bag to protect it. It’s all a bit distracting though, and soon I put it away and cover up my rucksack to protect it from the snow.

At times the snow is heavy and blowing horizontally. It looks as deep as 8 cm in some places and at least 4 cm all over.

At 1210 I return to the hotel. It’s been a magical morning and just the kind of experience I had been hoping for. I feel very fortunate.

After Neuburg an der Donau, I make my way further north east to Nördlingen. It’s getting late, so I’m running against time to get there while there is still decent light. I catch the train at 1428 to take me to Donauwörth. It’s not clear whether this train is the right one and I almost miss it, but I figure it out and get onboard. The train arrives in Donauwörth at 1454. My next train is already waiting. It departs at 1505 for Nördlingen. I will only have 45 min before I have to catch the train back. I will run out of light if I stay any longer anyway. We arrive at Nördlingen at 1533 and I buy my return ticket right away. I then hike it into the centre of the old town. Luckily, it’s very close.

Nördlingen is unlike the other towns I have visited so far. It feels less Bavarian and more northern. There are so many lovely half timber buildings and windy streets. I power walk my way around the town snapping shots on my iPhone for speed. It’s a very brief visit, but a really lovely one. I’m so glad I made the effort to get there.

I‘m back at the station by 1613 and a train arrives. It says it’s for Munich, but my ticket is for an ICE train from Donauwörth. I assume there is another train coming. The train stays in the station and I check the information board. It IS the train to take me to Donauwörth. I assume I will get off there because the ICE train will get me to Munich more quickly. I catch the train and avoid another mishap.  The train arrives in Donauwörth at 1650 and I get on the ICE train to Munich at 1707. I chose first class for this trip because it was only a few euros extra and it’s well worth it. Lots of room and very peaceful. It’s dark outside now and it feels like we’re barely moving, but the sign says we’re travelling at 189 km/h.

The train arrives back at Munich at 1855. I walk back to the hotel. It’s clearly snowed a lot during the day. I estimate at least 2 cm and it’s still falling lightly.

For the first time on this trip I slept more or less all through and for once I feel like staying in bed. I take it easy, even when I get up. By 0930 it’s starting to snow. I start thinking about travel plans. I may have left it too late to fit in everything I was planning. After looking at the weather forecast for the rest of my stay I decide I can’t afford to waste the day. I get myself ready in record time and make my way to the Hauptbahnhof; it only takes 15 min walking at my top speed.

I catch the 1021 ICE train to Ingolstadt. By now it’s snowing solidly and everything is white as we leave the station. I’m sitting next to a Dutch woman who is trying to get home from Austria. She’s already missed one connection due to bad weather at Garmisch. 20 min into the journey the train stops; problems with the overhead cables. We sit stationary for over ten minutes. I realise I will miss my next connection. My fellow passenger worries that she may miss her next one too, though she has a few hours left in the trip for the train to make up the time.

The train arrives at Ingolstadt at 1117. I have 50 min until the next train. Time for an early lunch at the station. At 1209 I depart to Neuberg am der Donau; my first destination for the day. We arrive st 1226.

I head for the old town. It’s not that well defined on my map, so it’s kind of hard to know when I’m there. It’s starting to snow more heavily. Different snow to the other day; less powdery.  I can see snowflakes. And it’s crunchier under foot.

There’s nobody about. They must be sitting somewhere warm. I make it to the river. This is the Danube. It’s a very wintery scene. I wander some more. There are plenty of beautiful buildings, but nothing that has got me overly excited. I check my phone and realise the next train is soon. If I scoot it I should make it. But then I take a wrong turn and decide it’s not worth it. I’ll hang around for another hour.

I’m so glad I do. While walking around more of the old town I stumble across a walking path that follows one side of the city walls.  I find a series of breathtaking snow bejeweled scenes that keep me and my camera very busy.

Eventually, it is time to make it make to the station and on to my next destination, Nördlingen.

As the sun rises I can see it has been snowing. By 0830 it’s lightly snowing again. But I know from the weather report that this is all we’ll see in Munich today. I check the other weather reports and decide to head to Gamisch-Partenkirchen. They have solid snow fall forecast. At 0930, after a couple of false starts, I head out the door. I walk to the Hauptbahnhof so I can experience the soft, whispy snow still falling. I’m unexpectedly hit by a sudden emotional surge and feel quite teary. This is special. I guess experiencing snow was number one on my wish list for this trip, so it’s a bit of a relief.

When I get to the station, the train is waiting. It’s a double decker, so I head up stairs for a better view. The train is busy.

At 1032 RB 59449 leaves calling at Pasing, Tutzing, Weilheim, Murnau, Ohlstadt, Eschenlohe, Oberbau and Farshant. To start with, it’s the same route as Monday, but very different now with a dusting of snow.

