DeeDee's Trip Report Part 2 - Germany and Switzerland
Jul 5th, 2005, 10:37 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 456
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
DeeDee's Trip Report Part 2 - Germany and Switzerland
Finding our way in Germany
Navigating successfully seemed to be an immediate problem upon arrival at Frankfurt International airport at nearly 10 PM. We landed and disembarked by STAIRS at Terminal 2. I think it was in the 1980s when I last used stairs to alight a flight! We jumped onto a bus stationed alongside the plane and were driven to the terminal. I knew we needed to get to Terminal 1 to catch the train to Mainz. We used the Sky Line shuttle to get to Terminal 1, but somehow our tram door opened the opposite direction of all the others. And, of course, the train terminal direction was that way. For the life of us, we could not figure out how to go in that direction and ended up walking halfway back to Terminal 2! Frankfurt airport is HUGE, biggest airport I have ever seen. Finally, found our way with the help of a Dutch man who didn’t speak English, but did speak Spanish.
By the time we arrived in Mainz it was 11 PM. Our first night was at the Hilton City Center (using frequent guest program points), a short 5 minute walk from the HBF.
Navigating in a strange city in the dark can be daunting and the Hilton City Center is a bit off the beaten track. The streets were nearly deserted, but we found two German couples and asked them for directions. She pulled out her cellphone and proceeded to call the Hilton for us. Then she walked us up the street and showed us the tiny street where the Hilton was located. We were impressed with the kindness of the German people throughout this trip as well as an earlier trip three years ago.
Mainz, Germany
We loved Mainz. We only stayed there our first and last days, but that gave us just the right amount of time to explore. Truly a charming city on the Rhine River! Don’t miss St Martins Dom (cathedral, 1,000 years old) Church of St Stephan with stained glass windows by Marc Chagall, Old Town with picturesque narrow streets and restored half-timbered buildings and a walk along the Rhine.
Navigating successfully seemed to be an immediate problem upon arrival at Frankfurt International airport at nearly 10 PM. We landed and disembarked by STAIRS at Terminal 2. I think it was in the 1980s when I last used stairs to alight a flight! We jumped onto a bus stationed alongside the plane and were driven to the terminal. I knew we needed to get to Terminal 1 to catch the train to Mainz. We used the Sky Line shuttle to get to Terminal 1, but somehow our tram door opened the opposite direction of all the others. And, of course, the train terminal direction was that way. For the life of us, we could not figure out how to go in that direction and ended up walking halfway back to Terminal 2! Frankfurt airport is HUGE, biggest airport I have ever seen. Finally, found our way with the help of a Dutch man who didn’t speak English, but did speak Spanish.
By the time we arrived in Mainz it was 11 PM. Our first night was at the Hilton City Center (using frequent guest program points), a short 5 minute walk from the HBF.
Navigating in a strange city in the dark can be daunting and the Hilton City Center is a bit off the beaten track. The streets were nearly deserted, but we found two German couples and asked them for directions. She pulled out her cellphone and proceeded to call the Hilton for us. Then she walked us up the street and showed us the tiny street where the Hilton was located. We were impressed with the kindness of the German people throughout this trip as well as an earlier trip three years ago.
Mainz, Germany
We loved Mainz. We only stayed there our first and last days, but that gave us just the right amount of time to explore. Truly a charming city on the Rhine River! Don’t miss St Martins Dom (cathedral, 1,000 years old) Church of St Stephan with stained glass windows by Marc Chagall, Old Town with picturesque narrow streets and restored half-timbered buildings and a walk along the Rhine.
Jul 6th, 2005, 09:28 AM
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 456
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally I was planning to post the report all in one post. However, when I posted the link to the photos in the Iceland part, it made the screen go very wide. Frankly, that was bugging me. Hence, the decision to start fresh with a new post.
Jul 6th, 2005, 10:17 AM
#5
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,605
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
For future reference, if you have a very long url, just go to <u>www.linktrim.com</u> and paste it into the indicated field - the website will return to you a short link, which will take users to the exact spot your long link would.
Jul 6th, 2005, 08:54 PM
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 456
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From the Rhine to the Mosel
Our first full day (Wednesday, June 8) in Germany, after picking up the rental car in Mainz (Avis through AutoEurope), we drove to St. Goar along the Rhine, explored the town and took the K-D line from St. Goar to Bacharach. We walked through Bacharach and returned to St. Goar by train. Then we drove from St. Goar to Beilstein through the back roads (more about that later).
Originally we had hoped to stay at the Fodor’s recommended Haus Lipmann, but there was not availability. So…we booked 3 nights at the Hotel Gute Quelle instead. Right off the Marktplatz, just opposite of the Haus Lipmann, we were very pleased with this hotel. Our rooms were 2 floors up; both rooms were decorated in the rustic style with duvets on very comfortable beds. One room had a small balcony, the other a partial view of the Mosel. Cost was $30 Euro per person per night. Arriving at 7 PM, we had a delightful meal at our hotel – very tasty and highly recommended.
We found Beilstein to be charming. It’s a very small town, mostly hotels, restaurants and wine cellars situated alongside the Mosel River. Lots of bicycle and motorcycle riders on holiday in this area. We were surprised to see Germans of ALL ages on the bicycles wearing very conservative clothing – even women in dresses. There’s a campsite across the river from Beilstein and we were told that campers will stake their spot at Easter time and then camp there for the entire summer.
Beilstein has a few can’t miss spots. First, be sure to check out the church. Also hike up to the ruins of the Burg Metternich (Beilstein’s castle) where you may climb to the tower for great views. There’s a restaurant up there, too. We exited out behind the castle and followed the road to the left uphill to the Jewish cemetery. More great views up this way, too.
Beilstein is great for day tripping. Our first day, we traveled across the river to tour the Burg Eltz castle. My recommendation is to be sure to call ahead and get an English tour. The only way to tour the castle is with a guide. We should have called ahead as we missed an English tour by just 20 minutes! The German tour with an English pamphlet just wasn’t that enjoyable. Our guide did offer to answer any of our questions (in English) but did not share any English commentary during the tour. We parked in the upper lot and hiked down to the castle which is definitely GREAT for photos – terrific views of the castle as you approach.
After touring Burg Eltz, we walked around Cochem, bought picnic fixings at the market, met a talkative Scot in the market and had a lively discussion, then sat on a bench next to the river and had lunch.
Our son had been having allergy problems before we left home. So we assumed his runny nose would get better with some allergy medication. By Friday, June 10th, it was clear that he needed to see a doctor. We asked Susan at our hotel for help locating a doctor. She explained where we could find an English- speaking doctor in the next town, no appointment necessary. After a short wait, he saw the doctor and received prescriptions for 3 medicines for his ear infection and bronchitis. The cost for the doctor - $20 Euro!! Filled the prescriptions at the pharmacy in Cochem - cost for all three $40 Euro. Still haven’t decided whether to even submit the receipts to our health insurance for reimbursement. With the low cost of his care in Germany, I don’t think we would have much of a reimbursement on this.
