Photos from Germany and Austria

My headshot

2006-05-17T23:15:00.000-05:00

Photos of our Germany and Austrian vacation

2006-05-16T07:30:00.000-05:00

This is a promotional web photo of Burghausen, Germany. Burghausen was our headquarters for the first few days of our trip as that is where Barbara's brother lives while he's on a work project there.
All of the following photos were taken by me, and you can double click them to get a bigger picture. As you can see, it was wet the first couple of days of our trip, but we had fine weather the rest of the time.

This is my first photo taken during the trip. It is of Burghausen, and the castle above. It is the longest castle in Europe.

The picturesque village of Berchtesgaden. It was our second day and still rainy, so we returned here later when the weather was better.

An old Abbey outside Burghausen that used to be a brewery (beer made by Monks). Notice that the old brew kettle is now a fountain. It is now a retreat, and houses a nice restaurant.

The dining room of the Abbey restaurant.

A wild tunnel photo near Munich on the road to Neuschwanstein. We went through more tunnels on our trip than I have ever been in my life.

Just outside Neuschwanstein.

Our first view of Neuschwanstein Castle, or Mad Ludwig's Castle, in Germany. It was the inspiration for Walt Disney's castle at Disneyland. It was built between 1869 and 1886 by King Ludwig II of Bavaria.

From the road to the castle.

The view from our hotel.

On the path to the castle.

This waterfall and bridge are on the grounds of the castle.

Another view of the castle.

A view of the castle from the restaurant in our hotel.

The Maypole at Neuschwanstein. On May 1st, every city and village in Germany and Austria erect a Maypole. We saw them everywhere.

I had to show a picture of the Smart Car (that's its name). We saw these being driven all over Germany and Austria.

An image from Oberammergau, home of the oldest (since 1634), and most famous Passion Play, presented every 10 years.

We arrive in Innsbruck.

The Golden Roof, a symbol of Innsbruck.

In Altstadt (old town) Innsbruck.

A "living" statue in front of the Goldenes Dachl (the gold roof).

A typical street scene in Altstadt (old town) Innsbruck (notice the McDonald's sign).

The most elegant McDonald's I have ever seen. This is actually the second of two McDonald's we saw in Innsbruck.

The Bergisel ski jump. The Winter Olympics were held in Innsbruck in 1964 and 1976, and this was where the main ski jumping competition took place. It was redesigned in 2001, and major international ski jumping competitions still occur here. There is now a restaurant at the top of the jump.

Overlooking Innsbruck from the top of Bergisel.

This was taken from the restaurant on top of the ski jump.

The Olympic Torches at Bergiselstadion.

This is on the Stubaier Gletscher (glacier) outside Innsbruck. It is an area for 365 days a year skiing. The Alpine views from here were spectacular.

Taking a rest between runs.

A view from the cable car coming off the glacier.

A view coming back into Innsbruck from the Stubaier Gletscher.

This is the entrance to Kristallwelten (Crystal World) outside Innsbruck. This is a unique museum of crystal creations by the world famous Swarovski Crystal Company. The whole museum is underground beneath the mound you see in the picture.

Here we are back at Burghausen.
This is a backside view of the Burghausen castle.

This is looking into the main square of Burghausen.

This is a view of Burghausen, Germany as you cross into it from the Austrian side.

This is the bridge at Burghausen that crosses the Salzach River (the same river that runs through Salzburg, Austria). On the left of the yellow spot is Germany. On the right is Austria.

The Rathaus (city hall) of Burghausen.

We are now in Salzburg, Austria, and the home of Mozart. This is his birthplace. Mozart is the main attraction of Salzburg among Europeans, but 70% of other world visitor's come here because of The Sound Of Music.

This is a McDonald's in Salzburg.

This is the actual gazebo used in the filming of The Sound Of Music. The interior dance scene was created at a studio, as this gazebo was too small. It was originally located at the Leopoldskron Castle (see pictures further down), but was moved here to the Hellbrunn Palace for permanent display.

Tulips at Hellbrun.

More tulips.

A group taking their Maypole to be erected on May Day. (This was on a Salzburg street.)

The Leopoldskron Castle. This was used as the home of Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. They had lemonade on the balcony, and the children upset the canoe just in the lake just in front. This building is now part of Harvard University for the Salzburg Seminars in American Studies.

A view from the castle side. You can see this view in the background during scenes from The Sound of Music.

Another view of Leopoldskron Castle.

The village of St. Wolfgang on the Wolfgangsee. Most lakes in Germany and Austria end in ..see. This was on the Sound of Music tour, and can be seen in the opening "fly over" scenes in the movie.

Another view of the village of St. Wolfgang.

The cathedral at Mondsee, Austria. This is where the wedding scene between Maria (Julie Andrews) and Captain Von Trapp was filmed in The Sound of Music.

