Day 3 started bright and early! We left the hotel for our first company tour at Hoerbiger a little after 7 in the morning. The tour was great! Hoerbiger is a German company which specializes in the production of machine parts. In particular, Hoerbiger produces compression and drive components, including safety shutoff valves for pipelines and gears for automobile transmissions. The level of automation at their manufacturing plants was incredible, and was breathtaking to see working in action.

Hoerbiger’s involvement in the manufacturing of transmission components is significant. As the market moves more towards electric vehicles (which don’t require transmissions), Hoerbiger will have to adjust their business model to accommodate to changing demand. Seeing the real-world problems that corporations face in-person was intriguing.

Following the Hoerbiger tour, we went to Oberammergau to explore the German Alps! Now from living in Pennsylvania I’ve seen my fair share of mountains. However, the German Alps were more physically imposing than any other landscape I’ve ever seen. These mountains were MASSIVE! Oberammergau in general stood in stark contrast to what I’ve already seen in Augsburg. The area was completely rural, as opposed to the city streets and train cars of the city. This is very different from the US, where cities are typically surrounded by large, urbanized towns and suburbs. I honestly prefer this rural landscape here in Germany. It’s charming, beautiful, and clean!

After visiting the Alps, we explored the small town at the foot of the mountains. I was able to stop in a nice little store which sold German Christmas decorations. At the store, I purchased gifts for my family back home (I can’t say what I bought because they’re likely reading this). I also purchased my first stein! Overall, today was a lot of fun. The days here keep getting better and better. I’m loving every minute of this trip, and as you can probably tell, I cannot wait for what tomorrow has in store. I’ll see you all tomorrow!