With his medical care handled, we were off on a daytrip to Trier. We took the autobahn to Trier, exited at Trier Verteilerkreis and followed the signs to Zentrum. Amazingly, we found our way quite well! We loved Trier, an ancient Roman capital. We explored the Market Square with its many shops, fruit stands, fountains and people! We had the best brats – simply delicious and huge pretzels that one can only find in Germany!
Trier’s Cathedral (Dom) is the oldest church in Germany. It’s actually more than one church and is now only a very small portion of the original size. The construction of the cathedral was begun by Constantine in 326 AD. The inside of the church is so beautiful with many altars.
The north gate, Porta Nigra, of the wall built by the Romans still stands. You can climb up for a small charge, but we declined. Took a lot of pictures though. Brought back memories of Rome.
This was our last night on the Mosel and we ate dinner at the Haus Lipmann Hotel overlooking the beautiful Mosel at sunset (Fodor’s recommendation). The meal was delicious.
Next…Driving in Germany
Our first full day (Wednesday, June 8) in Germany, after picking up the rental car in Mainz (Avis through AutoEurope), we drove to St. Goar along the Rhine, explored the town and took the K-D line from St. Goar to Bacharach. We walked through Bacharach and returned to St. Goar by train. Then we drove from St. Goar to Beilstein through the back roads (more about that later).
Originally we had hoped to stay at the Fodor’s recommended Haus Lipmann, but there was not availability. So…we booked 3 nights at the Hotel Gute Quelle instead. Right off the Marktplatz, just opposite of the Haus Lipmann, we were very pleased with this hotel. Our rooms were 2 floors up; both rooms were decorated in the rustic style with duvets on very comfortable beds. One room had a small balcony, the other a partial view of the Mosel. Cost was $30 Euro per person per night. Arriving at 7 PM, we had a delightful meal at our hotel – very tasty and highly recommended.
We found Beilstein to be charming. It’s a very small town, mostly hotels, restaurants and wine cellars situated alongside the Mosel River. Lots of bicycle and motorcycle riders on holiday in this area. We were surprised to see Germans of ALL ages on the bicycles wearing very conservative clothing – even women in dresses. There’s a campsite across the river from Beilstein and we were told that campers will stake their spot at Easter time and then camp there for the entire summer.
Beilstein has a few can’t miss spots. First, be sure to check out the church. Also hike up to the ruins of the Burg Metternich (Beilstein’s castle) where you may climb to the tower for great views. There’s a restaurant up there, too. We exited out behind the castle and followed the road to the left uphill to the Jewish cemetery. More great views up this way, too.
Beilstein is great for day tripping. Our first day, we traveled across the river to tour the Burg Eltz castle. My recommendation is to be sure to call ahead and get an English tour. The only way to tour the castle is with a guide. We should have called ahead as we missed an English tour by just 20 minutes! The German tour with an English pamphlet just wasn’t that enjoyable. Our guide did offer to answer any of our questions (in English) but did not share any English commentary during the tour. We parked in the upper lot and hiked down to the castle which is definitely GREAT for photos – terrific views of the castle as you approach.
After touring Burg Eltz, we walked around Cochem, bought picnic fixings at the market, met a talkative Scot in the market and had a lively discussion, then sat on a bench next to the river and had lunch.
Our son had been having allergy problems before we left home. So we assumed his runny nose would get better with some allergy medication. By Friday, June 10th, it was clear that he needed to see a doctor. We asked Susan at our hotel for help locating a doctor. She explained where we could find an English- speaking doctor in the next town, no appointment necessary. After a short wait, he saw the doctor and received prescriptions for 3 medicines for his ear infection and bronchitis. The cost for the doctor - $20 Euro!! Filled the prescriptions at the pharmacy in Cochem - cost for all three $40 Euro. Still haven’t decided whether to even submit the receipts to our health insurance for reimbursement. With the low cost of his care in Germany, I don’t think we would have much of a reimbursement on this.
With his medical care handled, we were off on a daytrip to Trier. We took the autobahn to Trier, exited at Trier Verteilerkreis and followed the signs to Zentrum. Amazingly, we found our way quite well! We loved Trier, an ancient Roman capital. We explored the Market Square with its many shops, fruit stands, fountains and people! We had the best brats – simply delicious and huge pretzels that one can only find in Germany!
Trier’s Cathedral (Dom) is the oldest church in Germany. It’s actually more than one church and is now only a very small portion of the original size. The construction of the cathedral was begun by Constantine in 326 AD. The inside of the church is so beautiful with many altars.
The north gate, Porta Nigra, of the wall built by the Romans still stands. You can climb up for a small charge, but we declined. Took a lot of pictures though. Brought back memories of Rome.
This was our last night on the Mosel and we ate dinner at the Haus Lipmann Hotel overlooking the beautiful Mosel at sunset (Fodor’s recommendation). The meal was delicious.
Next…Driving in Germany
Jul 7th, 2005, 08:02 PM
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 456
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Driving in Germany
At the risk of oversimplifying the situation, Germany has blue highways (autobahns) and yellow highways. The autobahns are referred to as blue because the signage for them is blue with a roadway symbol. The autobahns which we have encountered in our limited driving in Germany are generally two lanes in each direction with the fast lane reserved for very fast drivers. Most of the advice on Fodor’s will admonish one to stay in the right lane except to pass on the autobahn, which is probably good advice.
Now the highways which I call the yellow highways are the slower highways that wind through the hills, along the rivers and into the smaller cities and towns. Unlike US highways, signs for the yellow highways will not give you the highway number. In fact, you will be hard-pressed to even find a highway number. You will be able to see them, but you’ll find them located intermittently on small posts along the side of the road in small letters. The way to navigate these highways is to always know the next town you need to travel through. The yellow signs will indicate the direction of towns/cities at each junction. Sometimes you’ll encounter a round-about with roads diverging off of it. As you approach the round-about, you will first see the sign for it with the round-about symbol showing the roads diverging off. Each destination town(s) will be listed beside the proper road. You’ll need to check the sign quickly and note the proper road for your destination.
You’ll find these types of signs on the autobahn exits, too. At first glance you might note that your destination city is the second exit. But, upon a closer look, you might see that you need to take the first exit, which will then branch off with your destination city a second exit. It’s hard to describe this in words, if I could just draw a picture it would be very clear. Also, if you miss your exit on the autobahn you’ll generally need to travel about 20 miles to the next exit. When you exit, you probably can’t just cross over the autobahn and re-enter it going the other direction. It just isn’t set up that way.
