I like to wing it when I travel. When I head to a new place I always check a few websites, apps, etc to see what I should put on my “Let’s Try to Check This Out if We Can List”. One of my favorite sites for the odd locations is Atlas Obscura. I make a loose outline and then see where the day leads.
An old friend and ex-roomate from Naples, Florida happened to be in town for work and so I hoped the bus and headed to Bavaria. On our first day of exploring I did a search for Munich on Atlas Obscura’s website and came across this gem.
Viscardigasse or as it’s also called, Drückebergergasse (Shirker’s Alley) is a small alley that could be easily missed but it played a significant part in Munich’s history. Around the corner stands the Feldherrnhalle, which during Hitler’s time was a sacred Nazi site memorializing the ones who died during the Beer Hall Putsch. When people passed the memorial they were forced to give the Nazi salute which not everyone was cool with. So these people started using this alley in protest. Like a big middle finger instead of a salute to Hitler. That’s why it became know as Shirker’s Alley. The bronze pavers that slink across the alley now have been placed there in honor of those rebellious Germans who refused to go in fear.