rubies

we have so many options for the summer holiday (india, hawaii, etc.), but we've just been invited to visit friends in germany over july. what is there to do near dusseldorf? and if we want to city/country-hop, which are the best to visit? we're thinking paris and prague, but know there are lots of other options. fyi, there are two of us in our mid-late 20's. hotel options would be great, as well! best regards.

nytraveler

How much time do you have? What are your interests? How much are you willing to spend on the trip?

Without a lot more info no one can even begin to tell you what city in europe - or if you should do Hawaii or India (a really strange set of choices).

rubies

interests include strolling down side streets, museums, food (although veggies), wine, architecture, historical sites, botanical gardens, and nature.

hypothetically speaking, we have 2 weeks to spare, and we're not too budgety (ie hostels), but we aren't 4/5 star spenders either. i'm not asking anyone to persuade me one way or another (hawaii and india were our original choices before this invite b/c of interests in both), but suggestions are very welcome. thanks!

BTilke

We lived not too far from the Dusseldorf area for six months in 2002/2003 and greatly enjoyed it. I think Nord-Rhein Westfalia is underrated by visitors (it doesn't even get a mention in Rick Steves except for a brief blurb about "unromantic Rhine&quot.
Some of our favorite spots in the region:
Hattingen, a medieval walled town not hit by WW II bombings. An easy afternoon's outing from Dusseldorf by bus or S-bahn (commuter trains).
The "water castle" region of Muensterland. Luedinghausen, Nordkirchen, etc. Great for biking (it's relatively flat, car drivers respect the bike lanes, plenty of small towns, little restaurants, friendly inexpensive B & Bs, etc.).
Dusseldorf has a lively old town. It's a stylish, sophisticated city with an excellent art museum.
We spent our fall vacation in NR-W and the absolute highlight of the trip was a visit to the amazing open air museum outside Detmold (a couple of hours away by car). Detmold has one of the top music schools in Germany so there are high quality free concerts all summer. Nearby is Externsteine, Germany's answer to Stonehenge. (re hotels, recommend the Best Western in Detmold, a very nice 4-star hotel and doubles are as little as 60 euros per night.)

Dusseldorf's excellent rail and plane connections give you plenty of options.

For more info on the open air museum:
http://www.lwl.org/freilichtmuseum-d...rtseite_uk.php

I would suggest you take a week to explore the region itself and then spend your second week going farther afield...

rubies

Going farther, like Switzerland, Vienna, Prague, etc.? Any suggestions on what might "compliment" Germany?

rubies

And also Amsterdam- is it easy to get to from, say, Dusseldorf or Berlin? We're thinking of getting a mini Eurorail pass, and everyone seems to love Amsterdam.