Future POIs - Neuschwanstein [Munich, Germany]

I initially thought that I would keep the posts without pictures, but it doesn't seem to give you much besides whatever details I decide to write.  So, I'm just going to post one or two pictures based on the POI and just reference where I got the picture (unless I'm told to take it down).

From Wikipedia

Neuschwanstein (originally named New Hohenschwangau but renamed after King Ludwig II's death) is a famous castle in Munich, Germany which is said to have been the inspiration behind the Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle.  The castle itself was built by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat castle.

The castle wasn't actually complete since King Ludwig II had to take out massive loans to build (the exterior is complete but the interior is not).  It actually got to the point where he was trying to borrow more money but was ousted by the government.  Shortly after he was ousted, he was found died.  After he died, the palace was open to the public to paying visitors in order to pay off the construction loans.  It took 13 years (1886 - 1899) before this happened.

Here are some interesting stats on this castle.  It took almost 15 years to build (1869 - 1884), and was built on the ruins of two previous castles.  It was expected to have over 200 interior rooms but in the end, only 15 rooms and halls were completed.  In total, there is a total floor space of 65,000 sq. ft.  Opened to the public since 1886, over 61 million people have visited the castle.  More than 1.3 million annually and as many as 6,000 per day in the summer.

Operating hours and admission prices are subject to change, but for when we expect to go this September, it will be 12 euros and it includes a guided tour of the castle (35 minutes).

Be sure to visit Marienbrücke for a photo-op of the castle and landscape.  It is a bridge built in the 1850s as a birthday gift to Maximillian II's consort Marie.  Built high above the Pöllat Gorge.

From Wikipedia

No photographs allowed instead the castle.

Future POIs - Arrowhead Provincial Park [Huntsville, Ontario]

Later this month, we will be heading up to Arrowhead Provincial Park to go skating.  Yes, it is a long drive to just go skating, but in the wintertime they freeze a section of the park so that you can go skating through the forest in a roughly 1.5km skating loop.  As a bonus, during some Fridays/Saturdays, you can do night skating where the path is lit by tiki lanterns.  Sounds like it will be interesting.

Along with this, they also have free snowtubing (at least for winter 2014/2015), snowshoe trails and cross country skiing.  Don't worry if you don't have equipment because they provide rentals for all the activities listed.

In the summertime, they have canoe, kayak, and mountain bike rentals!

Future POIs - Marienplatz [Munich, Germany]

I haven't done a lot of traveling and when I do, while it is interesting to see sites, I have a feeling that I would better understand and appreciate them if I did some prior research to get an idea of what makes the site so important and why should people visit them.

Later this year we will be going to Europe to visit Germany, Austria, and Czech Republic and I thought I would begin with some points of interest here.

Marienplatz is a central square in Munich Germany and has been the city's main square since 1158.  In this central square, there is a Marian column which was built in 1638 to celebrate the end of Swedish occupation and the end of the plague (which is commonly why these columns were built).

Besides the column, there is both the New City Hall (Neues Rathaus) on the north and the Old City Hall on the east (Altes Rathaus).  The New City Hall was build between 1867 and 1908 and contains 400 rooms!  Be sure to take the lift to the top of the tower for a nice view of the surrounding area.  You will notice that there are two tunnels that go through the Old City Hall.  This was a renovation that occurred due to increased road traffic in 1877 which completed destroyed the original ground level of the building.

Be sure to visit at 11:00am daily.  A Rathaus-Glockenspiel is part of New City Hall and every day at 11:00am, there is a show that re-enacts two stories from the 16th century which consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures!  The show is approximately 12 - 15 minutes in length.  It looks like something you would see in a music box or some cuckoo clocks.

Along with the historic buildings, there a lot of shops and restaurants where you can sit down and just watch tourists and locals alike just walking around.

Be sure to come back every Monday when I talk another future point of interest.