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Neuschwanstein’s big surprise

May 23, 2014 by Ann

If you’re familiar with the area around the Disney World Resort in Orlando (I-drive, 192…), you’re familiar with tacky tourism souvenir shops, chain restaurants, mega hotels, and heavy traffic.

You’re probably also very familiar with this – Disney’s iconic Cinderella Castle.

It’s not just centerpiece of the Magic Kingdom. It’s also the symbol for Disney movies and television credits.

Most people also know that the main inspiration behind Cinderella’s Castle is Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle.

So what’s so surprising about Neuschwanstein?

Neuschwantstein is often pictured secluded in the hills of Bavaria. It’s easy to imagine the tranquil setting. However, the bottom of that hill (Schwangau) is the German equivalent of tacky tourist area. Which is a slight exaggeration, but the area does seem to personify every Bavarian (and thus, German) stereotype.

Instead of Mickey ears they sell lederhosen.

Instead of all-you-can-eat buffets they have currywurst and spaetzle.

Instead of miniature fun parks there are multiple nature hikes in the mountains and lakes.

Instead of a Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum visit King Ludwig II’s museum or the lesser-known castle practically next door to Neuschwanstein.

Instead of grand resorts with pools and valet parking there are private vacation rentals in half-timbered homes.

Instead of traffic jams people rely on great public transportation options or horse-drawn carriage rides.

Basically bottom-of-the-hill Neuschwanstein is surprisingly touristy, but equally charming.

If only I had known.

Unfortunately, most accounts of Neuschwanstein are pretty clear that it’s pretty shallow. Beautiful on the outside, drab on the inside. I made a decision to just make a quick stop en route from Stuttgart to Garmisch instead of dedicating the day to explore the area. And unfortunately, the GPS system played a few tricks with our routing which made us later than expected. So we really did not have enough time to see everything the area had to offer.

Neuschwanstein: Things to do

Our less than 2 hour visit was filled with schnitzel sandwich snacking, postcard browsing, sign reading, and posing for photos in front of gorgeous landscapes. Here are some things I would have been happy to do if we had a few more hours.

Take a hike: Pick up a map at the tourist center or follow one of the signs. Everything is clearly marked with expected completion times and routes. Plus, how often can you hike up to a castle, or around a clear lake with Alp views?
Learn more about the crazy King: This area of Germany meant a lot to King Ludwig II. He spent his youth there and built one of his three castles there. Visit the museum dedicated to his life and story.
See a castle, no not that castle: I knew Hohenshcwangau was near Neuschwanstein, I didn’t realize they were neighbors. Ludwig lived in Hohenschwangau (when it was called Schwanstein (for language buffs Neuschwanstein means NEW Schwanstein and when naming Neuschwanstein, they changed the name of Schwanstein to Hohenschwangau – and believe me this can be more confusing, but I’ll leave you to finding the sign with more information (or you can email me if you want to learn more))) and although not as iconic from the outside it is worth a tour indoors.
Perhaps a paddle boat: Between the castles and next to the Ludwig Museum there’s a large lake. Other than the estimated 90 minute walk around the lake, with gorgeous views of mountains and castles along the way, paddle boat rides are available in good weather.
Marienbrucke: For excellent views of Neushwanstein, head to this bridge that dates back to the 1800s. It’s a little scary for my taste, but the more adventurous are rewarded with a better story and photo.
Eat more Bavarian food: There are several restaurants, many with postcard views of something memorable. Try popular Bavarian dishes in the quintessential royal setting.
Shop for tacky souvenirs: Ok, some of the souvenirs are not so tacky. The shops at the bottom of the hill sell both Bavarian and German branded items (most likely the cheap things actually made in China), to the quality brands Germany is known for (from Christmas ornaments to Steiff Teddy Bears to cuckoo clocks and biersteins).
Compare and contrast the details of Ludwig and Cinderella’s castles: What parts of Neuschwanstein did Mr. Disney use as inspiration?

Thinking about going?