This is inside the cathedral at Mondsee.

The square at Mondsee. Don't know why they were flying an American flag.

A small church outside Mondsee.

Along the road of the Sound of Music tour.

Salzburg looking over the Salzach River.

Relaxing along the Salzach River.

Mirabell Garden in Salzburg. Part of Sound of Music was filmed here.

Salzburg looking toward the castle. This was taken from the Modern Art Museum which is on a hill overlooking the city. This view can be scene in The Sound of Music when they are doing "Do, Re, Mi".

Salzburg, with the Salzach River.

Another overview of Salzburg.

A street musician who happened to be quite excellent.

A closeup of a fountain. This is the fountain that Julie Andrews splashes the horses during singing "I Have Confidence".

The Dome Cathedral...the main cathedral in Salzburg.

The Dome at the Dome Cathedral.

This was horse washing fountain. They used to do that when horses were as valuable as cars. This fountain can be seen in The Sound of Music.

Horses and buggies.

Another view of horses and buggies in Salzburg. We took a tour in one of these.

We happened upon a ceremony honoring the volunteer firemen of Salzburg.

The band at the volunteer firemen ceremony.

Wisteria at the Mirabell Garden.

Mozart's residence as an adult.

The statue of Mozart in Salzburg.

An ominous statue in Salzburg.

Here is another "living" statue.

Berchtesgaden, Germany. It is near Salzburg, which is right on the German border, and so we detoured there on our way to other parts of Austria. It is the town in which the government of Austria signed papers to cede to the Nazis before WWII.

Berchtesgaden, Germany

Hallstatt, Austria...one of the most beautiful villages we visited, therefore there are several pictures from here. It is on the Halstattersee (lake), and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hallstatt.

A waterfall that comes down through the middle of Hallstatt.

The town square of Hallstatt.

A couple of shops in Hallstatt.

Another view of Hallstatt.

Hallstatt

A view across the lake from Hallstatt.

Overlooking the Hallstatt area from the top of a funicular (cable railway).

A view from Hallstatt.

Another view of Hallstatt.

Along a back street in Hallstatt. We saw very many piles of firewood similar to this (up against buildings), and just out in the open.

This is Hallstatt's Maypole.

Across the roofs of Hallstatt.

A view near Kaprun, Austria.

A view from our gasthof (guest house) in Kaprun.

A scene near Kaprun, Austria.

A waterfall and mountain goat feeding station near the entrance to the Grossglockner Road.

Near the top of the Grossglockner Road. The Grossglockner-Hochalpenstrasse Road was constructed in the 1930's merely as a tourist attraction. Its highest point is 2,505 meters (8,219 feet), and its construction cost the lives of 20 men. There is a fee of 30 euros ($38.60) to drive the road.

High up in the Alps along the Grossglockner Road.

At the top of the Grossglockner Road at 2,505 meters.

A view along the road.

This is a view from the Grossglockner Road.

This is Grossglockner Mountain, the highest mountain in Austria at 3,798 meters (12,461 feet).

Here's another Maypole...this one in Heiligenblut, Austria.

Inside this cage is a vial of blood supposedly of Jesus Christ. This is in the church in Heiligenblut, Austria, and is the most sacred place in Austria. Each June thousands of people make a pilgrimage to this church.

This is the keepsafe column in which the vial of blood is displayed.

A window in the basement of the church.

The cemetary at the church in Heiligenblut.

A beautiful waterfall near Heiligenblut.

The Pustertal range (part of the Dolomites) near Lienz, Austria. On the other side of this range is Italy.

Back to Innsbruck.
A giant tree in Hofgarten in Innsbruck...notice Barbara at its base.

Hofgarten

An unusual tree in Hofgarten

Big chess set in Hofgarten

A view across the Inn River at Innsbruck.

Schloss (castle) Ambras in Innsbruck.

Another part of the castle.

A view of the castle from one of the nature trails.

The castle mascot.

This is a view from our Innsbruck Hotel...the last image from Europe.

People Pix In Europe

2006-05-15T10:46:00.000-05:00

Barbara and Mike at a Berghausen, Germany restaurant.

A couple of people who had viewed the scenic photos on this blog had asked, "Where are pictures of you?" Well...here they are.

Barbara's brother, Walt, and Barbara at a Berghausen, Germany restaurant.

Walt (Barbara's brother), Barbara and Jen (Walt's wife) at the Abbey restaurant outside Berghausen, Germany.

Mike and (a not so sure she wants to be riding in a horse drawn carriage) Barbara at Neuschwanstein, Germany.

Walt, Barbara's brother, and his wife, Jen, at Neuschwanstein, Germany.

Barbara and her brother, Walt, at Neuschwanstein, Germany.

