After a solo tour of Schloss Lichtenstein, we arrived at Burg Hohenzollern to find that they're in…read morefull Christmas Markets season. The place was crowded and lively and quite busy. You'll park in a lower parking lot adjacent to the gift shop. A shuttle van will bring you almost to the entrance of the castle. From there, it's a bit of a walk. It is barely handicapped accessible though the castle itself is not at all wheelchair friendly and many rooms require transiting a number of stairs. The current castle was built between 1846 and 1867 in a Gothic Revival style and influenced by the Châteaux of the Loire Valley. The exterior is regal, dominating the hill it resides on. Inside, each room is decorated with period furniture and artifacts that were owned by Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia. The vault in the basement contains the Crown of Wilhelm II and a uniform that belonged to King Frederick the Great. No photographs allowed in that room but the rest of the castle, absolutely. [Review 21244 overall - 248 in Germany - 209 of 2024.]

Beautiful castle! Pretty views from the top. But getting there from Stuttgart was really…read morebreathtaking as well. We took public transportation which is not recommended. It took 3 hours one way to get there by trains and bus. If you have a car it takes an hour. I would say it was worth it, but we were exhausted by the end of the day. The castle had a cafe that actually tasted pretty good.

My 1,000th review is dedicated to Marienbrucke (Mary's bridge). This is a bridge built about 300…read morefeet above the Pollet Gorge and provides that jaw dropping view of Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration behind Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty castle. Getting to the bridge is about a 1 hour hike up an inclined road from the visitor center, or you could do what I did and take a shuttle bus from the visitor center (10 minute ride for €3,50 = $3.85 USD). The bus leaves every 20 to 25 minutes, starting at 8am and they take cash only. From the bridge it's only about a 10 minute walk down to the castle. Only 200 people are allowed on the bridge at any given time, and there is a counter at the start of the bridge keeping track. I've heard lines can get pretty lengthy during the day. If you walk further along the 115 foot long bridge it's less crowded and you have unobstructed views of the castle. Overall, I can say that the view from here was the highlight of my summer trip to Germany and Italy. If you are visiting Munich or anywhere in the southern Bavarian Alps, you have to see Neuschwanstein Castle. The views are breathtaking.

Do you want that iconic beautiful view of Neuschwanstein Castle? If so, then Marienbrücke (Mary's…read moreBridge) is your answer. The bridge is narrow and gets jammed packed with tourists hoping to get the same photo you're trying to snap. Walk further down the bridge, where it's less congested. If you visit during fall/winter, note that the bridge might be closed due to ice/snow. As for how to get there, it's worth spending €3 for a roundtrip ride on the bus that takes you up from the foot of the mountain.

It's fairly hard to imagine that an extremely wealthy and influential family decided to dedicate a…read morecluster of housing, meant to mimic a small city, to those living in poverty in early 16th century Europe. Well, the Fugger family did just that and its 'experiment' in social housing has lasted for almost five hundred years. Visitors are able to view a 'model dwelling' decorated as it would have been during the genesis of this project. In an adjacent room a film (auf Deutsch) about the Fugger family and how it came to create the Fuggerei runs on a loop. Pamphlets at the entrance are offered in a multiplicity of languages (including Chinese and Japanese), so non-German speakers are also able to gain a solid understanding of what's what. The on-site WW II bunker is quite worth a visit. One sees how the Fuggerei was severely damaged during the war and how quickly and determinedly those in charge decided to rebuild. While I very much enjoyed visiting the Fuggerei, I was constantly aware of walking around a complex in which people live. One is cautioned to be respectful and to not 'take pictures'. It's hard not to look at the facades of all the buildings when one walks by them. Well, it's hard for me, at least. Being a fan of architecture, I walked the streets of Augsburg en route to the Fuggerei pretty much doing the same thing. I happened to walk past a small boy kicking a soccer ball around, presumably, the front of his Fugger flat. He scowled at me when I passed him. That's when I decided it was time for me to go. There is information regarding who is eligible to live at the Fuggerei (adherents to the Catholic faith) and how much one pays (0,88 euro annually & three prayers daily, apparently). What I wasn't able to find out was how one is picked to live on premises. Not that I'd qualify...

This is a must-see for any visitor to Augsburg. I learned so much about Augsburger history, German…read morehistory, European history, social history...HISTORY. The story of the Fuggerei - a "social settlement" started during the late Middle Ages/early Renaissance by Jakob Fugger to help the poor and disenfranchised get their feet back under them and become self-sufficient citizens during a time where social Darwinism and caste-like class stratification were ravaging Europe - is one that will touch your heart and provide leagues of depth to your big picture understanding of life. It doesn't take long to come here, but the impact will stay with you for life. Added benefit: Almost everything that's written down is also translated into English.