Neuschwanstein Castle: Inspiring Disney and Tourists Alike

If I were to build a castle, the first place I would look for inspiration would definitely be Disney. But where did Walt get his inspiration? The answer: Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Bavaria. The Bavarian King Ludwig II kept a close eye on his masterpiece during construction - he literally grew up and lived down the hill in the stately yellow Hohenschwangau Castle. Sadly, after pouring his effort and personal funds into the castle, he died before it was completed. Thankfully, even tourists of the late 1800s loved this castle and it opened its doors to tourists immediately following Ludwig's death. This is a Bavarian must-see. Pictures do not do it justice.
Unfortunately, the castle is loved more than ever by today's tourists. Neuschwanstein Castle (and neighboring Hohenschwangau Castle) is a buzzing hive of tourists pushing for the best selfie-stick view all along the hill upon which the castle is perched. Here are three tips for making the most of your trip:






1) Plan ahead: if you want to see the inside of the castle, you must purchase tickets days ahead of time, even in the off season. Given the demand on a random cold, foggy December day, if you are trying to visit in the summer, I would purchase tickets weeks ahead of time. Decide if you want to see Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, or both! With planning, touring both is very doable. (Hohenschwangau pictured in the picture on the left)

Marienbrucke: I hope the bridge
will hold everyone!

2) Seek optimal weather: the view of the castle is awe-inspiring as you drive up to the small town of Hohenschwangau, but if you visit in the October-February months, beware that the unknown but ever prevalent German fog may obstruct this view, and any others you plan to get for that Christmas card. Also, the walk up and down the hill is quite lovely if it is not freezing or pouring down rain. I have to say, when the castle peeked out through the fog, it was magical; however, had we not soaked it in for the five minutes it was available, we might have missed a view entirely.

3) Wear comfortable shoes: I was inclined to wear my most fashionable outfit for what I thought would be several frame-worthy photos, but be ready to walk through the dirt and exert yourself a little bit to get to the top! If you refuse to look like anything other than a Disney princess, you can take a horse-drawn carriage to the top for a hefty fee, or the bus for a long wait time.

Though I still believe a visit to Neuschwanstein should be high on your Bavarian to-see list, particularly since the scaffolding from its recent renovation has been removed, managing your expectations and taking a few precautions ahead of time will ensure that it is fairy-tale visit you always dreamed!

Oberammergau

Walnut shell carvings in Oberammergau

A year ago, I fell in love with a monk. He was smiling as he checked his beer at a flea market in Regensburg. At just a foot tall and surrounded by nick-knacks, I thought 100 euro for the wooden statue was too much, but I never forgot him!

Decorated buildings around the city

With him in mind, we 'carved' an afternoon out of our trip to Garmisch to check out the quaint city of Oberammergau. Our family friends who lived in Germany 30 years ago first told us about the city when they came to town: painted buildings and wood carvings with the alps as a backdrop. Too good to be true?

Oberammergau did not disappoint. There were wood carving shops on every corner, with everything from painted wooden religious statues to colorful signs peppered with cherubs to tiny carvings delicately placed in walnut shells. I soon discovered that maybe I should've taken the 100 euro monk statue and run - I didn't see many that size for under 400 euro. That said, every piece we saw was a work of art and truly remarkable. The time these artisans invest in just one piece is unbelievable.

Typical Oberammergau wood carving store 

Most of the pieces depict religious scenes, and perhaps the reason the artists are able to make their pieces almost come to life is their real-life experience acting out the Passion Play. Every year ending in zero, Oberammergau's citizens band together to put on the Passion Play. This isn't just any play - they take pride in performing with incredible realism, and have since the 1600s. One of the artists told us cutting your hair and shaving is banned for three years. Yes. Those beards are real. The animals used in the play are raised by the people in the town, and they don't just perform at any auditorium: the whole city is the stage for this play.
If you are lucky enough to be in the area in 2020, you better make reservations now. This event is world-famous, and after hearing the effort and pride the people pour into the performance, I can see why!

Close up of a beautiful wood carving in
Oberammergau's church

For those of you visiting in the other nine years of the decade, perhaps the best surprise of our trip was the Parish Church St. Peter and Paul in the middle of town. The unassuming exterior only enhanced an already spectacular interior, flanked with, you guessed it, beautiful wood carvings. The wooden statues were sanded and painted so beautifully it was hard to believe they were wood.

Oberammergau makes an excellent stop on any southern Bavaria road trip. If you are interested in the carvings, do not expect a heavy discount for buying at the source. If you've already ruled that part out, it's still worth a stop to soak in the beauty in this Bavarian city!

