Advent 2010
Dec 12th, 2010, 07:49 AM
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Advent 2010
We visited the Christmas Markets in 2010 for the third year in a row. I will try to do a serial trip report. First, I will give the "Reader's Digest" version. It was colder and snowier than in past years. For my money, the weather also made it lovelier. The link to all our photos is:
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-2010
You can click on individual towns as you desire. I would recommend Veitshöchheim for those who have never seen the Rococo gardens in the snow. Rothenburg was especially attractive in the snow and few were the crowds. The Thurn & Taxis Romantische Markt was a bit different for those who are jaded by Christmas markets.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-2010
You can click on individual towns as you desire. I would recommend Veitshöchheim for those who have never seen the Rococo gardens in the snow. Rothenburg was especially attractive in the snow and few were the crowds. The Thurn & Taxis Romantische Markt was a bit different for those who are jaded by Christmas markets.
Dec 12th, 2010, 09:26 AM
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We arrived at the Frankfurt Airport and took an ICE to Aschaffenburg. My wife and I were traveling with my brother and his wife. We thought the ICE would be bit simpler for not much more money. It was crowded with lots of reserved seats. Next time, we will go back to a Sbahn/Regional train combo.
Aschaffenburg is not a household name in travel but a very nice first night stop.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15009698_XVq3G
We stayed at the Hotel Cafe Fischer. Large rooms at a reasonable price. They speak German but cooperativeness would get anyone through.
Aschaffenburg is a theater town with a lot of young folks toting around play manuscripts. We found a gasthaus (?) named for one of the private theaters in the theater district. We have previously eaten at Uwe's Bistro. Both were good eats with reasonable prices.
On our walks through the snowy day we kept crossing paths with two stylish young women and a ~3 year old boy. The boy was quick on the slippery cobblestones, not so for the rest of us. As we approached the theater district, I heard the child's mother call out his name in distress. We was running away from her and just past us into the path of a car on a very slippery surface. I turned just in time to snatch him. The mother tottered up on high heel boots. It was the moment of truth. Would she scold me for grabbing her child or... She said, "Danke!". The child gave me a suspicious look. I slid off in search of a glass of dry white wine to calm my nerves.
Aschaffenburg is not a household name in travel but a very nice first night stop.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15009698_XVq3G
We stayed at the Hotel Cafe Fischer. Large rooms at a reasonable price. They speak German but cooperativeness would get anyone through.
Aschaffenburg is a theater town with a lot of young folks toting around play manuscripts. We found a gasthaus (?) named for one of the private theaters in the theater district. We have previously eaten at Uwe's Bistro. Both were good eats with reasonable prices.
On our walks through the snowy day we kept crossing paths with two stylish young women and a ~3 year old boy. The boy was quick on the slippery cobblestones, not so for the rest of us. As we approached the theater district, I heard the child's mother call out his name in distress. We was running away from her and just past us into the path of a car on a very slippery surface. I turned just in time to snatch him. The mother tottered up on high heel boots. It was the moment of truth. Would she scold me for grabbing her child or... She said, "Danke!". The child gave me a suspicious look. I slid off in search of a glass of dry white wine to calm my nerves.
Dec 12th, 2010, 10:48 AM
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Gary, looking at your photos, I see that you visited Karlstadt. We stopped in Karlstadt back in 2005 and just loved this little town. Never could find much written about it though, which is a shame. Here's a photo my DH took:
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/135...11574650PcXrME
Looks like you had a wonderful trip. We returned from Germany the first week of November so we missed a lot of the really cold weather and snow.
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/135...11574650PcXrME
Looks like you had a wonderful trip. We returned from Germany the first week of November so we missed a lot of the really cold weather and snow.
Dec 12th, 2010, 11:10 AM
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We left Aschaffenburg in a light snow and headed on to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Advent season is a good time to visit Rothenburg, the crowds being much lighter. It was especially attractive this year in the snow.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15010043_U5wQy
We stayed and ate at the Gasthof Goldener Greifen. Good location, atmosphere, price and food.