Schwangau is about two hours from Munich, Innsbruck, and Stuttgart making it a good base to explore many areas.
There are plenty of day trip operators, especially from Munich, available. Otherwise there a combination of trains and buses will get you there, but you should purchase your tickets in advance online if you are interested in touring the castle.
For those driving, there are many parking spaces available for a small fee (at the time of our visit in the Spring of 2014 it was 5 Euros). While we had no issue finding parking, if the lots are full consider parking in nearby Fussen and taking the busses to Schwangau.
You can easily make this area an all day – or longer – destination. There is more than enough stuff to do in the area, especially if for nature buffs.
From my perspective, there were several trail opportunities that appeared stroller-friendly, though we didn’t do anything too extensive.

Who should go

I recommend this area of Germany to families who like to hike. Between the two castles and the museum there are definitely enough activities to fill a day, but I don’t know if those things alone would be enough for young kids. The trails, however, would be a fun way to explore the area. If you’re a King Ludwig II fan – you don’t need convincing. If you don’t know anything about him, I’m sure you’ll learn to appreciate him after a visit. Is this a must-see for Germany visitors? Well, my first visit to this castle was after living in the country a total of 7 years, so I guess that depends on you!

For more information

Check out my post about another Ludwig castle, Herrenchiemsee.
Neuschwanstein‘s official website
Hohenschwangau‘s official website
A great post from Little Siteseers and their day in the Schwangau area (hint: they did a lot more than we did).
Monkeys and Mountains has visited many castles in Germany and didn’t like this one. But, she does still give great tips for those who want to go.

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Filed Under: Destinations, Encourage, Explore, Family Travel, Germany, Thoughts, Travel Advice

Le Jardin d’Acclimation Paris, France

May 14, 2014 by Ann

This is my 100th post! It’s been slightly over a year since I restarted this blog. Last month I wrote a little over 1/4 of the whole blog’s post as part of the A-Z challenge. I enjoyed that challenge so much, that I decided to make up my own challenge for May. Twice a week, I write a post about an attraction we’ve visited and haven’t written about before here.

Why? To encourage people to travel or to help someone trying to learn a little more about a place on their to-do list. See, for me, my travel researching style includes reading posts about what people did at a place. From there, I’ll usually make a decision that it’s a good fit – or that it’s a bad fit. The problem is there’s nothing I can say about our time at Le Jardin d’Acclimation in Paris, France that would justify a decision either way.

The tale of why my recommendation of Le Jardin d’Acclimation is not too reliable

If you’re unfamiliar with this park – it’s part botanical garden, part amusement park, part zoo, part playground and completely everything that could possibly answer “what would a child like to spend their day doing”.

And that would be reason enough to go.

I first heard about it long before we even moved to France. A blogger I read at the time celebrated her daughter’s first birthday in Paris and wanted to do something very Parisian that day. After some research, she discovered there was no more-Parisian way to celebrate a first birthday than by going to the garden opened by Napoleon III in 1860. And when we moved to Germany and had a baby, I figured, well this sounds amazing.

And that would be reason enough to go.

We spent a week in the city of love, loving on our little soon-to-be-one-year old boy. Our days were filled with trips to parks, towers, museums, coeurs, rues, baguette shops, and – oh, yeah – we also spent a day at Disney. On the one year anniversary of my son’s birth, the day before we left, it decided to rain. The rain was not torrential and we went anyway. Unfortunately, non-torrential rain means one thing: the park is still open, but most of the rides are not. On a good note: most people in Paris seem to skip Le Jardin when it’s wet – there were no crowds. Plus, our one year old, didn’t really care.

And because of this, I can’t say that our experience is a good indicator either way of if you should go or not.

We had a great time. We looked at the animals, ate some croque monsieur, spent a few Euros to ride the petit train – a train that takes you from the park to the parking lot, and made notes on how very Parisian this place was. Coming from Orlando, where rides continue in most weather scenarios, this place was as far away from everything the Orlando parks are known for – and that would be reason enough to go.

Thinking about going?

