sophie

It's our first time in Germany and we would love to have your recommendations for places to visit and sights to see. We arrive in Berlin and would like to spend a couple of days there, but then where should we go...? We were thinking of Munich, Dresden, maybe Dachau, or Salzburg or Vienna in Austria but we're not even sure if we have enough time to go that far. We've never seen a German castle-- is there one in the south eastern part of the country or are they all on the Rhine? We appreciate any comments at all. Thank you!

Monica

Hello Sophie, <BR> <BR>I was in Germany in June with my husband and we really enjoyed our trip. My travel journal may help you out on sights to see and how long we were in the various places. We started in the Rhine country and ended in Munich. We had 2 week vacation. Please read my travel journal and if you have any questions, please email me. http://sites.netscape.net/monicapileggi/travel. <BR>

Art

Hi, I'm envious. There are over 25,000 castles in what was West Germany alone so you should not have any problems finding them. Some are private, some pretty much destroyed and some that you can visit. There was a book out years ago titled "Castles of Germany" that pin pointed them. You might try to find that book. Berlin is a great city. The south of Germany (Bavaria) is a beautiful area with many sights to see. Heidelberg is a very interesting city. Take a drive through the SwarchWald (Black Forest), see the beginning of the Danube, visit Rothenburg. These will more than fill up your time. <BR>Have a great trip. <BR>Art <BR>

jwagner

Sophie, <BR> <BR>You're going to get as many opinions on this board as there are destinations in Europe. How long is a couple of days? Munich is a city that would allow you to hit the hot spots in a couple of days if need be. There's an easy train ride from Munich to Fussen where you could see the famous Ludwig castles. (Better yet, go down to Fussen the night before, stay in a pension and beat the crowds in the morning. We were in Germany again in March with friends who had never been overseas. We added two days to our trip and hit Fussen one day and Rothenberg the next day without really breaking a sweat. Dachau, of course, is another fascinating site and can be reached from Munich quite easily by train.

sophie

Thank you for your suggestions. I will look at your travel journal, Monica. <BR>What do you all think of Dresden and Leipzig? If we can only go to one, which did you like best? <BR> <BR>Which castle in west Germany really took your breath way? Is Neuschwanstein too far for us to reach since we only have a week? Is Dachau the most informative of the WWII sites in West Germany? <BR> <BR>Thank you again!

Art

Dachau is the most informative site in Germany as far as concentration camps go. It is an emotional experiance so be prepared (it is not to be missed however). <BR>I loved Neuschwanstein is a very unique castle, but remember that it is not a medival castle (build in the 1870's). It is worth wile because of its beauty and the technology that Ludwig included such as running water up to the 5th level drawn from the mountains behind. <BR>Art <BR>

Al

Hi Sophie, I agree with Art. Of all various German places I visited, Dachau was a real emotional experience, very moving. The impact has stayed with me these past 18 years.

kk

Sophie, you asked about choosing between Dresden and Leipzig. I saw them both on the same trip two years ago. I definitely preferred Dresden. It is charming and has great art--and opera, if you are so inclined. Leipzig is a much larger city and the only thing I really found charming about it was the church where Johann Sebastien Bach was organist and choir director for many years. That alone made the trip worth it. A half day there was enough for me. I spent 1.5 days in Dresden and would have loved more.

Glenn

Sophie, are you flying out of Berlin also ? Do you have a car or train ? I don't think that you should try to go down to the south of Germany, you would spend at least a good day of solid driving just to get down there. You would also need a day back to Berlin. I would recommend the Rhine area for Castles, you can have a good time there for the 4 days or so. It would also give you time to explore a little on the way down. You could also make a trip to Nuremburg/ and over to Rothenburg and a explore on the way. This would again give you time to enjoy and see things without spending the entire time in the car. If you do a little reading or searching the net you can find a castle or two to visit, or some ruins. If you want some more info, please let me know. Glenn

Don and Linda

Hi Sophie, <BR> <BR>You might find some ideas for your trip in the travelogue we wrote following our most recent trip to Germany in May. <BR>Check it out at http://www.thetravelzine.com/ejht3.htm. <BR> <BR>Regards, <BR>Don and Linda <BR>TheTravelzine.com is non-commercial.

Angela

Dear Sophie, <BR>Weimar in "eastern" Germany is a pretty and historically interesting city to visit. Its good to see the old Eastern cities while in Germany.It can be combined with a visit to Dresden or Berlin. Weimar would only need one day. Another concentration camp Buchenwald is near Weimar and is "known" for its medical experimentation, a very moving place to visit, as would be Dachau near Munich. Munich is a must for a couple of days (The Admiral Hotel reviewed here is a good place to stay). Heidelberg would be a pretty stop off on the way to Munich (The Marriott hotel being an excellent choice). Also in Bavaria Wurzburg is good for a day. On the western side of the country Baden-Baden in the Black Forest is a pretty town and the journey through the black forest is beautiful. With limited time I would concentrate on the south of Germany especially Bavaria, friendly people, beautiful scenery and close enough for a visit to Salzburg (Austria). Rothenburg in southern Germany is a small town in which time seems to have stood still, very pretty and not too touristy.

Bill

Sophie, <BR>There are plenty of castles in Germany.One that comes to mind instantly is Neuschwanstein-King Ludwig's Castle.The only problem is that it is south of Munich near the Austrian border.You should also visit Rothenburg-ODT,which is a mediaeval town totally preserved.Don't confuse it with Rothenburg ,ODT stands for "Ob Der Tauber". <BR>Another way to see many castles is to take a Rhine cruise,you will see castles to your hearts content. <BR>Hope this helps a little. <BR>Bill

Ann

Sophie, you may want to consider Eisenach, which is where Wartburg is located. It is the birthplace of J.S. Bach, and all kinds of special concerts are held at the Bachhaus (esp. this year, Bach 2000, in honor of the anniversary of his death in 1750). Tours of the castle are great, and there's a wonderful place to stay which can even arrange concert evenings. Check the website www.eisenach.de and go to hotels, then click hotels again, and click on the 4-star logo, which will give you Hotel auf der Wartburg and an English link. If you speak German well enough, just go to www.wartburghotel.de for photos of the hotel, rooms, etc. as well as links for the castle. It is where Martin Luther lived while he translated the Bible... great old castle, not too far from Berlin. The funky Wartburg automobiles were also manufactured in Eisenach!