We found the toughest part of trying to find our way driving in Germany was coming into a major city and navigating the “yellow” highways. Sometimes the signs for the city center would read, “Zentrum” other times it was something like “Innerstadt.” We had a difficult time in Mainz for some reason.
In preparation for this trip I had input the various driving segments into ViaMichelin and printed out instructions (some with small maps). These were helpful, but if you’re planning to travel the “yellow” highways, I would recommend an area map showing the detail between the towns. Also, I made the mistake of having the ViaMichelin provide the distance in miles. It would have been helpful to have it in km. so we could keep track with the car’s odometer. I had looked at the Michelin atlas for the Rhine-Mosel area and it didn’t have the detail that I wanted for the trip from St. Goar up over the hill to Beilstein. I could not find a good map here that had that sort of detail. So…we followed the ViaMichelin guide that I had printed off the computer. ViaMichelin tends to refer to the highway # and it wasn’t easy to follow. Basically, we had to slow down every time we came upon a yellow sign to follow the correct direction. I finally picked up a good map once we were in the Mosel. But, we did make that journey without too much difficulty and we learned to allow extra time. Allowing extra time is always a good idea. We found several times that traffic on the autobahn was slow with road construction and just extra heavy traffic.
Parking
We found that parking lots invariably required a payment. You had to look for the payment kiosk in the lot, make the payment and then place the receipt with the time stamp in the windshield. In Trier, we parked in a multi-tiered parking lot, just like you’d find in any big city. This one had a controlled entry point with an automatic ticket dispenser. As you pulled the ticket out, the gate would swing open to allow entry. Sounds just like U.S., right? When we returned to the car, my husband noticed that there was no gate attendant to pay to get out. Luckily he noticed this before we entered the car. So…we start looking around to figure it out. Turns out there was an automatic payment kiosk for this lot, too. You take the ticket you received upon entering the lot to the kiosk, insert it into the machine, it tallies your total, you pay and the ticket is returned to you. Then as you drive out you insert the paid ticket into the machine to exit. Clever, huh?
Next Mosel Wein...
At the risk of oversimplifying the situation, Germany has blue highways (autobahns) and yellow highways. The autobahns are referred to as blue because the signage for them is blue with a roadway symbol. The autobahns which we have encountered in our limited driving in Germany are generally two lanes in each direction with the fast lane reserved for very fast drivers. Most of the advice on Fodor’s will admonish one to stay in the right lane except to pass on the autobahn, which is probably good advice.
Now the highways which I call the yellow highways are the slower highways that wind through the hills, along the rivers and into the smaller cities and towns. Unlike US highways, signs for the yellow highways will not give you the highway number. In fact, you will be hard-pressed to even find a highway number. You will be able to see them, but you’ll find them located intermittently on small posts along the side of the road in small letters. The way to navigate these highways is to always know the next town you need to travel through. The yellow signs will indicate the direction of towns/cities at each junction. Sometimes you’ll encounter a round-about with roads diverging off of it. As you approach the round-about, you will first see the sign for it with the round-about symbol showing the roads diverging off. Each destination town(s) will be listed beside the proper road. You’ll need to check the sign quickly and note the proper road for your destination.
You’ll find these types of signs on the autobahn exits, too. At first glance you might note that your destination city is the second exit. But, upon a closer look, you might see that you need to take the first exit, which will then branch off with your destination city a second exit. It’s hard to describe this in words, if I could just draw a picture it would be very clear. Also, if you miss your exit on the autobahn you’ll generally need to travel about 20 miles to the next exit. When you exit, you probably can’t just cross over the autobahn and re-enter it going the other direction. It just isn’t set up that way.
We found the toughest part of trying to find our way driving in Germany was coming into a major city and navigating the “yellow” highways. Sometimes the signs for the city center would read, “Zentrum” other times it was something like “Innerstadt.” We had a difficult time in Mainz for some reason.
In preparation for this trip I had input the various driving segments into ViaMichelin and printed out instructions (some with small maps). These were helpful, but if you’re planning to travel the “yellow” highways, I would recommend an area map showing the detail between the towns. Also, I made the mistake of having the ViaMichelin provide the distance in miles. It would have been helpful to have it in km. so we could keep track with the car’s odometer. I had looked at the Michelin atlas for the Rhine-Mosel area and it didn’t have the detail that I wanted for the trip from St. Goar up over the hill to Beilstein. I could not find a good map here that had that sort of detail. So…we followed the ViaMichelin guide that I had printed off the computer. ViaMichelin tends to refer to the highway # and it wasn’t easy to follow. Basically, we had to slow down every time we came upon a yellow sign to follow the correct direction. I finally picked up a good map once we were in the Mosel. But, we did make that journey without too much difficulty and we learned to allow extra time. Allowing extra time is always a good idea. We found several times that traffic on the autobahn was slow with road construction and just extra heavy traffic.
Parking
We found that parking lots invariably required a payment. You had to look for the payment kiosk in the lot, make the payment and then place the receipt with the time stamp in the windshield. In Trier, we parked in a multi-tiered parking lot, just like you’d find in any big city. This one had a controlled entry point with an automatic ticket dispenser. As you pulled the ticket out, the gate would swing open to allow entry. Sounds just like U.S., right? When we returned to the car, my husband noticed that there was no gate attendant to pay to get out. Luckily he noticed this before we entered the car. So…we start looking around to figure it out. Turns out there was an automatic payment kiosk for this lot, too. You take the ticket you received upon entering the lot to the kiosk, insert it into the machine, it tallies your total, you pay and the ticket is returned to you. Then as you drive out you insert the paid ticket into the machine to exit. Clever, huh?
Next Mosel Wein...
Jul 7th, 2005, 08:40 PM
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 456
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mosel Wein
It was fascinating to see how the grapes are grown in the Mosel area. Vineyards cover nearly every sunny slope of the steep-sided Mosel valley. Rough stone terraces, some large enough only to support a few dozen vines, rise precipitously above the river and vineyards cling to the hillsides at crazy angles. Some vintners have rigged up a “chair-lift” contraption with a single chair which will ascend the steep slope using a cable/electric motor. I’m sure these are used during planting and harvesting; hence, we did not see them in use.
The pervasive wine shops in Beilstein were calling out to my husband. On our second day in Beilstein, he set out to pick up a couple bottles of wine (or so he told me!) He returned with not one or two, but eight bottles! Now, this would not be an issue were we not turning in our rental car and traveling by train to Switzerland in just a few days! He was enticed by the bargain price of $3 Euro per bottle. And, of course, it was delicious. We polished off a couple of bottles before we left Germany. Oh…but was his luggage ever so heavy with that wine! We traveled by train into Switzerland with 6 bottles of wine in our bags. We returned home with 5 bottles, gave 2 away, so we still have 3.
