PTM // Contiki: Day 15 - Hopfgarten to Munich

This morning we awoke to another great breakfast at Haus Lukas. On the menu today was Pancakes, toast, yogurt, and pretty much everything else we had yesterday. I can’t complain, it’s the best food we’ve had all trip! It gives you a great start to your morning.

After breakfast we loaded up the coach to head to Munich! Our first stop on the way to Munich was only about 45 minutes from Hopfgarten. Before leaving Austria, we had to see the Swarovski Factory here in Austira! The girls were freaking out due to excitement of being able to visit the actual Swarovski Factory. I was just envisioning the prices the whole time. We unloaded the coach and headed inside for a closer look. We had an hour to waste so I walked around the shop a bit and window shopped. Supposedly the prices are lower than the actual retail value, but I wouldn’t know the difference. All I know is that that stuff is crazy expensive!

After daydreaming of my trip to Europe ending today due to being absolutely broke, I decided to walk towards the exit. We all loaded the bus and now we’re headed to Munich. Our next stop will be Dachau?, a concentration here in Germany. I’m really looking forward to visiting the concentration camp because I was hoping to be able to make it to Krakow later this summer to see Auschwitz.

We arrived at Dachau and walked about 5 minutes until we arrived at the entrance. The words in german on the iron gate to enter Dachau say: Arbeit Macht Frei which means with work comes freedom. I will only say that Dachau is a place that you need to experience for yourself. I won’t get into it because explaining the camp doesn’t do it justice. We watched a 30 minute film about Dachau after walking through different parts of the camp. Dachau admission is free, and everything inside is free, including the 30 minute video in the theatre. This is a must see if you’re in the area.

We left Dachau and headed to our hotel. Hotel Apart in Munich, Germany. The rooms were really nice, beds were somewhat comfy and the although the hotel was about 25 minutes drive from the city, the metro was just 2 minutes walk from the front door of the hotel.

After checking in and dropping our bags we had about 25 minutes to get ready to head into Munich. We took the bus in and headed to one of the most famous beer halls in the world called the Hofbrauhaus. It was a great time. We had dinner, and 1 Liter beers! Insanity! I had Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes for dinner, and although I thought it would be disghusting, it was actually great. Or maybe it was the giant beers that made it taste better? Who knows…