Hi Fellow Travelers,

Hubby and I are heading to Germany in Sept 2019 to go to Octoberfest with friends who live in Munich. Other than that, we have no plans yet. We love good food, history, castles, outdoor activities such as hiking, and WINE!

IMHO, I think Octoberfest is good for a few days then I want to get outta there and see the rest of the country. We can stay as long as a month so I am looking for ideas on where to go from Munich. Open to a river cruise too but would love to hear what you would do with a month!

Thanks!!!

Brenda

Hi our38ftlife,

I live in Garmisch, so of course I'll recommend some time at/near the Alps!

Some Alpine destinations might be Berchtesgaden (nearby lake, mountains, Eagles Nest, national park), Mittenwald (village with gorgeous frescoed buildings, beautiful but short pedestrian path, near the mountains), or Garmisch (larger town, or rather two towns, two pedestrian zones, more shops and restaurants, near the Zugspitze).

You may also want to spend some time in Füssen where that new-ish Neuschwanstein palace is located. Many folks rush into town, go up to the palace, and then leave -- but Füssen is a beautiful destination in itself. It has an actual medieval castle right in town, a large lake outside of town, and a peaceful and pretty river running by the edge of town. Even though the town itself is smaller than Garmisch, its pedestrian zone is larger, with some lanes criss-crossing and running off into interesting directions. It's a very scenic area, more mountains-and-lakes, and really good landscape for some bike rides around the lakes or some hiking into the mountains.

Also like to suggest either a few overnights or a day-trip to Regensburg. It's just a lovely small medieval city with a warren of narrow streets you can easily get lost in.

I also think that Lake Constance is a beautiful area, basing yourself in Konstance or Lindau or Meersburg.

Outside of Bavaria, Freiburg (im Breisgau) is another very beautiful town, right on the edge of the Black Forest. It's a nice spot for excursions to a walking tour in the countryside or to see some nice towns.

I spent a few nights in Aachen, and was sorry I didn't have more time there. It's another small city with interesting narrow lanes that beckon you down to explore. It's a good spot for seeing the history and impact of Charlemagne.

Finally, I would say that Dresden is a must-see, though I despise that term. You can easily see the remnants of the Soviet era in its 1950s and 1960s architecture, and then marvel at how it has developed under capitalism since then. The center of the city is an oasis of calm and beauty, ringed by the Frauenkirche, a museum, and beautiful buildings.

Have fun as you plan!

s

i think berlin is packed with culture, history, and delicious food & the history of world war II and you can try food from the different cultures, you must visit berlin and learn what makes it so unique in germany.
And If you like to hike,,: Harz is great spot to hike, the Hainich Nationalpark, the Pfaz or the Thuringer Wald all in the middle of Germany. Also in the West of Germany also the mosel are great nature spots and also a great area for Wine

>>> I think Octoberfest is good for a few days then I want to get outta there and see the rest of the country. We can stay as long as a month so I am looking for ideas on where to go from Munich.

First look at the map. First decide if you just "see the rest of the country" or also include other countries you can combine with your stay in Munich. You notice Austria, Switzerland, and Northern Italy are not that far from Munich. Why does it matter? Because of other items you mentioned:
>>> We love good food, history, castles, outdoor activities such as hiking, and WINE!
If you travel outside Germany, you choice of culinary options expands. Bolzano is less than 4 hours away by train from Munich.
Germany is a good place for castles.
Outdoor activities such as hiking. Between Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the Dolomites, you have access to the prime hiking destinations. If this is the case, think hard if you want to travel after or before the Oktoberfest. Hiking infrastructures start to shutdown slowly and the weather worsens as you get later into fall. Be sure to check operating days if you want to visit peak season only destinations later in October. This also brings to how you arrange your flight. If your destinations line up in a linear fashion, you might want to look into multi-city flights as opposed to round-trip flights.

>>> Open to a river cruise
Are you talking about a week long type on a flat boat? In case you have not actually looked at offerings, do a sanity check on where they go and the price tag. River cruise are at higher price points than ocean cruises as well as doing a similar land based trip on your own.

