In May, my husband and I are taking a 10-day mostly train trip through Germany, but our return flight is from Zurich. We are considering spending the final 3 days of our trip driving from Munich to Zurich to see small towns and villages. Any specific suggestions on routes to take or places to see? What about the Appenzell region? <BR> <BR>Thanks! <BR>Carrie

We spent three nights in Appenzell a couple of years ago and liked it. It is a quaint town with interesting buildings, but a horrific odor of cows and their "byproducts". Eating outside was literally ruined by the smell; we could swear we were sitting next to cow piles. We did a lot during our two full days there, mostly hiking and also going up to the top of Santis. On the other hand, it's not for everyone. We met two couples from the US traveling together who had also booked there for three nights and tried desparately to get out of Appenzell, but their hotel would not refund any of their three nights' prepaid lodging. They just found the whole place boring, but I think the ladies mainly were looking to shop. By the way, I decided the reason that very good Appenzeller cheese smells so strong is that they are trying to cover up the cow smell all over town.

The city of Lindau on the Bodensee (a very large lake) is right on your path - be sure to spend some time there! It is right on the Swiss/German border. <BR> <BR>Take a ferry ride to "Insel Mainau", an island in the Bodensee which is in fact a stunning botanical garden filled with tropical plants that can survive here because of the moderating influence of all that lake water surrounding it. <BR> <BR>Lindau itself is a resort town with lovely promenades along the lake and, I believe, a historical center. <BR> <BR>In Schaffhausen, on the Swiss side, check out the Rhine falls.

I would stay on the shores of Lake Constance and visit all the nice towns, such as Meersburg, Uberlingen and Lindau as mentioned before. Also worth a visit is the abbey/monastery/school at Salem (where Queen Sofia of Spain spent some time in her younger years). And definitely don't miss Mainau Island, as you'll be there in May and a lot of things will be in full bloom! Definitely breathtaking. <BR>We loved the area!

After you leave the Lake area <BR>( Bodensee), head to Fussen, and stay there for a couple days Two miles from the town are the Castles Neuswanstein and Hohenswangau. They are really worth seeing. Also the town of Fussen is neat as it sit at the base of the Alps and offers some shoppes and quaint resturants. We stayed at the Sonne Hotel which was in the center of town and very reasonable. There is also a Information Office in the center of town that will get you accommodations. After Fussen you can think about Bergesgarten and Garmish, which is in the Area. Have fun.

Patrick, Appenzell is a farming community and had you done your homework on this, you could have avoided such a "horrific odors". I for one, hope the smell keeps you away so I can enjoy the beautifully quaint farming village without one more tourist ;-). <BR> <BR>If it weren’t for the cows, Appenzell nor the wonderful Appenzell cheese would existFarming is a valued tradition here. If you would have talked to the locals you would have found that farmers feed their cattle hay, and most farmers cut their "hay" by hand due the steep mountain sides. They fertilize the hay with "mist" so it grows quickly, and “mist” is liquefied cow manure! That's most likely what you experienced. The smell can be strong right after it is sprayed, but diminishes after some time. <BR> <BR>I love Appenzell and have been there 3 times. I'm going again this year. Appenzell has a strong folkmusik community. If you get the chance to find a local restaurant and bar when the locals will yodel when the band takes their breaks. The Appenzell area has great hiking, numerous trams/lift to the mountains (Santis), wonderful Swiss meals (raclette, fondue, etc.), sinful ice cream (of course with all those cows!) and scrumptious baked goods. With Appenzell as a base camp, you can easily make short day trips to Vaduz, Liechtenstein, the Bodensee or Austria. St. Gallen is the nearest city and they have a very nice shopping area to buy anything from jewelry to cigars. Appenzell offers the chance to experience a very traditional and unique part of the Swiss culture. <BR> <BR>If you want big city lights, better head to Zurich, Bern or Geneva. <BR>

Boy, Lynne, did you misinterpret what I said, or maybe I just wasn't clear. I loved Appenzell. We did in fact see two wonderful musical groups performing on our hikes. We loved the village. The only reason I made the point about the smell is that it really offends a lot of people, and yes, our meal outside was "ruined" by the smell -- how could it not be since smell is a great part of the sense of taste? But I only meant that we should have eaten inside. I grew up in the country, downwind on some days of a pig farm, so I know what I am talking about. <BR>I wanted to point out the smell as it was certainly enough to totally turn off some people, including the couples who were desperately trying to cancel their hotel reservations. <BR>I guess my little joke about the strong smell of that fabulous Appenzeller cheese didn't work on you. Sorry.