Munich is a multi-layered city, drenched in dark history but deeply connected to the cultural heart of Bavaria.

From the top of the Hohensalzburg Fortress, a sweeping panorama of Salzburg’s Old Town opened out before me.

After hours on the road, we pulled into the town of Innsbruck, Austria. As I stepped off the bus, the alpine blue of the River Inn unspooled before me, brilliant against the multicolored buildings that rose from the opposite bank, under a shrouded mountain.

Wandering along the colorful streets and canals in the sunshine, licking my lemon gelato, I felt like I was living in the perfect moment.