2 weeks in Germany
 

I'm landing in Frankfurt in the middle of May and have 2 weeks and a car.
I'm retired 78 y/o single heterosexual male and like castles, great restaurants and quaint towns.
It should be white asparagus season and therefore the timing of my trip.
Any suggestions as to outstanding places would be greatly appreciated.

Trains are a great alternative and for single travelers great in that cars can be isolating - consider a train trip if going mainly to cities. Is there a certain area that is best for Spargels as Germans call this asparagus covered from sun to keep white? If not going to cities where cars are a liability in many ways, cars can be great for doing a lot of countryside driving - assume that is your case but if heading to likes of Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt, Cologne, etc then trains would be best.

Anyway for lots on trains check www.bahn.de/en - German railways site for schedules and booking your own discounted tickets - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com - great for where to go by train - www.ricksteves.com.

thanks I look forward to driving the small towns and countryside.

Habroms, I travel for work to FRA and have done many car trips from a base there over the years. I'm not sure if you want to stay in the area, so I'll just wade in.

A favorite castle is Burg Eltz: Drive to Landhotel Ringelsteiner Mühle, park there and walk through the woods along the Elzbach River to Burg Eltz. The castle itself is still a residence and an unmolested example of German castles (never sacked by the French). They have an EN tour and a small museum. There are two food services and I like to have lunch on their patio before walking back to the car. If you don't dine at the castle, the Ringelsteiner has a dining room and also a fresh supply of pies and cakes to complete your hike.

A nice tour in that area is up/down the Mosel River valley. It is generally less crowded than the Rhine. After your Eltz tour, wind your way to the oldest town in Germany, Trier. It's a favorite because of all the Roman structures.

Up the Rhine, Marksburg castle is a nice one to visit. They also have a English tour.

Another good castle is Braunfels. One son of the family is credited with coming to Texas and founding the town of New Braunfels near San Antonio.

Closer to FRA, you can enjoy your schnitzel and spargel in the shadow of the Hoechst castle at one of my favorites restaurants, Zum Bären.

I have more (!) if you're interested later.

Wertheim am Main is not very far from Frankfurt for your first evening. I look for the spargel specials on the blackboards. Speyer is a nice town also.

thank you
I will spend the first 2 nights at hotel Eisenhut in Rothenburg and then drive toward Heidelberg and Schwetzigen(for Spargel).
I have no set schedule but I do like to drive through the old villages and stop at restaurants, castles and unique hotels.
Any info is greatly appreciated.
H. Abroms

Rothenburg-Heidelberg take the Castle Road largely along the castle-studded Neckar River Valley.

We drove from Frankfurt through the center of Germany to Görlitz, passing by Bamberg, Würzburg, Meissen and other small cities. I wrote a trip report that can be found by clicking on my name and then clicking on "Find Trip Reports".

thanks

thamks

Since you mention Heidelberg, let's talk about going from FRA south. Between Frankfurt and Heidelberg is a little ruin called Auerbach Castle. It sits up on a wooded hill that overlooks the valley to the west. The castle is not all that great, but I mention it because they have a restaurant with a nice patio overlooking the valley and it is the first place I tasted spargel.

When you come into Heidelberg, park in the underground Korn Markt garage. From here, you will have a short walk to the funicular train station that will take you to Heidelberg Castle. This is really a nice castle and they have an English tour. The views are great. After riding back down the mountain, take the short walk to Marktplatz pedestrian area. I like to sit at one of the outdoor cafes here, before strolling down to the Neckar and taking in the views there. My Heidelberg visit is not complete until I stop at the Student Kiss shop.

Westward beyond Schwetzigen is Speyer, mentioned by Macross above. I have been there a couple times. There is a small pedestrian zone and a nice Dom, but the main attraction for me (engineer) is the Technic Museum.

If you are intent on wandering more westerly, I can provide some additional thoughts. Or, if turning eastward, let me know,

thanks
I plan to head westward towards Deidesheim for wine and spargel.
Any great places?

white wine with spargels?

The Jewish cemetery in Worms is worth a stop.