<i>Do the marzipan pastries have any special name?</i>

The name should have Marzipan in it. I think this time of the year, Marzipan items are hard to find in the bakeries.



If you like beer, I have a recommendation for Prague:
Pivovarský Dům
Lípová 511/15,
120 00 Prague 4-New Town
+420 296 216 666

It is a brewpub that boasts that their beer travels less than 10 meters from where it is made to where it is served. Their beer is delicious and if you are thirsty, you can get your beer served in a 4 liter giraffe.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ODEN49UEDu...0/IMG_3354.JPG

I recommend their pale beer.

The food is Bohemian, so expect wild game, rich sauces, and dumplings. You will love it.

It's a good mix of locals and tourists and their policy seems to be to seat all of the non-Czech speakers in their own section so an English-speaking server can take care of them. Prices are a bit on the high side but I have no problem paying because their beer is so damn good.

Thanks Sparkchaser. Your info for Nuernberg is fantastic. Any idea what are the grocery stores called in Prague. eg. LIDL, ALDI, ReWe equivalent.

I will start a new topic for Prague cheap and hearty eats.

Kind regards,
SKPKCP11

You're quite welcome.

IIRC, there are Lidl and Edeka in Prague.

I'm a frequent visitor to Bamberg, including an upcoming 10 day stay in Bamberg this July, as I am a lover of the beer of that region. If you only have a very limited amount of time in Bamberg then I would recommend first that you walk to the Altstadt from the train station and visit Schlenkerla. Yes it may be a bit crowded but I have never had a problem easily getting a beer and a place to sit or stand to enjoy it during the day. Sometimes in the evening a line will form at the serving hatch in the hallway (Schwemme). I always enjoy just ordering their Rauchbier Marzen right at the hatch in the Schwemme and either sitting at the table right there to chat with others or stand up at one of the standing tables there. If you want to eat then go into one of the rooms. I recommend the one on the left with the Kachelhofen but they are all nice. It is a spectacular tavern and worth visiting not just for the beer but the ambiance of the place.

On your way back from to the train station you will pass by Oberkonigstrasse right after you cross the bridge over the canal. If you go left on Oberkonigstrasse you will see two breweries across the street from each other. One this the Spezial brewery (mentioned by others on the thread) and is my favorite brewery in the city. I love their beers and not just the Rauchbier they have a lovely Ungespundet (ein "U" bitte) lager as well. They have a nice courtyard beer garden in back right next to the brewery itself. You will be able to smell the malt brewing from in there.

Across the street from Spezial is Faessla. This is definitely the most blue collar brewery in the city and IMO a beautiful pub. The beer itself is average for the city but if you'd like a decent pilsener or lager you can order one right at the hatch in the hallway.

If you had more time in Bamberg I would suggest making an effort to visit the two bier kellers (beer cellars) up on the hill on Stephensburg. One is the Spezial Keller (i.e. serves the same beer as that at the Spezial brewery) and beyond that further up the hill is the Wilde Rose Keller. Unfortunately, while there are plenty of beer gardens in the city, those are the only two (out of the three - other one is now the Faessla Keller) authentic bier kellers there and they are absolutely worth visiting if you have time. The view of the city from up at the Spezial Keller is stunning.

Other breweries in the city that I love are Greifenklau which is probably too far of a trek from train station for a short visit and the two breweries of Wunderburg (close to station) called Mahr's and Keesman. Mahr's is my second favorite brewery of the city and one of the nicest pubs I've ever seen. Nice beer garden too. Keesman, across the street, has a wonderful pilsener and you can get a quick one right at the hatch near entrance.

"Read somewhere about the underground cellars which serve beer? Are these places very expensive?"

Not expensive at all. There are a slew of them out in the countryside not far from Bamberg. As I mentioned the city itself has three but the best ones are out in the countryside and require more effort to get to. My personal favorites are the Griess Keller in Geisfeld and Roppelts in Stiebarlimbach. If you visit the Kellerwald in Forchheim you'll have access to a bunch of them all in a row.

Again really, Bamberg and the surrounding countryside warrants more attention than just a short day trip especially for a beer lover and I could ramble on about all the places your going to be passing in the train along the way. However, still worth visiting for a couple of hours if that's all you have.

" From Bamberg train station how do we head to the old town centre"

BTW if you are short on time and want to save time you can catch a taxi right at the train station and it will cost you about 9 euros to the Altstadt. Personally I love the walk though. It's very easy to follow. There are maps posted on sidewalks in many places. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you feel like you're getting lost. When you first start walking and see the architecture around the train station you might ask yourself "what is the fuss all about?" but as you gradually get closer to the Altstadt the places becomes more and more spectacular and finally you feel like you've been transported back centuries by the time you hit the bridge that the old town hall sits upon. It's a really nice city to walk around. You won't want to leave.

Some seasonal tips for you:

1. Right now is asparagus (Spargel in German) season so many restaurants will have Spargel menus. For some reason, the Germans like their asparagus white so be prepared for that should you order it.

2. Rhubarb (Rhabarber) and strawberries (Erdbeer) are also in season right now and that generally translates to various delicious pastries.

3. Long days. Right now in Franconia, the sun rises at 6:07 and sets at 20:23 and the days are getting longer by 3 min a day. What this means for you is sunrise before 6:00 and sunset after 8:30. If you're not used to it, it will be problematic in the morning when you wake up at 5:30 and it's already starting to get light outside.

4. Pollen. It seems like everything pollinated at once this year. This is bad news for people with allergies right now but with a bit of luck, all of the trees should be finished spewing pollen by the time you come out.

I think that's it.

Thanks Sparkchaser for all your fantastic inputs. We are one week away from starting our trip and are definitely very excited. All of us love the asparagus and garlic soups. Enjoyed them in Viktulienmarkt in Munich.

One quick input required - what would the weather be like in beginning May. Will it be warm or do you get rains in Nuremberg at this time?

Any other must sees in Nuremberg itself beside the Nazi Dokumentation Center? Saw the film Triumph of the Wills and I am yet to see the other one. Plan to do the visit on our own at our own pace as the tour price for the 4 of us is Euro 140 which is rather steep.

Thanks once again.

Kind regards,
SKPKCP11

Weather should be mild. We have not gotten much rain this Spring. A day or two before you leave, check weatherunderground or wetter.de and regard the forecast as a general prediction.

As far as other things to see, there is the underground tour of the Historischer Kunstbunker (the underground bunkers where art was kept to keep it safe from Allied bombing runs), and the Nuremberg Trials museum. There is also the DB Museum, the Germanisches nationalmuseum, as well a children's science museum. Plus a few churches, and the castle.

The Handwerkerhof should be open now but unless you want to buy some hand made goods, I would skip it.