The Mercedes Benz Experience

Though I have been living in the home-state of BMW, we recently ventured outside Bavarian borders to see how the rest of Germany engineer things. I'll give you a hint: it involves some pretty amazing robots.

While in Stuttgart, we checked out the Mercedes Benz Museum and were also lucky enough to get tickets to a factory tour. The museum is open seven days a week, but the factory tours only run on the weekdays, making it difficult to fit into a weekend trip. If you can make it work - it is worth it. The two-hour, incredibly polished factory tour was completely free. It has undoubtedly made me a Mercedes fan (now how to fit one in the budget??).
We took a tour of the Sindelfingen factory, which produces the C, E, and S Class Mercedes. The campus is pristine. We arrived early and enjoyed a delicious (and surprisingly reasonably priced) lunch in a quaint garden. It was easy to forget we were in a car factory. The tour started with a video that got us excited about what we were going to see. The English-speaking tour guide then took us on a bus to the S Class plant. I have a new respect for robots. It honestly seemed like the humans were simply there to assist the robots, which operate 24 hours a day. We were inches from the 20', incredibly nimble robots, and were able to see them use tools (yes - as in what distinguishes us from the rest of the animal kingdom). The robots go straight from welding, to testing the joints, to gluing the pieces together. Then they pick up the frame, door, or trunk and toss it to the next assembly point. It was really amazing.

One of the first
Mercedes Benz cars

From there, we ventured to the E Class plant to watch the cars get their character: sunroofs, steering wheels, and dashboards were among a few of the things we saw assembled. At this stage, each car is built for a specific order, and there is no room for error. I was pleased to see a little more human labor put into this stage, though there was still no shortage of impressive robots. It's always nice to know that humans are still superior to machines.
No pictures are allowed on the factory tour, so you have two options: trust me, or go see it yourself. I definitely recommend the latter. If you want to book a tour, it is best to do so far in advance. Details can be found on this website. 

The Popemobile

For those who are unable to make it to the factory tour, the museum will still make anyone into a car enthusiast. The circular building spirals you down history, starting with the first ever Mercedes Benz (which was taken on its first drive by a woman!), and ending with future models. There is an exhibit dedicated solely to celebrity cars (Popemobile, Grace Kelly's 190SL, Bus for Germany's 1974 World Cup Champions team), one showcasing the green energy cars, and of course, a large exhibit with an impressive amount of winning race cars. It is a beautiful museum and worth the trip. 

Germany's 1974 World Cup
Championship Team Bus
(that's Patrick driving!)

Mercedes perpetuates its luxury brand during their factory tour and even in the tourist-heavy museum. We experienced nothing but amazing service and saw exactly zero hand prints in the beautifully buffed cars in both the factory and the museum. The only thing that would have enhanced our Mercedes Benz themed outing would be picking up our own Mercedes at the factory... I guess one can dream!

Rabat, Morocco

Rabat is my new favorite city.
I knew I wanted to go to Morocco while living in Europe, but I couldn't decide on a city. Marrakesh? Casablanca? Fez? I thought through them all, but at the advice of a Moroccan friend, we decided to take an hour train from Casablanca to Rabat, the capital of Morocco and what seems like an unspoiled cultural gem.

How do I love Rabat? Let me count the ways...

Kasbah of the Udayas

Am I in Santorini? Oh no, the prices are way too good and I'm not stepping around heaps of tourists dropped off by cruise ships. This walled neighborhood dates back to the 11th century. It's easy to get lost in the winding, white-washed and bright blue streets, but for a couple Dirham tip, one of the local "guides" will show you around. There are beautiful palace gardens, but the highlight was a mint tea and coconut macaroon while overlooking the Bouregreg river at Café Maure. The terrace was an oasis, and a great place to get your bearings.

Medina 

We were guided in and out of the Medina for our delicious dinner at Dinarjat

Rabat's medina was dominated by the delightful Souqs (see below), but deserves its own entry. Unlike most medinas in Morocco, I saw very few tourists. Instead, it was bustling with locals purchasing their produce, enjoying a stroll, and stopping into the cafes for a tea or coffee. Even when we veered off into a quiet side-street, we felt safe. We particularly enjoyed peering into the workshops where they were hammering designs into leather slippers and customizing wooden furniture. We returned at night for a lovely traditional Moroccan dinner at Dinarjat. Men dressed in traditional robes and hats guided us around the dark streets to the inconspicuous door to the restaurant. It was quite the experience!