Le Jardin d’Acclimation is in the 16th Arrondissement in the Bois de Boulogne. For those taking public transportation, which I recommend, it’s the Sablon metro station exit 2. Follow Rue d’Orleans until you get to the park. There are plenty of signs.
Entrance fees, and attractions are inexpensive. Purchase a book of 15, 25, or 50 tickets to save even more money. Kids under 3 do not pay to enter.
You do not need to have a car parked in the parking lot to ride the Petit Train, but I suppose this ride could be busier on warmer days.

Who should visit?

Le Jardin d’Acclimation is definitely a park for families. Because the rides are aimed towards younger children, this may not be the right choice for older kids. It is definitely a park that can take a whole day to visit, however you can also be comfortable spending only a few hours there because of the low entrance fees.

Great links for further reading

We visited Le Jardin d’Acclimation on a rainy day, here are other things to do in Paris when it’s raining.
Since the garden dates back to 1860, there is a lot of history in the place. Check out the official website and hit “google translate” to learn more. Be on the lookout for: the famous other at the inauguration, the zoological society’s purpose for the acclimation garden, the “Pigeons of the Republic”, which country’s successful amusement park encouraged the garden to add attractions, and which other countries are represented within the gardens.
Here’s a pdf of the brochure in English.

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Filed Under: Encourage, Explore, Family Travel, France, The Journey, Thoughts

Open Air Museum Arnhem, NL

May 8, 2014 by Ann

If there’s one aspect of travel I can’t seem to shut-up about it’s the importance of knowing some of the history of where you are traveling to. And I don’t mean you have to dust off your old books from Mrs. Miller’s class (this was actually my European History teacher’s name in 9th grade), though that would be nice.

There are multiple ways to get a crash course in history when you visit someplace new to you. One of my recent favorites are Open Air Museums. In the U.S. the places I think of that are similar to Open Air Museums in Europe (places like the Jamestown Settlement or Old Sturbridge Village) are referred to as Living History Museums. I’m not sure if there are more differences than just the name, but thinking of these in terms of being similar to what I’m familiar with helped me understand it more. That’s a mouthful.

In the Netherlands, head to Arnhem to catch a historical and cultural examination in their Openluchtmuseum.

Child Friendliness

As with most things Dutch, I find this museum to be extremely child and family friendly. The idea is not to learn by seeing, but by doing. Throughout the exhibitions there are opportunities for families to get dirty, to try things themselves, and to be involved in the process. As if that’s not enough, there is also a cable tram running throughout the park, a small tram depot, a playground, a boat dock, mini cars to play in at the cafes, and plenty of pancakes and poffertjes to go around.

Go back in time

Scattered throughout the property are representations of life back when. Many of the buildings are either replicas from one of the Netherland’s cities, or the original building relocated for educational purposes. Through informative plaques and hand-on activities, it’s easy to let history soak in. One of my favorite attractions is a typical street with the same home repeated several times. As you walk into the home you see what life was like in that same place at different points in history. Pretty cool.

Cultural significance

When talking about Dutch culture there are certain images that come to mind: windmills, boats, cheese, Indonesian food, tulips, royalty. It’s all there. Many of the exhibitions are perfect for learning the country’s history, there are significant tributes about the modern society as well.

It’s fun

Seriously. It almost felt more like a really cool playground than a glance into important aspects of entire country. It wove the education seamlessly. It’s impossible to walk out without both a smile and a brain filled with interesting tidbits. The perfect way to start any Dutch adventure.

Thinking about going?

It’s only an hour away from Amsterdam via train (and a bit more via car) close to the German border. Then take public transport to get there from the train station. There is plenty of parking available for those driving, just remember to pay for your parking token when you enter the park.
It being an Open Air Museum lends itself to being a good option on a sunny day, but there are several indoor exhibits if the weather isn’t perfect. So, bring your raincoat if you see grey skies.
There are plenty of restaurants and cafes on site. Many are connected to a play area for kids. It’s also very stroller friendly.

Who should visit?

This is an ideal destination for anyone interested in Dutch culture and is looking for a day trip (or longer) outside of Amsterdam. While it is definitely toddler-friendly, the exhibits would be interesting to people of all ages.

