Looking for "don't miss" along Romantic Road and Munich

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Oct 23rd, 2002, 05:51 AM

herself

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Looking for "don't miss" along Romantic Road and Munich

My husband and I will be in Germany from Nov 6 to the 13th. Land in Frankfurt, go to Wursburg, Rothenburg, Augsburg, Munich, Karlsruhe and back to Frankfurt. This board has helped me with all my trips. None of your suggestions have ever been bad. Do any of you have some "Must see" or great restaurants that should not be missed along the way. The more I research this trip to more places I want to see. Thak you.

Oct 23rd, 2002, 11:56 AM

Russ

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Check out Weikersheim Palace in the town of the same name, on the Tauber river just northwest of Rothenburg: http://www.schloesser-magazin.de/eng/wk/wkkae.htm

Oct 23rd, 2002, 01:22 PM

bettyk

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Didn't we already answer this one?

Oct 23rd, 2002, 01:27 PM

bettyk

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herself, you just didn't scroll down far enough. Here are some responses for you: Author: uncle sam ([email protected]) Date: 10/23/2002, 11:13 am Message: Munich 1. Marienplatz...main square 2. St Peters...climb to the top on a clear day for a view of the Alps 3. Alte and Neu Pentathotek (sp)...old and new art museums...I like the new one better 4. Hofbrauhaus....go in buy the tee shirt or mug and then go drink beer at the augustienrbrau Haus about three blocks form the tain station 5. AAm church on Sendlinger Strasse...baroque gone wild! 6. Englisher Gartens...better in the summer 7. Restaurant Werneckhof...on Werneck Strasse...excellent French cuisine 8. Stachus or Sendlinger strasse for shopping 9. Victualenmarkt...grab a brot and a beer for lunch 10. Deutsche Museum Safe travels and have some fun! US -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: uncle sam ([email protected]) Date: 10/23/2002, 11:14 am Message: 5. Should be Assam Church -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: andre ([email protected]) Date: 10/23/2002, 11:25 am Message: I would recommend driving south of Augsburg all the way to Fussen (1 1/2 hour away) with stops at Wieskirche, a stunning baroque church, and Neuschwanstein castle. You won't regret it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Julie ([email protected]) Date: 10/23/2002, 11:53 am Message: Among those towns listed in your post, I'm most partial to Munich and Wurzburg. US has already listed the sites of Munich. In Wurzburg there are two must sees--the Residence of the Prince Bishops and the Marienburg Festung, an old-fashioned fortress on top of the hill. I also agree that culminating your trip in Fussen/Garmisch-Partenkirchen to see the Kongsschlosser (Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles) and Linderhof, Ludwig's baroque gem of a fantasy hunting lodge is a good idea. Search this site using each of these words and you'll find a wealth of information and opinions, including some good recommendations for hotels. Good luck. Enjoy. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: bettyk ([email protected]) Date: 10/23/2002, 12:02 pm Message: Rothenburg is one of my favorite cities. If you stay in the old part, you can see everything easily. There are many lovely buildings and neat shops. Stop in the local tourist office right off the main square, pick up a map and start walking! If you have time, be sure to visit the Kriminal Museum. Check out their website for hotel info, restaurants, sights, etc. http://www.rothenburg-online.de/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: Larry ([email protected]) Date: 10/23/2002, 12:05 pm Message: If near Munich, Dachau is worth a visit. Also, the Kriminal Museum in Rothenburg. These two places don't have a pleasant message but one of historical truths that we are glad we experienced. If you spend the night in or near Rothenburg, the Night Watchman's tour there that starts from the market square at 8:00 p.m. is quite interesting and entertaining. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oct 23rd, 2002, 01:28 PM

