The Ultimate Bavaria and Austria Itinerary: Neuschwanstein, Oberammergau, and Eisriesenwelt | Week Two with my best friends
This is a continuation of my previous post TWO WEEKS WITH MY BEST FRIENDS – WEEK ONE.
After some much needed sleep, we started Saturday by exploring the tiny, picturesque village, Bebenhausen, close to Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, famous for Bebenhausen Abbey. This peaceful 12th century, beautifully preserved medieval Cistercian monastery sits quietly in the countryside like it has been patiently waiting for visitors for hundreds of years.
At Bebenhausen Abbey, I caught myself slowing down in a way I don’t often allow back home. No rushing. No checking the time. No mental list running in the background. Just gravel under our shoes, ancient stone walls, and the quiet hum of nature doing its thing. It’s funny how a place that old can make you feel so present. Like the world has been spinning for centuries just fine without your to-do list.
You do not realize how quickly a place starts to feel familiar until you are already packing your bag to leave it. By the time we were heading into the second half of this trip, the roads felt less foreign, the signs slightly more readable, and our little routine of coffee stops, playlists, and backseat commentary had become second nature. Somewhere between the castles and pit stops (you have to pay to use the restrooms, btw), we had found a rhythm.
That evening ended with the most delicious dinner at Tokyo Sushi Bar Böblingen, the cutest little sushi restaurant in Böblingen. Cozy. Fresh. Perfect. You will start to notice a theme this week. We are absolutely foodies at heart.
Sunday was a day of family time, laundry, and repacking for the next leg of our adventure.
A Windy, Rainy Road Trip to Bavaria’s Most Famous Castle
Monday greeted us with wind, cold, and rain, and not one of us cared. We loaded up the car early, turned the music up, and hit the road toward Bavaria. Rain streaked across the windows while we sang and hummed off key to songs from our past, drank way too much caffeine, and had inappropriate conversations like teenagers on a field trip. There is something deeply comforting about being in a car with two people who have known you through every version of yourself.
A few hours later, we arrived at the breathtaking Neuschwanstein Castle. Perched in the foothills of the Alps near the Austrian border, this fairytale castle inspired Disney’s Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty castles. Commissioned by King Ludwig II in 1869, construction stopped shortly after his mysterious death in 1886. He only lived there for 172 days. Soon after, the unfinished castle was opened to the public to help pay off the massive construction debt.
Seeing Neuschwanstein in person felt almost unreal, like my brain could not quite compute that something so whimsical actually exists outside of a movie set. We stood there longer than necessary, taking photos we will probably never delete, trying to capture a feeling that pictures cannot quite hold. It’s not just the castle. It’s the scale of it. The setting. The way it sits against the mountains like it belongs in a dream.
A Hallmark Movie Called Oberammergau
From there, we made our way to the most adorable little town of Oberammergau and checked into Parkhotel Sonnenhof Oberammergau.
This town looks exactly like a Hallmark Christmas movie set. Painted buildings, flower boxes everywhere, mountain air, and a peaceful innocence that honestly felt foreign compared to the pace we are used to back home.
We strolled the streets, took entirely too many pictures, and had dinner at Hafner Stuben Oberammergau before heading back for the night.
The next morning, a soft blanket of fog hovered over the village. I sat on the balcony longer than I probably should have, wishing we had just one more day there. The hotel breakfast, if you wanted it, they had it. Do you notice the theme? Food.
Oberammergau stole my heart in a quieter way. It was not grand or dramatic. It was gentle. The painted buildings, the flower boxes, the stillness in the morning fog. It all felt like a deep exhale. Sitting on that balcony, swaddled in a blanket against the crisp morning air, I remember thinking I could stay here and be perfectly content doing absolutely nothing.
Partnach Gorge vs. My Hair
After breakfast, we loaded up and headed to Partnach Gorge in Garmisch Partenkirchen. Over centuries, the river carved a dramatic canyon through the alpine rock creating this impressive gorge. The roar of the water, the slick stone pathways, the mist clinging to everything (including my hair). Let’s just say Europe and my hair were at odds this entire trip. It was wild and beautiful and slightly chaotic. (The gorge that is. My hair was just wild and chaotic.) Which, honestly, felt on brand for this trip. We were constantly moving between peaceful and adventurous, calm and hilarious, planned and completely winging it.
On the walk back to the car, I absolutely had to stop and talk to the sheep grazing nearby. “Byyyyyye byyyyyye.” I know. I could not help myself.
We made a quick stop at the Olympic Ski Stadium Garmisch Partenkirchen and I was once again reminded that balance and coordination are not gifts I possess. Me attempting to ski would be either hysterical or catastrophic. I am not a cold weather person, so that will remain a mystery.
Pretzels, Cheese, and Berchtesgaden
By evening, we reached Berchtesgaden and had dinner at Gasthof Neuhaus Berchtesgaden, a traditional Bavarian restaurant. Pretzels, cheese, soup, ribs, fries, and wine. Exactly what the day required.
A nightcap followed at Watz at Berchtesgaden on the stroll back to our hotel. Clinking glasses, dim lighting, and that unmistakable feeling of being pleasantly exhausted from a full day. There’s a special kind of tired that only comes from travel. The kind where your body is done, but your heart is still wide awake.
The next morning, pastries and cappuccinos in hand, we headed to Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle’s Nest). The tunnel. The polished brass elevator. The panoramic views. The history here is heavy. Built by the Nazi Party in 1938 for Hitler’s 50th birthday, but today it serves as a restaurant and viewpoint with one of the most incredible vistas in the Alps.
Salt Mines, Hangry Decisions, and European McDonald’s
A stop at the Salzburg Salt Mine turned out to be unexpectedly fun. Coveralls. Mine train. Wooden slides. And crossing between Germany and Austria underground. Who knew?
We attempted to visit Eisriesenwelt Ice Cave, but time was not on our side.
And then the hanger hit. When one of us is hangry, we are all angry. We had to be at the gondola by 4:30 PM. There was no time to sit down somewhere and enjoy a meal. So yes, we went to McDonald’s Salzburg. European McDonald’s is not the McDonald’s we know. Bakery. Café. Shockingly good.
Sleeping on Top of a Mountain
We were staying at Berghotel Schmittenhöhe, 2,000 meters up. The only way there is by gondola. Paragliders launching off the mountain. A sunset that did not feel real. Silence. Peace. Absolute serenity.
I felt overwhelming gratitude. Not just for the views or the experiences, but for the friendships. For the years behind us. For the ability to still say “yes” to adventures like this.
The Ice Cave and 700 Steps My Lungs Were Not Prepared For
We returned to Eisriesenwelt Ice Cave in Werfen. No electricity. Lanterns only. And as I climbed those 700 steps inside the ice cave, my lungs protesting and legs questioning my life choices, I realized something: this trip wasn’t just about seeing beautiful places. It was about reminding ourselves that we’re still capable of doing hard, fun, spontaneous things together.
One Last Dinner Before Goodbye
The long drive back to Stuttgart ended with dinner at La Toscana Böblingen. The sweetest family. The best Italian food. The perfect ending.
The next morning, we said our goodbyes, caught the train to the airport, and headed home with full hearts and very full bellies.
This was the best birthday I could have imagined. Spent with my best friends, exploring castles, caves, mountain tops, and more food than I care to admit.
These two weeks felt like a love letter to friendship, curiosity, and saying yes to the world while we still can.
CURIOUS MINDS WANT TO KNOW
If you could grab your best friends and disappear to one place in the world tomorrow, where would you go… and are they the ‘let me grab my bag’ type of friends, or would they need convincing?
