Germany/Austria Trip - Post 3

After a full day in Munich, we drove south to Berchtesgaden, right on the Austrian border.

I have lots of memories of Berchtesgaden, having traveled there with the family in the early 1980s.  We stayed at the General Walker Hotel (run by the US military) that is no longer in business.  I saw The Shining about the same time, so in my mind the General Walker and the hotel in the movie are one in the same.  Beneath the hotel were bunkers that the Nazis used in WWII.

I got a very bad case of chicken pox during that trip.  We also had our car break down on the way home, on a holiday weekend.  We had to put Daddy on a train for work, we returned to the General Walker - all with me miserable with chicken pox.  After much effort we got the car to an Austrian mechanic, we got on a train and headed home.  I'll never forget that weekend!

This trip to Berchtesgaden was much, much better.

No chicken pox or car troubles.  Phew.

We stayed in a beautiful hotel but the rooms were for 2 people, so we split up with the boys.

Brennan loved this hotel and thought it was very "romantic and German".

our room

The next morning we headed out to explore the Lake Konigsee area.  We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day on the Lake.

 The boys hiked every hill they could find on this trip.

Mama bought Thomas a cool German hat that he wears here at home as much as possible too.

We got tickets for a boat ride on the lake 

And had a spaghetti eis (ice cream made to look like spaghetti) while we waited.  A great memory from my youth in Germany!

The boat ride was fantastic.  So peaceful and beautiful.

iPhone photo through the boat window, but I love the reflection of the mountains in the lake

St. Bartoloma Church on the Konigsee

After touring the Lake area, we decided to drive the Alpine Road over Obersalzburg mountain range near Berchtesgaden.  It's a popular drive, with very narrow, winding, steep lanes.  It is stunning though.

The Boatwrights in The Alps

Happy, happy day

This drive up and down the mountains was a highlight of our trip for me. It was so beautiful!!

While we would have loved to visit Hitler's Eagles Nest resort on top of the mountain - it was closed at this time, not opening to tourists until May.  We stopped at the Documentation Center though - a small museum and shop lower down the mountain.

That evening we toured some areas in Berchtesgaden - many dating back to the 1200s-1400s like this cemetery and the Abbey Church.

In the Marktplatz (market plaza)

The Berchtesgaden Royal Palace

 We ended the day in Berchtesgaden with an Italian dinner off the Marktplatz, and another great night's sleep at the "Romantic German hotel".