bettyk

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herself, you just didn't scroll down far enough. Here are some responses for you: Author: uncle sam ([email protected]) Date: 10/23/2002, 11:13 am Message: Munich 1. Marienplatz...main square 2. St Peters...climb to the top on a clear day for a view of the Alps 3. Alte and Neu Pentathotek (sp)...old and new art museums...I like the new one better 4. Hofbrauhaus....go in buy the tee shirt or mug and then go drink beer at the augustienrbrau Haus about three blocks form the tain station 5. AAm church on Sendlinger Strasse...baroque gone wild! 6. Englisher Gartens...better in the summer 7. Restaurant Werneckhof...on Werneck Strasse...excellent French cuisine 8. Stachus or Sendlinger strasse for shopping 9. Victualenmarkt...grab a brot and a beer for lunch 10. Deutsche Museum Safe travels and have some fun! US -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: uncle sam ([email protected]) Date: 10/23/2002, 11:14 am Message: 5. Should be Assam Church -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author: andre ([email protected]) Date: 10/23/2002, 11:25 am Message: I would recommend driving south of Augsburg all the way to Fussen (1 1/2 hour away) with stops at Wieskirche, a stunning baroque church, and Neuschwanstein castle. You won't regret it. Author: Julie ([email protected]) Date: 10/23/2002, 11:53 am Message: Among those towns listed in your post, I'm most partial to Munich and Wurzburg. US has already listed the sites of Munich. In Wurzburg there are two must sees--the Residence of the Prince Bishops and the Marienburg Festung, an old-fashioned fortress on top of the hill. I also agree that culminating your trip in Fussen/Garmisch-Partenkirchen to see the Kongsschlosser (Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles) and Linderhof, Ludwig's baroque gem of a fantasy hunting lodge is a good idea. Search this site using each of these words and you'll find a wealth of information and opinions, including some good recommendations for hotels. Good luck. Enjoy. Author: bettyk ([email protected]) Date: 10/23/2002, 12:02 pm Message: Rothenburg is one of my favorite cities. If you stay in the old part, you can see everything easily. There are many lovely buildings and neat shops. Stop in the local tourist office right off the main square, pick up a map and start walking! If you have time, be sure to visit the Kriminal Museum. Check out their website for hotel info, restaurants, sights, etc. http://www.rothenburg-online.de/ Author: Larry ([email protected]) Date: 10/23/2002, 12:05 pm Message: If near Munich, Dachau is worth a visit. Also, the Kriminal Museum in Rothenburg. These two places don't have a pleasant message but one of historical truths that we are glad we experienced. If you spend the night in or near Rothenburg, the Night Watchman's tour there that starts from the market square at 8:00 p.m. is quite interesting and entertaining.

Oct 23rd, 2002, 01:55 PM

wes fowler

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Herself, This and the following couple of messages offer some ideas of what to see in Upper Bavaria and how to get there. You may find some of it of interest as you develop your itinerary. Michelin map No. 419 is the ideal area map for planning itineraries in this section of Bavaria. These Upper Bavarian itineraries use the little village of Hohenfurch on the Romantic Road as a starting point. Hohenfurch is approximately 40 minutes drive time southwest of Munich and about 4kms north of Schongau. The itineraries could start and end at any of the towns or villages listed. By taking these routes, you’ll see three Bavarian castles including Neuschwanstein and Linderhof, magnificent Baroque churches and monasteries, thirteen Alpine lakes, Germany’s highest Alpine mountain and scenery ranging from the dramatic to the serene.

