I've finished our itinerary for our September trip to Germany and Austria. At the end of our trip, we will be spending 3 days in Quedlinburg. We'll then have 2 nights before we fly home from Frankfurt.

I've booked the Alter Packhof Hotel in Hannoversch Muenden for our next to the last night, figuring we'll leave there and maybe stop in Alsfeld on our way to the Holiday Inn Express in Moerfelden near Frankfurt Airport for our last night before flying home.

From what I've read about Hann Muenden, it is much like Quedlinburg and Wernigerode in that is has an abundance of Faschwerk buildings. Is there anything in particular that we should make sure we see in the time we have available?

- City Hall.

- St. Blasii Church.

- Bursfelde Monastery (20km north).

- Museum im Welfenschloss.

- Arbeitmuseum im Hagelturm.

- Tillyschanze (view).

Thank you. I was hoping somebody had been there!

You picked a very nice area. The B-80 road along the Weser and the B-3 along the Fulda are very scenic and part of the Maerchenstrasse (Fairy Tale Road) and the Deutsche Alpen-Ostsee Strasse (German Alpine - Baltic Sea Vacation Route). Hannoversch Muenden struck us as very much like Hameln (Hamlin). I still remember buying a set of typical German white wine glasses in H.M, and even getting them back safely to the US.

We stayed in Bad Karlshafen, along the B-83. This is a fascintaing little spa town, population 4700, built by Hugenotte refugees and many buildings are still in the style of that day. We stayed at the "Zum Schwan" a 1765 small hunting castle, located within a beautiuful garden.

Sounds wonderful, treplow. We're really looking forward to this trip because we will be visiting a lot of new places including Bamberg (maybe a day trip to Amberg), Quedlinburg (with a day trip to Wernigerode) and Hann Muenden.

We're also staying in Staufen, Mittenwald and Zell am See which are new for us. From Staufen, we plan to visit Colmar and perhaps even Freiburg if we have time.

Thanks for your input.

Bettyk ~

Can't comment on H Muenden, as I haven't been there yet, but it's definitely on my list. I can't wait to read your trip report.

We spent a few days in Quedlinburg last year and fell in love with it. I highly recommend the Gaestehaus Toepke, if you need a place to stay: www.gaestehaus-toepke.de.

Lovely owners, charming building, within walking distance to everything. I reviewed it on Tripadvisor, look there for more details.

And, I must thank you for brainwashing me (through all your comments over the years) into visiting Bad Wimpfen a few months ago... what a great place. Can't wait to go back.

Sorry for the tangent, just wanted to pipe up about Q-burg.

Gute Reise!

NanBug, we are really looking forward to Quedlinburg. I just had to work it into this trip. I had looked at the Gaestehaus Toepke but DH has trouble with his feet so I have been trying to find accommodations with an elevator. We are booked at the Quedlinberger Stadtschloss in one of their "Castle Rooms". It was a bit of a splurge, but the price wasn't too bad since we got a reduction for staying 3 nights.

I'm so glad you liked Bad Wimpfen. We really love "discovering" towns like BW that so few Americans ever visit.

Hi betty,

Since I grew up in that region, here is my two cents:

Hann. Münden is a really nice place to visit and stay, but I would not rush too much going there from Quedlinburg on the shortest/fastest route. Hann. Münden feels smaller than Quedlinburg (and IS smaller), like many of the tiny towns along the Weser. So you should plan to see also a bit more on the road (most is not that time-consuming).

You could try to hit the River Weser a bit more downstream at Bad Karlshafen, visit the town (which is indeed very nice), and follow the river to Hann. Münden. On the Western/left side of the Weser, you will find the Sababurg, a fully-fledged fairy tale castle (incl. restaurant/hotel) only very few kms away from the B80 which follows the river.

There are also many other possibilities to stop on a day trip from Quedlinburg to Hann. Münden, for example:

- Fürstenberg china/porcelain factory (maybe bit too much upstream for you driving, near Höxter)
- the little pottery village of Fredelsloh (at the Eastern edge of Solling "mountains", near Einbeck)

Happy travels!

Thanks, Cowboy. I don't know how much we will be able to do. I thought that we might stop in Goslar on the way from Quedlinburg but I'll certainly keep in mind your suggestions. However, we will have most of the next day to make our way from Hann Muenden to our hotel near Frankfurt Airport.

The Stadtschloss sounds great, bettyk!

You'll love Quedlinburg. I'm a Fachwerk fanatic, so I was in heaven. Thousands of timberframed buildings lining the streets in the Old Town and New Town. The facade carvings are outstanding -- faces, names, phrases, dates -- and the step roofs will blow you away.

It was very quiet, a real, working town, with very little evidence of tourism except for a few shops by the Rathaus with souvenirs (and also a colorful guidebook of the town, which was helpful). We were there 3 days and never ran into another tourist (granted, it was winter), nor anyone who spoke English. It was great.

Oh, NanBug, you make it sound like just what we are looking for! I'm sure my DH will be like a kin in a candy store. He so loves to take photos and is quite good at it if I do say so myself!

Now if the weather will just cooperate! We were pretty lucky on our last September trip to Germany, getting only just a scatter of rain here and there, so hopefully the weather gods will be smiling on us!

I'll tell the weather gods to behave! It was cold while we were there, but sunny, but we had a ball. Your hubby will love it.

Btw, my previous post should have read "steep roofs" not step. Wrong country for those!

I forgot all about Bad Wimpfen, until I read the posting. Loved it. Generally, any town with "Bad" in front (spa) tends to offer good lodging. Ever since the German government cut back on how much time Germans can spend in these spas on governmenmt health care, they are a bit overbuilt. So you can find good bargains in nice places.