Posted on 11/12/2009 9:00:16 PM PST by davidosborne
Greeting fellow freepers. I am looking for any advice you can offer as I plan a family vacation to southern Germany. Looking at the end of November or first part of December. Not a lot of time to plan so I am open to all your input
ChristKindlMarkt in Nurmberg!
Or Augsburg, if the itinerary works out better for you.
And you can’t go wrong with a swing through either Garmisch or Berchtesgaden. Armed Forces Rec Centers in both places. Well, there were. I don’t know if they’re still there!
Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber is a great example of a medieval walled city and a good day-trip from Augsburg/Munich.
I’m sure you’ll get more suggestions!
David, last time I was in Mittenwald, there was a great little town tavern. We watched the Italians beat the Germans for the world cup title there. We got hammered. It was great before they lost anyway. Beautiful buxom waitress at the time too.
Unfortunately, this was 28 years ago.
You have just totally made me homesick for Germany, Jinxy.
I hope to get back over there before I croak! LOL!
Loved ChristKindlMarkt and Rothemburg. Also....Munich was
wonderful, too!
We lived in Wurzburg....it’s a very old city with a wonderful
medieval castle up on the hill overlooking the Main River.
Can I come? :D
Stay awhile in Burghausen and order only “helles Bier”. Don’t forget to sample the Bauerngerauchertes and also Schweinehaxe und Knodel. And please don’t worry about gaining weight.
But then again, it was 30 years ago that I lived there. I hear that the only thing you can order these days is kebab and hummus.
(I wonder if they still say that beautiful greeting: “Gruss Gott” and the women still wear Dirndl)
I agree. Wurzburg was really nice when I was there 20 years ago.
http://www.oberammergau-passion.com/en-us/maps/southern-germany/southern-germany.html
http://www.ammergauer-alpen.de/en/index.html
If your schedule permits, jump on a train to Basil across the border. They have got the most drop dead wonderful fountain I have ever beheld. It is a mechanical water operated thing of beauty. I can’t think of the artist’s name but he created two: one in Paris and this one in Basil. I haven’t seen the one in Paris but I am told the one in Basil is better. I only know that I watched this thing in operation for a couple of hours and it is worth a visit.
One cannot go anywhere in southern Germany without becoming totally in love with the natural beauty of the mountains, stream and of course the forest. They are German, they take care of the place. One cannot go wrong. Enjoy. Drink a beer for me.
The Schwarzwald (Black Forest), Freiburg, the castles along the Rhine, Aachen’s cathedral and treasure (where Charlemagne was crowned) — and you absolutely must see Cologne’s magnificent cathedral.
Will second Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber.
Heidelberg a beautiful area.
Two good books to get are the “Michelin” guide of Germany
Narrow Green books. Breakdown of cities and maps.
Also “Baedeker’s Germany.
http://www.edelweisslodgeandresort.com/
This is close to Oberammagau, David. We spent some time here when we were stationed over there. Took a roadtrip from Belgium to Ramstein; then to Rotenberg and on to Edelweiss Lodge. From there, day trips to Oberammagau and the Eagle’s Nest. There are bus trips out of the Lodge you can take that are fun, too.
Rothenburg is great. Also go to Bayrueth see Wagners home.. And definetly see the Bamburg Cathedral.
I’d suggest Koenigsee and Schloss Neuschwanstein.
“Fuch’s Alt Bier”, a pencil will stand up in the foam. It was a local Brewery near Bingen on the Rhein. Ah, yes, and the castles and shops in all those little Rhine towns. The Jager schnitzel was out of this world. I was never a wine drinker but there is no shortage anywhere along the Rhine and Nahe areas. We plan to visit our friends there, possibly next year.
Would likely be a fun trip, if I had the $$ - well, maybe next year ;)
Yes, Bamberg was nice. Some really good local brews as well !
We were there in 1998. We were on a whirlwind tour and did 3 counties in 2 weeks so didn’t spend much time there. We very much enjoyed Munich and did a “Munich Walks” tour that was good. We did Neuschwanstein but, honestly, our time was very limited and we didn’t think it was worth a day out of our schedule to see it. (It took a couple of hours, at least, by train from Munich so it was an all-day affair. We were lucky that there was no wait to get into it when we went in June.)
Rothenburg (the only complete walled city saved from destruction during WWII by agreement among the Allies).
The Cathedral at Cologne (before the muzzies buy the property, tear it down and erect another mosque).
Munich and the nearby Dachau concentration camp.
Neuschwanstein
Lots more. I’m sure others will give you more places than you’ll have time to visit.
And one of my finest memories was doing 120 MPH on the Autobahn with Beethoven blaring from the CD player (took my own music). It IS a life-affirming experience.
One more tip: If you drive the Autobahn out from the towns where there didn’t used to be speed limits (this may have changed), stay in the right lane except to pass or to yield to another car merging on from an interchange. If you DO find yourself in the right lane and see a Mercedes coming up behind you flashing his lights, for God’s sake move right ASAP because these folks just keep coming.
Have a good and safe trip and, given world conditions and the large numbers of muzzies over there, SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AT ALL TIMES.
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