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Opinions of Germany...
I am curious what specific cities, towns, areas, museums, castles, and other sites people enjoyed the most during their travels of Germany. I would like specific examples of experiences to influence my destinations, for when I finally travel there myself! Thanks
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I loved the time we spent in Germany. Rothenberg was wonderful, and we really loved our stay in Schonau am Konigssee, in the Alps near Berchtesgaden and Salzburg. The boat ride on the Konigssee was breathtakingly beautiful, and the ride up Mt. Jenner was terrific. The whole area was just stunning. We also really enjoyed visiting Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles, both near Fussen. The castles are fascinating and the scenery was unbelieveable. Munich is also great....can't go to Germany without experiencing a beerhall!
Overall we had a great time on our trip to Germany and I would go back in a heartbeat. Tracy |
Bamberg is a medieval city that was somehow untouched during WWII bombings. The Altstadt (Old City) is a wonderful place to stroll around. There are plenty of great places to eat, and don't leave without trying rauchbier, their smoked bier that is a specialty of the area. There are not a lot of American tourists so you might find fewer people who speak English, so practice your German basics and enjoy the friendly locals!
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Hey cat - my mom and I were in Germany last month. Our favorite was the Mosel area. The towns are quaint, friendly. We stayed in Beilstein, a tiny village of about 180.
Not far from Beilstein there is a magnificent castle not to be missed - Burg Eltz. (You've probably seen it mentioned here on the board.) DON'T miss it! The hills on the way up to the castle are green, winding, very few homes. You're twisting your way up thinking this is "the middle of nowhere" when all of a sudden you come upon this 800 year old castle. Apparently, Mad King Ludwig's Neuschwanstein was based on the design of this (authentic) castle. The castle has been in the same family for 800 years and is furnished with furniture from 500 years ago. We also enjoyed all the scenery (via train) in Germany from Mosel through the Rhine, to Frankfurt, to Rothenburg, to Munich. Lots of green, rolling hills. Beautiful homes. Castles and castle ruins dotted the countryside. Vineyards and farmlands. Bavarian style houses. Just lovely. |
Bringing your message back up "to the top", since you are brand new here - - how do I know that? click on your own name... it's one of the valuable tips that Fodors fails to tell you when they send you that intial e-mail confirming your registration. Also not documented in their FAQs (see "HELP" in little tiny red letters in the upper lefthand corner).
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topping...
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When we lived in Germany, our favorite places were Munsterland (Muenster itself, plus the nearby small towns and their "water castles" like Nordkirchen and Luedinghausen--one of our best memories was ice skating with some locals on the moat of one of the castles by moonlight), Hattingen, a medieval town completely overlooked :-) by non-German guidebooks (Fodors, Frommers, Rick Steves, etc.), Bamberg, the countryside around Nuremberg (at harvest time, particularly), and the little resort town of Baden-Baden (for relaxation only).
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I have to second the vote for Burg Eltz! What a treasure. Rick Steves gives it its due--says it's his favorite in all of Europe--for me its only rival would be Chenonceau, but that was 25 years ago...I gather it's hard to get to Eltz without a car. Are we allowed to rec'd Rick Steves here?? He tells you how to get there with or without a car.
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Eltz w/o a car - not that hard, but you'd better be in shape for a nice hike (and pray for cooperative weather!). I think there may be a bus, but not sure. Otherwise take a (local) train to Moselkern, from where you can walk to the castle in about an hour (IIRC).
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Burtz Elte then will be added to our itinerary..thanks so much.
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Just a quick note on traveling to Burg Eltz. We went by taxi (Charley's Taxi) from Beilstein where we stayed. It cost 75 euros round trip including two hours of wait time. I think it would be quite a hike to walk there as Rick Steves says, even though I am quite a walker. It would be an absolutely gorgeous walk, though, that's for sure!
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There are several walking trails to Burg Eltz. We managed to find the longest, roughest one on a day when it hit almost 100 F. It definitely made the day extremely unpleasant, even though the the castle was wonderful.
So find the shortest trail. |
Another vote for Bamberg. An absolutely beautiful town!!
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