It was fascinating to see how the grapes are grown in the Mosel area. Vineyards cover nearly every sunny slope of the steep-sided Mosel valley. Rough stone terraces, some large enough only to support a few dozen vines, rise precipitously above the river and vineyards cling to the hillsides at crazy angles. Some vintners have rigged up a “chair-lift” contraption with a single chair which will ascend the steep slope using a cable/electric motor. I’m sure these are used during planting and harvesting; hence, we did not see them in use.
The pervasive wine shops in Beilstein were calling out to my husband. On our second day in Beilstein, he set out to pick up a couple bottles of wine (or so he told me!) He returned with not one or two, but eight bottles! Now, this would not be an issue were we not turning in our rental car and traveling by train to Switzerland in just a few days! He was enticed by the bargain price of $3 Euro per bottle. And, of course, it was delicious. We polished off a couple of bottles before we left Germany. Oh…but was his luggage ever so heavy with that wine! We traveled by train into Switzerland with 6 bottles of wine in our bags. We returned home with 5 bottles, gave 2 away, so we still have 3.
Jul 10th, 2005, 04:56 PM
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 456
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
On to Switzerland
Saturday, June 11 - We had decided to leave Beilstein early to allow plenty of time to drive to Freiburg to return the rental car and continue into Switzerland by train. The goal was to reach Freiburg by 11 am as the Avis office closed at noon. We had an easy time navigating and it did help immensely to have a good map for those “yellow” highways. The ViaMichelin directions were perfect, even to selecting the correct exit for the rental car office. It was very prudent to allow the extra time. I believe that we left Beilstein at 7 am or close to that time. The autobahn had road construction en route which meant very slow travel (two lanes into one lane) in more than one spot.
We took public transit (tram) from the rental car office to the Freiburg train station. Didn’t know where to purchase tram tickets, so asked the driver and he waved us in. The automated ticket dispenser was aboard the tram! We had a helpful German lady assist in using the ticket machine.
We had purchased Swiss cards for the train travel in Switzerland, so the inbound trip into Switzerland was free. We needed to purchase tickets from Freiburg to the border. We saved about $45 Euros by purchasing the Baden-Württemberg regional ticket for all of us, cost $25 Euro. We had to take a regional train to Basel Bad, then after a short wait, we caught the ICE directly into Interlaken. Then we went from Interlaken to Grindelwald, arriving in Grindelwald at 5 PM. We missed the Tourist Info office as it closed at 5 pm. Missed it the next day, too, Sunday as it didn’t open until 1 pm.
We stayed at the Hotel Chalet Gletschergarten for four nights. Would rate this hotel A+. A lovely, historic hotel, family run for many generations. Currently run by Elsbeth and Finn Breitenstein and their daughter and son-in-law, the proprietors speak fluent English as well as many other languages. Our rooms were one floor up from the main level. The rooms were decorated in the rustic style with large, comfortable bed (2 twins in a single frame). We had a huge, private balcony which was shared between the two rooms and overlooked the church with the north face of the Eiger in the background. The hotel is a good walk from the train station as it is on the opposite side of the town, probably 1 ½ km distance. It’s convenient to the First gondola station and many hiking trails. The common areas of the hotel include a large basement with ping pong, foosball table and pool as well as coin-operated laundry, which was very handy. There is also a music room with a piano and internet access (fee). Very much recommended.
We ate the first night at Onkle Tom’s Pizza which we had spotted when walking to the hotel. It was great food—pizza with very thin crust, almost as good as Italy and crisp, fresh salads! We liked it enough to return another night! The price was right, too -- $86 CHF one night and $77 CHF the other night—including salads and beverages for four.
Next, more from Switzerland...
Saturday, June 11 - We had decided to leave Beilstein early to allow plenty of time to drive to Freiburg to return the rental car and continue into Switzerland by train. The goal was to reach Freiburg by 11 am as the Avis office closed at noon. We had an easy time navigating and it did help immensely to have a good map for those “yellow” highways. The ViaMichelin directions were perfect, even to selecting the correct exit for the rental car office. It was very prudent to allow the extra time. I believe that we left Beilstein at 7 am or close to that time. The autobahn had road construction en route which meant very slow travel (two lanes into one lane) in more than one spot.
We took public transit (tram) from the rental car office to the Freiburg train station. Didn’t know where to purchase tram tickets, so asked the driver and he waved us in. The automated ticket dispenser was aboard the tram! We had a helpful German lady assist in using the ticket machine.
We had purchased Swiss cards for the train travel in Switzerland, so the inbound trip into Switzerland was free. We needed to purchase tickets from Freiburg to the border. We saved about $45 Euros by purchasing the Baden-Württemberg regional ticket for all of us, cost $25 Euro. We had to take a regional train to Basel Bad, then after a short wait, we caught the ICE directly into Interlaken. Then we went from Interlaken to Grindelwald, arriving in Grindelwald at 5 PM. We missed the Tourist Info office as it closed at 5 pm. Missed it the next day, too, Sunday as it didn’t open until 1 pm.
We stayed at the Hotel Chalet Gletschergarten for four nights. Would rate this hotel A+. A lovely, historic hotel, family run for many generations. Currently run by Elsbeth and Finn Breitenstein and their daughter and son-in-law, the proprietors speak fluent English as well as many other languages. Our rooms were one floor up from the main level. The rooms were decorated in the rustic style with large, comfortable bed (2 twins in a single frame). We had a huge, private balcony which was shared between the two rooms and overlooked the church with the north face of the Eiger in the background. The hotel is a good walk from the train station as it is on the opposite side of the town, probably 1 ½ km distance. It’s convenient to the First gondola station and many hiking trails. The common areas of the hotel include a large basement with ping pong, foosball table and pool as well as coin-operated laundry, which was very handy. There is also a music room with a piano and internet access (fee). Very much recommended.
We ate the first night at Onkle Tom’s Pizza which we had spotted when walking to the hotel. It was great food—pizza with very thin crust, almost as good as Italy and crisp, fresh salads! We liked it enough to return another night! The price was right, too -- $86 CHF one night and $77 CHF the other night—including salads and beverages for four.
Next, more from Switzerland...
