Munich or Small Town?
 

We will be in the area of Munich in April for 3 nights, . We are not big city folks, and will have spent some time in Madrid, Barcelona & Budapest before heading to S. Germany....so will probably have had our fill of cities. Given that a) we will be traveling from Budapest to S. Germany on the 16th and that
b) We will have to make our way to Frankfurt to fly home on the 22nd,
here is my question:
Would it be better (and feasible) to stay in a small town outside Munich (and if so, suggestions?)--or stay in Munich?
We enjoy sightseeing, great local food, local ambience, will have had enough of museums by then I feel.
Your thoughts?

Hi fsufan1,

Yes, I also prefer small towns and villages to big cities.

The town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen might be just right for you, or if you'd like to consider a village, Mittenwald might work. I spent a month in Mittenwald over Dec 06-Jan 07 and really fell in love with it. Garmisch-P is about 1h30 from München, and Mittenwald is about 2h.

Have fun!

s

I would recommend a small town if you are not really into cities. Munich is in a stunning location, and you have quite a variety of wonderful locations to pick from.

One of my favorite locations in Europe is the Berchtesgaden location in southern Germany, near Salzburg. Delightful scenery and wonderful little towns.

Mittenwald, Oberammergau and the Fuessen area would also make a good base.

Another suggestion would be to spend some time in these areas and then work your way up the Romantic Road before leaving from Frankfurt. You could easily visit Wurzburg, Rothenburg, Nuremburg, Bamburg, etc.

Best wishes,
Tracy

If you are leaving Budapest on the 16th, it seems you have the 17th-21st - 5 days - days before you leave from FRA - correct?

April is a pretty nice time in Germany - one of the driest months of the year in the Frankfurt area, but still unpredictable and often wet in the Berchtesgaden/Garmisch region. I'd suggest you head somewhere warmer instead. Maybe make a stop in the touristy (at least it's off-season) but well-preserved Rothenburg, on the Romantic Road, then head for the typically warmish Rhine/Mosel region where you'll probably enjoy the small towns more (small towns usually involve more outdoor time.) In April, Burg Eltz ( www.burg-eltz.de ) and other castles are open for tours, the river boats are running, and hosts have bikes ready for their guests. From many Rhine towns, you can reach FRA within an hour or so, meaning you don't have to spend your last night at an airport hotel.

Naturpark Altmühltal, between Munich and Nuremberg.

http://www.altmuehltal.de/

Bavaria as it used to be. Greding or Kinding would be options. Country folks, good food, never seen that many butterflies in my life before. You'll always find someone that understands English and is able to translate, so don't worry. Just stay away from the touristy towns south of Munich. :-)

Thanks for that website, logos999.

Thank you, great suggestions all...I really don't feel like we'll regret bypassing Munich in favor of smaller areas. Thanks for the links!

Dumb question I know, but how do I get the website in English, logos999?

fsufan1, try this website:

http://www.international.naturpark-a...portal_en.html

Additional info:

http://tinyurl.com/yvhekg

Try a google search for Altmuehltal to see if there is more relevant info.

Closer to Frankfurt, I have a favorite small riverfront town to stay where there is a historical charming hotel with a large 2 room family suite (reasonably priced). The only drawback is the church bell nearby, otherwise it's the perfect small town before leaving from Frankfurt airport.

Here's a review of the charming hotel Weinhaus at the Old Market that I enjoyed a lot:

We like little German towns and tend to stay away from the larger cities when we travel in Germany, except when visiting the museums, etc. So it is that we have stayed in the Weinhaus am Alten Markt many times. Frequently when we travel to Germany we head right to Miltenberg and the Weinhaus Hotel to rest up from the trip for a couple of days.

The Weinhaus is 500 years old and is very well-maintained. It's a tourist attraction all by itself, except that it's in an out-of-the-way town, away from the the usual tourist routes. The owners are friendly and hospitable and have made our stays pleasurable. The rooms range from basic but comfortable to very nice and comfortable. This is not a luxury hotel, but it's a quiet place in a historic little town. The rooms have the standard small European bathrooms, which are adequate, and all have telephones and TVs. The breakfasts are included and are just wonderful. There is a full European continental breakfast with boiled eggs, meats, cheeses, jams, rolls, breads, yogurt, juices, coffee, etc. Breakfast is served in an upper room surrounded by original 500 years old beams, with the carpenter's marks still visible. There is no parking available on the property but the owner can sell you reduced rate parking coupons and you can park across the street along the river.

The owners vint their own wine, hence the name Weinhaus. You can try their product in their first floor restaurant. They offer typical German fare and also have nice cheese plates and other small menu items to go along with the wine if you don't want a full meal. There are a couple of breweries in town (just down the street from the hotel) and their products are likewise available.

The Weinhaus is, indeed, on the old market place, as its name describes. In front of it is the beautiful old town fountain and just down the cobblestone streets are shops and restaurants. The whole main street is a row of wonderful, ancient half-timbered buildings which are quite well maintained. There is a castle ruin on the hill overlooking the town which is a nice but short hike, and there is a small local history museum just across the street. The town church is less than 50 meters away from the hotel, so sometimes there can be quite a bit of sound coming from the church bells, especially on Sunday mornings.

Miltenberg is on the Main River and day cruises are offered from the dock about 100 meters from the hotel. You can take the ship to Wurzburg or Wertheim and back if you'd like. Groups of tourists come here for the cruises but rarely is the town itself crowded with camera carriers, as you'll find in Rothenburg. There is a beautiful walk along the Main River and, should you be interested, a mini-golf course, right along the banks!

>website in English

http://tinyurl.com/232y8j

Some kind of English ;-)