Oct 23rd, 2002, 01:57 PM

wes fowler

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ITINERARY I. To visit two of Bavaria’s most famous castles, I’d suggest an early start from Hohenfurch to arrive at them before the tourist buses from Munich do. From the inn in Hohenfurch return to the Romantic Road (Rte 17) and head south, passing through Schongau and Steingaden to Hohenschwangau. Its about 45kms/28 miles. Leave the car in the special park at Hohenschwangau. You can walk from the parking lot to Schloss Hohenschwangau, one of the few Bavarian castles that someone actually lived in for an extended period of time. Queen Marie, the mother of King Ludwig II lived there for many years. Following the tour of the castle, walk back to the center of the village where you can either take a bus from the Hotel Liesl or horse-drawn cart from the Hotel Muller to Neuschwanstein. Take one or the other; you can walk to Neuschwanstein but it’s a very steep and lengthy climb. After touring the castle, you might want to walk up the Pollat gorge to the Marienbrucke, the bridge that spans the gorge. From there you can look down on Neuschwanstein castle, a most impressive view. Return to the village and your car by either the bus or horse cart. Check the website: www.allgaeu-schwaben.com/cneuschwanstein.html for information on the castle. The tour of the two castles, coupled with the drive time from Hohenfurch should take about three and a half to four hours. You might want to stop for lunch in the village or drive a short distance to the town of Fussen for lunch. Following lunch, from Fussen, pick up Rte 16 going towards Markt-Oberdorf. This drive on the western shore of the Forggensee, is highly scenic. Drive on Rte 16 for about 12km/7miles and look for a road on your right and signs for towns named Langenwald or Steingaten. Take the road leading to Langenwald and Steingaten (it has no route number) and continue through the town of Steingaten for about 3km/2 miles. You’ll see signs for Wies and Wieskirche and a road leading off to the right. Take the road to one of the most stunning sights in all of Bavaria, the Wieskirche. With its pale yellow exterior walls and red roof, it looks rather commonplace from the outside though commanding in its highly rural setting. Enter and encounter the extraordinary artistry of the Zimmerman brothers, two masters of Bavarian Baroque. Return to Steingaden and take Route 17 north to Schongau, then back to Hohenfurch and the Schonach-Hof, your inn. I’d suggest you sit outside in the beer garden by the fish tank laden with trout. Have a beer, regain your energies and walk up to the church in town and prepare yourself for two surprises. The church, the Parish Church of the Assumption, offers some lovely Baroque artwork in its interior. To the rear of the church is a small cemetery, visit it. You’ll find it to be immaculate and laden with plants and flowers that suggest the work of a full time highly skilled gardener. You may have noticed a building alongside the road in the pastureland behind your inn. It’s a Gothic chapel, St. Ursula’s and dates from 1492. I don’t think it’s open to the public; at least it hasn’t been on my visits. I think this itinerary, if taken at your ease, will constitute a fairly full day’s activities. If you find, after visiting the castles that you have time to spare, you might want to consider a boat ride on the Forggensee. The boats are available at Fussen.

Oct 23rd, 2002, 01:59 PM

wes fowler

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ITINERARY II. This is an itinerary for a particularly sunny, clear day. It involves a tour of the German Alps, another castle and a scenic detour into Austria. Take Rte 17 south from Hohenfurch past Schongau to Peiting. In Peiting, look for Rte 471 (it’s clearly marked) and travel east towards Peissenberg. You’ll see signs for Hohen-Peissenberg, which is where you want to be. Drive to the top of the hill (it’s only about 3500 feet high), park and you’ll get a sweeping, panoramic view of the German Alpine range and eleven Alpine lakes. Return to Rte 472 and continue east for a short distance looking for a road on the right that leads to Bobing and Rottenbuch. The ride to Rottenbuch is in a scenic valley. Stop in Rottenbuch and visit the Gothic basilica built on Roman ruins. The church interior is stunning, yet another example of Bavarian Baroque design. Check to see if the peasant theatre is giving a performance in the evening. You might want to stop back for it, even though it will be in German, actually Bavarian dialect. From Rottenbuch, take Rte 23 south to Oberammergau, a charming village where a Passion Play takes place every ten years, next in the year 2010. The play’s casts are predominantly villagers. Oberammergau is a delightful walking village with its buildings covered with lovely, colorful murals. Continue on Rte 23, the Deutsche Alpenstrasse (German Alpine Road) to Ettal and follow the Alpenstrasse west to the castle at Linderhof. This is Ludwig II’s castle in a particularly attractive setting. It’s well worth a tour. Continue west on the Alpenstrasse to the Austrian border at Ammersattel and the town of Reutte where you will pick up Rte 314 and drive east past Heiterwang and Wangle to Lermoos. Just past Lermoos, you’ll find Rte 187; take it north to the border where it becomes Rte 24. Between Lermoos and the border you’ll pass the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest Alpine mountain on your right. Continue on Rte 24 to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. At the train station, there’s a cog-wheel railroad that will take you to the Schneefernerhaus Hotel, 8700 feet up the Zugspitze. From there a cable car will take you to the summit. The train and cable car trip will take about half an hour. From Garmisch take Rte 23 north to the village of Ettal, an attractive town with an outstanding monastery, the Kloster Ettal. Its history dates back to 1320, but it was significantly remodeled in the Baroque style in the early 1700s. Continue north on Rte 23. It will take you to Schongau and then Hohenfurch.

