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On the road again..., that part of a well known country
song is the right introduction to our today visited town. Schongau, another
station at the Romantic Street. You remember that nice road from Fuessen
on foot of the Alps till Wuerzburg? Have you
made the last travel stop in Landsberg at the
river Lech or my short trip to Dinkelsbuehl?
If not, you should do, that are similar nice places at the Romantic Street
in Bavaria.
Just comparing the last named town with Schongau we have
a lot of similarities. You will find in Schongau also a nearly complete town
wall from the Middle Ages including five towers. But seeing that nice town,
located on a hill, on the bavarian site with the river Lech, you will find,
that all five towers are only on the western part of the townwall. This side
was in the earlier times the dangerous one, enemies are coming only from there,
the eastern country was Bavaria and sure.
With my airportshuttle service I will wait for you at Munich
airport Franz-Josef-Strauss and then we can start your travel to Schongau by
highways and federal streets.
One possibility will be going over Starnberg,
passing through Weilheim and reaching on the B 2 that town. The other way could
be using the highway Munich-Lindau till Landsberg, then over the federal street
B 17 straight to Schongau. And there will be third chance.
We can use the highway Munich-Lindau till Gilching,
take then a road through some small villages and go around the Ammersee in
direction Schongau. You see, many ways and all of them with lovely views in
the Upper Bavaria landscape lead to this central located town. Naturally you
can use trains or bus to get there.
It's worth, believe me, because the old Romans used this
town also in reason of trading and vacation. Traders from everywhere in Europe
had passed Schongau in the past centuries, what they had leave there on money
you can see by the marvellous restaurated citizen houses. And all town mayors
were clever enough to keep the old center in the walls. Schongau still have
some industry but in the area around, so everything is original and nice. 28
years ago some building workers found a big coin treasure in a stone pot dating
back to the year 1372. In that time some armies of the Swabia Town Union tried
to conquer Schongau so one (surely big fat ) merchant was so afraid to loose
his money so he digged it in earth. Perhaps he died, flewed or forgot the place,
nobody knows it, but his coins are still alive now in the town museum.
And nearly the whole district around Schongau is a natural
and cultural museum. Within 30 till 45 minutes you can reach the world famous
King's castles Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau.
The famous church on the gras, the Wieskirche (my picture below), is in the
same distance.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Oberammergau
are very near, the big towns Munich and Augsburg you can visit after a one-hour-drive,
going west there are two pearls of the Allgaeu, the old town Kaufbeuren
and the region center Kempten. So you have another
good centralized starting point as a vacationeer for a lot of visits and activities.
Being active keeps body and mind, that's the slogan of our times. What will
be a vacation without the possibilty to have some wellness oby sports? There
are plenty of. Just 10 minutes far away you can go jumping with parachutes
or paragliding (there you have to drive half an hour). Swimming or only bathing
offer the river Lech and the near Ammersee or
Starnberger See.
Biking roads, climbing mountains soft and heavy, catching
some fishes, sailing on the lakes, and and and. Schongau is a town with an
excellent mix for vacation and the best, it's not overcrowded like other well
known places in Bavaria. The prices are economic and the food in the restaurants
you will like too. If you are on business travel in that area, a rest will
be lovely there.
Below the story about the lineage Welf, they are still ruling
a kingdom today, the British one, you find the contact points of the town Schongau.
But now to family Welf. There is an old tale how this family became so much
flat and richness.
The golden plough
On the hill contrary to the town there was once the castle
of the Welf. They lead their roots back to Odoaker, the destroyer of the Roman
Empire. In the years around 800 after Jesus Christ there were on that castle
a Welf named Warin, his son Etticho has the nickname Isenbart (iron beard)
and the wife of Etticho should have born 12 children on the same day. One of
these children, his name was Henry Welf, was a good knight and fighter. So
the cesar Arnulph wanted to get him as a vassal. So he offered him land in
a special kind of rent.
The knights in these old times mostly liked to be free
men and they are satisfied with their own flat. So the cesar's offer was not
much interesting Henry first. But the cesar wanted him strongly and so he added
his offer in such case, that all flat Henry can pull around with a plough on
one day will be his.
Now you must know the people of Bavaria are brave, strong,
friendly, liking beer and good food in all times and they are and were very
clever and smart. Henry thought about this new aspect, went to his blacksmith
and let him made a plough from gold, but so small, that he can carry him in
his pocket. Then he send a lot of employes with horses in the region. As every
thing was prepared he started a horse ride like a lightning, stopping only
on the places where the fresh horses were waiting and so he surrounded on one
day a huge area with his plough (in the pocket).
Although it was a trick the cesar did not want lose his
face and gave him the flat he'd surrounded. Henry was happy and after that
the vassal of the cesar. But his father Etticho was mad about losing the status
of a free knight. So he never wanted see his "unlikely" son and moved
in the district of the Ammergau (that's near Garmisch). People said he was
the founder of the monastery of Ettal.
So, coming back to presence I promised you the contact possibilities
for Schongau. Here they are. You can mail to the nice ladies of the Tourist
Information or you visit the homepage of the nice and lovely
town Schongau.
The picture shows you the best place in Schongau to meet
people and have a wonderful time. After the sun let glow the peaks of the Alps,
the lights on the Marienplace warm up the hearts and minds while having some
drinks for the night - it's a marvellous travel point, that town Schongau.
If you need a transportation with convenience, you know,
your personal airportshuttle waits for you. Hope to see you soon, your George.
Script by J.W.Lohfink, for any mistakes in
spell or grammar I apologize as a precaution, corrections, questions or comments
please mail to me.
>> German version
And last but not least, if you like to search on my page
more or in the internet,
then you'll find at the bottom the marvellous search-help
by Google.
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