Semmels, Schnitzels & More Wine Please - bettyk's 3 week trip to Germany and Austria (Sept 2007)
Oct 9th, 2007, 12:54 PM
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Semmels, Schnitzels & More Wine Please - bettyk's 3 week trip to Germany and Austria (Sept 2007)
These notes were taken from my daily journal. I have provided hotel prices and the cost of some of our meals and some of the places we visited. Everyday, we kept seeing on CNN that the Dollar was at an all time low against the Euro. Things ARE more expensive that at home but we knew it wasn�t going to be cheap and a few dollars here and there didn�t make much difference in the overall cost of our vacation. We rented our car through Gemut.com and got a great deal -- $592 for the entire 3 weeks � prepaid at the time we booked including a one-class upgrade. Diesel averaged 1.21E per liter in Germany and around 1.10E in Austria. We also picked the car up in Kelsterbach, which saved us around $100 or more in taxes. I felt like we got a good airfare too ($706 per person) which, with the good car rate, helped make up for the lousy exchange rate. We were blessed with great weather, especially considering the length of our trip.
12 Sept (Wed) �Airport check in at Houston Hobby Airport was a breeze. At DFW, after a change of terminals, we got some barbeque and waited to board our flight to Frankfurt. We were disappointed to find that this flight was fully booked in Biz Class (and oversold in Coach) so there was no chance of us getting the upgrade we had requested months earlier. Once on board, we remained at the gate for about an hour waiting for �paperwork� before we were allowed to leave around 4 PM. The flight seemed much longer in Coach as neither of us slept very much.
13 Sept (Thurs) - We arrived in Frankfurt about 40 minutes behind schedule and then encountered a 30-40 minute delay at Passport Control. Once we retrieved our luggage, we found a taxi to take us to the Avis location in Kelsterbach. Unfortunately, the taxi driver�s GPS had trouble locating the correct address. David managed to dig out our Garmin Nuvi from his suitcase and we finally got there. What should have been a 12E taxi ride turned into a 20E one. With our upgrade through AutoEurope, we were given an Audi A3 hatchback diesel, which David was very happy about. Once we got our GPS mounted in the A3, we were off to Bernkastel-Kues for our first 3 nights.
Even with our GPS, we had some difficulty locating the Hotel Binz because it was off the market square in a pedestrian zone. But we parked the car and walked to where we thought it was and, with the help of a kind shop owner, we found it. We were welcomed and shown where to unload and park our car. Fortunately, our room was ready. No. 8, a large room with a separate seating area, is on the 3rd floor (no elevator but they took our bags up to the room while we parked our car) and overlooks the street below (85E per night plus 2.50E parking). It was rather noisy with the windows open, but we always travel with our earplugs just in case. David was anxious to start taking some photos, so he went out while I unpacked. Once he returned, we were both pretty hungry so we set out for the Altes Bauhaus which we had seen while walking to our hotel. I wasn�t particularly impressed with the food but it was 30E plus tip.
We decided to walk around a little before taking a much needed nap. Bernkastel is a lovely town on the Moselle filled with beautiful half-timbered buildings from the 15th and 16th centuries. The Rathaus is the centerpiece of the town square along with the 17th century St. Michael�s Fountain. Other must see buildings are the Spitzhäuschen (the Pointed House) from the mid 15th century, St. Michael�s Parish Church from the 13th century and the ruins of Burg Landshut, which towers above the town. Later, after a short nap, we had a nice walk across the bridge to Kues and made our way down along the river. It was quieter on this side � far fewer tourists but not much here except some restaurants and cafes.
Sept 14 (Fri) � Despite a couple of loud hotel guests returning around 2 AM, we slept pretty well. Woke up around 7 AM as David wanted to get some early morning photos but a thick layer of fog had settled in so thought we�d just sleep a little longer. Finally got up at 8 AM and had a good German breakfast at the hotel. Decided that we would drive to Trier, Germany�s oldest town. With the help of our GPS, we arrived in Trier and found a parking place not far from the crown jewel of Trier, the Porta Nigra. The Porta Nigra is an imposing 2nd century Roman gate that is the largest surviving city gate built by the Romans in the world. While it was a little chilly early on, the day turned out to be absolutely perfect weatherwise. We continued to explore Trier walking down pedestrian-only Simeonstrasse to the Hauptmarkt with its Market Cross from the year 958 and St. Peter�s fountain built in 1595. This is also the site of the Trier Christmas market. We walked to the 4th century Basilika, which is now a Protestant Church. Along side the Basilika is the pink Kurfürstliches Palais, a former residence of the archbishop-electors of Trier which today houses local government offices. Finally, we made our way to the impressive 11th century Trier Cathedral (Dom) before leaving for Echternach, Luxembourg.
Less than 30 minutes from Trier on Luxembourg�s border with Germany lies the picturesque village of Echternach. One of Echternach�s most prominent buildings is the Benedictine Abbey, founded in the 7th century by St. Willebrord. The abbey�s Basilica was nearly destroyed in 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge but was reconstructed over a 7-year period after the war. There are many charming buildings in Echternach�s main square, the Place de Marché, including the 15th century town hall and the Hotel d�Ville. One note, all of Echternach�s restaurants and cafes stop serving lunch at 2 or 2:30 PM so after striking out in the food department, we settled for a cold drink and an ice cream cone before heading back to Bernkastel around 4 PM. Being completely starved by the time we returned to our hotel, we set out for an Italian restaurant we had seen yesterday next door to the �Pointed House�. We had a wonderful meal of Spaghetti Carbonara (shared), garlic bread and a delicious Bernkastel Riesling from Weingut Lauerburg. The total for all came to 19E plus tip. More ice cream followed with a leisurely walk across the river to feed the ducks and swans before returning to our room for the evening. A wonderful day all around.
Sept 15 (Sat) � After breakfast we drove a few miles to the Burg Landshut, the ruin located above Bernkastel Kues. It was kind of a steep walk down to the castle ruin from the parking lot so we only went about halfway. We then came back to Bernkastel to throngs of people. Being Saturday, I guess there were more day trippers than usual as the parking lot was full of tour buses and cars. Later we drove along the river to Traben-Trarbach, the twin communities on the Moselle. Of interest was a 14th century Stadtturm, the Brueckentor and Grevenberg castle ruin.
12 Sept (Wed) �Airport check in at Houston Hobby Airport was a breeze. At DFW, after a change of terminals, we got some barbeque and waited to board our flight to Frankfurt. We were disappointed to find that this flight was fully booked in Biz Class (and oversold in Coach) so there was no chance of us getting the upgrade we had requested months earlier. Once on board, we remained at the gate for about an hour waiting for �paperwork� before we were allowed to leave around 4 PM. The flight seemed much longer in Coach as neither of us slept very much.