Oct 23rd, 2002, 02:02 PM

wes fowler

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So much for itineraries. A comment or two regarding the inn in Hohenfurch. The following comments were extracted from the web page of one of Fodors contributors who traveled to Germany in June 2000 and stayed at the inn on the basis of my recommendation. It’s followed by a posting to Fodors from 1998 by another traveler to whom I recommended the inn. “LANDGASTHOF U CAFE SCHONACH-HOF, Familie Haslach. Kapellenstrasse 22, D-2928 Hohenfurch 92DM w/WC, shower and breakfast. Tel: 08861-4108. No credit cards accepted. This hotel was one of our favorite places. It is in a very small town on the Romantic Road, about 30 minutes away from the Bavarian castles, 45 minutes away from Munich. When entering Hohenfurch from the north, turn left on the only intersection and follow the brown sign with the hotel’s name on it. The family members do not speak any English. Our room, St. Ursula, was on the 3rd floor facing the pastureland to the rear with its cows and sheep. The room was very large. The bathroom, near the entrance had a shower with doors. The room had a large closet, large bed, tv, a sitting area with a large table and chairs, a minibar and a large balcony shared with the next room. The restaurant has an excellent menu. Breakfast includes fruit yogurt, breads, meats, cheese, cereal, coffee, tea, milk and orange juice. For the price we paid, $45 a night this place is outstanding. When we first arrived at this hotel, the woman that gave us our room key seemed a little concerned and upset. I found out later from my husband that she gave him a look of relief when he spoke German to her. It seems that since she didn’t speak English, she thought she was going to have a hard time communicating with us. She warmed up to us quickly after that and was quite enjoyable. She even treated us to to pear schnapps for an after dinner drink.” “Any frequent visitor to this page is probably familiar with Wes’ recommendations. No offense Wes, but I kind of thought you were a bit of a know-it-all when you weighed in with some of your comments about sights and hotels in Germany but I took your advice and stayed in Hohenfurch on the Romantic Road and found it to be my favorite stop on our recently concluded trip. The hotel is the Schonach-Hof and a real bargain. Our family of four stayed in a room with modern plumbing, tv, a kitchenette (stove and refrigerator) for only 150DM per night. (Ask for the Pfaffenwinkel room.) The restaurant was excellent and reasonably priced. No one in the place spoke English, but we had no problems communicating. In fact the innkeeper and his wife sat down with us at dinner and pointed out places of interst on the maps and brochures they gave us.

