mezo5

Greetings from Jordan,

Me and my parents decided to take off from life pressure and go for relaxing 12 days in Europe.

We got free tickets from our company to Amsterdam, and the first destination I chose after a night in Amsterdam is Giethoorn.! We are going to stay there for there night. Now after that I'm not sure where to go at all.!! I was thinking of Rügen and then to Berlin and Potsdam, but I'm not sure on that.

My parents love to relax in this vacation and they aren't into big cites, they just wanna to chill out with lovely views and weather. So, what is your recommendation guys on cities after Giethoorn.!? We already booked a car in Amstredam to help us in this tour.

Thanks in advance,

tower

To me, Giethoorn proved to be a good choice, since we were driving. We also stopped in Volendam sfter a week in Amsterdam, en route east to little Giethoorn. Relaxation is about all you can get...the picturesque canals are its main attractions.

Berlin, Potsdam and vicinity would be a big city addition and a city we had visited a few times before. We found it intriguing and of course frighteningly mid-20th Century historical.

I will post Netherlands (including Giethoorn, Volendam, Delft, Keukenhof, Kinderdjck) and Berlin/Potsdam below.

tower

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...jijtPg8r6L6QE#

tower

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...lin2005Edited#

hetismij2

We were disappointed in Rugen if I am honest. Very touristy. We couldn't wait to get off again (although due to the traffic jams we had to wait in a queue to get off!).
It is a long drive from Giethoorn.

You could easily spend more time exploring the north and east of the Netherlands, or doing a grand tour of the country avoiding big cities and just enjoying the differences from one end to the other of such a small country.

You don't say when you will be visiting.

mezo5

Thanks @tower for sharing the links and the cities.

And thanks @hetismj2 for sharing your experiments in Ruegen. I think I'm going to cancel that Idea, and look around in east of the Netherlands.

My trip will start on 1th of September.

PalenQ

How about the Mosel Valley - driving down it from Luxembourg to Cochem - a picture postcard city that most folks find really relaxing - and in September the summer crowds have dissipated - you can do lovely short drives to say Burg Eltz - one of Germany's most famous and gorgeous castles - cute little wine towns all along the Mosel and even explore the Rhine gorge between Rudesheim and Koblenz - nice to take the popular k-d.com boats thru there - park in a town and ride the boat up and down the gorgeous Rhine Gorge - an easy drive from Cochem.

Cochem I think is the proverbial dremy small city many dream about staying in but rarely do - cozy guesthouses with humongous breakfast buffets - vienyards swirl around the town covering the deep Mosel gorge - one of Europe's top driving venues IME - the Mosel Valley and not that far from Amsterdam. Hit Maastricht, a very unique city en route.

Storybook Cochem:

https://www.google.com/search?q=coch...=1600&bih=1099

Gorgeous Mosel Valley:

https://www.google.com/search?q=mose...=1600&bih=1099

Luxembourg could be a quick stop - one of Europe's most physically beautiful cities as a deep gorge bisects it - not much to see really but a nice rest stop.

If you want a real small village to stay in in a hotel raved about by many here check out the Haus Lipmann in tiny Beilstein, situated at one of the very most pretty parts of the Mosel Valley:

http://www.hotel-haus-lipmann.de/english/index.htm

Trier not far from Luxembourg on the Mosel (not a pretty part of it though) reeks of history - one of the oldest cities in Europe it has a Roman temples that centuries ago was converted to a Christian church - it has a Roman arena and the Porta Negra, a Roman city gate that is one of the most intact Roman relics outside of Italy.

Trier:

https://www.google.com/search?q=trie...=1600&bih=1099

Well consider the Mosel Valley if not wanting to stay a lot in large cities and have a relaxing stay - if into wine Mosel wines are very prestigous - there is a winery right in Cochem you can tour and taste the product from grapes that grow around the town. Cochem also has the castle of your dreams sticking out of the town on a vineyard carpeted hill.

mezo5

Many thanks @PalenQ for shearing that, I really loved Mosel Valley from the pictures, and I might going to stay there for 2 nights, since it's only 3 Hours driving from Amsterdam.