13 Sept (Thurs) - We arrived in Frankfurt about 40 minutes behind schedule and then encountered a 30-40 minute delay at Passport Control. Once we retrieved our luggage, we found a taxi to take us to the Avis location in Kelsterbach. Unfortunately, the taxi driver�s GPS had trouble locating the correct address. David managed to dig out our Garmin Nuvi from his suitcase and we finally got there. What should have been a 12E taxi ride turned into a 20E one. With our upgrade through AutoEurope, we were given an Audi A3 hatchback diesel, which David was very happy about. Once we got our GPS mounted in the A3, we were off to Bernkastel-Kues for our first 3 nights.
Even with our GPS, we had some difficulty locating the Hotel Binz because it was off the market square in a pedestrian zone. But we parked the car and walked to where we thought it was and, with the help of a kind shop owner, we found it. We were welcomed and shown where to unload and park our car. Fortunately, our room was ready. No. 8, a large room with a separate seating area, is on the 3rd floor (no elevator but they took our bags up to the room while we parked our car) and overlooks the street below (85E per night plus 2.50E parking). It was rather noisy with the windows open, but we always travel with our earplugs just in case. David was anxious to start taking some photos, so he went out while I unpacked. Once he returned, we were both pretty hungry so we set out for the Altes Bauhaus which we had seen while walking to our hotel. I wasn�t particularly impressed with the food but it was 30E plus tip.
We decided to walk around a little before taking a much needed nap. Bernkastel is a lovely town on the Moselle filled with beautiful half-timbered buildings from the 15th and 16th centuries. The Rathaus is the centerpiece of the town square along with the 17th century St. Michael�s Fountain. Other must see buildings are the Spitzhäuschen (the Pointed House) from the mid 15th century, St. Michael�s Parish Church from the 13th century and the ruins of Burg Landshut, which towers above the town. Later, after a short nap, we had a nice walk across the bridge to Kues and made our way down along the river. It was quieter on this side � far fewer tourists but not much here except some restaurants and cafes.
Sept 14 (Fri) � Despite a couple of loud hotel guests returning around 2 AM, we slept pretty well. Woke up around 7 AM as David wanted to get some early morning photos but a thick layer of fog had settled in so thought we�d just sleep a little longer. Finally got up at 8 AM and had a good German breakfast at the hotel. Decided that we would drive to Trier, Germany�s oldest town. With the help of our GPS, we arrived in Trier and found a parking place not far from the crown jewel of Trier, the Porta Nigra. The Porta Nigra is an imposing 2nd century Roman gate that is the largest surviving city gate built by the Romans in the world. While it was a little chilly early on, the day turned out to be absolutely perfect weatherwise. We continued to explore Trier walking down pedestrian-only Simeonstrasse to the Hauptmarkt with its Market Cross from the year 958 and St. Peter�s fountain built in 1595. This is also the site of the Trier Christmas market. We walked to the 4th century Basilika, which is now a Protestant Church. Along side the Basilika is the pink Kurfürstliches Palais, a former residence of the archbishop-electors of Trier which today houses local government offices. Finally, we made our way to the impressive 11th century Trier Cathedral (Dom) before leaving for Echternach, Luxembourg.
Less than 30 minutes from Trier on Luxembourg�s border with Germany lies the picturesque village of Echternach. One of Echternach�s most prominent buildings is the Benedictine Abbey, founded in the 7th century by St. Willebrord. The abbey�s Basilica was nearly destroyed in 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge but was reconstructed over a 7-year period after the war. There are many charming buildings in Echternach�s main square, the Place de Marché, including the 15th century town hall and the Hotel d�Ville. One note, all of Echternach�s restaurants and cafes stop serving lunch at 2 or 2:30 PM so after striking out in the food department, we settled for a cold drink and an ice cream cone before heading back to Bernkastel around 4 PM. Being completely starved by the time we returned to our hotel, we set out for an Italian restaurant we had seen yesterday next door to the �Pointed House�. We had a wonderful meal of Spaghetti Carbonara (shared), garlic bread and a delicious Bernkastel Riesling from Weingut Lauerburg. The total for all came to 19E plus tip. More ice cream followed with a leisurely walk across the river to feed the ducks and swans before returning to our room for the evening. A wonderful day all around.
Sept 15 (Sat) � After breakfast we drove a few miles to the Burg Landshut, the ruin located above Bernkastel Kues. It was kind of a steep walk down to the castle ruin from the parking lot so we only went about halfway. We then came back to Bernkastel to throngs of people. Being Saturday, I guess there were more day trippers than usual as the parking lot was full of tour buses and cars. Later we drove along the river to Traben-Trarbach, the twin communities on the Moselle. Of interest was a 14th century Stadtturm, the Brueckentor and Grevenberg castle ruin.
Oct 9th, 2007, 12:58 PM
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Sept 16 (Sun) – Today we are leaving Bernkastel-Kues for Tübingen with an intermediate stop in Herrenberg. Unfortunately, we’ve come across a number of Umleitungs (detours) due to roadwork and they have been a challenge for our GPS. Today was no exception. After a few wrong turns here and there, we arrived in Herrenberg around 12:30 PM. At the center of the beautiful market square is one of Herrenberg’s numerous fountains, Market Fountain dating from 1347. The market square is a wonderful example of medieval architecture. Most of the half-timbered buildings were built after the great fire of 1635. The town hall with its bell and clock towers dates from 1806. Towering above the town is the Foundation Church, which was built in two phases between 1276 and 1493. Setting off many of these buildings are the beautiful flower boxes so typical in Germany.
After another Umleitung, we manage to make our way to Tübingen and the Hotel Hospiz (110E). I am a little disappointed in this hotel. The location is wonderful, just a few steps from the Pedestrian Zone and the Rathaus. It also has an elevator and a parking garage, which were important considerations for us on this trip. But the room is pretty small and the bathroom even smaller. For 110E, I expected more. Anyway, after getting settled in we walked up the cobbled Burgsteige to Schloss Hohentübingen. Parts of the castle date from 1078 but most of it was built in the 16th century. Some nice views overlooking the red tile roofs but the Castle itself wasn’t much – at least from the outside. We decided to have dinner at the Am Schloss Hotel Restaurant Mauganeschtle just a few steps from the castle. Total bill with tip and drinks was 38E. After leaving the restaurant, we walked around for a bit, ending up in front of the Rathaus, probably one of the most photographed buildings in Tübingen. The Rathaus dates from 1435 with an amazing painted façade and a still functioning astronomical clock erected in 1511. There was a large crowd of people in the town square for the “Umbrisch-Provenzalischer Markt” being held this weekend. Stalls had been set up with vendors selling wine, food, flowers, spices, fruits and vegetables and many other goodies. It looked like fun but obliterated the view of many of the lovely half-timbered buildings surrounding the square. Fortunately, all of this should be gone tomorrow and we will have a full day to explore Tübingen.
