Last week my family and I headed out to Munich, Germany by car. We are glad we did drive because an unexpected heatwave had us heading to the forested Bavarian hills sooner than planned!
Because this was our first major road trip since our son’s birth, we split it up into half-day drives with plenty of time to stop and stretch our legs. I am so glad we did, otherwise we wouldn’t have discovered Nassau or Heidelberg!
Our first stop was the tiny hamlet of Nassau, a jewel of a village nestled in the heavily-forested Nassau National Park. It also happened to be ‘birthplace’ of the Dutch Royal family – the Orange-Nassau line. Their first family castle – located on top of a peak surrounded by a thick forest – has been restored to its former glory and can now be visited. It’s a steep yet pleasant walk through the woods to get to the top.
After two days of exploring nature, we headed off to Munich, Germany.
The heatwave made walking around the city a bit more tiring than expected, but we were able to see quite a few of the major tourist sites, including Marienplatz, Hofbrauhaus, several beer gardens, and many churches.
We also found a monument dedicated to the White Rose – a resistance group active during WWII – during our walk to the English Garden.
The food, wine and beer are truly delicious which made our trip to Bavaria even more pleasurable!
A major reason for visiting Munich this summer was to do research for two upcoming novels. By sheer coincidence, our hotel was a short walk from the streets and squares I want to use as a main setting for my next Zelda Richardson Mystery (Book 4). If all goes well, it will be out in a few months’ time. 🙂
After two fun, yet hot days, we took off for Heidelberg. This lovely old city will also feature (briefly) in my next Zelda Richardson mystery. I do love being a writer!
We spent a wonderful day exploring the Altstadt and riding the Bergbahn – the highlight of this trip for my son! It’s a short train ride straight up the Konigstuhl – a small mountain on the backside of the city. The trip was great and the views breathtaking.
Our vacation was too short, but a whole lot of fun. I’m glad to have visited Bavaria and look forward to exploring more of the region in the coming years.
Happy travels!
Such great photos!