We arrive at Garmisch-Partenkirchen at 1154. The town is very busy. I head off, walking through a park and then tracing a river for a while. At times the snow gets a little heavier. It’s so strange. It’s dry; neither me nor my camera are getting wet. And it’s so powdery and fluffy; like walking through really fine polystyrene. It’s a wonderful experience.

I head back into the town. I could catch the next train but decide to stay longer. I walk along the main streets and look in the shops. It’s snowing all the time and there are plenty of “pinch me” moments as I turn each corner to take in a new view.

I return to the station to catch the 1507 train back to Munich. As I settle in my warm seat I notice that the snow is falling more heavily. I consider getting out to spend another hour there but decide against it. As the train pulls out of town I see it’s seriously falling now; probably would not have been so good. I’m glad I decided to leave. It was a magical experience and the best part is I still have a week to go; so I should be able to get plenty more snow-time.

Today‘s weather is forecast to be overcast again. I decide to head northeast to Landshut which is a town mentioned in my guidebook due to it’s colourfully painted buildings. At 1026 I catch the S6 to the Hauptbahnhof. There I buy another Bayern-ticket for the day. The train I had planned to catch is waiting, but it‘s for a different company and goes to Prague. I‘m not sure if my ticket applies, and I can find anyone to ask. To be safe, I decide to wait for the next train. In the meantime I walk through the area around the station. I find the museum area with some galleries and a large monument.

At 1124 I‘m back at the station and on the train to Passau. It will take me to Landshut, calling only at Freising and Moosburg. We arrive at Landshut at 1212. From the large station and 20th Century buildings around it, I start to wonder if I‘ve been led astray by my guidebook. I walk in the direction of the towncentre and things are not looking very colourful at all.

Then, after 20 min walking I come across the Altstadt and lots of colour! There is a massively wide street lined with all manner of colourful and cute shaped buildings as well as a very imposing church. On the hill there‘s also a castle. The small streets off the Main Street are also beautiful, hiding little gems. Being New Year‘s Day, there aren‘t many people around which makes it perfect for photography. There is a light drizzle of rain, but not enough to cause me problems.

I wander up and down and around the streets for a couple of hours before making my way back to the station.

I catch the 1448 train back to Munich. So far on this trip there have been very few people on the trains; this train is full and finding a seat is more challenging than usual.

Yesterday the weather was a bit dreary, so I had a planned rest day where I didn’t get out of my PJs and just worked on a jigsaw puzzle I had bought the day before.

Today is still a bit dreary but I feel I need to make an effort to do something. Many museums and galleries are closed, so I decide on a train trip. I check the weather and everywhere is showing drizzle, but at least Oberammergau has had some recent snow. Maybe some will still be there if I’m lucky.

After researching my travel options and buying a ticket online, I head to the train station. I’ve purchased a Bayern-Ticket which gives me unlimited regional train trips for a day for 37.50€. It’s good value.

I get on the 0830 S7 from Marienplatz to München Hauptbahnhof. It only takes 5 minutes. I was only able to buy a ticket online, not seat reservations. On the web it says I can reserve seats using the machines in the station but I can’t work out how to do it without buying another ticket. I ask at the information desk and they tell me there is no need to reserve seats. As I’m early, I buy a delicious Nussschneke from a kiosk in the station. It’s only a simple verbal exchange but I manage to do it without resorting to any english or “sign language”. It turns out to be the only success of the day, but that’s OK. It’s not a competition.

At 0932 I catch the regional RB 5415 to Murnau, calling at München Pasing, Tutzing, Weilheim, Huglfing and Uffing. When I get to Murnau, the next train is waiting. Up until now it has been drizzling, but now it‘s raining a little more heavily. There is lots of rain on the train windows which means no decent photos on the train. At 1042 train RB 59563 departs to Oberammergau, calling at Murnau Ort, Seeleiten-Berggeist, Grafenaschau, Bad Kohlgrub, Bad Kohlgrub Kurhaus, Saulgrub, Altenau and Untergammerau. Until Murnau the scenery was flat, but now the alpine scenery kicks in, followed by some mist in the forests, followed by … snow! I‘m very excited to see it. The scenery brings back big memories of the very special train ride through the Swiss alps that Emily and I did back in 2010.

We arrive in Oberammergau at 1127. It has been snowing but now it‘s just a light drizzle of rain. The roads and footpaths are turning to ice and slush. I need to be very careful how I walk.

The village is beautiful with many painted buildings. It would look amazing in summer and spring. But even now it has a charm and there are many people around. I wander and look in shops. They are mainly selling wooden souvenirs or beer steins. There is one Christmas shop which has an amazing array of decorations and displays; it‘s Christmas on steroids. On the edge of the village I can see a chairlift going up the side of the mountain and skiers coming down another, wider slope. Fathers and children are walking back into town, presumably from playing on the edges.

I try taking photos with my good camera, but it is challenging. The constant drizzle makes it hard to keep the camera and lens dry. I give up after a while.

I catch the 1329 train back to Murnau and then another back to Munich. By this time, I have wet and cold toes. Next time I will take my better walking boots.