Jul 11th, 2005, 02:19 PM
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 456
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We had experienced perfect, lovely weather in Germany. This continued the day of arrival in Switzerland. Actually we surprised to find Grindelwald, at 3300’+ elevation was fairly warm during the day. Our plan was to ascend the Jungfrau the first day of clear, blue skies. Our first morning we set the alarm to awaken at 6:30 am to check weather conditions. Not being clear enough for the Jungfrau, we set out, instead, to hike First to the Bachalpsee, a small mountain lake is situated on the foot of the Faulhorn. The gondola ride for four cost $100 CHF round-trip with Swiss Card (50% off). The hike takes about 1 hour each way and has just one steep climb in each direction, otherwise is fairly flat and mostly easy, well maintained gravel path. We did encounter a patch of snow still on the trail and were surprised to see the lake was still frozen. This is a great hike and highly recommended. We have some great pictures from this hike! Be sure to carry water and snacks.
We returned to Grindelwald and lunched at Sunstar (mediocre). All the stores were closed on Sundays. The rest of our stay we would pick up lunch fixings at the market, either Coop or Migros, on our way to our days’ activities. We had spotted a Sommerrodelbahn track (summer tobogganing – luge) from the First gondola. That afternoon we spent an hour riding the Sommerrodelbahn on the run just above Grindelwald (take the Pfingstegg gondola up the mountain). The location offers some terrific views of Grindelwald. Here’s the web link: http://www.pfingstegg.ch/englisch/defaulte.htm
The next morning, Monday, our 6:30 am weather check showed clear, blue skies with just a wisp of clouds at the horizon. We thought, “This is the day to head to Jungfrau.” By the time we ate breakfast, stopped at the grocery store and arrived at the train station the clouds were more ominous. Surprising just how quickly the weather can change! By the time we arrived at the top, it was snowing, temperature was -3° Celsius and windy, too. It was still a thrill to be up on top! We walked out to the summit and snapped pictures, went through the Ice Palace and even watched the video, which was disappointing. We met 3 Americans on the train to the top and enjoyed our conversations with them. We mailed the postcards we had been carrying around from there (used the Jungfrau – top of Europe rubber stamp).
We returned back via Wengen. By the time we arrived at Wengen, the weather was threatening rain. We waited out the storm – hard rain, winds, etc. then explored this car-free village. It’s really a cute little village and I’m sure the view of the mountains would have been impressive if it had been a clear day. We wanted to hike so I suggested we hike down to Lauterbrunnen. Bad idea – it was all downhill, knee-killer steep! My knees were not the same for a week.
We ate dinner at the Memory Restaurant, Hotel Eiger. We wanted to some Swiss cuisine. Two of us had fondue, split one order between us and it was plenty! My husband ordered the vegetarian rosti, which was delicious. We all had a small salad from the salad bar. Service was great and we would definitely recommend the restaurant at the Hotel Eiger, Grindelwald. Total bill was $93 CHF.
Next day, Tuesday, June 14th, we awoke to rain. It had rained all through the night, rather hard at times. At breakfast, we decided to return to Lauterbrunnen and visit Trummelbach Falls. It was a very easy trip via train and bus. At the Grindelwald train station we purchased the ticket which covered the whole trip by train and bus. The train is synchronized to match with the bus schedule. Upon arriving at Lauterbrunnen train station you have about 8 minutes to disembark and walk through the train station, cross the street and wait at the bus station in front of the TI for the bus. The bus had an interior digital display (most all the trains had these, too) showing the next stop, very handy! From the Trummelbach Falls bus stop, it’s a short walk to the base of the Falls. We sat on a bench and had our little picnic lunch first. You ride an elevator up through the mountain, and then climb several sets of stairs to see the snowmelt from the mountains cascading in a torrent. Truly spectacular! The falls are so extraordinary because they are the only accessible glacial waterfalls which are inside a mountain. Great opportunity for pictures!
We returned to Grindelwald and lunched at Sunstar (mediocre). All the stores were closed on Sundays. The rest of our stay we would pick up lunch fixings at the market, either Coop or Migros, on our way to our days’ activities. We had spotted a Sommerrodelbahn track (summer tobogganing – luge) from the First gondola. That afternoon we spent an hour riding the Sommerrodelbahn on the run just above Grindelwald (take the Pfingstegg gondola up the mountain). The location offers some terrific views of Grindelwald. Here’s the web link: http://www.pfingstegg.ch/englisch/defaulte.htm
The next morning, Monday, our 6:30 am weather check showed clear, blue skies with just a wisp of clouds at the horizon. We thought, “This is the day to head to Jungfrau.” By the time we ate breakfast, stopped at the grocery store and arrived at the train station the clouds were more ominous. Surprising just how quickly the weather can change! By the time we arrived at the top, it was snowing, temperature was -3° Celsius and windy, too. It was still a thrill to be up on top! We walked out to the summit and snapped pictures, went through the Ice Palace and even watched the video, which was disappointing. We met 3 Americans on the train to the top and enjoyed our conversations with them. We mailed the postcards we had been carrying around from there (used the Jungfrau – top of Europe rubber stamp).
We returned back via Wengen. By the time we arrived at Wengen, the weather was threatening rain. We waited out the storm – hard rain, winds, etc. then explored this car-free village. It’s really a cute little village and I’m sure the view of the mountains would have been impressive if it had been a clear day. We wanted to hike so I suggested we hike down to Lauterbrunnen. Bad idea – it was all downhill, knee-killer steep! My knees were not the same for a week.
We ate dinner at the Memory Restaurant, Hotel Eiger. We wanted to some Swiss cuisine. Two of us had fondue, split one order between us and it was plenty! My husband ordered the vegetarian rosti, which was delicious. We all had a small salad from the salad bar. Service was great and we would definitely recommend the restaurant at the Hotel Eiger, Grindelwald. Total bill was $93 CHF.
Next day, Tuesday, June 14th, we awoke to rain. It had rained all through the night, rather hard at times. At breakfast, we decided to return to Lauterbrunnen and visit Trummelbach Falls. It was a very easy trip via train and bus. At the Grindelwald train station we purchased the ticket which covered the whole trip by train and bus. The train is synchronized to match with the bus schedule. Upon arriving at Lauterbrunnen train station you have about 8 minutes to disembark and walk through the train station, cross the street and wait at the bus station in front of the TI for the bus. The bus had an interior digital display (most all the trains had these, too) showing the next stop, very handy! From the Trummelbach Falls bus stop, it’s a short walk to the base of the Falls. We sat on a bench and had our little picnic lunch first. You ride an elevator up through the mountain, and then climb several sets of stairs to see the snowmelt from the mountains cascading in a torrent. Truly spectacular! The falls are so extraordinary because they are the only accessible glacial waterfalls which are inside a mountain. Great opportunity for pictures!
I'm ready to go to Switzerland again!
Jul 11th, 2005, 03:47 PM
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 456
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Faina,
Oh to be back in Switzerland, sigh!
Didn't notice the tulips at Trummelbach, so probably not in bloom. Elsbeth at our hotel had told us that you see beautiful fields of flowers when you disembark from the First gondola at Bort. Alas, she had told us this when we had already returned from our Bachalpsee hike.
