Claddagh9

Hello all,
I need some serious help on an itinerary for Germany. I have never been there before and no one I know has either. I will be arriving in Frankfurt on Oct. 11 and fly out there as well on Sunday, Oct. 16th.
It seems that Southern Germany is the most obvious area to stay in. Berlin is way too far away. I've seen that Heidelberg, The Black Forest and Munich are spots that I should visit. Other than that, I don't know where to go. I really find the WW2 aspect of Germany interesting, I love art and the beautiful scenery that I see. I like to hike and of course being from St. Louis MO, I like beer
I would like to drive, but I am not sure that would make use of my time well, but I think it would be fun.

Any guidance on where to stay/do would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you so much.

PStuyvsant

You really don't have much time to be winging it, especially by car.

I would just hop a train to Heidelberg for a couple of days. Then finish up with a couple more in one of the small towns on the Rhine ( Bacharach, Rudesheim, etc.).

Trains are the best time saver in your case. Especially if you keep the distances from Frankfurt short.

Claddagh9

Thank you @PStuyvsant. I appreciate your input, especially about taking the train.

Gary_Mc

The area around Frankfurt is filled with things to see. With only 5 days in country I would not travel to southern Bavarian or the Black Forest. Some places near Frankfurt:

The Rhine River Valley villages (St. Goar, Bacharach, etc.)
The Mosel River Valley (Trier, Cochem, etc.)
Würzburg
Miltenberg
Bad Mergentheim
Köln (Cologne)

I hope that Jo drops in as she is more familiar with the small Hessen towns immediately near Frankfurt.

Fussgaenger

The Middle Rhine Valley is a good suggestion. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site full of charming old-world towns, castles, wineries, and scenic hiking trails.

Bacharach: http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/med...-bacharach.jpg

Braubach, home of Marksburg Castle:
http://djtravel.homestead.com/files/...hotel_1610.jpg
http://www.marksburg.de/en/

Oberwesel: http://www.marksburg.de/en/

River cruise scene near Bingen: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ngen_Rhein.jpg

I'd suggest 2-3 nights in one of these towns with outings from there to the other towns/castles.

I'd suggest 2-3 additional nights in Mainz, a fine smallish city further south on the Rhine and very near FRA airport with a large pedestrian zone, some interesting sights, and a generally good vibe. Do a day trip from Mainz to Heidelberg (about 1 hour each way by train.) From Mainz you are just 20-25 minutes from the FRA terminal by direct train - almost as close as from Frankfurt to FRA.

Mainz: http://www.en.romantic-cities.com/Mainz.5733.0.html

Loacker

For a first trip to Germany I would not bother with Heidelberg or the Rhine.

Go to Berlin or Munich. Berlin is a world class city.
It's a shame to come all the way to Germany and not see one of its two greatest cities.
If this was your first trip to France would you miss Paris?

If you take the fastest train you can get to Berlin in less than 4 hours.

Claddagh9

@Gary_Mc, @Fussgaenger, @Loacker
Thank you! I KNOW @Loacker, I need more time, but I am also visiting Ireland, so I have about 5 days in each country. Traveling in and out of Frankfurt was a mistake of mine, I should have flown in to Munich and left from Berlin. But, oh well. It's done. I will be happy to be in the country where my family came from. I work with someone who lived in Berlin for 4 years and didn't get to see everything.

@Fussgaenger: Thank you for the links! Very helpful.

Go northeast or south. South seems to have more old-world feel. Berlin is Berlin and I could spend all days there.

Gary_Mc

"Traveling in and out of Frankfurt was a mistake of mine, I should have flown in to Munich and left from Berlin. "

This is true if big cities are what thrills you.

I have only visited Berlin for a conference, which is not representative.

I have visited Munich 4 times and it is nowhere near my favorite place in the area. A combination of Regensburg, Augsburg and Landshut would be more pleasing to me for a 5 day stand, as would the Rhine Valley. It is not right or wrong but personal taste.

Fussgaenger

"Traveling in and out of Frankfurt was a mistake of mine, I should have flown in to Munich and left from Berlin. "

I disagree... Berlin itself takes 4-5 days, so you wouldn't do it justice if you tried to include Munich as well. Agree with the previous comment that Munich is overrated (not quite what GaryMc said I guess.) But if you want to see it it makes more sense to do so in combination with a visit to the German Alps and maybe Salzburg some other time. Heidelberg isn't my favorite city but at least it wasn't flattened like Munich and much of Berlin were - it was mostly spared the destruction of WW II and has a pleasant old town.

Mainhattengirl

I think Frankfurt is a great city to visit. Chock full of history and an excellent hub. Near to the Rhine, close to medieval towns, and with lots of historical sites itself.

Büdingen is a walled, medieval town only an hour by train from Frankfurt. Visit Gelnhausen too.
Limburg, Marburg, Idstein, Seligenstadt, Michelstadt are all good to visit.
On the Rhine, start with Eltville and a visit to Eberbach Monastery. http://kloster-eberbach.de/en/monastery
Head up to St. Goar and spend a couple of hours exploring Burg Rhinefels.

Visit Bad Homburg with the palace of Kaiser Wilhelm and the Redeemer church he had built next to it. A visit to Hessen Park Open Air museum can fill most of a day. If you want something completely different go to the Saalburg, a reconstructed Roman fort.
http://www.hessenpark.de/index.php?id=english
http://www.saalburgmuseum.de/english/sb_en_home.html

If you are interested in Jewish history, Frankfurt has plenty of sites, but you could also go to Worms or Speyer.

What to see in Frankfurt?
* Kaiserdom - Emperor elections & coronations
* Jewish Holocaust Remembrance Wall
* Judengasse Musuem (Jewish Ghetto)
* Alte Oper
* Klein Markt Halle
* Höchst - Half-timbered housese & market on Tues. Fri. & Sat. 7-13:00
* Farmers Markets on the Konstablerwache (Thur. & Sat)
* Römer
* Deutsche Orden church
* Alte Nikolai church
* Justinus church in Höchst (built 850)

Claddagh9

Oh you guys are awesome....thank you so much. I wish I had more time there. Guess I'll have to come back! is there a resource that lists festivals or special things to do in October?

Thank you all.