May 2025 Update: Erding and Munich, Germany and Belgrade, Serbia
Hi friends! It’s Linda, back with another monthly update.
I hope your May was bursting with sunshine and flowers. Our May definitely brought the sunshine, even if the temperatures were still cool, but the real highlight was spending two weeks with our daughters, Stephanie and Laura.
We kicked things off in Erding, Germany, then moved on to Munich. As if that weren’t enough joy, we got to hang out with our long-time friends, Terry and Greg, in Munich. Travel, family, and friends, it doesn’t get much better.
What We Did
In Erding with Our Girls
Erding is a small Bavarian town (population: 36,000) about an hour northeast of Munich. Its star attraction is Therme Erding, the largest thermal bath complex in Europe.
Steve and I had been dying to check it out ever since falling in love with thermal baths during our time in Budapest. Steph and Laura were equally excited, having experienced Aquaworld Budapest on a previous trip.
We spent three days luxuriating in Therme Erding, and all that relaxing wore us out. (Yes, it’s possible to be exhausted from doing absolutely nothing.)
You can read our take on the smaller, but no less impressive, Therme Bucuresti.
In Munich (With the Whole Crew)
From spa robes to sightseeing shoes, we headed to Munich for the more classic tourist experience. Terry and Greg joined us there, and we all had dinner at Hofbräuhaus, the iconic 16th-century beer hall. At lunch and dinner time the ground floor is bursting with oompah bands, clinking steins, and general Bavarian chaos, so we wisely escaped to a quieter room upstairs where the bratwurst still tasted great, and our ears survived the night.
All six of us took a day trip to Neuschwanstein Castle, about a 2–3 hour train ride from Munich. This is the castle that inspired Disneyland’s Cinderella Castle.
We booked our tickets in advance (highly recommended), and although the weather was dismal and drizzly, at least we didn’t get soaked.
The story of Neuschwanstein is fascinating. It was the passion project of King Ludwig II (1845–1886), who had a deep love for Wagnerian operas and medieval castles. He’s often referred to as “Mad King Ludwig” and met a mysterious end in 1886. Work on the castle halted after his death, and to this day, it remains unfinished but it’s still spectacular.
Back in Munich, we wandered the sprawling English Garden, which is larger than Central Park. It has trails, a massive beer garden, a nudist zone, and river surfing.
We also checked out the disappointing Midnightbazar, a nighttime flea market that oddly opens well before midnight and visited the Alte Pinakothek, an art museum full of Old Master paintings from the 14th to 18th centuries. A classy counterbalance to our spa sessions and beer hall dinner.
In Munich (Just the Two of Us)
After saying goodbye to our crew, Steve and I had a week on our own to dive deeper into Munich.
Our first stop: the New Town Hall, which we’d seen briefly on a walking tour and knew deserved a second look. This Gothic monster of a building is not just a pretty face, it’s still an active government building. But you can stroll through the halls like you work there and even ride the elevator to the top for panoramic views of the city.
We also toured Nymphenburg Palace, which I wanted to compare to Neuschwanstein Castle. While Nymphenburg doesn’t have the hilltop drama of its fairytale cousin, it’s conveniently located in the city and you’re allowed to take photos inside. We enjoyed the self-guided audio tour and spent a few leisurely hours soaking it all in.
And of course, we visited the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, just a 30-minute ride from Munich. Entry is free, and both German and English signage are plentiful. We took a tour for just €4, which lasted a surprising two and a half hours. The guide didn’t have a mic, so it was sometimes hard to hear, but it was still impactful.
We ended up returning a second time and touring on our own. There’s so much to absorb, you could easily spend a full day there.
Off to Belgrade
After nearly three months in Germany, it was time to leave the Schengen Zone. This time, we set our sights on some new-to-us Balkan cities: Belgrade and Subotica in Serbia, and Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Well, that was the plan. But a week into our Belgrade stay, our Subotica apartment got canceled. Subotica’s a small city near the Hungarian border and, honestly, finding lodging there was tricky. We weren’t eager to go through that again, so we extended our stays in Belgrade and Sarajevo by two weeks each. Luckily, both Airbnbs were still available.
Belgrade got off to a slow start. Between rainy weather, a bit of travel burnout, and more than the usual setup struggles, it took a while to hit our stride.
But we did manage to join a fantastic walking tour where we met three amazing young women traveling together, proof that travel magic strikes when you least expect it.
And now that we’ve found our groove, we’re ready to make up for lost time. Good thing we’ve got those two bonus weeks!
On the Website
It’s probably no shocker that I wrote nothing during the two weeks Steph and Laura were here. But even after they left, I still couldn’t find my mojo. The only post I managed to publish in May was our April update.
Once you fall out of a routine, it can be hard to get back into it. But I’m working on it, so stay tuned!
What’s Next?
We’ll be in Sarajevo until mid-August, and after that… who knows? Possibilities include a return to Western Europe or the U.K., maybe with a pet sit or two, or we might mix things up and head to Africa for something completely different.
One thing is locked in: on October 28th, we board the MSC Seaside for a 19-night cruise from Barcelona to Miami. Then we will spend two months in Jacksonville with our daughters.
Until Next Time
Hope you enjoyed catching up with us! Let Steve and me know what you think of the places we visited, or if you’ve got suggestions for where we should go from mid-August through October. We’re all ears and itchy feet.
Happy traveling,
Linda
The featured image is the front of Nymphenburg Palace.