Bavaria is famous for its picturesque lakes, hiking trails, idyllic villages, castles, monasteries and Baroque churches.
In this region, there is always something new to explore and hidden treasures to be found, even for natives of Germany.
The Romantic Road winds its way across Bavaria from Würzburg and makes its finale in Füssen, a city known for its medieval houses, maze of intriguing side streets and the Hohe Schloss.
Inside the Hohe Schloss gallery, a fascinating collection of paintings and sculptures representing the late Gothic style, and artwork from the Bavarian and Swabian regions, is on display.
Visitors should also stop by the Baroque church Heilig-Geist-Spitalkirche, with its colorful facade and cupola fresco.
History buffs will enjoy the “Bavaria-Italy” exhibition, which focuses on the historical connection between the two cultures, on display through October at the former Benedictine monastery, St. Mang.
For those who enjoy more modern pursuits, Fussen offers small, quaint shops specializing in home decor, one-of-a-kind artwork and tasteful trinkets, all meticulously arranged.
Leaving Füssen, on the way to Ettal and Oberammergau, visitors will pass the Plansee Lake in Tirol. This lake, which snakes through the Ammergauer Alpen mountain pass, offers a superior scenic experience.
“The Plansee reminded me of the landscape in New Zealand. The dark green pine trees, the mountains and the turquoise water were absolutely stunning. Just standing at the shore and dipping my toes into the water while looking at the scenery felt like a vacation, and was very relaxing,” said Christin Schweizer, from Stuttgart, who visited the Plansee in June.
Only a few kilometers away is Castle Linderhof, one of three castles (Neuschwanstein, Herrenchiemsee) built by the Bavarian “Fairy Tale King” Ludwig II. Linderhof is known as the “royal cottage” and was Ludwig’s favorite castle.
All its rooms are designed in the Neo Rococo style, meaning colorful and opulent decorations and paintings on the walls and ceilings.
Visitors will want to pay close attention to the dining room and the table known as “Tischchen Deck Dich” (the magical preset table). A specially-designed mechanical system transported this “magical” table from the royal dining room, on the second floor, directly to the kitchen below. Servants set the table and then sent it back up to the dining room.
Here, Ludwig II was able to enjoy his meals without being disturbed by servants.
Another highlight, reflecting Ludwig’s passion for romanticized operas and legends, is the Venus Grotto, an artificial stalactite cave, in Linderhof’s royal park area. A shell-shaped boat was designed for the king to paddle on an artificial lake. The cave was also illuminated with a colorful lighting system.
“The Venus Grotto is amazing and very romantic — just out of this world, and therefore typical for Ludwig,” said Christine Schaefer of Leonberg.
While Germany has many enchanting locations, Bavaria should be on the top of everyone’s list of places to see because of its rich history, distinct culture and soul-stirring scenery.
Bavaria is famous for its picturesque lakes, hiking trails, idyllic villages, castles, monasteries and Baroque churches.
In this region, there is always something new to explore and hidden treasures to be found, even for natives of Germany.Read More
Entomologists at the U.S. Army Public Health Command Region-Europe are reporting an early season for ticks this year.
Though the risk of being bitten by a tick during normal outdoor
activities on military installations is low, the risk of encountering a
tick increases as people and pets get further off paved trails and
mowed parks into tall grass and brushy vegetation.
Lyme disease (known as Lyme borreliosis in Europe) is the most frequent tick-borne disease in Europe. Read More
More than 50 service members representing the various components of U.S. Special Operations Command Europe took part in numerous ceremonies and events commemorating the 66th anniversary of D-Day in the Normandy region of France June 2-6. Elements of 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Naval Special Warfare Unit 2Read More
Social networks have redefined friendship and the way we connect to each other. Face-to-face meetings have given way to Facebook. In fact, if you have a Facebook account (only one of 3,750-plus social networking sites) you are a citizen of the fourth largest “country” in the world. According toRead More
People can run into bad luck while they are on the road and become
legitimate candidates for charity. Unfortunately, others are simply up
to no good, warn officials at the U.S. Army Europe Office of the
Provost Marshal.
“With the onset of summer, we again expect to see cases of people
trying to defraud Americans on the road in Europe,” said Lt. Col. Shawn
J. Kelley, USAREUR OPM law enforcement chief.Read More
If you’re looking for adventure this summer, look no further than Outdoor Recreation.
U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart’s Outdoor Recreation offers a wide range
of activities for outdoor enthusiasts, whether families or singles.Read More
Waylin Owsley, 14, a U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart Summer Hire employee, takes a moment to close the lid of a dumpster after disposing of a bag of office trash at a recycling island on Panzer Kaserne. Closing dumpster lids helps to prevent rodents from getting into the dumpsters and alsoRead More
Move over, Simon Cowell, and make room for the next big thing: U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart’s Teen Idol.
The Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Child Youth and School
Services-sponsored talent competition for middle and high school
students was held June 11 in the Patch Community Club.Read More
Col. Carl D. Bird will replace Col. Richard M. Pastore as commanding
officer of U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart during a change of command
ceremony scheduled for July 19.Read More
Mail room patrons on Kelley Barracks can now check their mailbox and mail items at the same place: the Postal Service Center.
The Kelley PSC opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 14. Before
the PSC opened, taking care of mail on Kelley used to require two
stops: the post office, on the first floor of Building 3312, and
community mail room on the second floor. Now the post office adjoins
the CMR.Read More
As the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management, one of the most important duties I have is overseeing the Army Family Action Plan process. AFAP is the Army’s grass roots effort in that Soldiers, civilians, families and retirees identify and elevate significant quality of life issues affecting the ArmyRead More
Share: Facebook Twitter EmailRead More
Patch High School swipes DODDS-Europe Division I baseball title from rival RamsteinRead More