I will have lots of pictures to post. Goal now is to finish this trip report.
Oh to be back in Switzerland, sigh!
Didn't notice the tulips at Trummelbach, so probably not in bloom. Elsbeth at our hotel had told us that you see beautiful fields of flowers when you disembark from the First gondola at Bort. Alas, she had told us this when we had already returned from our Bachalpsee hike.
I will have lots of pictures to post. Goal now is to finish this trip report.
Jul 12th, 2005, 08:03 AM
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 456
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We had met two fellow Californians at our hotel breakfast on Tuesday, June 14 and had a nice conversation. We had already decided to dine at our hotel for our last dinner in Grindelwald and arranged to share our table with these two ladies from Southern California (our teens were on their own in town that night). The Hotel Chalet Gletschergarten offered us half-board for the entire stay at $35 CHF per person per night or any single dinner at $38 CHF per person. The meal was absolutely delicious, four courses, and the conversation was so enjoyable. Our new friends were traveling through Switzerland on a 21 night trip. We moved our little party down the hall into the music room and uncorked one of our bottles of Mosel wine to share. Great way to spend our last night in Grindelwald.
The next morning we were off to Luzern, just about 2 hours by train with a switch in Interlaken. We booked one night in Luzern at the Hotel Des Alpes at a cost of $235 CHF per room (2 rooms). The hotel was very conveniently located and our rooms looked out onto the Reiss River and the famed Chapel Bridge. The rooms were clean and comfortable with updated bathrooms. The hotel staff, however, was the least friendly of our entire trip. The rooms were to be made available at 2 pm, but they had agreed to stow our bags. So…as soon as we arrived we stowed the bags and were off to explore. First on the agenda was a trip to the Swiss Transport Museum, which was a disappointment. Many of the exhibits were designed for younger children. My teens found only a few displays to be interesting. My husband’s passion is cars and there were many displayed. All in all, given the option to change our plans now, we would have skipped the Transport Museum.
Luzern is really just unbelievably gorgeous! Beautiful lake, must do a stroll along the lake and, of course, walk along the Reuss River crossing both the Chapel Bridge and the Mill Bridge. The older part of the town is across the Mill Bridge – check out the Weinmarkt Square with the big mural of the wedding feast of Cana. And a visit to Luzern demands a visit to the famed Lion monument near Lowenplatz. This huge sculpture (33' x 20' tall) is carved into the cliff face behind a lovely reflecting pool in a peaceful park. The lion is crying, in his side is a broken spear. The figure honors Swiss mercenaries who were killed fighting in French Revolution.
The next morning, we got an early start. We actually packed up and put our bags back in the hotel’s storage room (check-out was 11 am), to maximize our time in Luzern. We strolled back over to the Lion Monument one more time and visited the rococo styled Jesuit church. I accompanied my college student daughter to the Rosengart Art Museum to put her Art History class into practice! The collection is predominately Picasso pieces along with an extensive Paul Klee collection in the basement.
Our mere 24 hours in Luzern was, of course, not enough. When we return sometime we will cruise the lake, and travel to Mt. Pilatus and Mt. Rigi. And, of course, there’s a Sommerrodelbahn near Mt. Pilatus, or so I heard. Won’t miss that on the next trip!
We left Luzern by train back into Germany. Thanks to a helpful suggestion of the ticket agent in Grindelwald, we left Luzern on the 12:10 train to Zurich, switch in Zurich to EC which left at 13:33. Ticket agent noted there were two trains into Zurich from Luzern each hour and suggested we take the 12:10 train to give us a little extra time in case the train from Luzern was a bit late (late connection would have allowed 8 minutes to connect). This was a good suggestion as our train into Zurich was a few minutes late and it would have been a tight connection. The train from Zurich back into Germany was pretty full. As a suggestion, this would have been a good time to book a reservation. We didn’t and we were fine because we were there early and could board 15 minutes before departure. If you’re making a connection, you may wish to make a reservation for this train. (EC 195 Zurich – Munich).
The next morning we were off to Luzern, just about 2 hours by train with a switch in Interlaken. We booked one night in Luzern at the Hotel Des Alpes at a cost of $235 CHF per room (2 rooms). The hotel was very conveniently located and our rooms looked out onto the Reiss River and the famed Chapel Bridge. The rooms were clean and comfortable with updated bathrooms. The hotel staff, however, was the least friendly of our entire trip. The rooms were to be made available at 2 pm, but they had agreed to stow our bags. So…as soon as we arrived we stowed the bags and were off to explore. First on the agenda was a trip to the Swiss Transport Museum, which was a disappointment. Many of the exhibits were designed for younger children. My teens found only a few displays to be interesting. My husband’s passion is cars and there were many displayed. All in all, given the option to change our plans now, we would have skipped the Transport Museum.
Luzern is really just unbelievably gorgeous! Beautiful lake, must do a stroll along the lake and, of course, walk along the Reuss River crossing both the Chapel Bridge and the Mill Bridge. The older part of the town is across the Mill Bridge – check out the Weinmarkt Square with the big mural of the wedding feast of Cana. And a visit to Luzern demands a visit to the famed Lion monument near Lowenplatz. This huge sculpture (33' x 20' tall) is carved into the cliff face behind a lovely reflecting pool in a peaceful park. The lion is crying, in his side is a broken spear. The figure honors Swiss mercenaries who were killed fighting in French Revolution.
The next morning, we got an early start. We actually packed up and put our bags back in the hotel’s storage room (check-out was 11 am), to maximize our time in Luzern. We strolled back over to the Lion Monument one more time and visited the rococo styled Jesuit church. I accompanied my college student daughter to the Rosengart Art Museum to put her Art History class into practice! The collection is predominately Picasso pieces along with an extensive Paul Klee collection in the basement.
Our mere 24 hours in Luzern was, of course, not enough. When we return sometime we will cruise the lake, and travel to Mt. Pilatus and Mt. Rigi. And, of course, there’s a Sommerrodelbahn near Mt. Pilatus, or so I heard. Won’t miss that on the next trip!
We left Luzern by train back into Germany. Thanks to a helpful suggestion of the ticket agent in Grindelwald, we left Luzern on the 12:10 train to Zurich, switch in Zurich to EC which left at 13:33. Ticket agent noted there were two trains into Zurich from Luzern each hour and suggested we take the 12:10 train to give us a little extra time in case the train from Luzern was a bit late (late connection would have allowed 8 minutes to connect). This was a good suggestion as our train into Zurich was a few minutes late and it would have been a tight connection. The train from Zurich back into Germany was pretty full. As a suggestion, this would have been a good time to book a reservation. We didn’t and we were fine because we were there early and could board 15 minutes before departure. If you’re making a connection, you may wish to make a reservation for this train. (EC 195 Zurich – Munich).
