We pull into the old wooden dock and the distinctive onion-shaped dome of the Abbey church comes into view. Dominating almost the entire island, the Abbey Church is famous for its well-preserved fragments of early Romanesque frescoes. During archaeological excavations in 1996, the painted fragments were discovered in the rubble. After the worried archaeologists removed [...]

For anyone who has stumbled around Munich during Oktoberfest, Bavaria means oompha bands, lederhosen and beer. But Bavaria also offers a magical and serene countryside for those who prefer to take the autobahn less traveled.
Just a few hours from Munich, tucked away in southern Bavaria, is the Chiemsee. Surrounded by the Chiemgau Alps, this placid [...]

For many Americans, the most compelling of Europe’s many attractions is the tangible connection to history that it offers. Living as we do in a nation where nearly half of "the past" has been photographed—and more than a tenth of it televised—we feel a special fascination in meeting, in person, the walls and cobblestones that [...]