Sept 17 (Mon) – At least this place has a nice breakfast buffet. The breads were warm and they had scrambled eggs. Lots to choose from. Walked to the TI office across the Eberhardsbrücke, the bridge that crosses the Neckar River. The views across and down the River from the bridge were amazing. It was then that we saw the Platanenallee (Avenue of Plane Trees), a grove of 200-year old trees that line the River. The Plane trees look like our Sycamore trees. It was quite lovely. We watched a number of “punting” boats that are for hire go up the river. For dinner, we went around the corner from the hotel to Weinstube Forelle. We shared a large portion Zweibelrostbraten with potatoes and salat and then had apple strudel with vanilla ice cream for desert. It was our best meal yet. With drinks and tip, it came to 35E. We struck up a conversation with an older German couple at the table next to us. They had lived in Hall in Tirol and now live close to Esslingen by Stuttgart. He spoke some English which he said he had used in his work. They were very friendly and it was great fun talking to them.
Sept 18 (Tues) – Rain was waiting for us when we left the Hotel Hospiz in Tübingen for the relatively short drive to Burg Hohenzollern, a breathtakingly beautiful castle perched atop a high hill overlooking the lush Swabian countryside near Hechingen. While little of the original castle from the 11th century remains, the current castle contains St. Michael’s Chapel, which was consecrated in 1461. Over the centuries, the castle had been destroyed by war or allowed to fall into ruin but its last reconstruction was finally completed in 1867. As each successive reconstruction was built atop the old castle, it wasn’t surprising that in 2001 builders stumbled upon several medieval secret passageways and rooms filled to the ceiling with rubble and debris that until then had been completely forgotten. Visitors now have access to these storerooms where china, glassware and silver are displayed. To get to the castle, you drive to the parking lot (2E) and walk for about 20 minutes up the rather steep footpath to the castle entrance or take the shuttle bus (2.80E per person round trip). We opted for the shuttle bus. There is also a souvenir shop, WC and imbiss at the parking lot.
It was around 3 pm when we arrived in Meersburg, our destination for the next 2 nights. We had reserved a room at the charming Gasthof zum Bären (98E), the much photographed 1605 hotel located next to the Obertor at the start of the Pedestrian Zone. We were warmly greeted by Michael Gilowsky, the current owner whose family has owned and operated the hotel since 1805. We were shown to Room #10, a lovely room on the 1st floor (2nd floor to those in the US) overlooking the street below. When we first arrived, the sky was blue and the sun was shining, but it wasn’t long before we were trying to find shelter from the hard rainfall that descended upon us. So, after a few photos we were forced to return to the room for a short rest and, hopefully, more sunshine. We ventured out again around 6:30 and walked down some steep cobblestoned streets where we were rewarded with colorful half-timbered buildings covered in flowers. This place is delightful. We were hungry so we returned to our hotel for a great meal of Flädelsuppe, Wienerschnitzel, roasted potatoes and salad for me and Nurnberger sausages, potatoes and salad for David. With drinks and tip, our total was 27E.
19 Sept (Wed) – After breakfast we decided to walk down to the Lake as it was a beautiful sunny morning. We saw a boat loading passengers for Mainau Island and decided to go. It’s a 20-minute boat ride to this garden island. On the grounds of an 18th century castle, there are tropical plants such as lemon and banana trees. It’s a fluke in the weather around the lake that allows these tropical plans to flourish. There is an arboretum and palm house, a rose garden, a Mediterranean Terrace and a butterfly house. One of the most beautiful exhibits was the dahlia garden with over 12,000 plants in 250 varieties. It was glorious!
When we got back to Meersburg, we decided to take the bus back to the Hotel instead of walking up the steep Stiegestrasse. David went back to the room while I checked out our email at the Tourist Information office. Later that evening we had dinner at the zum Bären, sharing a meal of Kürbiscremesuppe (pumpkin cream soup), Schweingescheltes in a mushroom cream sauce and spatezle. With wine, the meal came to 29E.
After another Umleitung, we manage to make our way to Tübingen and the Hotel Hospiz (110E). I am a little disappointed in this hotel. The location is wonderful, just a few steps from the Pedestrian Zone and the Rathaus. It also has an elevator and a parking garage, which were important considerations for us on this trip. But the room is pretty small and the bathroom even smaller. For 110E, I expected more. Anyway, after getting settled in we walked up the cobbled Burgsteige to Schloss Hohentübingen. Parts of the castle date from 1078 but most of it was built in the 16th century. Some nice views overlooking the red tile roofs but the Castle itself wasn’t much – at least from the outside. We decided to have dinner at the Am Schloss Hotel Restaurant Mauganeschtle just a few steps from the castle. Total bill with tip and drinks was 38E. After leaving the restaurant, we walked around for a bit, ending up in front of the Rathaus, probably one of the most photographed buildings in Tübingen. The Rathaus dates from 1435 with an amazing painted façade and a still functioning astronomical clock erected in 1511. There was a large crowd of people in the town square for the “Umbrisch-Provenzalischer Markt” being held this weekend. Stalls had been set up with vendors selling wine, food, flowers, spices, fruits and vegetables and many other goodies. It looked like fun but obliterated the view of many of the lovely half-timbered buildings surrounding the square. Fortunately, all of this should be gone tomorrow and we will have a full day to explore Tübingen.
Sept 17 (Mon) – At least this place has a nice breakfast buffet. The breads were warm and they had scrambled eggs. Lots to choose from. Walked to the TI office across the Eberhardsbrücke, the bridge that crosses the Neckar River. The views across and down the River from the bridge were amazing. It was then that we saw the Platanenallee (Avenue of Plane Trees), a grove of 200-year old trees that line the River. The Plane trees look like our Sycamore trees. It was quite lovely. We watched a number of “punting” boats that are for hire go up the river. For dinner, we went around the corner from the hotel to Weinstube Forelle. We shared a large portion Zweibelrostbraten with potatoes and salat and then had apple strudel with vanilla ice cream for desert. It was our best meal yet. With drinks and tip, it came to 35E. We struck up a conversation with an older German couple at the table next to us. They had lived in Hall in Tirol and now live close to Esslingen by Stuttgart. He spoke some English which he said he had used in his work. They were very friendly and it was great fun talking to them.
Sept 18 (Tues) – Rain was waiting for us when we left the Hotel Hospiz in Tübingen for the relatively short drive to Burg Hohenzollern, a breathtakingly beautiful castle perched atop a high hill overlooking the lush Swabian countryside near Hechingen. While little of the original castle from the 11th century remains, the current castle contains St. Michael’s Chapel, which was consecrated in 1461. Over the centuries, the castle had been destroyed by war or allowed to fall into ruin but its last reconstruction was finally completed in 1867. As each successive reconstruction was built atop the old castle, it wasn’t surprising that in 2001 builders stumbled upon several medieval secret passageways and rooms filled to the ceiling with rubble and debris that until then had been completely forgotten. Visitors now have access to these storerooms where china, glassware and silver are displayed. To get to the castle, you drive to the parking lot (2E) and walk for about 20 minutes up the rather steep footpath to the castle entrance or take the shuttle bus (2.80E per person round trip). We opted for the shuttle bus. There is also a souvenir shop, WC and imbiss at the parking lot.
