Germany, Europe
Munich is the gateway to the Bavarian Alps and a short hop from Austria. A fairy-tale castle, a Mozart city across the border, a concentration-camp memorial, and an alpine lake are all easy days out.
| Where | Getting there | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Neuschwanstein | About 2 hr by train to Füssen, then a bus to Hohenschwangau | The 19th-century fantasy castle of Ludwig II, the model for the Disney castle. Book the timed entry online well ahead. |
| Salzburg | About 1 hr 30 to 2 hr by train | Mozart's birthplace just across the Austrian border, a baroque old town under a hilltop fortress, with the Sound of Music scenery. |
| Dachau | About 30 min by S-Bahn, then a short bus | The first Nazi concentration camp, now a memorial site. A serious, essential half-day, and the right context for the rest of Bavaria. |
| Nuremberg | About 1 hr by ICE train | A rebuilt medieval old town under the imperial castle, the famous Christmas market, and the Nazi rally grounds and trials history. |
| Tegernsee | About 1 hr by train | An alpine lake ringed by villages, breweries, and trailheads. The easy nature day when the city has been enough. |