 1 Saturday 26 June, 2010 Today, after a week of frantic activity that included a huge scare about my eye, we decided to take a day of rest and wander around Bad Tölz. On Calvary Hill overlooking the Isar River is the Kalvarienbergkirche built in 1726. |
 2 Saturday 26 June, 2010 Kalvarienberg is a German synonym for Golgatha, the site of Jesus' crucifixion. Twelve stations of Jesus' Passion extend from Marktplatz in the Altstadt to the crucifixion scene on top of the hill. |
 3 Saturday 26 June, 2010 Beside the church is Leonhardikapelle, a tiny chapel, which is the destination of the annual Leonhardi pilgrimage. Leonhard, the patron saint of horses, is honoured every year with dozens of flower-festooned horse-drawn carts, accompanied by brass bands and locals dressed in Lederhosen and Dirndls. |
 4 Saturday 26 June, 2010 We visit the western side of the Bad Tölz so that we can go to the Tourist Information Bureau. They speak English in these places and the staff are always helpful. |
 5 Saturday 26 June, 2010 Next to the tourist office is a beautiful park with vibrant green grass and beautifully manicured gardens. |
 6 Saturday 26 June, 2010 . . . for example, where are the weeds? |
 7 .Saturday 26 June, 2010 The path leads to the Rose Garden and the Franciscan Monastery beyond. |
 8 Saturday 26 June, 2010 The Rose Garden. |
 9 Saturday 26 June, 2010 Jenni takes a movie of one of the gardens mainly so that she can describe them. They don't move very much. |
 10 Saturday 26 June, 2010 The Franciscan Monastery, now closed. |
 11 Saturday 26 June, 2010 In the same area is a modest memorial. Unseren Gefallenen means Our soldiers killed in action. Unlike Australia, US and France, there are not many memorials to the fallen. |
 12 Saturday 26 June, 2010 While researching the memorial, I discovered that in 1937 a SS-Junkerschule (SchutzStaffen Officer Candidate School) was established in Bad Tölz which operated until the end of World War II. A subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp provided labour for the school. |
 13 Saturday 26 June, 2010 The The Waffen-SS (armed SS) was the elite of the German Armed Forces and selection was highly specific. Only those of Aryan appearance who had served in the ranks, with a minimum height of 178 cms (5' 10") were eligible. |
 14 Saturday 26 June, 2010 The SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz was the equivalent of Britain's Sandhurst and the USA's West Point. Bad Tölz was chosen for the school because it had good transport links and was in an inspiring location. The candidate's schooling consisted of Nazi indoctrination, physical training and military training. |
 15 Saturday 26 June, 2010 The Allgemeine-SS (or General SS) was the other branch and they staffed the concentration and extermination camps. They were very unpleasant people. |
 16 Bild 101III-Toelz-5228-08 Saturday 26 June, 2010 After the war, US general George Patton used the Junkerschule as his headquarters. The SS-Junkerschule was the base of the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group until 1991. We drove past these towers several times on our way north and never recognised their significance. |
 17 Saturday 26 June, 2010 The SS-Junkerschule is the set of buildings in the form of a square to the right of the sports ground. The most amazing thing is that we visited the supermarket nearby many times and never realised we were so close. |
 18 Saturday 26 June, 2010 US troops were housed in buildings on the other side of the road in General-Patton-Strasse. These buildings were subsequently used as housing for refugees. Bad Tölz rail station, that we used many times, is to the left of the school. Presumably the sub-camp of Dachau was nearby. |
 19 Saturday 26 June, 2010 The last thing we do today is to walk along Ludwigstrasse where the baths are located. |
 20 Saturday 26 June, 2010 Ludwigstrasse is almost opposite the information bureau. This area is where the spa baths, (the 'Bad' in Bad Tölz) are located. |
 21 Saturday 26 June, 2010 Ludwigstrasse continues as a very pleasant pedestrian walk. Spa resorts are located in this area as is the Alpamare Water Park. This water park features Germany’s longest water slides and Europe’s first artificial surf wave . |
 22 Saturday 26 June, 2010 What Marktplatz is to Bad Tölz' old town, Ludwigstrasse is to the spa centre. Bad Tölz is one of the most pleasant places we have ever been. I could go back again and again - it is a lovely place. Next stop: We spend the day with Rolf and Maria |