It was around 3 pm when we arrived in Meersburg, our destination for the next 2 nights. We had reserved a room at the charming Gasthof zum Bären (98E), the much photographed 1605 hotel located next to the Obertor at the start of the Pedestrian Zone. We were warmly greeted by Michael Gilowsky, the current owner whose family has owned and operated the hotel since 1805. We were shown to Room #10, a lovely room on the 1st floor (2nd floor to those in the US) overlooking the street below. When we first arrived, the sky was blue and the sun was shining, but it wasn’t long before we were trying to find shelter from the hard rainfall that descended upon us. So, after a few photos we were forced to return to the room for a short rest and, hopefully, more sunshine. We ventured out again around 6:30 and walked down some steep cobblestoned streets where we were rewarded with colorful half-timbered buildings covered in flowers. This place is delightful. We were hungry so we returned to our hotel for a great meal of Flädelsuppe, Wienerschnitzel, roasted potatoes and salad for me and Nurnberger sausages, potatoes and salad for David. With drinks and tip, our total was 27E.
19 Sept (Wed) – After breakfast we decided to walk down to the Lake as it was a beautiful sunny morning. We saw a boat loading passengers for Mainau Island and decided to go. It’s a 20-minute boat ride to this garden island. On the grounds of an 18th century castle, there are tropical plants such as lemon and banana trees. It’s a fluke in the weather around the lake that allows these tropical plans to flourish. There is an arboretum and palm house, a rose garden, a Mediterranean Terrace and a butterfly house. One of the most beautiful exhibits was the dahlia garden with over 12,000 plants in 250 varieties. It was glorious!
When we got back to Meersburg, we decided to take the bus back to the Hotel instead of walking up the steep Stiegestrasse. David went back to the room while I checked out our email at the Tourist Information office. Later that evening we had dinner at the zum Bären, sharing a meal of Kürbiscremesuppe (pumpkin cream soup), Schweingescheltes in a mushroom cream sauce and spatezle. With wine, the meal came to 29E.
Oct 9th, 2007, 01:03 PM
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20 Sept (Thurs) – Today we left Meersburg for Maurach on Achensee in Austria. We made our way along the Bodensee through Friederichshafen towards Lindau. Once we left Germany, we traveled across Austria on the Autobahn towards Innsbruck. The mountains in the distance grew larger and the hillsides were covered in what looked like green velvet. Everywhere you look you see cute Tyrolean houses with beautiful flowers cascading out of flower boxes. And the colors of autumn are all around – golds, oranges and reds. We are staying 4 nights at the Vier Jahreszeiten (Four Seasons) hotel. It’s a “wellness” hotel with pool, sauna, spa and solarium. Our room is large with a seating area and balcony overlooking the mountains. We are just a few minutes from the Lake. We had dinner at our hotel consisting of Fritattensuppe (pancake soup) and Gröstl, a Tyrolean dish of roasted potatoes, bacon, and onion with a fried egg on top. It was good and very filling. Total with wine and water was 39E.
21 Sept (Fri) – The breakfast buffet here was the most lavish we’ve seen so far. Everything you could want and excellent coffee too. We drove around the lake to Pertisau, which is a little larger than Maurach with more shops and people. However, we couldn’t find a parking place so we headed back to our hotel. This afternoon we just relaxed, did a little laundry and watch BBC Prime in English! Had another good dinner at the hotel.
22 Sept (Sat) – Today is another gorgeous day. I can’t believe how warm and wonderful the weather has been. After breakfast, we drove back to Pertisau. After wandering abit, we rented an electric boat for a one hour ride on the lake (17E). Then we had a nice rest on a lakeside bench and returned to the hotel. Just as we were walking across the hotel parking lot, we saw a small herd of cows coming down the street with flowers around their necks and their cowbells ringing. We found out that this was part of the Almfest celebration.
23 Sept (Sun) – Another beautiful day and we’re ready to take the cable car here in Maurach up to the top of Rofan mountain. The views from the top are spectacular. You can see all of Achensee below and the snowcapped mountains in the distance. This is a departure point for many of the paragliders and hangliders and there always seemed to be at least 6 or more in the air at once. We walked around a bit and then stopped in at the Almstuberl for something to drink and an apfelstrudel with vanilla sauce. Yummy!
24 Sept (Mon) – Hard to believe that four days have already passed but this morning we leave for Bad Gastein. It starts out a little foggy but by the time we leave the sun is shining and it looks like another beautiful day. The drive from Maurach toward Jenbach was especially lovely. We made our way through Kitzbuehl and then toward Zell am See. The Austrian countryside is truly splendid this time of year. We found our hotel easily with our GPS. We are staying 2 nights at the Hotel Bayernhaus, an apartment hotel about a 10-minute walk from the Casino and shops but on a quiet hillside away from the noise of town. Our room is not particularly spacious but we have a balcony, a small kitchen with a microwave and fridge and a large bathroom with tub. While not luxurious, it’s not bad for 56E per night. After we bring in our luggage and park the car, we head off to look around. Since it’s about 1:30, most of the shops are closed and won’t reopen until 3 PM. We pass by the Bad Gastein Waterfall and take a few photos. By the time we are ready to head back to the hotel, it is after 3 PM and some of the shops have reopened. Much of the architecture in Bad Gastein dates from mid to late 19th century, in the Belle Epoch style. Unfortunately, I don’t think the town has done a good job of encouraging businesses to keep these old buildings in the best of repair.
25 Sept (Tues) – We walked down to the Tourist Information office at Mozartplatz and on the way back toward our hotel, we stopped at the Lutter & Wegner restaurant which overlooks the waterfall. Had a good bowl of potato soup with bread (18E with tip) and a couple of drinks. Did a little window shopping and returned to the hotel around 1:30 for a rest. Later we decided to try the Café Schuh for dinner since it is near the hotel and the sky is looking like rain. We checked out their menu and see Nuss Palatschinken listed as one of their deserts! I had goulaschsuppe with bread and a large cup of tea. David had leberknudlsuppe and spaghetti Bolognese with mineral water. And, of course, we had Palatschinken for desert. Everything was very good, especially my gulaschsuppe and the Palatschinken. The entire bill was less than 25E, a very good deal! As we left the restaurant, it was raining ever so softly and it was definitely cooler. We were glad we didn’t have far to walk. Unfortunately, the forecast is for rain the next several days.
26 Sept (Wed) – This morning we awoke to grey skies that lasted all the way to Berchtesgaden. We arrived at the Hotel Wittelsbach a little before Noon. Frau Petra Wimmer, the friendly owner, greeted us and told us where to park our car. Our room #357 (84E) is near the lift and the breakfast room. It is a large suite tastefully decorated with a minibar, a small balcony overlooking Maximillianstrasse and plenty of closet space – our home for the next 3 days. Unfortunately, the weather turns even nastier. We decide to walk around a bit and find our way to the Schloss but do not go in. We decide to head back to the Café Watzmann near our hotel for some lunch. Goulaschsuppe, champions gebacken, and wurst with sauerkraut prove very filling along with hot tea for me and mineral water for David (23E with tip). Service is slow but we’re not in a hurry to get back out into the weather. It is nearly 3 PM by the time we arrive back at our room. We watch a DVD and a little TV (CNN in English only). Frau Wimmer says we can use the computer in the lobby to check our email. We are hoping the weather will be better tomorrow.
