Today was the day I had been looking forward to the most. After an early wake up, we headed out on the bus to Neuschwanstein Castle, a 19th-century castle located in the very south of Germany. We started the day by taking pictures from the lower area, where we had an incredible view of the Alps overlooking a beautiful lake. The scenery was absolutely unreal. Once we finished taking pictures, we grabbed some coffee to give us energy for the long hike up the mountain. At the bottom of the hill, we saw the horse carriages that visitors can take instead of hiking. Even though the walk was tiring, it was definitely worth it. When we finally made it to the top, we stopped for even more pictures, including a few of me holding the Terrible Towel with the castle in the background. After that, we headed inside the castle for our tour. I thought the castle itself was really interesting because it had a more modern feel than many of the castles I’m used to seeing. As impressive as the castle was, the views of the Alps were the highlight of the experience for me. In past years, some students got unlucky with foggy weather and couldn’t even see the mountains, so I felt really fortunate that we had such a clear day. Pictures truly don’t do the view justice, and it’s a memory I know I’ll hold onto for a long time. After the tour, we stopped halfway down the mountain for a snack. I got these powdered sugar donut balls, and they absolutely hit the spot. They were easily my favorite snack of the trip so far.

On the way back, we stopped at the Pilgrimage Church of Wies, a Roman Catholic church built in the 1750s. When we walked inside, there was a peaceful singing ceremony taking place, and it was really nice to sit and listen for a few moments. Once we finally returned to Augsburg, a few of us ended the night by playing pool at a spot near our hotel. It was the perfect way to wrap up another exhausting but unforgettable day.