Our Germany vacation has come to an end. We left Munich late this morning and arrived back home by nightfall. Overall we are thrilled at the opportunity we had to travel through Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Although we had a few bumps in the road, the trip overall was the experience of a lifetime and none of us would trade it for anything!
Today we woke up early to do a city bike tour. There are TONS of tours offered in Munich, many of them are bike tours. Prior to coming to Germany we did some research on which bike tour would be the best for our family. We kept hearing about Mike’s bike tours however we decided to go on the Munich City Bike tour. This bike tour is lesser known but we thought it was FANTASTIC!!!
We met in Munich City Center (Marienplatz) and took a 4 hour bike tour around Munich. We would stop every couple of minutes and learn about the history of Munich….or more so, Bavaria. We stopped at the English Gardens for lunch and a little break in the middle of the tour.
Yes, there is surfing in Munich. See below for proof!
For those that don’t know about some of the opposition to dictator Adolf Hitler’s regime, a great stop is at the University of Munich where you can learn about the White Rose which was a non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany. Unfortunately, all 6 members were caught and killed by the Gestapo in 1943.
Today, the members of the White Rose are honoured in Germany amongst its greatest heroes
Overall this was a great way to spend our last day in Germany!
Today we drove back to Munich from Heidelberg. We dropped our Audi off at the airport (yes dad had a tear in his eye) Before we dropped off our car we were required to:
1) have the tank filled between 1/3 and 1/2
2) have the exterior of the car washed which required a quick run through the car wash which is right next to the airport
3) remove any and all personal belongings from the interior of the vehicle
After dropping off the car we headed took the train back to our hotel like old pros that we now had become. By the time we got the hotel it was late afternoon so we decided to head to our favorite spot for dinner….HOFBRAUHAUS!!
Today we made a day trip to Rothenburg. This small town contains one of the most photographed houses in Germany! Again, we walked through the old town tried to take in the sights. Everywhere we turned there was another great view. Here’s a quick tip! There is an old wall that surrounds the town of Rothenburg. To get away from the hustle and bustle of the main street, walk around the town on the old town wall! You’re sure to see some unique views that you otherwise would not!
Once again we awoke to rain and decided to head to early to Heidelberg. By the time we arrive the weather had cleared so we spent much of the afternoon exploring the “old town” section of Heidelberg. Although very touristy, Heidelberg quickly became one of our favorite stops with beautiful views everywhere you turned! Rick Steves doesn’t recommend Heidelberg … we say it is a must stop. One of the most fantastic views is Heidelberg castle at dusk, when the lights come on!
Today we continued our journey along the Rhine river. Our first stop: Bacharach. There is a lot to do in Bacharach, you could spend the entire day just exploring the town. After a short walk through town, we hiked 15-20 minutes to a castle perched atop the Rhine river. From here we could see all of the Rhine as well as the beautiful vineyards and castles that dotted this historic landscape.
Upon leaving Bacharach, we attempted to drive along the Rhine and discover various towns/castles tucked along the River. Sadly, much of the river was flooded from the previous week’s substantial rainfall thus we were forced to skip a few of the sights we had planned on seeing.
In the afternoon we headed away from the Rhine towards Koblenz to visit the Burg Eltz Castle. Once you park, there are two ways to get to the castle: 1) a 15/20 minute hike (downhill on the way there, uphill on the way back) to the castle 2) a 5 min minibus ride for a nominal fee. We chose to hike and as such got to see such fantastic views of the Burg Eltz along the trail!
The Goddins Go To Germany!!! 