"Cowboy1968, you have exposed me. I am actually a covert U.S.-based operative for the Pan-Germanic Conspiracy for the Economic Advancement of Hamburg (a.k.a. PGCEAH). "

You should probably ask for a raise. :)

DAX, I had TOTALLY forgotten about that! I really have no business giving recommendations on this board. ;-)

glenmd, I will take that as a compliment.

Cowboy, I almost fell off my chair laughing. Thanks for making my day.

We once stayed at a nice, relatively expensive hotel in Munich. The manager came around and greeted all of the guests at breakfast. He came to our table and asked, "Englisch oder Deutsch?" We laughingly answered "Deutsch," then explained (in German) that we were Americans living in Stuttgart. He replied (also in German), "Of course! If you were Schwaebisch, you wouldn't be staying in this hotel!"

Sorry to be diverting the thread. I normally don't cause such a ruckus.

Betty I was never brought up that way, my dad raised me well.

That said, your humor is well taken Betty. For some other guy that may be a bonus tip from hausfrau who REALLY knows the local HOT SPOTS.

It has been Rick Steves' policy to write only about places he has personally visited. This does limit what is covered in his guidebooks, but you do know that what he does write about is from personal experience. He doesn't present himself as a guidebook writer who covers everything in country, only what he personally has experienced.

I haven't used one of his guidebooks for a while now, so I don't know if this policy has changed, but it is an approach that can be useful if you happen to be interested in visiting the same places he has visited.

DAX, I'm sure you are a gentleman, but I couldn't resist the urge to tease you a little!

I loved the Spreewald, which is in the former East Germany--probably the reason few Americans visit there.

I've always enjoyed reading Rick Steves books. He has mentioned places that I've never read about in other guides--such as Ironbridge Gorge and Paestum, both of which we enjoyed visiting. They're probably listed in other guides, but his earlier guides are small enough that I see everything in them.

My back has been up about the RIck Steve bashing on this forum. I too wish you had titled your post without his name and agree with cynthia_booker and all the others who show some empathy for first-time travelers. There are many seasoned travellers here who need to remember what it's like and how impossible it is to see everything.

I have never been to Germany. Do hamburgers come from Hamburg?

TDudette, Hamburg aside, you really should visit Germany. It's a beautiful place with everything you could want -- mountains, lakes, rivers, castles, museums, wine, beer and good food. Plus, prices are still quite reasonable for travellers.

I wouldn't keep going back year after year if it didn't inspire me.

"hamburger" does indeed derive from "Hamburg". As one poster has noted above, many Germans emigrated to the States from Hamburg.

I've been to Hamburg but didn't have a hamburger there. Terrible oversight.

Am also bookmarking this thread because of all the great recommendations (aside from Houston).

Cowboy: I've been to Hameln - can't remember much except that it was a pretty town.

Yah! Bad Wimpfen! Had a great lunch there and it has this strange looking tower - something about perspective in art.

Many, many many years ago I spent two months in Bonn and really enjoyed riding either the train or the boat up and down the Rhein looking into some of those numerous castles. Can't remember one from the other now but it was a fun experience.

karasek: great photos! Thanks for the additional recommendations! Two larger cities that I plan on visiting next trip to Northern Germany are Dresden and Leipzig - never been. Do you have any particular "non-tourist" things to do or see in either one of those cities?

Thanks bettyk and hi "easy". DH and I got hooked similarly to Italy so I do understand how you feel. Will keep the suggestions above for my continued "to go there" list.

TDudette,
once you are hooked on a destination it is hard to "let go"... I know.
For years , I repeatedly traveled to almost all Western European countries but Germany.
Last summer I was going to Prague and decided to visit Berlin since it was not too far .( I stayed in Dresden for 2 nights on the way).
Berlin was ( unexpectedly) fascinating - we went back in Sept . this year ( also Munich for 5 days) and will probably visit again.
Unlike bettyk and many others, I have no interest in small towns or driving around, but I would like to go back to Germany . Hamburg is definitely a possibility!
-

"...Dresden and Leipzig - never been. Do you have any particular "non-tourist" things to do or see in either one of those cities?"

In Leipzig there is the Voelkerschlachtdenkmal (Monument to the Battle of the Nations) - this is probably the most imposing memorial I've ever seen. Inside they play moody music and you can climb the stairs inside it to go to a viewing platform. I don't think this is non-touristy, it would probably be one of Leipzig's primary attractions.

There is also a bar in Leipzig built in the foundations of a ruin. I don't know the name as I was taken there by a friend and we did a couple of bars that night. Maybe someone who knows Leipzig better will know the name. I really enjoyed this bar.

Lavandula

bookmarking

Resurrecting an old thread
 

An up and coming East German town is the village of Grimma in Saxony. It is along the Martin Luther Trail. Luther's wife was a nun cloistered in the Nimbschen convent just outside of town when she disguised herself and ran away to join the Protestant movement. Grimma has a number of medieval buildings untouched by centuries of war and the deprivations of the Communist German government. No doubt it was simply forgotten by many. Much of the old architecture has been recently restored or is being restored. Grimma was once a flourishing arts center primarily because of its publishing facilities. Many of Germany's greatest writers came there. Grimma features buildings from various eras of architecture and walking down a single street one can stroll through hundreds of years of history. The pedestrian-only Pöppelmannbrücke (bridge) is probably the town's chief tourism draw. It is the longest cable bridge in central Europe. From it one can view most of the historic town center as well as look up at stately old homes of the lesser nobility. The marketplace square is reminiscent of the one in Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber sans tourists. In fact, on my visits to Grimma I was the only knucklehead walking around with a camera. Once the locals heard my American accented German they instantly smiled and lost their aloofness. The town is still a relatively undiscovered gem so visiting and touring felt like being back in the Bavaria of the 1960s.

Grimma makes an excellent central base for excursions throughout Saxony. Colditz castle of WWII fame is only a short drive away, While visiting Colditz we grabbed a brochure listing Saxony's most beautiful castles and we were able to visit five of them in a single day. If you miss big city action Leipzig is only 12 miles away. Eat dinner in Leipzig and return to the bucolic splendor of the countryside in just minutes. This is a great section of Germany for just a leisurely drive. There is something interesting to see in every little hamlet you drive through. I only wish my German was better and my knowledge of Saxon history was stronger because there is so much to take in: castles and manor houses both restored and in ruins, cathedrals and chapels, German and Polish place names (the area has been contested for centuries), unknown but delicious local beers, remnants of the Second World War and the East German military and miles upon miles of open farmland. Next to Berchtesgaden I think this is the most scenic in all Germany.

Grimma

I am always happy to hear someone enjoyed their trip to Saxony, which is where I live. I agree that Grimma is a mostly underrated and yet to discover (by tourists from abroad) gem.

However, some corrections are in order. Pöppelmann bridge is the stone bridge, not the cable bridge. And it was destroyed by the flood in 2002 and later reconstructed. Although Leipzig is close, 12 miles is only the distance to the outskirts - it's almost 20 miles to the city centre. Also, there are no Polish place names, they are "Sorbian" names - the Sorbs are a slavic minority living in eastern Saxony and southeastern Brandenburg.

darnitall, now i see this thread is ancient. and here i was being jealous that Vttraveler had gotten a free guidebook (when I hadn't gotten one since 2010)!

@ Ingo: Thanks!

I know, ancient but a great read. My husband was stationed in Bavaria so we tend to revisit often but he wants to go see some other areas. A U-boat museum in the northeast. I can't get excited about that but am trying to be open-minded.

Great thread! Thanks.