Our second day started clear and we decided to walk the wall. Climbing the stairs was no problem to me. When I considered descending them, my arthritis gave me reason to pause. My family doctor feels that I need a new right knee. The surgeon suggested that I might delay that day by lubing my knees. These newly lubed knees are not good on the down hill. I waiting till the rest were climbing up a tower and slowly edged my way down the shallowest staircase that I could find. Before you walk the wall be sure of sound legs.
The other end of the day was a perfect experience. My wife and sister in law went shopping (not so perfect). My brother was catching up on sleep. I decided to go out for a walk. Dusk and snow were falling. It was beautiful with the lights coming on. When I returned to the Gasthof Greifen there was a group of seniors (like myself) in the main dining room singing "O Tannenbaum". I stood at the door and listened:
Wie oft hat schon zur Winterszeit
Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
It could not have been better stage managed than that.
It snow overnight. We caught a taxi to the train station rather than plow snow with the wheeled luggage.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15010043_U5wQy
We stayed and ate at the Gasthof Goldener Greifen. Good location, atmosphere, price and food.
Our second day started clear and we decided to walk the wall. Climbing the stairs was no problem to me. When I considered descending them, my arthritis gave me reason to pause. My family doctor feels that I need a new right knee. The surgeon suggested that I might delay that day by lubing my knees. These newly lubed knees are not good on the down hill. I waiting till the rest were climbing up a tower and slowly edged my way down the shallowest staircase that I could find. Before you walk the wall be sure of sound legs.
The other end of the day was a perfect experience. My wife and sister in law went shopping (not so perfect). My brother was catching up on sleep. I decided to go out for a walk. Dusk and snow were falling. It was beautiful with the lights coming on. When I returned to the Gasthof Greifen there was a group of seniors (like myself) in the main dining room singing "O Tannenbaum". I stood at the door and listened:
Wie oft hat schon zur Winterszeit
Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
It could not have been better stage managed than that.
It snow overnight. We caught a taxi to the train station rather than plow snow with the wheeled luggage.
Dec 12th, 2010, 11:20 AM
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bettyk "I see that you visited Karlstadt. We stopped in Karlstadt back in 2005 and just loved this little town. Never could find much written about it though, which is a shame."
I asked you earlier about Ochsenfurt and then later decided to go north to Veitshöchheim. With half a day left, we decided to check out Gemünden. It was too far from the station to the town so we backtracked to Karlstadt. My pictures did it no justice. Yours are generally better. We very much enjoyed Karlstadt and a cafe lunch that we had there. It was a lucky find.
I asked you earlier about Ochsenfurt and then later decided to go north to Veitshöchheim. With half a day left, we decided to check out Gemünden. It was too far from the station to the town so we backtracked to Karlstadt. My pictures did it no justice. Yours are generally better. We very much enjoyed Karlstadt and a cafe lunch that we had there. It was a lucky find.
Dec 12th, 2010, 11:46 AM
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I have looked at Dettelbach. I suspect that I visited it when I lived in Würzburg (1970's) but there were too many villages to remember. Dettelbach did not have a train station the last time that I checked, making for cumbersome connections. Someday we may have to rent a car. I also want to see Volkach in that direction.
Dec 12th, 2010, 03:43 PM
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We traveled on to Würzburg for three days, with the last day spent on a day trip to Veitshöchheim and Karlstadt.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15022631_wCGhe
When we arrived in Würzburg the weather had turned sunny and colder. We opted to go to the Residenz Garden while the sun was out and you can see from our pictures that we were rewarded with some very nice views.
The next day turned cloudy with a a freezing mist/fog. The Marienberg Festung (castle) across the river almost disappeared into the freezing vapor. We walked up to the castle and the view back at the town was ghostly. We could not see the Käppele from the Festung.
It was bone chilling cold. My sister-in-law said that she wore so many layers that she felt bulked up like a football player. We were happy to spend much of the midday in the Mainfränkisches Museum.
The next day we visited the Rococo Gardens at the summer Residenz of the Würzburg archbishop in Veitshöchheim.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15024966_gV8rg
The walk in the winter gardens was surprisingly beautiful.
We went on to Karlstadt already mentioned above:
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15025176_g6PzM
We stopped at cafes both in Veitshöchheim and Karlstadt for eats and escape from the weather.
