Trip to Bavaria September 2-5

Edelweiss resort in Garmisch, Germany.

Linderhof Palace. This was one of three palaces (Neuschwanstein is the most well-known) built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria who was a great admirer of King Louis XIV of France and modeled Linherhof Palace after Versailles.

Grant saw these swans and ran after them only to see them rise up and charge at him; Grant quickly did a 180 and ran with all his might; a nearby tourist from Canada ran to his rescue putting himself between Grant and the big birds. The kids found that it was much better to sit quietly and observe.

Oberammergau passion playhouse. Since 1634 the residents of the town of Oberammergau have performed a play of Christ's passion every ten years. The play is put on daily from May-October. Last year it was performed was 2010.

Obersalzberg, Hitler and his clan's mountainside retreat situated above the town of Berchtesgaden. Little remains after allied forces bombed it, twice. The only two things that remained unscathed from the bombing were the miles of underground tunnels and the Kehlsteinhaus (aka Eagle's Nest). These buses took us from what used to be Obersalzberg up the mountain to visit the Eagle's Nest.

Eagle's Nest

Gorgeous views of the Bavarian Alps from the Eagle's Nest.

The buses take you to a parking lot where you walk through the original tunnel built in 1938 which leads you to the original elevator used by Hitler and clan; the elevator then takes you up to the Eagle's Nest. Picture below shows parking lot, tunnel, and Eagle's Nest.

Grant enjoying his first cogwheel train ride heading up the Zugspitze, the tallest mountain in Germany rising 9,718 ft.

Cogwheel train took us to the Zugspitzplatt which is a ski resort during the winter time.

Zugspitzplatt. From here we took a cable car to the summit. From the summit we took a cable car all the way down the mountain to where our car was parked.

Alan climbing the last little way to the summit.

Summit cross. First erected in 1851.

Cable car ride from summit down to parking lot.

Spencer enjoyed the feeling he felt in his stomach in the cable car descent.

Dachau concentration camp. The sign on the front gate says "Work will liberate." This was the first Nazi concentration camp in Germany. It is believed that over 200,000 people were killed or died here. It was the second concentration camp to be liberated at the end of WWII.

Looking across the courtyard to the building where new inmates were inprocessed upon arrival. This courtyard is where executions were held.

Remaining foundations of the 69 prisoners' barracks.