In the restaurant on top of the Bergisel ski jump overlooking Innsbruck.

Mike on the road back from the Stubaier Glacier near Innsbruck.

Happy the food will be there soon. This was at an Italian restaurant in Innsbruck.

Barbara overcome by the wisteria at Mirabell Garden, Salzburg.

Mike and Barbara in the Mirabell Garden...Salzburg.

At the Residence Fountain in Salzburg. It is the largest baroque fountain outside Italy.

Barbara at the Hellbrunn Palace garden in Salzburg.

The Sound of Music gazebo at Hellbrunn in Salzburg.

At the Leopoldskron Castle in Salzburg.

Barbara catching some rays at Mirabell Garden in Salzburg.

Barbara in Hallstatt, Austria.

Mike in Hallstatt.

Barbara at a cafe at the top of the funicular at Hallstatt, Austria.

This was taken in a cafe at the top of Grossglockner Road.

This was taken coming off of the Grossglockner Road. It was a beautiful waterfall.

Europe Trip: Second Series of Photos

2006-05-14T12:48:00.000-05:00

A view in Berchtesgaden, Germany.
Many viewers of my last group of scenic photos wanted to see more pictures of our trip, so here they are. Thank you for all the nice compliments regarding the photos, but the scenery was already there...I just pointed my camera and shot. It is well worth the effort to double click on some of these photos. It will enlarge them, and the details are much better viewed.

On a wall in the old Abbey restaurant near Berghausen, Germany.

Our hotel at Neuschwanstein, Germany...the site of Mad Ludwig's castle.

A view of a guest house across the street from our hotel with the horse and buggy ride that goes to the castle.

On the horse and buggy ride up the steep hill to Neuschwanstein Castle...Germany.

The courtyard of Neuschwanstein Castle.

An exterior view of Neuschwanstein Castle.

Within view of Neuschwanstein (Mad Ludwig's) castle is the Hohenschwangau Castle. This is a night view of it from our hotel.

A building in Oberammergau, Germany. Painting their buildings with elaborate art is a tradition there.

Back to Berghausen, Germany, and the entrance to one of the streets.

Each year, Berghausen holds a very popular jazz festival, and down one of the streets you will find these embedded in the cobblestone commemorating a participant. There are dozens of these, and each name is recognizable.

On the main square of Berghausen with the castle on the hill behind.

Back to Innsbruck.
An elaborately decorated building in Innsbruck.

The fabulous Swarovski Crystal Gallery in Innsbruck.

The electric cable car. A popular mode of public transport in Innsbruck.

An Austrian monument in Innsbruck.

An Innsbruck square.

Bergisel Olympic ski jump from the jumper's point of view...Innsbruck.

View of Innsbruck from the top of the ski jump.

Bergisel with the ski jump in the background.

View from the cable car at the Stubai Gletscher (glacier) about 10 miles outside Innsbruck. It offers 365 days a year skiing.

Barbara at Crystal World (Kristallwelten) in the village of Wattens 10km outside Innsbruck. She is standing behind the world's largest cut crystal gem.

Inside Crystal World in front of a multi-colored crystals horse.

Inside Crystal World.

Outside the Crystal World at Innsbruck.

Back again to Berghausen, Germany.

Barbara and a friend in Berghausen.

To Salzburg, and a portion of the Mirabell Garden there.

The Mirabell Garden with a view toward the Festung Fortress on the hill in the background.

The Festung Hohensalzburg...the castle overlooking Salzburg.

A film crew filming something in Residence Square in Salzburg.

Exterior of the Dome Cathedral in Salzburg.

An overall view of the volunteer firemen ceremony in Salzburg.

The view from our hotel room in Salzburg.

Another view from the window of our hotel room in Salzburg.

A view from the window of Mozart's birthplace in Salzburg.

Hallstatt, Austria.

Hallstatt main square.

Looking down from the funicular in Hallstatt.

Our guesthouse in Hallstatt. The red umbrella is the balcony of our room.

A river flowing into the Hallstattersee.

In a Hallstatt yard.

Hallstatt: Someone building a boat in their backyard.

In Hallstatt.

A gnome garden in a yard in Hallstatt.

A view from our guest house in Kaprun.

Part of the snow we experienced on the Grossglockner Road.

A view from the Grossglockner Road.

Inside the church at Heiligenblut with the white column containing Christ's blood on the left.

Another section of the cemetary at the church in Heiligenblut.

A beautiful waterfall as we came off the Grossglockner Road.

An unusual multi-trunked tree at Hofgarten in Innsbruck

At the Alpenzoo in Innsbruck, the highest elevation zoo in Europe.

Moon over Innsbruck

This is the RR station at Innsbruck.
This is also the last of the photo series of our trip to Bavaria and the Austrian Tyrol 2006.
Thanks for taking the time to view the photos.