Mint Tea

 OK maybe this one is all over Morocco, but it still deserves a spot on the highlight reel. I didn't think I would like this - green tea with mint leaves and sugar - but now I want to brew my own. It's possible that the sugar content swayed my tastebuds, or maybe it was the way they poured it from silver teapots as high as their arms could reach into the colorful glass cups, but I am a fan. 

Souqs

This is a main part of my obsession. The main market inside the Medina is the perfect blend of a typical bazaar with ornately carved wooden furniture, colorful carpets, brass decor, handmade leather goods, and lacquered wooden boxes, but without the pressure. No one followed us to "show us" where the best stores were, and we didn't even turn into store keeper magnets when we stepped inside stalls to admire the pieces. It was almost American-style hassle but with Moroccan quality pieces. I can't tell you how many desks and doors we thought about shipping back. I settled with a gorgeous  brass mirror that barely fit in my suitcase, and will be pining to return for years.

River Bouregreg

As if the city wasn't picturesque enough, the shore line of the Bouregreg river was peppered with bright blue rowboats waiting to take residents and tourists alike across the water to Salé, Rabat's sister city known for its colorful pottery. We also witnessed a brave, thick-skinned man enjoying the calm waves with a jet ski. Given he wasn't fazed in the least after falling off several times, I would guess the river is unexpectedly somewhat clean.

The sites

Hassan Tower at sundown

A view of the guard from inside
the Mausoleum of Mohammed V

Once again, we were delighted to be surrounded by locals at the city's main tourist attractions: Hassan Tower and Mausoleum of Mohammed V. Hassan Tower is a gorgeous minaret from the 12th century surrounded by columns from the adjoining mosque that was destroyed in a 1755 earthquake. Today, the site is almost haunting, yet beautiful. Facing the red minaret is the burial site of King Mohammad V and his son, King Hassan II (of the Hassan II Mosque). Guarded 24/7 by fancy-dressed guards, you enter the stark-white building onto an interior balcony, which stretches all around the building and looks onto the tombs of King Mohammad and his two sons. Apparently, there is a man reading the Quran most of the time, however, he was not there when we visited. We visited at sundown, and greatly enjoyed the ensuing photo opportunities.

Casablanca: Small Delights

A wise Moroccan-native advised us to fly into Casablanca, spend the night, and then take a train to one of the more cultural spots in the country. We did just this, and found that a night in Casablanca was delightful, but we were not yearning for more.

We focused on four things during our short trip to Casablanca. If you have a short period in the city, we highly recommend three of the four:

A good dinner

Patrick was lucky enough to be reading a December issue of the New York Times and spot the 36 Hours article was about Casablanca. In the article, they recommend Al-Mounia restaurant for dinner. This was the best meal we had during our trip to Morocco, and also the best atmosphere. Our waiter was hilarious. He did not neglect any opportunity to tease us, but was very helpful as we tried to narrow down our Moroccan food tastes. The small restaurant was quaint and decorated in with Moroccan tiles and brass tables. There was a courtyard outside which would have been delightful without the rain. 

                                          Rick's Café

Playing it again!

Truth: this was in the hotel lobby, not the café

Maybe it's touristy, but we couldn't go to Casablanca without checking out Rick's Café! Disclaimer: Rick's Café did not exist when the 1942 movie was filmed. The Café we see now was opened by Americans in 2004. Even so, the waiters were wearing white jackets, they had their own version of Sam playing piano in the center, and it was a great place to grab a cocktail. We didn't sample the food, but instead sat at the bar for a cosmo and a double old fashioned. I enjoyed every second of our touristy indulgence. 

Hassan II Mosque

This was the highlight of our time in Casablanca, and cannot be missed. The largest mosque in Africa features the tallest minaret in the world, a retractable roof, and an hour-long English tour for 120 Dirhams (~$12). Read more about the Hassan II Mosque here. 

The markets

Smoothie, smoothie sidecar, and a cafe au lait

This was our least favorite of our four focuses, but we enjoyed the glimpse into Casablanca city life. We wandered around the Medina to the Marché Central (again on the advice of the 36 Hours article). Though we didn't find anything at the market (there were several food/meat stalls), we loved the scenery and enjoyed a juice like the locals. Tip: their "smoothies" seem to put a bigger emphasis on the fruit than we do in America, and the result is delicious.

