We settled down for the evening in Hall in Tirol, only 5 minutes from Innsbruck, at a closed caravan park for only €7.50 put into an 'honesty box'. Staying overnight is going to become a lot cheaper now that we have left Italy with Austria and Germany littered with cheap Stellplatz to stay the night in. We've been told that Eastern Europe is the same. This is especially the case now that we are out of the summer season with the caravan parks closing (although they often allow you to stay in their carparks with electricity) and the tourist routes becoming quieter.
After a cold night (I slept in thermals, woolen socks and a beanie) we climbed our way over the picturesque Bavarian Alps and into Germany. Our first stop was the skiing town of Garmish-Partenkirchen, once two towns but joined together by Hitler for the Winter Olympics in 1935. GP is situated right under Zugspitz, Germany's highest mountain. It's name translates to Train Peak and that's literally what it is, you catch a train to the top. In 1928 it took the Germans only two years to build a train line, half of it tunnel, to the Zugspitz Glacier 2588 meters above sea level. A cable car takes you the final distance. It is a remarkable piece of engineering. It's worth reading about in Wikipedia if you're interested.
My grandad visited Zugspitz over 60 years ago and has shown me photos of him at the summit. Ever since this trip was mentioned to him he has recommended that we take the same journey. That was more than enough convincing for me and Matt and I donned our warmest gear and bought two tickets for the hour and 15 minute cog wheel train trip to the top.
The English brochure we got with our tickets was full of such wonderful language and promised such a wonderful time that I have included some excerpts here.
"Bayerische Zugspitzbahn Bergbahn AG and it's staff bid you a heart felt welcome. We hope you'll remain with fond memories of our region and come again. There is so much to do here:
- the Summit Adventure Trail leads you to amazing sights as well as curious, interesting and spectacular experiences.
- the AlpspiX Viewing Platform may leave you feeling elated or with butterflies in your stomach. Either way you're sure to be amazed.
- the Pleasure Adventure Trail is a rewarding experience for all your senses: taste, smell, touch and see at the beautifully designed recreation stops.
- Just imagine going up the mountain at the crack of dawn and enjoying the panorama of majestic peaks in beautiful solitude.
- the diversity of it's different mountain world has always made the Zugspitz region a favorite meeting point for all kinds of mountain enthusiasts in the summer.
- Wank, the panoramic mountain: the Wank is a highly popular mountain where outdoor cinema takes on a whole new meaning. You'll be overwhelmed by the stunning, all round views.
- with an altitude of 2962m, the Zugspitz is Germany's highest mountain. It offers the kind of experience which become enduring memories."
This trip had a lot to live up to! Luckily, the train trip was beautiful. We passed green fields with cows, little Bavarian villages and a sparkling lake of the most exquisite colour. Then the train changed tracks and we began a steep ascent to the top. It was slow going and, I don't know what kind of angle we were on, but it was incredibly hard to stand up without falling over and almost impossible to walk up the aisle.
You disembark the train and emerge from the underground station right onto a GIANT glacier that is covered in snow, several chair lifts and ski runs. Although the ski season hasn't started yet (and skiing is forbidden) there was about as much snow as covers our slopes in the middle of winter back home. After a deliciously filling schnitzel for lunch, we grabbed some of the free toboggans and took a few runs down some slopes. My first go was quite funny, I was overtaken by savvy 5 year olds as I hung on for dear life and tried to work out how to steer.
Once I got the hang of it it was exhilarating, although the steep walk back up the hill was exhausting.
We then caught the short cable car to the summit. Zugspitz is right on the border of Germany and Austria (although the highest point is on German soil) and the top platform straddles both countries, meaning we popped briefly back into Austria. The brochure was right, the experience will become an enduring memory.
After slowly chugging back down the mountain, we drove to Füssen. Although also in Germany and not that far from GP, the best way to get there is via Austria. The drive was spectacular. We skirted around the base of mountains on roads lined with trees, the orange, yellow and red autumn leaves glowing in the late afternoon sun.
After a night in Füssen we drove the 5km to Hohenschwangau and joined the throng of cars piling into several large carparks. We were all there for one reason. The story begins like a fairytale.
Once upon a time a crazy man, let's call him King Ludwig II (because that was his name) was the king of Bavaria. He was a romantic at heart so set about designing and building his dream castle high on a rock in the Bavarian Alps. He hired a set designer to design the castle (Kings don't need architects apparently) and in 1869 construction began.
The castle was, in all respects, a little odd and purely for show. Not to mention expensive! The King's bedroom alone took 3 woodcarvers 3 years full-time just to complete. The castle is full of hidden doors which look like walls but surprisingly open to reveal another room. Ludwig was also an avid fan of the composer Richard Wagner and each room is dedicated to one of Wagner's operas with scenes painted on the walls and ceilings (which too were done by set painters). Wagner never set foot in the castle (probably after hearing about the King's stalker ways). The King was also very fond of swans and as such they are everywhere- painted on the walls, crafted into door handles, made into taps and turned into sculptures. The most peculiar aspect of the castle however is the grotto, a manmade cave equipped with a waterfall that leads off from the King's office on the 4th floor. I thinks that enough evidence to suggest that this is no ordinary castle.
When the government got wind of the incredulous expense that Ludwig was going to just to build the castle (he also had another two under construction elsewhere) they declared that they had had enough of the King, his money spending ways and his constant distractions. They sat him down, had him declared mentally ill and removed his powers.
The day after, the King and his doctor took a walk by a lake and never returned. Their bodies were found in shallow water. Whether it was murder or suicide, we shall never know. Needless to say the controversy surrounding the mystery is still discussed today.
Ludwig only spent 117 days in residence in his dream castle. After his death, his family ceased construction of the castle to save money, leaving the castle only one third complete. While the story might not have a fairytale ending for poor old Ludwig, there is a silver lining. Only 6 weeks after his death, the incomplete castle was opened to the public and remains as such to this day. It is because of this that Matt and I were able to visit Neuschwanstein.
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