lavandula

I keep noticing that many posts (too many posts?) seem to be asking for advice on southern Germany and almost only southern Germany. I've been there and yes, it's beautiful, but why is there no curiosity about the rest of Germany? I have been looking for reasons and wondered if it's historical (American armed forces in the south of Germany, hence Americans know it better), or if there is in your opinions another reason. Really, this post could be about any European country here - travellers seem to single out a fashionable? part of the country and stick to that ... or am I missing something? Your thoughts please!

Lavandula

hetismij

I think many people are influenced by the likes of Rick Steves also.

It always amazes me that so many people always go to the same parts of a country - Amsterdam, with maybe a couple of side trips to Delft or Den Haag, but never further than that, the Cotswolds, maybe the Lakes. Skye. Southern Germany. Same old bits of Italy and France too.

But then when Europeans visit the States they tend to go to the same old areas every time. I guess it's just human nature - and the guide books .

Cowboy1968

I do not wish the generalize, but I think it's also an age issue.

If you asked the 18-29 crowd, you will probably hear more about spending the nights till 7am at the clubs in Berlin than exploring the Nuremberg Christmas market.

But some people have indeed a tendency to avoid possible "disappointments" by focusing on the "certified must-see" locations. I assume it's either the limited time they can spend in Europe or the expensive travel costs (or a mix of both) that makes them wish to "maximize" their experiences.

quokka

People ask about what they have heard about, and unless they have done some extensive research in advance, that's just the handful of usual places.
The general opinion overseas is Germany = Bavaria. (Pet peeve of every non-Bavarian German.)

What worries me more is that few replies go beyond the well beaten paths, apart from a handful of locals who try to point out at least some of the other 100,000 possible destinations which are just as worthwhile as the famous ones.

FoFoBT

Yes and no. There have been several threads related to Berlin and Dresden.

But vastly overlooked, IMO, are some other wonderful areas - Bremen, Sylt, the areas around Wernigerode, Detmold, Muensterland, etc. I have to laugh at how Rick Steves dismisses NRW as the "unromantic Rhine."

OTOH, over the years, whenever I tried to discuss the interesting aspects of Brussels beyond the Grand'Place, there were many Fodorites urging people to skip the city and spend all their time with the usual suspects of Bruges, Antwerp and Ghent.

And lavandula, what hetismij posted is very true - Europeans (who have a lot more vacation time than Americans) do exactly the same thing with their trip planning to the U.S.. I've seen few European posts in the U.S. forum asking about the White Mountains or Door County or the Willamette Valley or the Olympic Peninsula or the SC lowcountry etc. It's almost always California, Florida, New York, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon.

That's ok, I guess. It's fine to suggest alternatives, but in the end people should spend their time and money on where they want to go.

hetismij

Any Europeans reading this - I can recommend the Willamette Valley and the Olympic Peninsula .

Never been to NY city, Las Vegas (NV) or Florida. I have been to Las Vegas (NM).


SC lowcountry is on the list .

lavandula

Well, I have yet to see most of the US - visited once on a research trip and saw Minneapolis and New Haven. Plenty to look forward to!

Lavandula

Karasek

Yes, i noticed it too. Most Americans travel, more or less, only between Frankfurt and Munich/Salzburg, with a side trip to the Rhine/Mosel area. It's almost laughable to read "experts" like Rick Steves. His Germany guide has 646 pages. 550 are about the sights. From these 550 pages, 420 are about Bavaria and the Rhine valley. The only sights outside of this region are Dresden, Berlin and, interestingly, Görlitz. And this book is no joke!
Just to give you an idea: Baedeker, Germany's most popular tourist guide, offers 27 books about Germany. 7 of them are about Bavaria+Frankfurt, 11 are about the former Commie part of the country.

I think it comes down to the American armed forces. Americans today travel exactly in the region where these forces are located. If you read old, prewar travel guides a typical American journey was much more varied and usually included all parts of the country. Of course these travellers back then usually were richer and spend more time in just one country, but anyway.

FoFoBT

"I think it comes down to the American armed forces. Americans today travel exactly in the region where these forces are located."

That interpretation is a bit simplistic. Of all our friends planning trips to Germany, the location of the armed forces has NOTHING to do with it. In fact, most of them have no idea where exactly the armed forces are located in Germany.

It has a LOT more to with direct flights to Munich and Frankfurt. If there were as many direct flights to Hamburg or Berlin or Bremen, more people would go to those destinations.

swandav2000

The largest American Armed forces centers have been in the Frankfurt and the Heidelberg areas since the 1970s. Bavaria has very little compared to the other areas.

s

Karasek

"That interpretation is a bit simplistic. Of all our friends planning trips to Germany, the location of the armed forces has NOTHING to do with it. In fact, most of them have no idea where exactly the armed forces are located in Germany."