In Karlstadt, the patron at the next table was from Innsbruck. We most anxious to talk to us about his recent visit to Dallas, Texas, where his son had gone for an MBA. The conversation stretched our German to the limit. He told us that he had only eaten at Wendy's and Tankstellen (gas stations) in Dallas as his hosts did not cook. His son had left the USA after graduation for a job in Schweiz (Switzerland) but he really wanted to return to Michigan where his girl friend lived. It was a surreal but friendly conversation to be having in a small town in Germany.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15022631_wCGhe
When we arrived in Würzburg the weather had turned sunny and colder. We opted to go to the Residenz Garden while the sun was out and you can see from our pictures that we were rewarded with some very nice views.
The next day turned cloudy with a a freezing mist/fog. The Marienberg Festung (castle) across the river almost disappeared into the freezing vapor. We walked up to the castle and the view back at the town was ghostly. We could not see the Käppele from the Festung.
It was bone chilling cold. My sister-in-law said that she wore so many layers that she felt bulked up like a football player. We were happy to spend much of the midday in the Mainfränkisches Museum.
The next day we visited the Rococo Gardens at the summer Residenz of the Würzburg archbishop in Veitshöchheim.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15024966_gV8rg
The walk in the winter gardens was surprisingly beautiful.
We went on to Karlstadt already mentioned above:
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15025176_g6PzM
We stopped at cafes both in Veitshöchheim and Karlstadt for eats and escape from the weather.
In Karlstadt, the patron at the next table was from Innsbruck. We most anxious to talk to us about his recent visit to Dallas, Texas, where his son had gone for an MBA. The conversation stretched our German to the limit. He told us that he had only eaten at Wendy's and Tankstellen (gas stations) in Dallas as his hosts did not cook. His son had left the USA after graduation for a job in Schweiz (Switzerland) but he really wanted to return to Michigan where his girl friend lived. It was a surreal but friendly conversation to be having in a small town in Germany.
Dec 12th, 2010, 05:54 PM
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We stopped in Nürnberg for one day.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15027155_AxNGK
We stayed at the Motel One, a modern high rise hotel near the train station. It was a bargain, even the extra breakfast. We had a good meal at the Goldenes Posthorn.
Nürnberg has one of the largest Christmas Markets located in an attractive Altstadt. We mainly used our time to walk about town and to visit the Dürer Haus Museum. We probably best enjoyed our time in St. Sebalduskirche. It was largely destroyed in the war and has been wonderfully restored.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15027155_AxNGK
We stayed at the Motel One, a modern high rise hotel near the train station. It was a bargain, even the extra breakfast. We had a good meal at the Goldenes Posthorn.
Nürnberg has one of the largest Christmas Markets located in an attractive Altstadt. We mainly used our time to walk about town and to visit the Dürer Haus Museum. We probably best enjoyed our time in St. Sebalduskirche. It was largely destroyed in the war and has been wonderfully restored.
Dec 13th, 2010, 03:35 AM
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It snowed the 24 hours that we were in Nürnberg. Our train was about 15 minutes late leaving the station and we were idled another 10 minutes waiting to pull into the Amberg station enroute to Regensburg. The trip was balky but not uneventful.
When we got on the train we noticed a ~80+ woman traveling on a walker with a companion. She was infirm of step but had a glint in her eye. She was fully engaged, nodding and exchanging pleasantries with strangers. She was a traveler. At a town between Nürnberg and Amberg she came down the aisle to exit. She was using the grips on the corner or of seats along the aisle to steady herself, leaving her companion to follow far behind with the walker and the gear. When she got to our foursome sitting across from one another, the seats were too far apart for her to reach from one grip to another. She reached out her hand to my brother asking for help. I explained briefly to my brother who was only too happy to help her down the aisle and even a bit towards the door. Train travel seems to connect people better than car travel or even airplane travel.
A bit later we were entertained by a small child with a cookie. She walked down the aisle some distance and laid her cookie on an empty seat across the aisle from us, later returning to fetch. The woman across from the empty seat talked to the child about how the cookie tasted. She received a smile as her response.
