I wanted to visit this tiny principality because not yet been there. I was also interested in seeing this famous tax haven. The scenery was beautiful. All the houses and gardens were so spotlessly clean. I had reserved two hotel rooms with the mountain view but unfortunately the weather was rainy and misty - nebelig. From the balcony we could only see some houses and the church of the village. But the hotel was cozy and we had a nice walk around the village. By car we went to have a dinner in the heart of the mountains close to ski lifts.
The next day we moved to the capital of Lichtenstein were we had a reserved apartment. It was a short but winding road down the hill. Soon the view was great! Petri and Antti rent bikes and discovered the area on bicycles while I visited local museums and had walks around the city. There were many interesting and beautiful statues outdoor because of the art happening of the year. They were made by artists from many countries. I also walked up the hill to admire the castle.
In the evening we went together to the city which had the annual celebration. The city was crowded and many were drunk but there were also families and street artists. At the end we were astonished by the fire works which were repeated ten times. Not just one show but ten! Lichtenstein could afford.
Another day we went back to the village where we had started. The scenery was amazing! We saw the whole valley and the mountains! Across the river there was Switzerland where we drove a couple of times during this visit because there were also interesting places to visit and good restaurants and cafes. On both countries we saw and heart the cows in the fields.
It was time to move on and we drove to Austria. On the way to Zell am See we stopped in Innsbruck to visit the ski jump tower and a lovely cafe. Finally we arrived to Zell am See which was packed-out with muslims. There were many women in black burkas. What was happening? At the reception we were told that this was a popular place for them to celebrate ramada. It was very noisy late by night. Two days and they were gone.
One of the first places to visit was Kitzteinhorn, in 3029 meters. To reach the top we had to take the ski lift three times. I had to buy new gloves to keep fingers warm. Next winter I can¨wear them back at home. The tips of the mountains were covered by clouds, so we could not admire the scenery. But we saw snow and rocks and the air was very thin to breath.
Zell am See celebrated the summer festival and the restaurant of our hotel was full of guests because its food was excellent. Unfortunately the weather was rainy, so Petri and I went back to our room but Antti went to see the water show. During the day we had seen the biggest waterfalls in Europe, Krimmler Waterfalls and walked a lot, so the rainy evening outside was not attractive.
The fantastic day we spent by driving on the famous panarama road of Grossglockner. First it was very misty. It was like in the fary tale when we passed Hexenküche, witch's kitchen. On the top, in 2504 meters, we could not see far away, so no panorama of the Austrian mountains. But we decided to drive forward and suddenly the sky was clear and we could admire the scenery of mountains. We also wondered the glacier that had shrinked a lot in a short period. It told its story about climate warming.
From Zell am See we travelled to Germany to visit Kehlsteinhaus, the Eagle's Nest in 1834 meters. This place had a very special location. Now I can watch historical documents with different mind. The museum and bunkers at the base of the moutain were also interesting to study.
The last night we spent in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. We had the dinner at the local, traditional restaurant. Petri and Antti enjoyed Schweinshaxe, for me there was nothing suitable. The soup that I took was too salty and heavy, like sauce. We enjoyed the traditional music and dance. Luckily later we found a nice place where to enjoy cheese cake and tea.
The last day we wanted to see the beautiful castle of Neuschwannstein. The place was full of tourists. We arrived quite early, before the big crowds. However, we could not get the tickets in our schedule. So we admired the castles outside. Before reaching the airport we went for a short visit in Dachau, the place of dead and suffering. It's the dark part of human history to build this kind of concentration camp. It was the first one in Germany but there were more many and as well extermination camps in Germany and other countries. The network of this kind of camps was essential part of totalitarian ideology.