Great links for further reading

The official website for the Openleuchtmuseum (with a drop down menu to change it to English).
My own post about something that happened during our visit.
Reviews from Tripadvisor (seems like it’s a nice Christmastime destination, too)

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Filed Under: Engage, Explore, Netherlands, Thoughts, Travel Advice

Herrenchiemsee: Ludwig’s Versailles

May 6, 2014 by Ann

I had a slight obsession with King Ludwig II of Germany when I was in high school. And even with this obsession, I had never visited any of his castles. So, when we headed down to Prien am Chiemsee for a month of intensive language learning (specifically German) and I discovered that the nearby castle was one of his, we went.

Bavaria’s Versailles

For me, the main point of interest with Herrenchiemsee is that it’s a replica of Versailles in France. The major differences being that’s it’s even more ornate than Versailles. For those that have only been to Versailles (I haven’t been there, so I don’t know) they’ll probably think that’s impossible. Well, the news for them is that it is actually an incomplete, more ornate Versailles. Ludwig II died before construction finished.
Another thing that surprised me about this is that it was not built to compete with the original. Instead it is a tribute to France’s King Louis XIV, the Sun King. And that is equally crazy and cool.

Getting to the Herrenchiemsee Palace

The Palace is on an island in the middle of the lake. Herreninsel. There are several cities along the Chiemsee that offer transportation to both Herreninsel and Fraueninsel (Men’s Island and Women’s Island.)

We were there in the winter and the only comfortable way to get to the island was via a short 15 minute ferry ride. The boat was almost empty, which made it easy for us to roll our stroller on board.

From the ferry we walked directly to the palace to buy our tickets and waited the next available tour in English.

Off-season at the Herrenchiemsee Palace

Here’s the thing with off-season, specifically wintry destinations in Europe. Specifically castles. Specifically Herrenchiemsee (and Salzburg, which I will write about later this month.)

Off-season travel is great because there are practically no crowds so it feels like you have the place to yourself. One of the big negatives of touristy places are the crowds. Go off-season, though, and you get the benefit of visiting a touristy place without suffocating.

Off-season travel sucks because there are practically no season-dependent decorative items on display. Especially outside. Prien, Chiemsee, and the surroundings are beautiful in the winter – don’t get me wrong. The snow-capped mountains of the alps and the very stereotypical quaint German village makes visiting this area of the world in the winter a good thing. However, the big draw to Herrenchiemsee is the comparisons to Versailles. Part of the appeal of Versailles is its gardens. Obviously, the gardens at Herrenchiemsee are not in bloom in the winter. Also, the fountains? They are turned off and covered to protect them from the weather.

Once inside, we had more of the pros and cons of the off-season travel. Our English-speaking tour group was small – yay!. Some of the rooms were undergoing refurbishment and were missing some items – boo!

Our impressions of Herrenchiemsee

Still, with all the negatives of being there without getting to see the gardens in bloom and the full-picture of the interior it was spectacular. I’ve never been to Versailles, nor have I had much interest in it. But seeing Herrenchiemsee actually made me want to see the original.

My three-month old must have loved it because he refused his stroller and preferred to look around. I’m betting he was hoping we were leaving our 600 sq. foot apartment and trading up for serious royal treatment.

My favorite part of the tour was the visit to the Great Hall of Mirrors. I’m familiar with the idea of the room because of the popularity of Versailles version. As I mentioned earlier, Herrenchiemsee is even MORE ornate so this room is even more spectacular than the original. Whereas Versailles has paintings, Herrenchiemsee has 3-d artwork. Also the windows are slightly larger meaning the room is bigger.

Though we only went to Herreninsel to see the palace, there are other activities for people to do on the island. There are paths within the woods, a monastery, and a King Ludwig II museum. For us, though, we wanted to escape the cold and head to the indoor pool on the other side of the lake.

Thinking about going?

