I was able to do a brief tour through the Bavarian region of Germany during my time visiting for the 58th Edition of the Hof International Film Festival.
When I was living in Central Europe, I traveled through Germany and spent time visiting Berlin, but had yet to explore other municipalities and regions of the country. I used the opportunity of being invited to Hof to explore scenic areas of Deutschland on a brief excursion from the north east region of Bavaria to the southern border along the alps.
Many folks returned to Berlin following the conclusion of the festival. I had thought of perhaps returning to Berlin to visit after my time at the festival, but traded the idea instead for a visit to another German city I had yet to see: Munich.
Despite being close enough to Munich in the past, I had never paid a visit to the Bavarian capital and it proved a convenient route for my travel itinerary to stop over in this picturesque city riddled with much history and politics. With only a few days to explore all that Munich has to offer, I enjoyed my time perusing the city streets including the neo-Gothic interiors of Neues Rathaus in Marienplatz.
I allowed myself to do quite a touristy excursion before leaving Bavaria. Although, I highly attest that the excursion was worth all of the hype it deserves. When I was in high school I had seen a photo of Neuschwanstein Castle on the internet and earmarked this historic palace as a place to one day visit on my own personal travel bucket list.
German locals gently scoff at the idea of visiting this largely touristy attraction site, however this did not deter me from my plans of finally seeing this location in real life. On my last day staying in Germany, I decided to book a tour to visit the castle. By bus from Munich on the autobahn, it took about two hours to arrive in Schwangau, a small touristy village in the foothills of the Bavarian alps.
The bus ride itself through the quaint villages on the winding roads of the alps was picturesque. Famously, inspiring Walt Disney's Cinderella Castle, the architecture of the castle among the grandeur of the alps is awe-inspiring. A majestic, yet unfinished castle, the most intriguing part of the convoluted history of the palace was its King, Ludwig II. An apparently a closeted man, his legacy remained largely in building castles, ultimately driving him into an unpaid debt before his untimely and unsolved death.
Taking in good food, views, and experiences, I can say that my trip to Bavaria was a success.
And I believe it's worth it to visit a place, despite it being labeled as "touristy," as long as it isn't a "tourist trap" there's probably a good reason why everyone wants to visit.