27 Sept (Thurs) – Well the day started off a little iffy weather-wise. After breakfast, we thought we’d go to the Documentation Museum in Obersalzburg since it was something we could do indoors in case it rained. When we arrived at the parking area in Obersalzburg, we saw that it was also where you catch the bus for Kelsteinhaus or the Eagle’s Nest. We decided to go there instead after we talked to a guy who had just been up there and said the weather was clear on the top of Kelstein. It cost us 2.50E to park and 29E for the bus ride and admission. Once we arrived at Kelsteinhaus, we saw that there was a tour in English scheduled for 11:40 AM. Since it was the last tour of the day in English, we decided to wait around for it. The tour guide charged 5E per person and the tour lasted 30 minutes or maybe a little longer. It was a very informative tour. We learned that the Eagle’s Nest was presented to Hitler by Martin Borman and the Nazi party for his 50th birthday. The entire project was completed in 13 months with over 3,000 workers working day and night. When you first arrive, you enter a 120 meter tunnel to get to the very ornate brass elevator that takes you 124 meters up through the mountain to the Teahouse as it is called. We saw the dining room and the great room with a marble fireplace presented to Hitler by Mussolini for his 50th birthday. Alll of the furnishings were removed by American GI’s as souvenirs after the occupation, but a large buffet table still remains in the dining room. The views from the Eagle’s Nest are amazing. While there were still some clouds that kept us from seeing the towns below, the mountain vistas from up there were stunning. Since the sun was still shining after our tour, we went for a walk around our hotel. Hopefully, the good weather will continue as we only have one more day in Berchtesgaden.
28 Sept (Fri) – So it seems the weather isn’t going to cooperate this morning. We had hoped to take the chairlift at Königsee up to the top of Jenner mountain but when we got there (3E to park) it was raining and the mountains were socked in with clouds. It was only 10 AM, so we decided to walk around the lake a bit in hopes that the weather cleared. There are lots of shops and stalls with all the usual tourist stuff plus jewelry, shoes, clothing, CD’s and almost anything else you can imagine. Since the weather didn’t look like it was going to clear anytime soon, we decided to take the electric boat across Königsee to St. Bartholomew, the chapel located next to a former royal hunting lodge of the Bavarian Kings (now a restaurant). Königsee is 8 km long, up to 1-1/4 km wide, 602 meters above sea level and almost 200 meters at its deepest point. The trees lining the cliffs surrounding the lake were ablaze in gold and orange and there were sprinkles of snow atop the surrounding mountains. Almost midway to St. Bartholomew, the boat stops in front of the Echowand, a cliff where you can hear the famous echo of Königsee. The boat captain played a tune on the horn and you could actually hear it repeated by the echo. Very cool. Once we reached St. Bartholomew, it had started to rain a bit so we went into the restaurant next to the chapel and had some hot tea. We took the next boat back and decided to forget about the Jennerbahn since the weather still wasn’t very clear. We then drove over to the pilgrimage church of Maria Gern, often called the most beautiful church in the Berchtesgadener Land. Later in the evening, we had dinner at the Goldener Bär restaurant (27E), which was quite good. Tomorrow we head off to St. Gilgen where we will meet our friend Lise and her family.
21 Sept (Fri) – The breakfast buffet here was the most lavish we’ve seen so far. Everything you could want and excellent coffee too. We drove around the lake to Pertisau, which is a little larger than Maurach with more shops and people. However, we couldn’t find a parking place so we headed back to our hotel. This afternoon we just relaxed, did a little laundry and watch BBC Prime in English! Had another good dinner at the hotel.
22 Sept (Sat) – Today is another gorgeous day. I can’t believe how warm and wonderful the weather has been. After breakfast, we drove back to Pertisau. After wandering abit, we rented an electric boat for a one hour ride on the lake (17E). Then we had a nice rest on a lakeside bench and returned to the hotel. Just as we were walking across the hotel parking lot, we saw a small herd of cows coming down the street with flowers around their necks and their cowbells ringing. We found out that this was part of the Almfest celebration.
23 Sept (Sun) – Another beautiful day and we’re ready to take the cable car here in Maurach up to the top of Rofan mountain. The views from the top are spectacular. You can see all of Achensee below and the snowcapped mountains in the distance. This is a departure point for many of the paragliders and hangliders and there always seemed to be at least 6 or more in the air at once. We walked around a bit and then stopped in at the Almstuberl for something to drink and an apfelstrudel with vanilla sauce. Yummy!
24 Sept (Mon) – Hard to believe that four days have already passed but this morning we leave for Bad Gastein. It starts out a little foggy but by the time we leave the sun is shining and it looks like another beautiful day. The drive from Maurach toward Jenbach was especially lovely. We made our way through Kitzbuehl and then toward Zell am See. The Austrian countryside is truly splendid this time of year. We found our hotel easily with our GPS. We are staying 2 nights at the Hotel Bayernhaus, an apartment hotel about a 10-minute walk from the Casino and shops but on a quiet hillside away from the noise of town. Our room is not particularly spacious but we have a balcony, a small kitchen with a microwave and fridge and a large bathroom with tub. While not luxurious, it’s not bad for 56E per night. After we bring in our luggage and park the car, we head off to look around. Since it’s about 1:30, most of the shops are closed and won’t reopen until 3 PM. We pass by the Bad Gastein Waterfall and take a few photos. By the time we are ready to head back to the hotel, it is after 3 PM and some of the shops have reopened. Much of the architecture in Bad Gastein dates from mid to late 19th century, in the Belle Epoch style. Unfortunately, I don’t think the town has done a good job of encouraging businesses to keep these old buildings in the best of repair.
25 Sept (Tues) – We walked down to the Tourist Information office at Mozartplatz and on the way back toward our hotel, we stopped at the Lutter & Wegner restaurant which overlooks the waterfall. Had a good bowl of potato soup with bread (18E with tip) and a couple of drinks. Did a little window shopping and returned to the hotel around 1:30 for a rest. Later we decided to try the Café Schuh for dinner since it is near the hotel and the sky is looking like rain. We checked out their menu and see Nuss Palatschinken listed as one of their deserts! I had goulaschsuppe with bread and a large cup of tea. David had leberknudlsuppe and spaghetti Bolognese with mineral water. And, of course, we had Palatschinken for desert. Everything was very good, especially my gulaschsuppe and the Palatschinken. The entire bill was less than 25E, a very good deal! As we left the restaurant, it was raining ever so softly and it was definitely cooler. We were glad we didn’t have far to walk. Unfortunately, the forecast is for rain the next several days.
