Day 16: Munich to Salzburg

Today started out with a fairly solemn visit to the Dachau Concentration Camp, which is just 20 minutes by train outside of Munich. It was a visit I'm glad I made, but it really is impossible to put into words how I felt being here and walking through the infamous “Arbeit macht frei” (Freedom through Work) gate was surreal.

 

In 1933, just a few weeks after Hitler had been appointed Reich Chancellor, a concentration camp was established for political prisoners. It stood for over 12 years and during it's existence over 200,000 persons from all over Europe were imprisoned here and in numerous subsidiary sites. Survivors were finally liberated on April 29, 1945 (oddly enough on my birthday, which felt a little surreal when I heard it on the audio guide). The Memorial Site of Dachau was established in 1965.

 

 

Dachau itself is quite a picturesque town and it's hard to believe the things that happened at this place made it the 'parent' camp or the 'Academy of Terror' that was the role model for the acts of brutality that were witnessed during WWII committed by the Third Reich.

 

 

After leaving Dachau, it was back to Munich to collect my luggage and make my way to the train station for the trip to Salzburg.It was a really pretty journey and I arrived in Salzburg around 5pm. I easily found my hotel which was quite close to the station. The best thing about my hotel – it has the Sound of Music on 24 hours a day. Brilliant!!!!