I didn’t realize how much of a non-city person I am until I picked up the rental car this morning and set off on my own to explore Bavaria. Once I was out of the city (and its traffic!) and driving through quaint Bavarian villages and towns, I couldn’t help but smile and relax. After the horror stories I had read about rental car companies forcing you to take their insurance, or involving hidden costs in their pricing, I was a bit anxious about how the whole thing would play out. I’m pleased to report that my experience was nothing like what I had read about. Quick, easy, and no hidden costs. In fact, I got an upgraded car with built in GPS, and they actually took off the cost of the GPS. Of course, they also wrote “full risk” in big letters and made me sign to decline all their coverage, but still. I picked up the car at the airport, which added both time on the train and time in traffic to my day, but it worked out fine.
Before I knew it, I was headed southeast from Munich toward my next destination in Berchtesgaden. After about 45 minutes of sitting in traffic, the GPS detoured me to a secondary road. It passed through quaint village after quaint village, many with maypoles in the center of town. Maypoles in this area are tall blue and white striped poles that display the trades of the townspeople, traditionally erected around May Day. Legend has it that as May Day approaches, townsfolk will try to steal a neighboring village’s maypole and hold it ransom for beer.
I eventually ended up on the Autobahn heading southeast out of Munich. Contrary to popular belief, most Autobahns do have reasonable speed limits, with only small sections where there is no speed limit. My midday stop was Prien am Chiemsee, a large lake dotted with three small islands. It was on one of these islands, Herreninsel, that King Ludwig II of Bavaria (Mad King Ludwig) chose to build one of his three palaces. He revered King Louis XIV of France, and modeled his palace after Versailles. In fact, several of the details and artwork are exact replicas of the Palace of Versailles. Once on the island, there are several footpaths or carriage rides that will take you to the palace. There is also an old Augustinian monastery which has been turned into an art gallery, a couple of churches, a restaurant, and several walking trails. I bought the island ticket, which in hindsight was probably a waste, but which allowed me access to all of the buildings and a guided tour of the palace. No pictures allowed inside, but to say it was impressive would be an understatement. Ludwig spared no expense on the gilded walls, tapestries, hall of mirrors, and marble entry fit for a king. Sadly, he died before the palace was finished, so only 20 of the 70 rooms were completed.
After touring the palace, I made it back to the boat dock just in time for the boat to Fraueninsel, a small inhabited island on the lake. From the boat dock, you can stroll the dirt roads and alleys of the island, which is car-free. It took me less than an hour to walk the whole island and take pictures. The buildings and homes are very Bavarian in style, complete with dark wood trim and overflowing window boxes. There is a Benedictine convent and church at one end, homes for the island’s 300 residents, and a multitude of biergartens. Had I gotten there earlier, I likely would have eaten in one. As it was, I was pushing the time and decided to head back and finish the drive to Berchtesgaden.
By time I arrived, it was after 7PM. I navigated the large but very narrow and confusing underground parking garage and was soon in my room overlooking the Alps surrounding Berchtesgaden. The back of the hotel abuts the pedestrian zone, and I was able to find a small biergarten for dinner (pork schnitzel with French fries tonight).
I haven’t addressed the weather at all because it’s been very summery and beautiful until now. Not unlike the temperatures in Massachusetts, it’s been in the upper 80s every day with almost full sun. However, that is about to change, as the weather forecast calls for rain the next couple of days (which started as I was eating dinner) and I have two days of outdoor activities planned. I’m determined not to let the rain change my plans, but my hopes for beautiful mountain scenery may not come to fruition for a few days!
Traveling with Laura 