26 Sept (Wed) – This morning we awoke to grey skies that lasted all the way to Berchtesgaden. We arrived at the Hotel Wittelsbach a little before Noon. Frau Petra Wimmer, the friendly owner, greeted us and told us where to park our car. Our room #357 (84E) is near the lift and the breakfast room. It is a large suite tastefully decorated with a minibar, a small balcony overlooking Maximillianstrasse and plenty of closet space – our home for the next 3 days. Unfortunately, the weather turns even nastier. We decide to walk around a bit and find our way to the Schloss but do not go in. We decide to head back to the Café Watzmann near our hotel for some lunch. Goulaschsuppe, champions gebacken, and wurst with sauerkraut prove very filling along with hot tea for me and mineral water for David (23E with tip). Service is slow but we’re not in a hurry to get back out into the weather. It is nearly 3 PM by the time we arrive back at our room. We watch a DVD and a little TV (CNN in English only). Frau Wimmer says we can use the computer in the lobby to check our email. We are hoping the weather will be better tomorrow.
27 Sept (Thurs) – Well the day started off a little iffy weather-wise. After breakfast, we thought we’d go to the Documentation Museum in Obersalzburg since it was something we could do indoors in case it rained. When we arrived at the parking area in Obersalzburg, we saw that it was also where you catch the bus for Kelsteinhaus or the Eagle’s Nest. We decided to go there instead after we talked to a guy who had just been up there and said the weather was clear on the top of Kelstein. It cost us 2.50E to park and 29E for the bus ride and admission. Once we arrived at Kelsteinhaus, we saw that there was a tour in English scheduled for 11:40 AM. Since it was the last tour of the day in English, we decided to wait around for it. The tour guide charged 5E per person and the tour lasted 30 minutes or maybe a little longer. It was a very informative tour. We learned that the Eagle’s Nest was presented to Hitler by Martin Borman and the Nazi party for his 50th birthday. The entire project was completed in 13 months with over 3,000 workers working day and night. When you first arrive, you enter a 120 meter tunnel to get to the very ornate brass elevator that takes you 124 meters up through the mountain to the Teahouse as it is called. We saw the dining room and the great room with a marble fireplace presented to Hitler by Mussolini for his 50th birthday. Alll of the furnishings were removed by American GI’s as souvenirs after the occupation, but a large buffet table still remains in the dining room. The views from the Eagle’s Nest are amazing. While there were still some clouds that kept us from seeing the towns below, the mountain vistas from up there were stunning. Since the sun was still shining after our tour, we went for a walk around our hotel. Hopefully, the good weather will continue as we only have one more day in Berchtesgaden.
28 Sept (Fri) – So it seems the weather isn’t going to cooperate this morning. We had hoped to take the chairlift at Königsee up to the top of Jenner mountain but when we got there (3E to park) it was raining and the mountains were socked in with clouds. It was only 10 AM, so we decided to walk around the lake a bit in hopes that the weather cleared. There are lots of shops and stalls with all the usual tourist stuff plus jewelry, shoes, clothing, CD’s and almost anything else you can imagine. Since the weather didn’t look like it was going to clear anytime soon, we decided to take the electric boat across Königsee to St. Bartholomew, the chapel located next to a former royal hunting lodge of the Bavarian Kings (now a restaurant). Königsee is 8 km long, up to 1-1/4 km wide, 602 meters above sea level and almost 200 meters at its deepest point. The trees lining the cliffs surrounding the lake were ablaze in gold and orange and there were sprinkles of snow atop the surrounding mountains. Almost midway to St. Bartholomew, the boat stops in front of the Echowand, a cliff where you can hear the famous echo of Königsee. The boat captain played a tune on the horn and you could actually hear it repeated by the echo. Very cool. Once we reached St. Bartholomew, it had started to rain a bit so we went into the restaurant next to the chapel and had some hot tea. We took the next boat back and decided to forget about the Jennerbahn since the weather still wasn’t very clear. We then drove over to the pilgrimage church of Maria Gern, often called the most beautiful church in the Berchtesgadener Land. Later in the evening, we had dinner at the Goldener Bär restaurant (27E), which was quite good. Tomorrow we head off to St. Gilgen where we will meet our friend Lise and her family.
Oct 9th, 2007, 01:05 PM
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29 Sept (Sat) – We awoke in Berchtesgaden to sunshine and blue skies. Hallelujah! We hope that it is also so nice in St. Gilgen. It is not a long drive to St. Gilgen – maybe an hour. We enjoyed our stay at the Wittelsbach Hotel. It was a good hotel in a great location for a reasonable price. Hopefully, we can return one day with better weather. We arrived in St. Gilgen about 11:30 AM. The Schernthaner is a lovely little hotel only a few steps from the Rathaus in the center of St. Gilgen. We have a good size room with a balcony overlooking the street and a little view of the lake, which is maybe 5-8 minutes from the hotel, for 76E. The owner, Anneliese Eisl, greeted us warmly when we arrived and was very helpful with any questions we had. Lise and her family had arrived in St. Gilgen the night before. We enjoyed a nice lunch at the lakeside Fischer Wirt restaurant. Since it was such a beautiful day, we decided to take the Zwölferhorn chairlift, which was just a few minutes walk from the hotel. The Zwölferhorn is considered one of the most beautiful lookout mountains in the Salzkammergut with magnificent views over seven lakes (we saw five today) and all the way to the Dachstein. The summit station is at 1476 meters. With discount, the cost for two adults was 33E. Later we had a wonderful dinner at the Wirt am Gries, a restaurant specializing in local wild game such as deer, wild pigs and pheasant.
Sept 30 (Sun) – We had a good breakfast then took the Wolfgang Amadeus boat to St. Wolfgang, a beautiful little village with many more shops and tourists than St. Gilgen. Considering that this was Sunday, just about everything was open. We walked to the Bergbahnhof where we would get on our steam train to the top of the Schafberg. The train ride up to the top of the mountain takes 50 minutes and makes one intermediate stop not far from the top. It is rather bumpy going up but the views are just awesome. Once on top, you have to make your return reservation and since the next train at 3:10 was already full, we had to wait until 4:10 to get back to St. Wolfgang where we would catch the last boat to St. Gilgen at 5:08 PM. We walked around a bit and found a nice wooden bench to sit on while we contemplated the amazing sites before us. The Schafbergbahn is the steepest cog railway in Austria and has been running from St. Wolfgang to Schafberg since 1893. In a little over 45 minutes, it travels 1190 meters of altitude over a track 5.85 km long. On a clear day, you have a 360° panoramic view of the Salzkammergut lakes. Today we saw Wolfgangsee, Mondsee, Attersee and Traunsee. You can also see some of the most majestic mountains in the region including the Höllengebirge, Dachstein, Löser, and the Watzmann. A few clouds started creeping into our very blue skies and the air became chillier. Before long, it was time for us to get in line for our return train, which would be a diesel this time. We arrived in St. Wolfgang about 15 minutes before our boat departed for St. Gilgen. This time we got to ride on the 1873 Franz Josef I steam paddlewheel boat. Neat. A light dinner and a little CNN before bed.
