I think we’ve all dreamt of a place to visit since childhood, for some it might be France, or Italy, but for me that was Austria. I didn’t have a specific city, or landmark in mind, I just wanted to go. To just visit the country at least once in my life. The first time we travelled to Europe, we tried to plan a drive from Zagreb, Croatia to Graz, Austria but the day we had available we ended up needing to return our rental car so it didn’t really work out. I would have to wait for another trip to Europe. So, the second time we started to plan our return, I really wanted to try to make Austria happen somehow. As we began making our plans we also wanted to visit Germany, we have some friends who live in Munich and wanted spend a few days with them. I was so surprised and happy when we got in contact they actually wanted to take us one on a road trip to Hallstatt, during our stay with them! I couldn’t believe it. I owe them the fulfillment of my childhood dream. So, I wanted to share with you guys some of the things we did during the two days we were in Munich and the little side trip we did to Austria.
Germany
We arrived in Munich on a Sunday night and were leaving that Wednesday so we had exactly two full days with our friends. Monday in Munich, Tuesday in Austria, and I must say those two days were absolutely perfect. We didn’t do a whole lot of research ahead of time, instead we allowed our friends to be our guides and it turned out amazing.
The day we spent in Munich we went to Residenz and spent the good part of the day walking around. We watched how the locals lead their lives, went to the market, and were able to enjoy all the history-rich architecture. We enjoyed that day so much. It reminded me that in a time when everything is found online, sometimes it’s okay to simply get to a new spot without a previously made plan for the day, and allow yourself to simply walk around, and get lost in the culture of the place your visiting. The best places sometimes aren’t even found online. Food, an important part of anyones vacation. Where we ate lunch was quite impressive; beautiful setting and so delicious. The name of the place was Augustiner Grobgaststätten, of course we had to have sausage, pretzels and beer, its a must. After lunch we went to Olympiapark Münchenm and we enjoyed the view of Munich from above. By far it was an amazing view. Truly gave us a taste of German culture and left us wishing for more.
Austria
The following day we went on a 2 hour drive to Austria. See, this is one of the things I love the most about Europe; a two hour drive can put you in a completely different country. The scenery from just the drive was absolutely incredible. The goal was to visit Hallstatt first and Salzburg next. We actually packed our lunch that day so we didn’t eat at any restaurant. I know for most people that may seem crazy but our focus was on seeing a new place not so much on what we were going to eat that day… Hallstatt left me speechless I have no words to describe the beauty of this place. Truly, as I’m writing this article.. like no matter what I say, or what words I try to used, no matter the amount of pictures from this place, nothing compares to what you feel when you’re there. All I kept thinking was “it’s impossible this places actually exists”. We took a boat ride on the lake and while we were peddling about (okay Carlos and Alex - our friend - were peddling), from afar we saw a little waterfall on the mountains, and decided to hike up to see if the trail made it there. Sadly it didn’t but the view was still stunning. Afterwards we drove to Salzburg, the highlight of which was Mozarts home, and the view of the cityscape from up high. What a beautiful place.
Our visit to Germany and Austria was short but enough to make us fall in love with these two countries. We feel like there is so much more to explore in both countries and we cannot wait to eventually be able to return. If you find yourself in Europe make sure to add these two beautiful places to your itinerary if the time allows you. You will end up enlightened and glad you made the effort even if its just for one day!
Article Written by: Elice Cardenas
Article Edited by: Jesse Diaz
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