We formerly lived in Germany and traveled by car. We loved it (though not the road conditions that we could observe from the train window). Traveling by car
When we got on the train we noticed a ~80+ woman traveling on a walker with a companion. She was infirm of step but had a glint in her eye. She was fully engaged, nodding and exchanging pleasantries with strangers. She was a traveler. At a town between Nürnberg and Amberg she came down the aisle to exit. She was using the grips on the corner or of seats along the aisle to steady herself, leaving her companion to follow far behind with the walker and the gear. When she got to our foursome sitting across from one another, the seats were too far apart for her to reach from one grip to another. She reached out her hand to my brother asking for help. I explained briefly to my brother who was only too happy to help her down the aisle and even a bit towards the door. Train travel seems to connect people better than car travel or even airplane travel.
A bit later we were entertained by a small child with a cookie. She walked down the aisle some distance and laid her cookie on an empty seat across the aisle from us, later returning to fetch. The woman across from the empty seat talked to the child about how the cookie tasted. She received a smile as her response.
We formerly lived in Germany and traveled by car. We loved it (though not the road conditions that we could observe from the train window). Traveling by car
Dec 13th, 2010, 09:25 AM
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Our next stop was Regensburg, one of my two favorite towns in Germany. Walking its many alleys & roads some with archways and finding new small plazas, I keep discovering new things that interest me. We stayed at the Hotel Weidenhof (good). We ate good meals at the Weissbräuhaus & Wirthaus am Dom (similar name near the Dom). Wirthaus was less trendy, maybe a little friendlier.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...22638871_LFatu
We arrived in the snow on 6 December, St. Nikolaus Day. St. Nikolaus passed us on the street driving his old model tractor.
It was quite cold that first day. We went into the Dom St. Peter. I took off my hat in respect. My head was freezing; I decided that it was warmer outside full dressed. The city was better than ever in the snow.
We began to see signs: "Vorsicht, Dachlawine". It took me a moment to remember that a Lawine was an avalanche. "Beware, Roof-Avalanche". At first we thought it was funny. That evening it warmed up a bit and snow turned to rain. The snow got wet and heavy. Large pieces of heavy wet snow began falling several stories and hitting the ground with a loud thud. It was not so funny after all. The next day we had just passed through a narrow alley. A car coming behind us took the full force of several hundred pounds of snow. It came as a rumble and then a boom, sounded like someone jumping on the roof of the car. He got out to expect the damage, we got out of the alley.
On that first day we went into a cafe to escape the cold and have a treat (poppy seed cheese cake for me). After our desert and coffee, the waitress commiserated with us about the "Kalt" (cold) and then wistfully complained about the cafe being too warm, which not much of a problem for us. As she left, she patted me on the shoulder. I have reached the old age where pretty young girls feel safe patting me on the shoulder. I do not mind.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...22638871_LFatu
We arrived in the snow on 6 December, St. Nikolaus Day. St. Nikolaus passed us on the street driving his old model tractor.
It was quite cold that first day. We went into the Dom St. Peter. I took off my hat in respect. My head was freezing; I decided that it was warmer outside full dressed. The city was better than ever in the snow.
We began to see signs: "Vorsicht, Dachlawine". It took me a moment to remember that a Lawine was an avalanche. "Beware, Roof-Avalanche". At first we thought it was funny. That evening it warmed up a bit and snow turned to rain. The snow got wet and heavy. Large pieces of heavy wet snow began falling several stories and hitting the ground with a loud thud. It was not so funny after all. The next day we had just passed through a narrow alley. A car coming behind us took the full force of several hundred pounds of snow. It came as a rumble and then a boom, sounded like someone jumping on the roof of the car. He got out to expect the damage, we got out of the alley.
On that first day we went into a cafe to escape the cold and have a treat (poppy seed cheese cake for me). After our desert and coffee, the waitress commiserated with us about the "Kalt" (cold) and then wistfully complained about the cafe being too warm, which not much of a problem for us. As she left, she patted me on the shoulder. I have reached the old age where pretty young girls feel safe patting me on the shoulder. I do not mind.
Dec 13th, 2010, 05:04 PM
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While in Regensburg we spent an evening visiting the Romantische Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) at Schloss Thurn & Taxis also know as Schloss St. Emmeram. It formerly belonged to the St. Emmeram Abbey.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15030947_cc4YT
The place has an interesting history, worth researching online if you want to visit the market. The market has its own unique atmosphere with lighted torches along the paths and wood fires for cold shoppers. We had a nice couple of hours. My brother and I stood by one fire or another while our wives shopped. I had my only glass of Glühwein of the trip there dodging the smoke from one of the fires.