1 Oct (Mon) – After a good breakfast at the Schernthaner, we decided to take it easy today. Had lunch at the Café Stern near our hotel then stopped into the local church where Mozart’s grandparents, mother and sister were baptized. We saw a fiaker and decided to take a ride since we had never been on one before. For 20E, we got a 20- minute ride around town. The driver was very nice and pointed out a few of the sites as we went along. It was another beautiful day on Wolfgangsee and we enjoyed the ride. Later we went back to the Café Stern and had some soup with David having his now usual viertal of Sturm. With tip, the total was 13E. Returned to the hotel to pack and prepare for our last 2 days of vacation. Tomorrow we leave St. Gilgen for Nördlingen on the Romantic Road.
2 Oct (Tues) – After an early breakfast, we checked out and headed to Nördlingen. We have enjoyed our stay here; it’s a beautiful area with a lot to do. Hopefully, we’ll return. The drive to Nördlingen was relatively easy with our GPS and we arrived without much trouble around 1 PM. We are staying at the Braunes Ross (Brown Horse) on the Market Square directly next to the very imposing gothic St. George’s Church with its tower known as “The Daniel”. It’s not a fancy hotel at all but it was clean and the price (65E) and location were good. Since we were not in a pedestrian zone as I had thought, it was a little noisy during the early evening, but got quiet later. It took us awhile to figure out what we were suppose to do about the car as you must have a special parkschein to park overnight inside the walls and the girl at the hotel didn’t speak English. Nördlingen is surrounded by a medieval city wall, constructed in the 1300’s, that is still intact along with five city gates (tors). The Reimlinger Tor is the oldest, completed in 1362. The city is also on the site of the 25 km-wide Ries Crater, which was created by a meteorite more than 15 million years ago. Across from the hotel is the Rathaus, which was built in the 13th century. The outer Renaissance Staircase was built in 1618. After a pizza at the La Fontana (13E with drinks and tip), we wandered down to the Deininger Tor and got on the city wall, which we followed around to the Reimlinger Tor before making our way back to the hotel. We had a little rest before going down to the hotel restaurant for a shared fixed menu dinner of potato vegetable soup, Hänchenschlegel (chicken leg and thigh) with brown gravy, pommes frites and dessert for 6.80E. With drinks, it was 11.40E. It was a good meal. Nördlingen is not as touristy as Rothenburg but like Dinkelsbuehl, it seems to be a much busier town with a lot more car traffic and noise. And while there are a number of 16th century buildings, many don’t seem to be shown to their fullest potential. You don’t see all the pretty flower boxes here that you see in so many of the towns and many buildings seem to need a new coat of paint and other upkeep. Tomorrow is our last day of vacation so we will make our way up the Romantic Road for a stop in Feuchtwangen before heading over to Ginsheim near Frankfurt Airport for our last evening in Germany.
3 October (Wed) – The sky was gray when we woke up this morning but hoped it would clear later. After a really good breakfast, we took a walk around the almost deserted town. We wondered why the shops were closed when the signs showed they should be open, then a lady told us it was a holiday. Later we would find out that it was the celebration of the Day of German Unity. It looked like everything except a few bakeries and cafés would be closed all day on the last day of our vacation. Bummer!
We checked out of the hotel and, after a false start with the GPS, got on the B25 towards Feuchtwangen. It was less than an hour from Nördlingen so we arrived around 10:30 AM. We parked the car and walked a couple of blocks to the Marktplatz. What a lovely market square! Actually, it wasn’t so bad having everything closed since the nearly deserted streets made for some good pictures. Finally, we found our way to the Romanesque Cloisters off the town square. These date back to the second half of the 11th century and are in excellent condition.
Since the weather had not improved, we decided to continue on to Ginsheim to the Rheinischerhof Hotel (89E) for our last night. Arrived right at 2 PM and were given room #3. This is a nice room with a small kitchen, large bath and a separate sitting area with TV. It is located on what is called the Altesrhein, a small arm of the Rhein River, and about 20 minutes from Frankfurt Airport. After organizing our luggage for the trip home, I decided to take a shower before dinner. Unfortunately, the bathtub was very slippery and when I stepped in I slipped and the next thing I know I was trying to grab whatever I could to break my fall. Thank goodness my DH heard the commotion and came to see if I was OK. While it could have been much worse, I seem to have hurt my shoulder. At least I didn’t crack my head open or break a bone on my last day of vacaton!
Later we had a nice final dinner in Germany of Schweinsteak with mushroom cream sauce and potatoes. For desert, we had vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate sauce and whipped cream. It was all delicious. With tip and drinks, it came to 19E. So, all we have to do now is get up in time in the morning! Breakfast starts at 6 AM and we need to leave the hotel by 7:15 so we can drop off the car and be in line 3 hrs before our 10:55 AM flight. If memory serves, the lines at Frankfurt Airport are very long. Should be an interesting day!
4 Oct (Thurs) – Fortunately, I had some pain medication with me for my back so I did sleep pretty well but my shoulder is really sore. After a good breakfast, we checked out and set the GPS for Frankfurt Airport. All went smoothly with our car return. The line at the airport was really long, longer than the last time we were here. After a few minutes, I decided to try to find out if we had been upgraded to Biz Class since that would definitely cut down on our wait. I managed to get an agent to look and found out that our upgrade had gone through. We went to the Admiral’s Lounge for a little bit before we had to make our way thru Passport Control and to our gate. Everything went smoothly and our plane left on time. It was certainly nice being in Biz Class, especially since I felt like I’d been in a bar fight. The entertainment system wasn’t working properly so we couldn’t watch the inflight movies or listen to music. Oh well, the food was good and I managed to sleep a bit while David worked on all the fabulous photos he took on our trip. We arrived home on time and found everything to be OK at home.
It was an amazing 3 weeks. While there was still so much more to see, I was beginning to get homesick and longed to hear a Texas twang!
I hope this report has been helpful and will try to answer any questions you might have. My husband’s photos should be on webshots soon. I’ll let you know when they are uploaded. More than my feeble attempt to describe what we saw, his photos capture much of the magic of this trip.
Sept 30 (Sun) – We had a good breakfast then took the Wolfgang Amadeus boat to St. Wolfgang, a beautiful little village with many more shops and tourists than St. Gilgen. Considering that this was Sunday, just about everything was open. We walked to the Bergbahnhof where we would get on our steam train to the top of the Schafberg. The train ride up to the top of the mountain takes 50 minutes and makes one intermediate stop not far from the top. It is rather bumpy going up but the views are just awesome. Once on top, you have to make your return reservation and since the next train at 3:10 was already full, we had to wait until 4:10 to get back to St. Wolfgang where we would catch the last boat to St. Gilgen at 5:08 PM. We walked around a bit and found a nice wooden bench to sit on while we contemplated the amazing sites before us. The Schafbergbahn is the steepest cog railway in Austria and has been running from St. Wolfgang to Schafberg since 1893. In a little over 45 minutes, it travels 1190 meters of altitude over a track 5.85 km long. On a clear day, you have a 360° panoramic view of the Salzkammergut lakes. Today we saw Wolfgangsee, Mondsee, Attersee and Traunsee. You can also see some of the most majestic mountains in the region including the Höllengebirge, Dachstein, Löser, and the Watzmann. A few clouds started creeping into our very blue skies and the air became chillier. Before long, it was time for us to get in line for our return train, which would be a diesel this time. We arrived in St. Wolfgang about 15 minutes before our boat departed for St. Gilgen. This time we got to ride on the 1873 Franz Josef I steam paddlewheel boat. Neat. A light dinner and a little CNN before bed.
