One of those things that excite me about Europe is the abundance of its history and heritage that surrounds the everyday life, especially from a time when no one can no longer ‘remember’ (seriously, no one is that old!), the time of kings and queens, prince and princesses, and their elaborate castles and palaces.

Castles and palaces are as common as churches in Europe, every city and town has one or two. In Munich, the closest and the most convenient to visit, is Schloss Nymphenburg (Numphenburg Palace) located just outside Munich’s city centre.

This is the summer palace of the Bavarian rulers from the House of Wittelsbach. Its history dates back to 1675, and built in the baroque era, known for exquisite interior decorations and heavenly paintings on the ceiling.

And it was especially nice to visit on a bright spring day, for the flowers are in full bloom in its carefully manicured (in its original layout and design) garden, and its ponds alive with swans and geese enjoying a peck about in and around the water.

I’ve never been one of those kids that dream of being a princess and living in a castle, but being in a palace still gave me a sense of awe, and this is just their summer palace! Imagine the castle! (Actually, no need to imagine, I’ve seen them. They are ridiculously amazing! I’ll save that for another post).

To get there: the the tram from Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) to Schloss Nymphenburg.

Entry: to just view the palace 6 Euros, other combination tickets available. Entry to the gardens is free.