Morocco Spotlight: Casablanca's Hassan II Mosque

If you are visiting Morocco, you will probably want to get a glimpse into the beautiful mosques across the country. After all, if they tile ordinary shops so intricately, can you even imagine a place of worship?
If you are not Muslim, the only opportunity to see inside a mosque in Morocco is the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca. The good news: this is the largest mosque on the continent, and it is pretty spectacular.

Situated on 22 acres overlooking the Atlantic, our jaws immediately dropped as we stepped out of the little red petit-taxi. The grounds are amazing, with covered archways surrounding grandiose courtyards. We arrived before the mosque opened, which enabled us to get amazing views of the mosque and its reflection in the beautiful courtyard leading up to the world's tallest minaret. You can spend a good 30 minutes feeling like a professional photographer before you even get close to the mosque.

The late King Hassan II wished "Casablanca to be endowed with a large, fine building of which it can be proud until the end of time." Though Casablanca may elicit images of romance and fancy cafes, we found that King Hassan II succeeded in his plan: this mosque was truly the highlight of the city. Even in darkness, this mosque offers a sparkle to the facade of Casablanca in the form of the vivid green laser that points toward Mecca from the top of the 689' minaret. It's a very sharp reminder of the Islamic influence throughout the country, and a beautiful way to help guide worshipers during their prayers.

Inside, the details are spectacular. All of the raw materials are from Morocco with the exception of the Venetian glass chandeliers. Surprisingly, it only took six years to build, but with the contribution of over 600 artisans. That carved, wooden roof you see? It's retractable. The sparkling marble and granite floors? Heated. The roped off section? A glass floor section overlooking God's water below. It's amazing to realizing the engineering that went into the plans back in 1987. Jerry Jones should be ashamed of his boring, way-overdue retractable roof at Cowboys Stadium!

They offer one-hour English guided tours for 120 Dirham (~$12) at 9:00 am, 10:00 am, 11:00 am, and 2:00 pm every day but Friday, when tours are only offered at 9:00 am and 2:00 pm. We hopped out of bed to make the 9:00 am tour, and were extremely thankful as we watched the buses unload on our way out. The mosque, which can fit 25,000 worshipers inside and another 80,000 outside, was empty except for our tour of eight and another language tour of five. Remember that you cannot wear shoes inside mosques, so they will give you a plastic bag for you to carry your shoes with you. 

Go early, bring your camera, wear socks, and dress conservatively.  This is the highlight of a trip to Casablanca!

Skip This: Wieliczka Salt Mines in Krakow

Mine shaft to not-so-much fun

I should have listened to my first instinct: this is going to be overpriced and hokey. But when we met a well-traveled, interesting couple on our tour of Auschwitz who recommended the Wieliczka Salt Mine Tour, we decided to take a leap of faith and try it out.








Here is why I recommend skipping this tourist trap:

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1. Accessibility: We had to take a private car en route to the airport, which cost a significant amount extra. Public transportation is a bear, and your other option is to earmark several hours of your day to go on a bus with a tour from your hotel. The lines are long: you have to plan in advance.
2. Cost: Not including the extra we paid for transportation to and from, this was the most expensive thing we did in Krakow. With a currency that makes prices more-than-favorable to US travelers, there is no need to fork over $25 per person for these tickets. Or $19 for the student ticket. Krakow is extremely affordable, and the cost/enjoyment ratio is low.
3. Time: This tour takes around three hours. We finished the tour in around two and a half hours, but had to wait almost 45 minutes to be escorted out of the mine. Not only did the trek out of the mine take another 15 minutes, but it dropped us off about a 1/2 mile from the main building. Unfortunately, we encountered some of the few non-English speaking Poles in this area and had a little difficulty finding our way back. 
4. Adventure factor: Perhaps this is because we just did the "Tourist Tour," but I was expecting to get somewhat of a workout as we ventured down the 800-step descent and around the 20 chambers. Comfortable shoes were absolutely not required for this tour, and frankly led to false hope!



Seven Dwarfs light show...

5. Quality of sights: All of this would be worth it if there was unique or impressive art work to be seen in the salt mines; however, we sat through not one, but two overly dramatic "shows" with a couple colored lights and loud music, and reluctantly snapped photos of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs carving, only because I was determined to get enough pictures to compensate for the extra $3 camera pass I purchased. 

Proposal in the S

A huge disclaimer on this review of the Wieliczka Salt Mine tour is I was traveling to Krakow with my husband, and we do not have to entertain any small children. But for those of you who do not need to pay $25 to see a salt carving of a fictional salt-mine proposal story, I highly recommend spending more time in the lovely city of Krakow!