2 Weeks in Germany in December
 

Started planning our holiday for next December and we would like to visit Germany. its our first time in Germany. After some research we ended up more confused LOL. So here are our options...we can arrive and depart through Munich, but we can depart as well from Frankfurt as arrival time is not that great. We have in mind 2 options:

Option 1: Land in Munich at 11am, take the train to Garmish and stay there 5 nights with side trips, then move to Nuremberg and do another 5 nights with side trips, and then move to Munich and do another 5 nights with side trips and depart from Munich.

Option 2: Land in Munich at 11am, stay in Munich for 5 days with side trips including GaP, then move to Nuremberg and do another 5 nights with side trips and then move to somewhere in the Rhine Valley for 5 nights, but must be close to Frankfurt airport for departure, and which we can do easy day trips by trains.

As such we are thinking of whether we change the 5 nights in GaP with the Rhine Valley. The Rhine Valleys looks wonderful but done know where I can stay and whether it will be interesting during December.

We like nice scenary like lakes and mountains. We also like old medieval towns as I think during Christmas they will be nice, we also like museums, architecture and attractions.

What do you suggest? Any more ideas?

<i>We like nice scenary like lakes and mountains. We also like old medieval towns as I think during Christmas they will be nice, we also like museums, architecture and attractions.</i>

Then go with Option 1.

Sparkchaser thanks for your reply. Do you suggest anywhere that meets are likings from GaP and Nuremberg?

swandav2000 lives in Garmisch and she will have many excellent suggestions for you.

As for Nuremberg, here is a list of "museums, architecture and attractions" that are all very easy day trips from Nuremberg and easily reachable by train/tram/bus:

1. Rothenburg ob der Tauber. World famous walled medieval town. Always packed to the gill with tourists but it's definitely worth a visit. The "torture museum" is worth seeing as is the wooden Franziskusaltar in the St Jakobs church that was carved by Tilman Riemenschneider. If you have time, the city museum has an outstanding collection of weapons and armor, including the hunting weapons of Fredrick the Great and Marie Antoinette. A coworker says that the Christmas market is "very nice but very crowded".

2. Bamberg. If you like beer, this is a must visit city. Bamberg and the surrounding area have the highest concentration of breweries in the world. The Aecht Schlenkerla brewery is a UNESCO world heritage site and you should stop by for a Rauchbier (tip: gulp your beer instead of sipping so you get the best taste). The old city (Altstadt) is very picturesque and you will have no shortage of interesting architecture and scenes to take pics of. Their Christmas market is one of my favorites (be sure to try the Glühbier).

3. Anwanden near Zirndorf. I only mention this because of the Romantischer Weihnachtsmarkt Gut Wolfgangshof. This quaint little Christmas Market is only open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during Advent. here you will find craftsmen, artists and performers, and tasty food and drink. The best part of this for me is stepping off the train (stop: Anwanden Bahnhof, Zirndorf) and gettign onthe horse drawn carriage that takes you to the market, followed very closely by the delicious food.

4. Nuremberg. The Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt will be unavoidable and that's ok. Lots of people but lots of shopping and food as well. Behind the Starbucks is the "the largest Feuerzangenbowle in the world" (Feuerzangenbowle is a drink made with a rum soaked sugar cube being lit on fire and the caramelized rum-infused sugary goodness allowed to drip into a hot cup of Glühwein). As for museums in Nürnberg, you have plenty: Nazi Documentation Center and Nazi Party Parade Grounds, Nuremberg Trials Museum, The Nuremberg castle, Deutsche Bahn museum, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, toy museum, museum of natural history, and more.

5. Fürth. There is a Jewish Museum here and a museum commemorating the first rail road in Germany. The Christmas market is ok but will have smaller crowds than Nuremberg and Rothenburg.

That should keep you busy for a few days ;)

The thing with GaP is that we are a bit concerned about the weather as we will be there is December.

How so? It might snow, it might not. Even a week before your trip, that's the best you can tell. Last week the forecast for this week for Franconia had it cloudy and cold with no precipitation. Yesterday we got about 4 inches and it looks like we'll get another inch or so before the day is over.

The public transit system is designed to deal with snow. Granted, a blizzard will throw a wrench into the works but other than that I would not let the chance of snow or bitter cold dissuade you -- just bring boots and dress in layers.

I like Rothenburg, but only in the evening and in the morning when it's free of tour busses.

Nuremberg (Nürnberg)has a tour of the Palace of Justice, where the Nuremberg trials were held after WWII.

I'm not a beer drinker, but Bamberg is a beautiful town.

Hi theabez,

Right -- what exactly are you concerned about the weather? It's really not likely to snow in town in December. Because of Global Climate Change, the snow is getting less and less sure. Last year we hardly had any snow at all (and the ski season ended a month early) -- though this year we're off to a good start with some good dumps on 26 & 29 Dec.

You'll be ok using trains and busses -- normal snowfall doesn't impede them. If it's snowing, you can sled, snow-shoe, or visit other nearby towns & villages (Oberammergau, Linderhof, Ettal, Murnau, Mittenwald, Innsbruck). If it's not snowing, you can take some nice walks.

If you let us know what you're thinking of, we'll be happy to help you find it!

Have fun as you plan!

s

Which one is better for a day Murnau or Mittenwald?

Thanks.

Hi again,

Depends on what your interests are.

Mittenwald is a village nestled in the Alps -- with cable cars to the peaks, small lakes, and dozens of hiking trails. Love the violin-making museum there, which gives good information and a good background for how cottage industry operated in the Alps for centuries. Mittenwald is a favorite stop for tourists -- and for good reason.

Murnau is a nice little town with a sweet main street and nice shops, boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. Murnau was a center for the "Blue Rider" Expressionist painting group, and Kandinsky lived & worked there for a bit. Nice museum about this group. Murnau is not usually on the map for English-speaking tourists. More information:

http://www.murnau.de/en/the-blue-rider_p2


s

I'm curious how this trip went. We're planning something similar this December but we only have 10 days.

If also taking trains in Bavaria you can use the bargain-basement Bavarian Pass to hop on and off any regional train (they go everywhere) or city transports - sold at stations -about 35 euros a day for two - if not driving use it - slightly slower than faster trains but for Bavaria just fine. See www.bahn.de/en - German Rail's online portal for more info - no reason to buy ahead.

A whole lot depends on your exact travel dates, which you aren't mentioning.
If you want to see and experience the Christmas markets, you have to be here during Advent season, i.e. before the Christmas holidays, as most of them terminate by Christmas Eve. You want to be in these cities before, not during or after the actual holidays. So this may require some tweaks in your itinerary.

I would definitely recommend the Bavarian Alps over the Rhine valley at that time of the year.

Miamine, GAP is wonderful, Ettal, Oberammergau, Mittenwald and Murnau. We love the brewery there and the food is very good. I would look at an apartment in Garmisch Partenkirchen. Public transportation is easy to use.

The Rhine Valleys looks wonderful but don't know where I can stay and whether it will be interesting during December.>

Not much - I would stick to larger cities in December -Xmas markets and lots of indoor sights.

There are however K-D Rhine River cruises between Rudesheim and Koblenz once daily in winter -subject to demand -so 1 day there may not be bad or a couple - Koblenz like all German cities is sure to have a Christmas Market.

www.k-d.com.

I would skip the Rhine in Dec.