There are so many gorgeous cities in Europe, let's take a deep dive into the wonderful cities of the Bavarian and Austrian regions.
In this article we shall cover the cities of Munich, Salzburg and Vienna.
Once you land in Munich and have seen all there is to see in this city and its surroundings, a drive of less than two hours will take you to the famed city of Salzburg. If you continue a little over two hours from there, you will be in the renowned city of Vienna.
Munich
The capital of the largest state of Bavaria in Germany, is known for its green spaces, the beerfest, many historical buildings, museums, shopping and the cosmopolitan atmosphere. In fact, almost 30 percent of the residents of this place are foreign born.
After exploring Marienplatz, the main shopping district where you can spend a couple of days to see all that it has to offer including some of the best beer bars, head for Englischer Garten.
Englischer Garten is one of the largest public parks in the world covering 370 hectares and attracts visitors for the superbly manicured lawns, waterways and the lake. It’s also favoured by the locals for nude sunbathing during summer who are entirely comfortable reading and relaxing. If you do go there, it’s best not to look surprised and ogle. It’s just the German way.
Go wandering in the city and discover it’s museums, the National theatre, churches, the local cuisine including white sausages that are specific to the region, the beer gardens and if you’re an automobile buff visit the BMW exhibition.
Many also use Munich as the base to see the variety of places in southern Germany for its innumerable architectural and historical landmarks, the Alpine lakes and natural features.
Salzburg
This is probably one of the most beauteous cities you will see in your life-time. This birthplace of Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart presents majestic views of the Eastern Alps. If you want to experience them more closely or want to go hiking they are just 60 kilometres away. The Salzach River clearly divides the city. On one side is the old town with mediaeval and baroque architecture and on the other side is the New City which itself goes back to the 19th century.
Most of the old town is reserved for pedestrians so that you can enjoy this picture perfect place at leisure, stopping along for a coffee or a meal.
The city has four famous castles. Of these, Hohensalzburg Fortress is the largest. In fact it’s one of the largest mediaeval castles in Europe and sits at a height of around 500 metres offering some of the most beautiful views.
Even though the film The Sound of Music contributed towards the city becoming better known, Salzburg was always famous for its beauty right since the times of the Celtics who developed it starting around the later Iron Age.
The Kehlsteinhaus, more notoriously known as the Eagle’s Nest is just a little over half an hour away. The Third Reich building that was used by Hitler and his senior party members is today a mountain inn. This historic place is rightfully popular and the restaurant which is open to the general public offers some of the most stunning views of the Berchtesgaden mountains and the Salzburg area from a height of nearly 1,900 metres.
Vienna
Known for its beauty, this capital of Austria and one of the capitals of art, intellectualism and culture was home to Mozart, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud.
The city is known for some of the finest architectural examples in the world, mainly Baroque which started around 1600 in Rome and spread to the rest of Europe. Many go on what is called the architectural tour of the city which includes the Harach and Kinsky palaces. These are among the best preserved palaces in the world.
Even though tourists throng mainly to the first district, it’s best to explore as much of this city as you will on foot or use the public transport comprising the subway, local trains and trams which all work on the “honesty system” and have no barriers or ticket checks.
Picture: Shutterstock / ID: 391591339
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