May 20: The Return to Munich

Fighting off Pestilence

After our early train from Salzburg back to Munich, we checked in our luggage once again at the Wombat Hostel near the central train station in Munich and set off on the adventures planned for the last day in Munich. The group split into several groups. One visited the Munich City Museum, an eclectic exhibition that traced Munich's history from its earliest days up through the latter part of the twentieth century. Sections on art, beer, and the tumultuous twentieth century were found in the main building, with an interesting separate installation devoted to the Third Reich across the street (though the war years were once again given short shrift).

May 19: The Eagle's Nest

The Eagle's Nest

On Tuesday, we journeyed to Hitler’s Eagle's Nest (or the Kehlsteinhaus as it is known in German). We caught a bus at the Salzburg train station that took us to Berchtesgaden. There, we were picked up by the Eagle's Nest Tour and they took us up the Obersalzberg mountain. Martin Bormann, perhaps the most powerful member of the Nazi Party behind Hitler himself,  gave the Eagle's Nest to Adolf Hitler for his 50^th birthday in the summer of 1937. The Eagle's Nest cost the German state about 10 million dollars, but today it is worth about 150 million dollars. After it was built, Hitler only visited the facility 14 times, and only 6 times for personal visits. The Eagle's Nest ties into what we explored in our previous days in Germany and Austria, because the Eagle's Nest was where the Nazi leadership met and talked about the war and genocide that it perpetrated. This is ironic, because it was such an amazing and  beautiful place, but this was the place where the destruction that later drove German policies was discussed. 

May 18: Salzburg: The Old City and Festung

Getreidegasse

At the conclusion of our trip up the mountain to the Hohenwerfen fortress, we traveled back to Salzburg. The group split up and everyone had some free time to grab some dinner and explore the Old City. The most famous street in the Old City is Getreidegasse, a narrow street filled with stores, cafes, and restaurants, all of which have to use traditional metal signs to advertise their business. 

May 18: Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do-n't You Wish You Came with Us on this Sound of Music Tour?

WJU Alumni and the Sound of Music Tour

On Monday, our first full day in Salzburg, the majority of the group went gallivanting through a forest to find a fortress. But a few of us decided to stay behind to experience the original Sound of Music Tour, which was clearly the better option [ed.'s note: this is clearly open for debate].

The day began with us boarding a tour bus adorned in Sound of Music imagery – including a colossal picture of Queen Julie herself. Our enthusiastic guide began the tour in Salzburg, pointing out various locations throughout the city that were featured in the film. For example, we saw the Nonnburg Abbey, an active convent which was not only where a few scenes were filmed, but also where the real Maria Von Trapp lived. We also saw the river banks and the bridge where the children run before they sing “Do-Re-Mi.” Some other fascinating places we saw included the hotels where Julie, Christopher Plummer, and the children all stayed. Our guide shared with us stories about Christopher Plummer’s excessive partying, as well as all of the trouble the children got into when they were stuck in the hotel.

May 18: Hohenwerfen

Hohenwerfen Festung in the Mountains

After spending the night in our new hostel in Austria, we traveled by S-bahn to the Hohenwerfen fortresson the outskirts of Salzburg
which allowed us to take in amazing views of the Austrian Alps. On our hike up to the fortress, we stopped along the river to celebrate Maxi's birthday with a surprise cake and trick candles. Happy birthday Maxi! After what seemed like a 10 mile hike straight up, we finally made it to the top of the mountain where the fortress was built. The fortress, which was built in 1077 by the Salzburg Archbishop in order to protect the city, is surrounded by snow capped mountains making the hike well worth the effort.

May 17: From Nuremberg to Salzburg

The Main Train Station in Munich

In order to travel from Nuremberg to Salzburg, we had to switch trains in Munich. This, however, worked out as one of our group had left something behind in Munich and was able to recover the lost article, much to the relief of everyone. We then caught an Austrian train that took us to Salzburg.