Germany

Located in the heart of Europe, Germany was our 4th stop on our trip! On our way from Austria, we stopped by a wholesale micronutrient producer and salt mine, both located in idyllic little German towns.

We stayed 6 days in Munich, the capital of the southern German state of Bavaria. Bavaria is known widely for its wonderful beers, brewed in accordance with a centuries-old purity law -- we were able to tour the world-famous Weihenstephan brewery and learn about every step of the beer brewing process and taste their awesome lineup of lagers! As usual, we toured several universities and learned about the similarities and differences in student life between Gainesville and Europe.

In Munich, we were given another free day. I decided to visit the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. Dachau concentration camp was one of the first and most prolific concentration camps during WWII; the time I spent at this solemn site was extremely poignant and deeply reflective.

Later during our stay, we took a walking tour of the city center and grabbed lunch (and a liter of beer) at the Viktualienmarkt. Afterwards, we hopped on the tram to a small high-tech science museum and wandered around a beautiful botanical garden.

On our way out of Germany, we (literally) tip-toed our way through a barefoot path in a small German town, which was equal parts painful and rewarding. We also stopped at the Tegelburg, which is a mountain more than 6000 feet tall! Many snowballs were thrown here.