Thanks so much for all the great ideas! Regensburg is on my list just from a few things I have read so its nice to hear about form someone who has been there,

German trains are great - if going mainly to cities like many do take trains and maybe do cars in areas like Mosel Valley, Bavaria, Black Forest, etc. For lots on German trains check www.bahn.de/en - German Railways site - general info BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

The Mosel Valley is great for WINE - driving along in early autumns as sweet as the vaunted Mosel wines whose vines cover the gorgeous Mosel Valley slopes:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Mose...w=1280&bih=629

Do not miss Berlin, a city beautidully rebuilt from the ashes of WWII.

With a month, I would certainly see a little of another country or two.

I would definitly recommand you munic and berlin.

Though Germany could occupy whole month yes other countries are easy to hit like Salzburg, Austria - just an hour by train from Munich - Amsterdam a few hours from Cologne - etc - could fly out of one of them.

Thanks everyone for all the wonderful suggestions.

We have traveled in Switzerland, Italy and France but not Austria so adding into our travel plans is a great idea. We typically like to focus on one country, using certain areas as a base camp and exploring around that area doing day trips.

The multi-city flight idea is great and since we have the entire month of September, I will look at doing some of the hiking suggested prior to going to Munich for Octoberfest.

Swandav - so many wonderful ideas - thank you...will do more research on those smaller towns and villages.

The Mosel Valley looks beautiful and wondering if anyone has experienced the Ahr Valley and its footpaths?

You have all given me some great ideas to research today!!! Thanks again!!

don't neglect considering Saxon Switzerland - one of Europe's most beautiful river valleys with iconic red sandstone cliffs topped at places by formidable fortresses - great hiking too - popular with Europeans but not so much with Americans.

https://www.google.com/search?q=saxo...ih=611&dpr=1.5

And though want to stick to Germany easy to hit a Czech town nearby.

If you like wine, then check out the various wine growing regions of Germany, there are many depending on terrain and weather, just as in France and other winegrowing countries:
https://www.germanwines.de/tourism/w...owing-regions/

I am sure you realize that Okoberfest is a beer drinking binge, you won't find much wine. I hope you don't mind huge crowds, it will be packed with people and you have to wait in line at the tents until someone leaves to get a seat. The later in the day the more obnoxious the crowds become. I will never go again, it was probably my worst experience in all of Europe in 7 trips.
Since you have friends who live there, I humbly suggest you go before or after Oktoberfest. Fewer crowds and cheaper prices.

When choosing your destinations, keep in mind that political borders are often not really seperating areas of different cultures.
If you want diversity, you will find more differences between Garmisch, Innsbruck, Bozen and the Hanse towns of Northern Germany than between the former three towns located in three different countries.

Munich is a great spot as a base to explore Upper Bavaria, including the obvious day trip to Salzburg.
During Oktoberfest, all trains going to Munich are crowded during the AM and early PM hours (commuters and Oktoberfest visitors from the region).
Since you should be using them in the opposite order (leave Munich AM, return PM or at night), you should be fine.
I hope you can stay with your friends, otherwise you should start making hotel reservations NOW (yes, now, for Sept. 2019).

Germany for wine lovers cuts your destination by 50 percent as this is the domain of the Southern half of the country.
With the exception of the important wine growing area around Dresden.
I'd probably prefer the Mosel valley over the Rhine valley (fewer tourists), think about Luxembourg as a nice day trip, and then move on further South and add Alsace/France to the experience. And, of course, Regensburg/Würzburg/Franconia, the wine growing part of Bavaria where beer plays only 2nd role.

When you think about open-jaw flights (in Munich, out elsewhere), you should also check airfares from smaller airports in the specific region where you want to end your trip. In total it can be less costly and more convenient to pay a small surcharge to include a feeder flight from Strasbourg to Paris to the US, or from Stuttgart to London to the US than to focus on training from some remote area to Frankfurt for a nonstop to the US.

A different route which focuses more on diversity of landscapes and cityscapes could take you from Munich via Regensburg and Prague to Dresden and Berlin and eventually Wismar and Hamburg. You will leave the "wine country" once you get North of Dresden. But Prague will certainly add a different flavor to your trip, as well as Berlin. The Northern parts of Germany are still focused mostly on domestic tourism and that from the Nordic countries. But can add another very different flavor, like, for example, the UNESCO world heritage site of Wismar Old Town.
https://www.wismar-stralsund.de/en/
The port city of Hamburg (the second largest city in Germany) also offers good flight connectings to the major hubs of Frankfurt and Munich as well as to Amsterdam, Copenhagen or Paris.