The high point of a traveler's journey along the Romantic Road is seeing the majestic castles of King Ludwig II : the Linderhof and Neuschwanstein .  No wonder a lot of our beloved childhood fairy tales come from this part of the world as there is an ample supply of folklore, scenery, and structures to encourage these! Unfortunately, no photos are allowed inside any of the castles, credit is given to images not taken personally. Photo Taken from Google Images   * The Linderhof Palace ! While we were expecting a palace of such beauty..

The scenic town of Rothenburg , apart from being Germany's most charming, medieval village, contains one more star attraction especially for history buffs like yours truly. * What would have been any regular old building was made so much cooler with the presence of this Ducking Stool , a device used to punish dishonest traders and disorderly women. What could this building be?!

Looking like every Disney fairy tale village that ever existed,  Rothenburg  is one of the highlights of Germany's  Romantic Road , and is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. * I mean just look at that! I was half-expecting  Pinocchio  to walk-by. This is the  Plonlein , the town's most iconic (and photographed) view; shockingly and, luckily for us, empty this day.

The Romantic Road is a 350 km highway crossing numerous Bavarian cities and towns highlighting the quintessential Germanic cultural experience. Lined with castles, walls, dense forests, rolling hills, and charming villages straight out of a Brothers Grimm fairytale , the Road is one of Germany's most popular tourist attractions. * A shot of the Walls of Harburg , one of the largest and best preserved castles in Germania .

Munich , apart from being historical capital of the Kingdom of Bavaria , is also infamous for being the birthplace of the Nazi Party . It was in these streets, after the humiliating defeat at the hands of the Allies during World War I, that disenfranchised and unemployed young men started meeting regularly to debate and argue about the problems of the German people. Munich at this time was very politically charged, with communists, anarchists, liberals, and fascists arguing incessantly.  For most of the old photos found on this entry, a HUGE thanks to our friends over at  http://www.thirdreichruins.com/munich.htm * Munich's Town Hall , a beautiful landmark defaced by the disgraceful Nazi Swastika banner.

Now it won't be a trip to Munich without a stop at the mythical Hofbrauhaus , the spiritual home of beer and the world-famous Oktoberfest , an annual festival for beer lovers the world over!  * Founded in 1589 by  Wilhelm V,   Duke of Bavaria , the Hofbrauhaus is one of Munich's oldest beer halls and was the place that wrote the book on the famous and revered Bavarian Beer Purity Law.

In the planning stages of the honeymoon, Monicca and I were faced with a dilemma. Since we could only go on leave for three weeks, we had to decide between Berlin and Munich . While Berlin is one of Europe's most vibrant, trendy, and hip countries, full of nationalities and almost New York-like in terms of vibe, we ultimately decided to go with Munich, seeing as how the city was perfectly in line with our theme to visit medieval European kingdoms. * Size-wise Munich is only a third of Berlin . So while it is a city of over 1.5 million people , locals (who are very warm and friendly) like to brag that it has maintained a charming, medieval-town feel. And we agree!

Having had the pleasure of exploring three kingdoms so far ( Polish , Magyar-Hungarian , and Austrian ), we decided to take a detour to Western Europe and explore an old kingdom in one of Europe's most historically fragmented states, Germania . At its peak, the German Confederation was a loose association of 39 Germanic states including the Kingdoms of Prussia (Berlin), Saxony (Dresden), Hanover (Hanover), Wurttemberg (Stuttgart), and Bavaria (Munich).  Since we could only choose one Germanic city, we went for the area with the most castles, traditional villages, sausages, and beer, the home of the Oktoberfest , Munich ! * Arriving at the Marienplatz which has been Bavaria's main square since 1158 !