It is a chance to visit the courtyard of the Schloss (Palace). The place is famous in Bavarian History.
http://www.thurnundtaxis.de/en/welcome/welcome.html
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15030947_cc4YT
The place has an interesting history, worth researching online if you want to visit the market. The market has its own unique atmosphere with lighted torches along the paths and wood fires for cold shoppers. We had a nice couple of hours. My brother and I stood by one fire or another while our wives shopped. I had my only glass of Glühwein of the trip there dodging the smoke from one of the fires.
It is a chance to visit the courtyard of the Schloss (Palace). The place is famous in Bavarian History.
http://www.thurnundtaxis.de/en/welcome/welcome.html
Dec 13th, 2010, 05:43 PM
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Our last stop was Freising, closer to the Munich Airport than Munich itself.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15031746_cCSeB
We have stayed there two times before when flying out of MUC, all three times in Hotel zur Gred, a typical old Gasthof. We ate two full meals our last day in country as it will be a long time before me have another German meal. We had a bargain menu lunch at the Weissbräu Huber and another full meal at the zur Gred in the evening.
There are statues of painted bears all over town. A bear bearing a pack saddle adorns the town shield. Freising was founded somehow after St. Boniface's death. St. B. had force a bear to bear his pack saddle after the bear ate his horse. I love this kind of history. I would have been an A student in history if they taught these stories.
In 2006 we saw a Mandarin Duck in Freising. It is rare enough that we went looking for it again this year. There it was. I have two photos at my link.
We left Freising in the snow as we arrived in Aschaffenburg in the snow. It was a great repeat trip for us and the first trip to Germany for my brother and his wife.
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-...15031746_cCSeB
We have stayed there two times before when flying out of MUC, all three times in Hotel zur Gred, a typical old Gasthof. We ate two full meals our last day in country as it will be a long time before me have another German meal. We had a bargain menu lunch at the Weissbräu Huber and another full meal at the zur Gred in the evening.
There are statues of painted bears all over town. A bear bearing a pack saddle adorns the town shield. Freising was founded somehow after St. Boniface's death. St. B. had force a bear to bear his pack saddle after the bear ate his horse. I love this kind of history. I would have been an A student in history if they taught these stories.
In 2006 we saw a Mandarin Duck in Freising. It is rare enough that we went looking for it again this year. There it was. I have two photos at my link.
We left Freising in the snow as we arrived in Aschaffenburg in the snow. It was a great repeat trip for us and the first trip to Germany for my brother and his wife.
Jan 6th, 2011, 11:22 AM
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Gary, it was a pleasure to read your trip report.
We, too, were in Germany (and Austria) for the markets this year, arriving into Berlin on 26Nov and departing Munich on 11DEC. The snow started the day we left Berlin and did not stop. It was gorgeous and made this trip the best for us of the 4 we have made at this time of year. Living in Florida made the cold and snow a real experience and our wish for a white Christmas market trip was answered in spades!
Regensburg was such a slushy mess when we visited that we did not get around as much as we had hoped. Walking was a challenge between the ice and continued snow fall, making the slush more dangerous. It is such a pretty place and we hope to return when we can enjoy it a bit more.
We were also in RODT and a highlight was seeing a small child pulled along in a sleigh by his mother on one of the side streets. Last year it was rainy in RODT and we enjoyed the snowy scenery fare more.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
We, too, were in Germany (and Austria) for the markets this year, arriving into Berlin on 26Nov and departing Munich on 11DEC. The snow started the day we left Berlin and did not stop. It was gorgeous and made this trip the best for us of the 4 we have made at this time of year. Living in Florida made the cold and snow a real experience and our wish for a white Christmas market trip was answered in spades!
Regensburg was such a slushy mess when we visited that we did not get around as much as we had hoped. Walking was a challenge between the ice and continued snow fall, making the slush more dangerous. It is such a pretty place and we hope to return when we can enjoy it a bit more.
We were also in RODT and a highlight was seeing a small child pulled along in a sleigh by his mother on one of the side streets. Last year it was rainy in RODT and we enjoyed the snowy scenery fare more.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