Now my total days for the tour is 11 days. 3 days will be in Giethoorn + 2 days at Mosel Valley = 5 days, I have 6 days left, is there any great cities near by Mosel Valley.

Thanks all,

hetismij2

From the Mosel you could go to Aachen, and from Aachen to Maastricht and then back up to Amsterdam. South Limburg would provide a good contrast to the Giethoorn area.

When in the Giethoorn area consider renting a whisper boat in the Weerribben national park.

Also you may enjoy a visit to Blokzijl which isn't far from Giethoorn. Also not so far away are Urk a fishing village whch used to be anisland and Schokland is a UNESCO heritage site, and again a former island. In fact you could visit any and all of those on your way from Amsterdm to Giethoorn.

PalenQ

Or if you want to drive a bit further south head for Freiburg and the Black Forest area - freiburg is a neat town and neat drives into the Black Forest area surrounding town - like to Titisee - an Alpine lake you can ramble around on easy walks.

Or Heidelberg and the Castle Road area - Heidelberg is one German town spared the ravages of WW2 - a nice mid-size but not small city - then head up the Castle Road, studded with castles of course and which goes along a sweet Neckar River valley - all the way to Rothenburg if you wish - then blast back via Colonge, pausing to see the great cathedral - to Amsterdam. rothenburg of course being world-famous as a medieval walled town.

Or spend a few days on the Rhine too in a riverside town like St Goar or Bacharach or Bingen and take the K-D boats or drive up and down the gorge (car ferries can take you quickly to the other side - then follow the Rhine all the way to Holland - via Bonn, a lovely also unspilt by war town - Mozart's House is there if that interests you via Cologne to Amsterdam or from Bonn head over to Aachen as hetismij2 suggests.

mezo5

Really thank you @hetismij2 and @PalenQ Appreciate your time for shearing this.

Here from what I understood from you guys, I hope this map is right

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Giet...6865!3e0?hl=en

mezo5

And yes, I stooped on Roermond for one day, to do shopping in Outlet with my mom .

hetismij2

There are nicer routes you could take instead of those motorways, and which wouldn't add a lot of time. You don't actually touch the Mosel much with that route, it is far nicer south of Cochem.

If you haven't had enough Outlet shopping consider Maasmechelen just over into Belgium. https://www.maasmechelenvillage.com/

PalenQ

Yes motorways are a drag - for one thing if you don't keep up with the fast traffic you may get horns and ugly catcalls - stay far right unless withe the no-speed-limits Mercedes crowds - see very little - take them at times of course but I would go from Amsterdam to Roermond and Aachen then Maasricht to Luxembourg then via Trier and roads right down the Mosel Valley from Trier to Cochem - one of the most scenic drives in Europe but motorways here rarely go near the river.

mezo5

Many thanks @hetismij2 for that.

I hope I got this time right, since I'm new in Europe map

https://www.google.com.sa/maps/dir/G...6865!3e0?hl=en


The plan is:

3 Days in Tourist-Information Ferienland Cochem

2 Days in Bacharach, Germany

1 Day in Maasmechelen, Belgium

Correct me If I'm wrong in the map.

Thank,

hetismij2

Sadly a motorway will be going right over it soon. They are busy building a monstrous bridge over the valley near Bernkastel-Kues. Not sure what road it is intended to carry but it is already an eyesore, and the pollution will collect in the valley I fear.

hetismij2

http://www.highestbridges.com/wiki/i...el_High_Bridge a lin to a site about it.

Sorry mezo5 I digress.

mezo5

I'm trying to get it right, but I think I don't have that knowledge on the Map.

hetismij2

DOn't worry too much. Buy a map, a proper paper map, preferably before you come, but otherwise you can buy them at Schiphol. Study it in the evening after getting to Giethoorn and see if you can work out a nicer route, with less motorways.
Go to Bacharach first if that is a must see, then go back up to Cochem.
From Cochem explore the Mosel valley. Even if you don't go a long way down, try an get to say Bernkastel Kues. In Spetember the grape harvest will be in full swing and it will be wonderful to see. Be prepared to be stuck behind tractors occasionally too!
You could then head up over the Eifel mountains back towards Aachen, Maastricht, Roermond (or Maasmechelen) and take the A2 motorway back up to Amsterdam.