Calling Middle German Travelers: Off the Beaten Path Day-Trips
 

Hi there - 1st topic started. Enjoying all the interesting info being passed here. My favorites are the colorful trip reports.

In any case....my family (wife and 2 boys: 20 & 22 y.o.) and I are seasoned European travelers. We started traveling to Europe with our boys since they were aged 4 & 6. Although we like most all of Europe, we have really taken a fancy to Germany. This is in part because we have made some good friends with a German family in the Sauerland (country side west of Dortmund, Essen, Dusseldorf). Their girls are the same age as our boys and have grown up "together". Their oldest daughter visited us this spring. My wife and oldest are nearly fluent in German (they are my CRUTCHES!!). We will have an intermediate estate wagon to move us around, but are not averse to rail travel (killer weekend passes at great prices for example).

This year my wife & I will be flying to Germany from S.W. USA for 3 weeks in August. The boys will join us a couple days later. We will stay on our friends' farm and will be having a relatively low profile/low stress agenda. We do lots of local events and activities with our friends including festivals, flea markets, breweries, visiting our friend's friends, favorite restaurants, putt-putt, go-karting, swimming, Eis Cafes, picnics, etc.

What i am looking for is input on any neat, interesting places or events that you would recommend in this area of Germany that we may not have experienced. Perhaps a memorable restaurant or unique museum or interesting shop, brewery, cave, drive, event, etc. You can see the sprawling village (700 inhabitants) that we will holiday in this year here: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...702881&t=h&z=9

By the way, we have been to Marburg (not Marsburg) and absolutely love this historical university town and would be interested in other's experiences here.

Thanks in advance,

Cheers!

My two favorite places in a German/Austrian trip I took in 2009 were Quedlinburg and the Spreewald. Both are in the general area of Berlin/Dresden. UNESCO called Quedlinburg "an extraordinary example of a medieval European city." It's just fabulous, especially when you visit the fachwerk museum to see before and after pictures of the town as it was during the Communist era.

The Spreewald is fascinating! Over a period of 1000 years, Slavic people called the Sorbs channeled marshlands into a network of canals, lakes, streams and irrigation channels. They built their houses on high points of otherwise swampy ground. You can take a tour through the Spreewald on a flat boat called a Kahn which is poled by a "captain" in the manner of the Venetian gondolier. The canals are surrounded by tall trees. The whole experience in the Spreewald was the highlight of my 2009 trip in Germany, but I also fell in love with Quedlinburg.

What about the Weser river valley?

Hannoversch Munden to Hameln is a nice stretch.

Hoxter, Detmold and Lemgo are nice.

Thanks - what can you tell me about these places that made them special for you. Do you have specific recommendations for things to do or see in these places?

The Spreewald is unfortunately nowhere near Sauerland and not doable as a day trip. Quedlinburg is a bit too far, too. The Weser valley sounds fine to me.

If you like old towns, timberframe and such, Frankenberg and Fritzlar would, for example, fit the bill. If you plan to revisit Marburg and want some more tipw, here are mine: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/f86bd/9a93/ If you want water castles, the area around Münster is full of them.

The Ruhr district has a lot more to offer than most people imagine. In the last 20 years this regon underwent a profound change. There are impressive sites of industrial heritage (Zollverein in Essen, for example), excellent museums, a rich cultural life... in other words, heaps to do.

Ah, wonderful. I appreciate your information and look forward to reviewing your link.

My wife's family is from Münster, which would not be a bad daytrip for you (http://www.muenster.de/). Depending on your interests, they have a very nice zoo and planetarium. The Prinzipalmarkt with the city hall is also very interesting. The Peace of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years War, was signed in this building. There are also lots of great opportunities to shop.

Also, I agree that Detmold would be a great place to go. The Westphalian Freilichtmuseum (http://www.agermanyattraction.com/ge...air-museum.htm) is very nice and Hermannsdenkmal (http://www.hermannsdenkmal.de/) is also interesting.

If you find Roman history interesting, then check out Xanten (http://www.xanten.de/en/tourism/sigh...l_park_xanten/).

We also really liked walking around Soest which is very close to you and while I have not spent time in Paderborn, I hear it is also very nice.

If you look through my old travelogues on this web site you can read about our experiences at many of the locations mentioned above:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nd-england.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...travelogue.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...travelogue.cfm

Good Luck!

Thanks for your suggestions. Yes, we have been to Soest a few times and enjoy it very much. Our favorite restaurant is Zwiebels. Wonderful atmosphere and terrific food. Also, we visit Tante Maria (our friend's aunt) in the Soest area where she makes luscious raw honey on a pretty little farm. I have been curious about Paderborn and Münster. I look forward to reviewing your links.

Cheers