At only 60 km from Munich it is easy to get to the island by taking a train from the city’s main train station directly to Prien. From Prien’s train station it’s a nice walk (perhaps 30 minutes), or you can take advantage of a small shuttle-train that runs in the summer. Once you get to the dock, just hop on a ferry over to the island.
We didn’t take the shuttle-train, but everything else we did while there was stroller friendly. The palace doesn’t have elevators, so we had to carry the stroller up the stairs. They also have strollers and baby carriers for rent at the palace.
There are several ticket options available, and a few English-language tours throughout the day. The tour is the only way to see the interior of the palace, and you can only enter at the time-stamped on the ticket. The other sites can be seen at a more leisurely pace.
There is a small cafe serving select items within the palace. I didn’t feel it was overpriced. There are also several restaurants on the mainland near where the ferry docks, and on the walk between there and the train station.
Photos are not allowed within the palace.

Who should visit?

I think this is a good side trip for anyone staying in Southern Bavaria or looking for a stop on a journey between Salzburg, Austria and Munich. Especially if you have an interest in Ludwig’s castles (or castles in general). I would also recommend it to people who are visiting Germany and don’t want to trek to France to see Versailles, or people who have seen Versailles and want to figure out for themselves how this one compares.

This is the biggest attraction within the Prien vicinity and can take from 2-4 hours to the whole day depending on how casually you visit the island.

Great Links for further reading

The official website for Herrenchiemsee
A family visits Herrenchiemsee when the gardens were in bloom and the fountains were running.
Another visit to the palace in the winter, with everything covered in snow.
Was King Ludwig II crazy?

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Filed Under: Encourage, Explore, Family Travel, Germany, Thoughts, Travel Advice

A to Zs of Family Travel and a recap

May 1, 2014 by Ann

In April 2014 I participated in the A-Z Challenge. Every day (except Sundays), I wrote a post on planning tips or memory keeping ideas.

I’ve compiled those here.

Recap of my A-Z Challenge Experience for 2014

Before I get to that, I want to write a recap of the experience.

On the suggestion from DJ at Dream Euro Trip, I signed up for this challenge the weekend before it started. I was a little nervous about it. Writing 26 posts in 1 month when I probably only wrote 2-3 posts in the previous 3 months? Plus, April was a busy month for me. I had plans. I was going on a mom’s trip to London and then my husband was going to leave me with the two kids as he went to the US for work for two weeks. But, I signed up and went for it.

I made some quick decisions at the beginning. I was going to keep it on the family travel theme, but anywhere from the planning to the memory keeping aspect of it. I was not going to allow myself to get too caught up in everything. I wanted to write 26 posts, I didn’t want to write 26 blogging masterpieces.

I pulled out a spread sheet and came up with an A-Z list of family travel topics. Out of all my pre-planned ideas, I only stuck with two “R is for Rest” and “X Marks the Spot”.

The rest kind of just happened.

I realized early on that I wanted my posts to go live the same time every day. 7am. Done.

I wanted to connect with other travel bloggers. Done.

I wanted to post every day of the challenge. Done.

I wanted to get better at social media. Done, but not as much as I would have preferred.

I wanted to write without too much worry about photos and perfection. Uh- yeah, definitely no perfection here. Done.

My favorite parts of this challenge was starting a new day and seeing what some of the people wrote about. I liked the camaraderie with the participants. I appreciated all the comments, especially when my topic doesn’t apply to some of the reader’s lives. They still humored me, left thoughtful comments, and were very encouraging. Thank you.

I also liked just the actual writing of posts. Getting it done. Mosts of these things were things I wanted to write about anyway. The challenge gave me a reason to.

I will definitely participate again. While I still don’t want to write 26 masterpieces, I will add photos to my posts, pin some of those photos, and take part in more social media. I’m hoping that my next theme focuses on places instead of just travel tips. Oh, and I definitely want better titles. (If there’s one thing I learned, I’m not a title writer.)

Some things I’d like seen done differently? Perhaps a link-up for each day and letter. That way it would be easier to keep up with people who were participating, but maybe we had missed in scanning the sign up sheet.

Overall, I highly recommend this to anyone looking to have some fun while also being challenged.

And without further adieu…