I’m a little embarrassed to say, Ben and I returned from our vacation a few weeks ago, and I finally feel like I’m all caught up! There was so much to do when we returned home… but now, I officially feel like I can breathe again!
It’s still hard to believe we celebrated our anniversary in Europe! Throughout our entire trip, I kept thinking to myself, “Try to remember this moment fully!” Pictures just can’t do some of these places justice, and every moment was worth savoring. After all, you only celebrate your 3rd wedding anniversary once! Today, I’m going to do my very best to review the places we stayed and visited during our trip — in case you’re curious or planning a trip of your own!
Munich, Germany
Our journey began in Munich, Germany. I can still remember being so sleep-deprived and flying over Germany in the morning. It was breathtaking, and it was so cool to think about everyone going about their daily lives in the city. We spent 5 days in Germany, so we had an opportunity to explore and become familiar with the city, which was awesome, and something I hope to do more while traveling!
Where We Stayed: Relexa Hotel München
Where We Visited: Marienplatz, Dachau Concentration Camp, Hitler and Third Reich Walking Tour, Nymphenburg Schloss, and Englsicher Garten.
Day 1: On Monday, we built in a “do anything” day because we weren’t sure how tired we would be after our long flight. We explored Marienplatz, climbed all of the steps of Alter Peter (Not for the faint of heart!), watched the glockenspiel, and of course, had lots of pretzels!
Day 2: On Tuesday, we traveled by train to Dachau Concentration Camp. We spent the entire day there, reading and learning about its history.
Day 3: On Wednesday, we visited Nymphenburg Palace, which was so incredibly beautiful! There are botanical gardens beside the castle, and it was the most colorful, beautiful place!
Day 4: On Thursday, we visited the English Garden. We brought our swimsuits to swim in the river, we had lunch in the garden, and we watched people surf, too!
Salzburg, Austria
Where We Visited: Mozart’s Birthplace, St. Peter Stiftskeller, and the historic city center.
Day 5: On Friday, we traveled by train to Salzburg, Austria! It was a rainy day, which was actually kind of fun! We visited a very old monastery, a very old cemetery, and a very old restaurant — so the rainy weather made our day trip a little spooky!
Prague, Czech Republic
The second leg of our vacation brought us to Prague, Czech Republic. I’ve got to be honest: after one week in Europe, I was already satisfied and happy to have traveled there. Arriving in another country for an additional week was such an awesome feeling. It was like double the vacation excitement. Prague is a beautiful, walkable, historic city… and I’d absolutely love to go back!
Where We Stayed: Hotel Josef Prague
Where We Visited: Old Town, Prague Castle, Mala Strana, Cesky Krumlov, Jewish Quarter, and Saxon Switzerland National Park.
Day 6: On Saturday, after a 30-minute flight from Munich (I know, embarrassingly fast! I put my headphones in to listen to a podcast, and then… took my headphones out, because we were landing.) we arrived in Prague at 4:00 PM! The kind man who drove us to our hotel gave us an overview of the city on our 30-minute car ride, which was so helpful! After freshening up and unpacking, we walked to the city center, Praha 1. While my knowledge of German helped us to get by in Germany, neither of us had any knowledge of Czech. We were worried at first, but not knowing the language actually made everything a bit more exciting.
Day 7: On Sunday, we visited Prague Castle and the surrounding area. The Prague Castle grounds are home to St. Vitus Cathedral, which was the most beautiful man-made structure I have ever seen. The stained glass windows, the detailed architecture… it was stunning. It’s both a blessing and a curse that I wasn’t able to take pictures: a blessing, because I savored every second of being inside the cathedral, and a curse, because I can’t share it with you!
Day 8: On Monday, we spent time walking the Old Town and Mala Strana. Everything is so walkable, so we just explored block by block, ate at a variety of restaurants, and just took our time enjoying the city. The Astronomical Clock is a major sight to see in Prague’s Old Town. While touristy, it is definitely a must-see!
Day 9: On Tuesday, we took a day trip to Cesky Krumlov. Cesky Krumlov is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, because it’s so well-preserved. It was so old, so pretty, and filled with so much character. While there, we toured the castle, and I took a much, much-needed nap on the bus ride back to Prague!
Day 10: On Wednesday, we walked to the Jewish Quarter, which was very close to our hotel. We toured the synagogues, learned about Jewish history… we learned so much, and it was an emotionally impactful day.
Day 11: On Thursday, we took a day trip to Saxon Switzerland National Park, which was beyond beautiful! It was a very long, tough hike through the hills, but when we reached the top, it was absolutely incredible.
Day 12: On Friday, we spent one final day exploring Prague, doing all of the things we said “We should come back here!” about! It was so, so nice to have a “slow” day, where we could people-watch and enjoy the city. We watched musicians in the Old Town Square, and said “Hope to see you soon!” to the beautiful city!
Phew! Thank you so much for reading about our anniversary in Europe! I’m so, so happy we traveled to Europe for our anniversary. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip, with so many new experiences… I loved every second. If you’re planning a trip to Europe, I hope these resources help you to plan a fun and memorable trip, too!