Oct 23rd, 2002, 02:06 PM

#10

wes fowler

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This itinerary, in two parts, failed to post to your message due to its length. Here it is broken in part. Here’s a third and final itinerary with two options. Both options include an opportunity to see some Alpine lakes as well as the German Alpine range. The shorter itinerary, about 224kms/150 miles, includes a stop at a third lake, Bavaria’s second largest, the Starnbergersee. This is the lake where King Ludwig II drowned, either by accident or as the result of an assassination prompted by his having exhausted the Bavarian treasury with his obsession for castle building. The longer route encompasses 327kms/200 miles and includes a visit to the Austrian city, Innsbruck, the summer home of the Habsburg Emperors. To begin, take Rte 17 south to Schongau and Peiting and turn east on Rte 472. Continue on Rte 472 until you reach Rte 11 near Benediktbeuern. Drive south on Rte 11 to Kochel and follow the signs to the Freilichtmuseum von Glentleiten. This is an open air museum with over 40 Bavarian farmhouses dating back to the 16th century. There are regular displays of traditional craftsmanship. It is, in many ways, a Bavarian counterpart of America’s Williamsburg, Virginia. Return to Rte 11 and prepare yourself for a series of hairpin turns as you wend your way between the Kochelsee on your right and the Walchensee on your left. Continue on Rte 11 past Wallgau and Krun, where Rte 11 becomes Rte 2. Continue on Rte 2 to Mittenwald, a fascinating town. Mittenwald is famous for its violin and stringed instrument makers and woodworkers. You’re probably not in the market for a violin, but do check out the wooden masks the carvers make for pre-Lenten celebrations. You’ll find a large number of woodworking craftsmen in the town and a wonderful opportunity to pick up a unique souvenir. Now, backtrack on Rte 2 and 11 to just past the town of Wallgau where you’ll find a toll road on your right. Take it for a scenic ride. (It’s actually part of the Deutsche Alpenstrasse but passes through a national forest alongside the banks of the Isar River, thus the toll.) The toll road ends at Vorderriss. continue on it and cross over the man-made lake, Sylvenstein-stausee. Just past the lake, the road will fork. If you take the right fork, Rte 181, you’ll almost immediately cross the Austrian border and begin the longer of the two itineraries. Continue on scenic Rte 181 to the A12 autobahn and take it westbound to Innsbruck, where by all means you should visit the old town with its magnificent buildings and shops with their wonderful old gilded wrought iron signs. From Innsbruck, take Rte 177 north. The route changes its numbering in Germany from 177 to E6, then 2. Take Rte 2 to Oberau where you can pick up Rte 23 which leads back to Schongau and Hohenfurch. NOTE: It is necessary to purchase a vignette in order to drive on major Austrian roads. The cost is minimal; the vignette is availabe at border crossings or nearby service stations or shops. It costs next to nothing; without it, however, you are subject to stiff, on the spot fines.

Oct 23rd, 2002, 02:13 PM

#11

wes fowler

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If you’d prefer the shorter itinerary, at the fork just past the Sylvenstein-stausee, continue to the left on Rte 13 to Lenggries where you can take a cable car up the Brauneck to its summit at a little over 5000 feet. Here there’s a viewing platform from which to see most of the Alpine lakes, almost the entire German alpine range and the glaciers of the central Alps to the south. Continue north on Rte 13 to Bad Tolz. This is a large town with modern spas and equally modern medical facilities. The old part of town is charming though with its colorful old gabled houses. From Bad Tolz, you can pick up Rte 472 and take it to signs leading to Wolfl and Seeshaupt which puts you on the shore of the Starnbergersee. Drive up the eastern shore of the lake (the scenic route) to Starnberg, then pick up the road leading to Weilheim and Peissenberg. On your way down the western shore of the lake, stop at the monastery in Andechs and sample the monastic beer. Andech’s beer is one of the worlds finest brews, available only in the immediate area of the monastery and certainly worth a detour. At Peissenberg you’ll be back on our old friend Rte 472 which leads to Schongau and Hohenfurch. Drop me an Email if you've any questions or concerns. By the way, consider stopping for lunch at the Alte Post inn in the heart of Schongau. While there, visit the on site bakery. For excellent regional cuisine, consider the restaurant in the inn in Hohenfurch. I recommend it highly.

Oct 23rd, 2002, 04:53 PM

#12

Bob

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No itineraries but a few suggestions: ROTHENBURG: The restaurant HELL is very unique. Located in an old forge very near the Kriminal Museum. We enjoyed eating there. Very small, not too expensive but you need reservations most nights because of the size. Nightwatchman tour at 8pm a must. Fun and informative. Leaves from town square and not expensive. The REICHS KUCHENMEISTER HOTEL has a very nice restaurant and a nice wine stube for food and drinks. Also good place to stay. KATHE WOHLFARDT CHRISTMAS SHOP. She now almost owns the town but the main shop near the Eisenhut Hotel is worth a visit. Plus we have always found the prices here to be very fair. If you find something there, just buy it and have them ship it home. They do a great job with that. Buy one Smoker Man for sure. ANDECHS: If you like beer, visit this town. The monks make the beer and it is great. It is South of Augsburg on the way to Garmisch next to a lake. GARMISCH PARTENKIRCHEN AND THE CASTLES: The above posts are correct. Don't miss the castles or Wies Church. Or the Ettal Abbey plus Oberammergau.