Of course not. But, since the end of WW2, this area was Little America in Germany. The GIs traveled the region and showed photos back home, the American media concentrated on the area since their guys were stationed there, the Nuremberg trials happened there... so, Bavaria and the Rhein area became bigger and bigger for Americans.
It's interesting to note that many Brits also travel Northern Germany and often spend some days in Hamburg. Northern Germany was the British occupation zone.

FoFoBT

Well, I suppose you are the expert on what Americans do and why.

However, in my humble to-be-disregarded American opinion, the availability of direct flights to Munich and Frankfurt and shorter vacation times are bigger factors in why many Americans concentrate on Bavaria and the Rhine than black and white snapshots of where their grandfathers served in WW II.

ira

Hi FoFo,

>the availability of direct flights to Munich and Frankfurt and shorter vacation times are bigger factors.....<

I agree. Don't forget Stuttgart.

BTW, why no mention of Osnabrück or Oldenburg from those so interested in northern Germany?

adrienne

I've been to a few places in northern Germany - Hamburg, Bonn, and would never consider going back to northern Germany because of the way I was treated. I would only now consider going to Germany at all because I had a good experience during my recent day in Frankfurt.

I had had a good experience in Bavaria but even so the northern part of the trip was quite distasteful and kept me out of Germany for more than 20 years (except for changing planes in Frankfurt or Munich).

I had no idea that there was a "fashionable" part of Germany so this had no part in my decision to visit or not or what parts to visit.

Often when people ask for information on lesser known parts of a country they get nothing since few people here know about less popular towns. When I recently planned my trip to the Czech Republic I searched here for information but mostly read guide books to determine what towns I wanted to visit. There would have been little point to posting questions about towns that no one has referred to in 10 years. People on this board seem to be concentrating on Prague, Cesky Krumlov and Kutna Hora.

So what you are missing is that this is generally not the place to come for information on lesser known towns, whether in Germany or other countries.

Internet forums have become places for people who never pick up a guide book and read about the country they want to visit. They post a question based on names of towns/cities that are familiar to them. Have you noticed how many posts ask "what is there to do in xyz place?" There's a post in the top 25 asking what to do in Prague in the winter. Of course someone who doesn't have a clue what Prague can offer would never think to ask about some small, off the beaten track, town in Germany. Practically every day there are posts asking what is there to do in Rome, Paris, Venice, etc. If someone has no knowledge of Rome and does not know what to expect of a major European city why would they ever ask: "what is there to do in Stendal, Germany."

Gary_Mc

If you added Berlin and Dresden to Bavaria, it would be overwhelmingly true. I am not so surprised. Bavaria happens to be the largest state and quite beautiful. Its appeal is easily appreciated, especially the Alps with green pastures leading to picture perfect mountains. If you have just a week or two, it is hard not to enjoy the Alps, the towns, the monasteries and villages of Bavaria.

I was one of those soldiers assigned to German: the Pfalz, Franken and Bremerhaven. I really came to love these areas but more as a temporary resident than as a tourist.

If you had just one or two short trips to Germany in a lifetime, it makes more sense to me to concentrate on the Alps, rather than trying to learn the quiet pleasures of the North Sea, the flavor of towns like Goslar and Würzburg, or the quietness in forests of the Pfalz.

bigtyke

In my case, Great Grandfather came from southern Germany so that was the part that I focused on first. I liked it so much and have not nearly seen all I want to that I went again with my brother, then again by myself, then with wife, and next time with wife and kids. I see some familiar places each time and some new ones.

pauljagman

I guess I'm one of those Americans that love Southern Germany/Bavaria. For me it's because the Alps are awesome, the Black Forest is intriguing and it's closer to Austria/ Switzerland which I like to visit too.

I've been to other parts of Germany too. Maybe I'm generalizing but I feel more welcomed in the South. It's the gemutlichkeit! I don't mean to offend any Northerners. Just seems the North is for young people/the South for older tourists.

bettyk

While we have spent plenty of time in Southern Germany, we always try to find a few places that most Americans never visit, such as Iphofen, Gengenbach, Bad Wimpfen, Schwaebisch Hall, etc.

We visited Munich and the "Castles" many years ago and have no plans to go back. The biggest city we've been to recently is Bamberg.

But last year, we did venture northward to Hannoversch Muenden, Wernigerode and Quedlinburg. Beautiful! Hope to go back and further explore this area.

Dukey1

I'm afraid I disagree that it is necessarily an "age thing." We will be spending 8 nights in Berlin next year (after having done more than a week in various parts of Bavaria this year) and yes, we go out "clubbing" and we are hardly 30 years old anymore.

I don't think this is a "Germany thing" at all. I know plenty of people here in the US who go to the SAME place year, after year, after year when they travel. They will tell you "it's the best" and have no desire whatsoever to see anything that's new and different.

adrienne

<< BTW, why no mention of Osnabrück or Oldenburg from those so interested in northern Germany? >>

I once spent an enjoyable hour on a train leaving Osnabrück and then backing back into Osnabrück, leaving Osnabrück and then backing back into Osnabrück, leaving Osnabrück and then backing back into Osnabrück. It was the German equivalent of Groundhog Day!