Germany as a country is a relatively new construct. Historically the Holy Roman Empire secured an agreement with the various Teutonic kingdoms who came together regularly in Nuremberg to elect one of their number as ruler. That arrangement lasted 1000 years. The formation of Germany as a country dates to the late 1800s.
The southernmost “kingdom” was Bavaria and to this day Bavarians still regard themselves as something other than German. One of Europe’s most visited attractions is our first destination here. Neuschwanstein Castle south of Munich was the inspiration for Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. It was built by King Ludwig 11 in the late 1800s in the Romantic style. He was inspired by composer Richard Wagner and his operas Tannhauser and Lohengrin and parts of the castle are modelled upon sets of those operas. He died before the castle was completed. Perched high up a mountain this doesn’t disappoint.
Munich is the capitol of Bavaria and our base for a variety of trips further north. It is a lively city with a pretty old city to enjoy. It is also the base of support and genesis of the NAZI party and Hitler so there is a darker side to it. The Germans here acknowledge that part of their history and memorialise it. Not with anything other than repulsion but it is history and did happen. Our role is not to whitewash history and pretend it didn’t happen. We must accept the past and learn from it so as not to make the same mistakes again. The Germans are certainly doing this with the Hitler past. We seem to be going the other way with woke and cancel culture where we refuse to listen to and acknowledge differing viewpoints.
Enjoy the pictures of this lovely city. It is a relaxed place with a great lifestyle. The food here is hearty and plentiful and the people love a beer. Not very healthy but a whole lot of fun!