Castles in Germany and Slovenia

Justin and Sarah are visiting a lot of castles and they will end their European vacation with a stay at a castle in Dublin.  They've been taking trains through the countryside and visited Neuschwanstein Castle in Southwest Bavaria, Germany.  Didn't the dark clouds give it an eerie Dracula's Castle-like look?

Justin & Sarah at Neuschwanstein Castle

After visiting the castle, they took an overnight train to Lake Bled in Slovenia, arriving at 6 AM.  They were able to check right into their hotel overlooking the lake and they had a beautiful, sunny day for exploring this glacial lake in the Julian Alps in northwestern Slovenia.  The lake surrounds Bled Island which has several buildings, the main one being the Pilgrimage Church of the Assumption of Mary, built in the 15th century, where weddings are held regularly. The church has a 52 m (171 ft) tower and there is a stairway with 99 steps leading up to the building. Traditionally it is considered good luck for the groom to carry his bride up the 99 steps on the day of their wedding before ringing the bell and making a wish inside the church.

Lake Bled and the island

Medieval Bled Castle in the background, swans in the foreground

Snow on the ground

Boat ride to Bled Island

Lake Bled Island and Pilgrimage Church

Justin checking out those ancient 99 steps!

Next stop, Dubrovnik, on the Adraitic Sea coast of Croatia.  As a huge fan of the HBO series Game of Thrones, Justin is most excited to visit this city which is the location of King's Landing in the series.  For any GoT fans, HERE's a site "Winter is Coming" that shows the location sites and a preview of what Justin and Sarah will be seeing in Dubrovnik.