Jul 13th, 2005, 10:00 AM
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 456
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Back to Germany
Our next stop was Lindau on the Bodensee. Lindau was a Fodor’s recommendation. It was a good stop off on the way to Rothenburg as it was near the Swiss/German border which allowed us to make the switch from train travel to rental car. Also, it broke up the travel between Luzern and Rothenburg. Our hotel in Lindau was the Hotel Garni Brugger. This was the one place we opted for a family room. We would heartily recommend this family room – just excellent! First off, it was huge. It had one bedroom/sitting area combo with a large double bed, small table and chairs, a sofa, a mini- refrigerator (reasonable prices for the refreshments inside) and a tall closet. The closet separated this bedroom from the adjacent twin bedded area. This arrangement gave the twin bedded area quite a lot of privacy. The bathroom was also very large. Only complaint was that it would have been nice to have a fan. It had been very warm in Luzern (in the 80’s Fahrenheit) and this weather followed us into Germany. For those of you who were traveling in Europe in June may remember the heat wave that hit around the middle of the month.
Lindau was charming. We explored the island by walking as far around it as one could. There is a nice area along the pedestrian zone where you could dine al fresco. We ate at the Grill restaurant Li-Punkt and the food was excellent. The total tab for four with side salads and drinks was $71.20 Euro.
The next morning, Friday, June 17, we picked up the rental car and headed to Fussen. The plan was to ride the Sommerrodelbahn at Tegelberg and then travel up the Romantic Road a bit towards Rothenburg. We arrived at Tegelberg just as they were resuming the luge runs after the 1 hour lunch break (was 12:30, I think). We each rode 6 rides for $10 Euros each. Tegelberg was the first luge run we had ever seen, back in 2002. On that trip we arrived just as they were closing and we watched as the last riders of the day came down the slope. So it was fun to finally get to ride at Tegelberg. BTW, they also have a gondola up the mountain where you can hang-glide back down. Those are the hang gliders you see from Neuschwanstein/Mary’s Bridge area.
Romantic Road – We quickly found that the Romantic Road was really nothing special. Just a two lane country highway that wound through every little town along the way. There was grumbling from the back seat that the drive would take forever at that pace! So…we didn’t hesitate to jump back over to the autobahn A-7 straight into Rothenburg.
In Rothenburg, we stayed at Gasthof Greifen in the back part of the building, another Fodor’s recommendation—thanks, TexasAggie! Another great hotel, friendly staff, quiet, clean rooms and an excellent location just a few doors down from the Market Square. We ate the first night at our hotel, which was just OK, not memorable and not recommended, although it was always busy. Took the Night Watchman’s tour that night – very enjoyable. It was really incredible the crowd of people on the tour, truly must have been 100 people, maybe more! He does at least two tours each night; it’s hugely popular. We were trying to figure out how much money he must take in?! Anyway, if in Rothenburg, the Night Watchman’s tour is a must!
We found some great ice cream in Germany. I think we actually started eating ice cream daily in Lindau. It was $.30 Euro for a scoop and who could resist such a great price! Once we arrived in Rothenburg, we found an al fresco ice cream shop with an irresistible menu of delightful sundaes of every flavor combination imaginable. Anyone know the shop of which I speak?? Anyway, that first night was my birthday, so the treat was in lieu of a regular birthday cake, HA! Of course, the next night we had no reason—we went back just because! And had the same waiter who remembered our order from the night before!! Check it out when you go to Rothenburg, not the shop right on the Market Square, but close to the Market Square just down a side street.
Our first full day in Rothenburg, we climbed up the Town Hall tower. That’s quite an experience as it gets very narrow and steep at the end. But a great view awaits those who make it to the top. We also toured the town hall vaults, mainly to see the dungeon with the dank prison cells and the medieval torture displays. We visited the Medieval Crime and Punishment Museum, more medieval torture stuff. We took a hike outside the walls of Rothenburg, down into the adjacent vineyards and across the bridge to the road and back. And we walked the wall. Just a note about the wall walking—you can’t actually walk completely around atop the wall. It is somewhat confusing as the covered walk atop the wall ends suddenly. We weren’t the only ones puzzled by this.
Don’t miss seeing St. Jakobs Church with its impressive High Altar and famed wood carving, the 500 year old Altar of the Holy Blood by Tilman Riemenschneider.
We ate lunch at the Hotel Meistertrunk—the setting was pleasant in their patio, but the wait staff was overworked and we had a bad experience, so wouldn’t recommend this place.
Dinner was at the Baumeister Haus, just next door to our hotel. Dining room is in a beautiful courtyard setting in this 16th century Renaissance style building. The waitress was very pleasant and the food was enjoyable.
Our next stop was Lindau on the Bodensee. Lindau was a Fodor’s recommendation. It was a good stop off on the way to Rothenburg as it was near the Swiss/German border which allowed us to make the switch from train travel to rental car. Also, it broke up the travel between Luzern and Rothenburg. Our hotel in Lindau was the Hotel Garni Brugger. This was the one place we opted for a family room. We would heartily recommend this family room – just excellent! First off, it was huge. It had one bedroom/sitting area combo with a large double bed, small table and chairs, a sofa, a mini- refrigerator (reasonable prices for the refreshments inside) and a tall closet. The closet separated this bedroom from the adjacent twin bedded area. This arrangement gave the twin bedded area quite a lot of privacy. The bathroom was also very large. Only complaint was that it would have been nice to have a fan. It had been very warm in Luzern (in the 80’s Fahrenheit) and this weather followed us into Germany. For those of you who were traveling in Europe in June may remember the heat wave that hit around the middle of the month.
Lindau was charming. We explored the island by walking as far around it as one could. There is a nice area along the pedestrian zone where you could dine al fresco. We ate at the Grill restaurant Li-Punkt and the food was excellent. The total tab for four with side salads and drinks was $71.20 Euro.
The next morning, Friday, June 17, we picked up the rental car and headed to Fussen. The plan was to ride the Sommerrodelbahn at Tegelberg and then travel up the Romantic Road a bit towards Rothenburg. We arrived at Tegelberg just as they were resuming the luge runs after the 1 hour lunch break (was 12:30, I think). We each rode 6 rides for $10 Euros each. Tegelberg was the first luge run we had ever seen, back in 2002. On that trip we arrived just as they were closing and we watched as the last riders of the day came down the slope. So it was fun to finally get to ride at Tegelberg. BTW, they also have a gondola up the mountain where you can hang-glide back down. Those are the hang gliders you see from Neuschwanstein/Mary’s Bridge area.
