Mindelheim, Memmingen, Ottobeuren & Kaufbeuren (July 2022)

A two-nights campervan exploration of places around Memmingen, which we failed to visit on several occasions, including on our way in from the Hans Fisher trip. We took the occasion of poor weather in the Alps to turn to cities and villages instead. The storm, however, followed us up to there. We started with everything Mindel on the first day (22 July (2022)): Mindelheim, Mindelsee and Mindelburg, then Memmingen on the second day (23 July (2022)) and a collection of interesting locations on our way back, away from the highway, concluding in the Ammersee.

Mindelheim

This was a more pleasant than expected start, with beautiful streets adorned with baroque façades. We then spent the night by the local 'See', where we were warned by divers there that we had parked nearby a nest of hornets, and indeed some of them were already circling around us, one biting Fabrice on the arm as we were retreating.

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  The Jesuitenkirche and city museum.
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  The Unteres Tor.
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  In the main street.
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  With splendid Baroque façades.
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  The Einlaßtor.
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  Coffee break.
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  They have storks too.
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  The castle at the Mindelburg.
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  The archetypal Bavarian castle.
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  The chapel had a painting on canvas outside.
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  As a result, its state was in a fairly average condition.
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  A little bug that got lost on the threshold.
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  The Schlosskapelle St. Georg.
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  The Mindelsee, not the most iconic but enough to spend the night.
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  After the bath.
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  In the morning, still wet from the electrical storm.
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  The castle looked even more impressive from a distance.

Memmingen

Memmingen's old town is one of the best preserved in southern Germany with medieval buildings surviving World War II. It is also home to the Twelve Articles: The Just and Fundamental Articles of All the Peasantry and Tenants of Spiritual and Temporal Powers by Whom They Think Themselves Oppressed, written 1525. This is the first universal declaration of human rights since the 1215 Magna Carta was protecting the rights of the gentry.

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  Fishertag on the Schrannenplatz.
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  And fishertag in the city.
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  The fishes are caught to dry clean the river.
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  Luz studying the city map.
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  Bavarian facades.
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  Paintings on the walls.
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  Turning the city into a museum.
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  A full gallery on a single house.
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  Saint Martin.
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  The tallest building in Memmingen and also one of the oldest.
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  Inside, with many frescos.
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  Detail of the descent from the cross.
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  A chapel in the back.
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  Luz in the nave.
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  A door to where?
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  Julia on the Martkplatz.
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  Saint Martin on the other side.
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  The Kreuzherrenkloster.
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  And its ceiling, inside.
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  Towards the walls.
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  A cute little house.
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  Proud Bavarians heading to the celebrations, happy to be photographed.
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  Details of the Ulmer gate.
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  On the other side (extra-wall).

Schachen

We spent the night nearby a lake, which was a great swimming spot. The storm was a delight to look at with the door opened yet still sheltered from the rain.

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  Elena in the lake.
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  A bird fishing.
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  View on the nearby village from campercita.

Ottobeuren

Unlike many other churches, St. Alexander and Theodore does not face east, but faces south.

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  Ottobeuren.
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  A peculiar Maybaum.
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  Basilika St. Alexander und St. Theodor.
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  The cloister.
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  Side view.
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  Rich baroque interior.
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  An highlight of the Swabian Baroque route.
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  The market place.
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  Modern fountain.
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  Detail of the basilic from the market place.
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  Reading stories...
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  while waiting for the main course.

Ottobeuren museum of modern art

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  Exposition by Margaret Klemm.
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  When everything is Art.
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  Pictures from today and yesterday.
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  Now with Diether Kunerth.
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  Ballet in the museum.
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  Mädchen im abendlichen Meer.
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  Rooms.
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  Julia presenting.
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  Im Allgaüer Wald.

Markt Rettenbach

A less notable place to stop but one where we could find, however, plenty of Trinkwasser from the Saint Jacobus himself.

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  Bavarian houses forgotten on the road.
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  Sankt Jakobus and its fountain. Children had an ice-cream at the Gasthof as we were refilling.
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  And this as well.

Kaufbeuren

Kaufbeuren is enclosed by big walls, which Luz and Fabrice toured while Julia and Elena were attending a choir concert at the Saint Martin church. Luz was commenting out loud on the performance so she had to be escorted out but we could enjoy the Encore from the door step.

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  A city enclosed by layers of walls, both fortresses and huge houses.
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  Saint Martin trying to escape the city.
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  Luz on the outskirts.
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  The Fünknopfturm at one end of the fortification.
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  Saint Martin successful in her ascending to the sky.
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  A medieval door on the other side.
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  Luz by the door.
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  Back to Saint Martin, an Encore was performed.
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  Julia disrupting a photo shoot.

Ammersee

Amersee is one of the big Bavarian lakes within the public-transport reach of Munich (along with the Starnbergersee). It has warm waters due to an extremely shallow descent, that make the water rise to your knees after hundred of meters of walking. We arrived in the early evening, but the bathing experience was still great, maybe even optimum.

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  Luz before getting in.
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  Elena, in the milky waters.
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  Luz and Fabrice, in the evening. Even where you're far, you're still outside.