Next Sunday I'm traveling to Germany for 60. I'll be working at the Army Post at Baumholder. I'm so excited, which makes being organized tough.

I have some plans for weekends, but if anyone has suggestions, I'll take 'em. I'm an experienced traveler, have been to Europe several times, but never to the Mozell Valley.

Thanks, y'all.

From Baumholder: Trier is a very interesting city with a Roman history, Luxembourg has a pretty old town and casemates. There is a Villeroy and Boch seconds centre at Mettlach (near Saarbruecken) which gets heaps of visitors from 4 countries. Don't go right near Christmas, it's chaos. Near you, Idar-Oberstein is supposed to be famous for gemstones (I haven't been there, that's just what I remember from a textbook I had years ago), and Bad Kreuznach is cute. Further north Mainz is great - see the 1000 year old Mainzer Dom and the Stefansdom with its Chagall windows. And Wiesbaden has pretty 19th-century architecture, although is not really old. Be sure to see the Russische Kapelle. Going south, Heidelberg with its castle is a nice visit. The zoo there is good, too. Mannheim has a baroque palace and is built on a grid - each street is named after a letter of the alphabet. And Strasbourg in France has a special Christmas market. There are actually lots more options but this is to get you started.

Lavandula

Mosel highlights; Cochem is especially attractive:

http://www.mosel-reisefuehrer.de/mos...ightsengl.html

Burg Eltz: www.burg-eltz.de

North of Trier in Irrel: German bunker, open Sundays:
http://www.westwallmuseum-irrel.de/index_en.html

On the Rhine:
Remagen WW II museum: www.bruecke-remagen.de
Marksburg Castle: www.marksburg.de

One of our sons-in-law was stationed at Baumholder for a three-year tour of duty. At 18 months in, we went to see them and the grandchildren. He took some time off, and they drove us to Kryburg Castle in Kirn, the castle ruins and the Felsenkirche (Cliff Church) in Idar-Oberstein, Heidelburg, Rothenburg, and a brief trip to Luxembourg.

We made a weekend trip to Montreux, Switzerland, stopping at Baden-Baden and an overnight in Garmish-P and on to Innsbruck, Austria. If you go to Innsbruck, be sure to see St. Jacob's Cathedral; it is lovely. We also tried to see Mad King Ludwig's Neuschwanstein Castle in Fussen but got there too late to go inside.

We spent two weeks and really had a good time. Best wishes on your assignment.

Thank y'all so much! I actually had to buy a coat for this trip, lol. It just doesn't get cold in Charleston.

Lavandula, so great. I have decided to stop in Trier on my way down from Frankfurt, since I'll have a car. I love Chagall, as I was an art major in my former life.

Russ, thanks for the links. So helpful.

carolyn, thank your son-in-law for his service. I actually spent some time in Innsbruck in 1990. I lived in DC at the time. They fired guns to make the snow not avalanche ( I never got that) but I totally ducked to the ground, lol! Everyone laughed. Now that I work on military installations, I don't even notice guns.

Again, thank y'all so much!