Romantic Road – We quickly found that the Romantic Road was really nothing special. Just a two lane country highway that wound through every little town along the way. There was grumbling from the back seat that the drive would take forever at that pace! So…we didn’t hesitate to jump back over to the autobahn A-7 straight into Rothenburg.
In Rothenburg, we stayed at Gasthof Greifen in the back part of the building, another Fodor’s recommendation—thanks, TexasAggie! Another great hotel, friendly staff, quiet, clean rooms and an excellent location just a few doors down from the Market Square. We ate the first night at our hotel, which was just OK, not memorable and not recommended, although it was always busy. Took the Night Watchman’s tour that night – very enjoyable. It was really incredible the crowd of people on the tour, truly must have been 100 people, maybe more! He does at least two tours each night; it’s hugely popular. We were trying to figure out how much money he must take in?! Anyway, if in Rothenburg, the Night Watchman’s tour is a must!
We found some great ice cream in Germany. I think we actually started eating ice cream daily in Lindau. It was $.30 Euro for a scoop and who could resist such a great price! Once we arrived in Rothenburg, we found an al fresco ice cream shop with an irresistible menu of delightful sundaes of every flavor combination imaginable. Anyone know the shop of which I speak?? Anyway, that first night was my birthday, so the treat was in lieu of a regular birthday cake, HA! Of course, the next night we had no reason—we went back just because! And had the same waiter who remembered our order from the night before!! Check it out when you go to Rothenburg, not the shop right on the Market Square, but close to the Market Square just down a side street.
Our first full day in Rothenburg, we climbed up the Town Hall tower. That’s quite an experience as it gets very narrow and steep at the end. But a great view awaits those who make it to the top. We also toured the town hall vaults, mainly to see the dungeon with the dank prison cells and the medieval torture displays. We visited the Medieval Crime and Punishment Museum, more medieval torture stuff. We took a hike outside the walls of Rothenburg, down into the adjacent vineyards and across the bridge to the road and back. And we walked the wall. Just a note about the wall walking—you can’t actually walk completely around atop the wall. It is somewhat confusing as the covered walk atop the wall ends suddenly. We weren’t the only ones puzzled by this.
Don’t miss seeing St. Jakobs Church with its impressive High Altar and famed wood carving, the 500 year old Altar of the Holy Blood by Tilman Riemenschneider.
We ate lunch at the Hotel Meistertrunk—the setting was pleasant in their patio, but the wait staff was overworked and we had a bad experience, so wouldn’t recommend this place.
Dinner was at the Baumeister Haus, just next door to our hotel. Dining room is in a beautiful courtyard setting in this 16th century Renaissance style building. The waitress was very pleasant and the food was enjoyable.
Thank you for this report!
Jul 14th, 2005, 10:45 PM
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 456
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Faina, Glad you are enjoying this! I have some great pics from Switzerland and Germany that I will have ready soon. That'll have us both reminiscing about our trips, huh?
mingxa, I'm sure you will LOVE Beilstein! It's so relaxing and the scenery is gorgeous! Where are you staying in Beilstein?
mingxa, I'm sure you will LOVE Beilstein! It's so relaxing and the scenery is gorgeous! Where are you staying in Beilstein?
Jul 15th, 2005, 09:04 AM
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 456
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rothenburg to Mainz and home…
While we were in Germany, we tasted the delicious white “Spargel” asparagus. If you travel to Germany between April and June, you may have a similar opportunity. Another “find” for us was German strawberries. Absolutely delicious! What makes them different? Well, the seeds are smaller and less noticeable and the berries themselves are a lighter red in color. Don’t know why they are tastier, but, believe me, they are fantastic! Another “food find” that I failed to mention in the Iceland portion of the trip report is black licorice. Yes, Iceland is known for delicious black licorice. We had read this somewhere, so we bought a package and enjoyed it throughout Germany and Switzerland. We had pledged to hit the Duty-Free store in the Keflavik airport on our return journey. Bought several bags this time and gave some away as gifts. Really yummy, especially if you LOVE black licorice!
The return to the Frankfurt area was an easy drive, straight through on the Autobahn. We stopped briefly in Wurzburg to tour the Residenz. Our timing was good as we arrived just in time for the English tour at 1100. The tour gives access to the normally closed South Wing rooms including the Mirror Kabinett. The tour is included with the entry price ($5 Euro). The famed fresco by Tiepolo is being restored and most of it was obscured during our visit. This was the home of the Prince Bishop, the combo secular ruler of the whole of Fraconia and religious leader as well. Many of the rooms have been restored after being destroyed in WWII.
We had time to further explore Mainz, as we stayed here our last night before our return flight from Frankfurt. Mainz was a short 25 minutes train ride from the Frankfurt airport. Great place as a first or last stop. We used our Hilton points and stayed for free at the Hilton Munich City, which is a bit hard to find, but just about 10 minutes walking from the train station.
We had a great time. We will all have memories to treasure. For our teens we believe there is nothing quite like travel as you are growing up. Changes perspectives...
I will post a link to the photos as soon as I upload them.
While we were in Germany, we tasted the delicious white “Spargel” asparagus. If you travel to Germany between April and June, you may have a similar opportunity. Another “find” for us was German strawberries. Absolutely delicious! What makes them different? Well, the seeds are smaller and less noticeable and the berries themselves are a lighter red in color. Don’t know why they are tastier, but, believe me, they are fantastic! Another “food find” that I failed to mention in the Iceland portion of the trip report is black licorice. Yes, Iceland is known for delicious black licorice. We had read this somewhere, so we bought a package and enjoyed it throughout Germany and Switzerland. We had pledged to hit the Duty-Free store in the Keflavik airport on our return journey. Bought several bags this time and gave some away as gifts. Really yummy, especially if you LOVE black licorice!
The return to the Frankfurt area was an easy drive, straight through on the Autobahn. We stopped briefly in Wurzburg to tour the Residenz. Our timing was good as we arrived just in time for the English tour at 1100. The tour gives access to the normally closed South Wing rooms including the Mirror Kabinett. The tour is included with the entry price ($5 Euro). The famed fresco by Tiepolo is being restored and most of it was obscured during our visit. This was the home of the Prince Bishop, the combo secular ruler of the whole of Fraconia and religious leader as well. Many of the rooms have been restored after being destroyed in WWII.
We had time to further explore Mainz, as we stayed here our last night before our return flight from Frankfurt. Mainz was a short 25 minutes train ride from the Frankfurt airport. Great place as a first or last stop. We used our Hilton points and stayed for free at the Hilton Munich City, which is a bit hard to find, but just about 10 minutes walking from the train station.
We had a great time. We will all have memories to treasure. For our teens we believe there is nothing quite like travel as you are growing up. Changes perspectives...
I will post a link to the photos as soon as I upload them.
[-o<