1 Oct (Mon) – After a good breakfast at the Schernthaner, we decided to take it easy today. Had lunch at the Café Stern near our hotel then stopped into the local church where Mozart’s grandparents, mother and sister were baptized. We saw a fiaker and decided to take a ride since we had never been on one before. For 20E, we got a 20- minute ride around town. The driver was very nice and pointed out a few of the sites as we went along. It was another beautiful day on Wolfgangsee and we enjoyed the ride. Later we went back to the Café Stern and had some soup with David having his now usual viertal of Sturm. With tip, the total was 13E. Returned to the hotel to pack and prepare for our last 2 days of vacation. Tomorrow we leave St. Gilgen for Nördlingen on the Romantic Road.
2 Oct (Tues) – After an early breakfast, we checked out and headed to Nördlingen. We have enjoyed our stay here; it’s a beautiful area with a lot to do. Hopefully, we’ll return. The drive to Nördlingen was relatively easy with our GPS and we arrived without much trouble around 1 PM. We are staying at the Braunes Ross (Brown Horse) on the Market Square directly next to the very imposing gothic St. George’s Church with its tower known as “The Daniel”. It’s not a fancy hotel at all but it was clean and the price (65E) and location were good. Since we were not in a pedestrian zone as I had thought, it was a little noisy during the early evening, but got quiet later. It took us awhile to figure out what we were suppose to do about the car as you must have a special parkschein to park overnight inside the walls and the girl at the hotel didn’t speak English. Nördlingen is surrounded by a medieval city wall, constructed in the 1300’s, that is still intact along with five city gates (tors). The Reimlinger Tor is the oldest, completed in 1362. The city is also on the site of the 25 km-wide Ries Crater, which was created by a meteorite more than 15 million years ago. Across from the hotel is the Rathaus, which was built in the 13th century. The outer Renaissance Staircase was built in 1618. After a pizza at the La Fontana (13E with drinks and tip), we wandered down to the Deininger Tor and got on the city wall, which we followed around to the Reimlinger Tor before making our way back to the hotel. We had a little rest before going down to the hotel restaurant for a shared fixed menu dinner of potato vegetable soup, Hänchenschlegel (chicken leg and thigh) with brown gravy, pommes frites and dessert for 6.80E. With drinks, it was 11.40E. It was a good meal. Nördlingen is not as touristy as Rothenburg but like Dinkelsbuehl, it seems to be a much busier town with a lot more car traffic and noise. And while there are a number of 16th century buildings, many don’t seem to be shown to their fullest potential. You don’t see all the pretty flower boxes here that you see in so many of the towns and many buildings seem to need a new coat of paint and other upkeep. Tomorrow is our last day of vacation so we will make our way up the Romantic Road for a stop in Feuchtwangen before heading over to Ginsheim near Frankfurt Airport for our last evening in Germany.
3 October (Wed) – The sky was gray when we woke up this morning but hoped it would clear later. After a really good breakfast, we took a walk around the almost deserted town. We wondered why the shops were closed when the signs showed they should be open, then a lady told us it was a holiday. Later we would find out that it was the celebration of the Day of German Unity. It looked like everything except a few bakeries and cafés would be closed all day on the last day of our vacation. Bummer!
We checked out of the hotel and, after a false start with the GPS, got on the B25 towards Feuchtwangen. It was less than an hour from Nördlingen so we arrived around 10:30 AM. We parked the car and walked a couple of blocks to the Marktplatz. What a lovely market square! Actually, it wasn’t so bad having everything closed since the nearly deserted streets made for some good pictures. Finally, we found our way to the Romanesque Cloisters off the town square. These date back to the second half of the 11th century and are in excellent condition.
Since the weather had not improved, we decided to continue on to Ginsheim to the Rheinischerhof Hotel (89E) for our last night. Arrived right at 2 PM and were given room #3. This is a nice room with a small kitchen, large bath and a separate sitting area with TV. It is located on what is called the Altesrhein, a small arm of the Rhein River, and about 20 minutes from Frankfurt Airport. After organizing our luggage for the trip home, I decided to take a shower before dinner. Unfortunately, the bathtub was very slippery and when I stepped in I slipped and the next thing I know I was trying to grab whatever I could to break my fall. Thank goodness my DH heard the commotion and came to see if I was OK. While it could have been much worse, I seem to have hurt my shoulder. At least I didn’t crack my head open or break a bone on my last day of vacaton!
Later we had a nice final dinner in Germany of Schweinsteak with mushroom cream sauce and potatoes. For desert, we had vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate sauce and whipped cream. It was all delicious. With tip and drinks, it came to 19E. So, all we have to do now is get up in time in the morning! Breakfast starts at 6 AM and we need to leave the hotel by 7:15 so we can drop off the car and be in line 3 hrs before our 10:55 AM flight. If memory serves, the lines at Frankfurt Airport are very long. Should be an interesting day!
4 Oct (Thurs) – Fortunately, I had some pain medication with me for my back so I did sleep pretty well but my shoulder is really sore. After a good breakfast, we checked out and set the GPS for Frankfurt Airport. All went smoothly with our car return. The line at the airport was really long, longer than the last time we were here. After a few minutes, I decided to try to find out if we had been upgraded to Biz Class since that would definitely cut down on our wait. I managed to get an agent to look and found out that our upgrade had gone through. We went to the Admiral’s Lounge for a little bit before we had to make our way thru Passport Control and to our gate. Everything went smoothly and our plane left on time. It was certainly nice being in Biz Class, especially since I felt like I’d been in a bar fight. The entertainment system wasn’t working properly so we couldn’t watch the inflight movies or listen to music. Oh well, the food was good and I managed to sleep a bit while David worked on all the fabulous photos he took on our trip. We arrived home on time and found everything to be OK at home.
It was an amazing 3 weeks. While there was still so much more to see, I was beginning to get homesick and longed to hear a Texas twang!
I hope this report has been helpful and will try to answer any questions you might have. My husband’s photos should be on webshots soon. I’ll let you know when they are uploaded. More than my feeble attempt to describe what we saw, his photos capture much of the magic of this trip.
Oct 9th, 2007, 01:06 PM
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Hi Betty,
I am reading your trip report with great interest. We leave for our trip to Germany in 9 days.
We will stay in Wurzburg, Rothenburg, Munich and Aschaffenburg. Since we are staying 4 days in Rothenburg we plan to drive around and see some of the towns nearby.
Is the fall foliage pretty now?
I'll be waiting to hear more about your trip! Thanks for taking the time to write about it.
Laurie
I am reading your trip report with great interest. We leave for our trip to Germany in 9 days.
We will stay in Wurzburg, Rothenburg, Munich and Aschaffenburg. Since we are staying 4 days in Rothenburg we plan to drive around and see some of the towns nearby.
Is the fall foliage pretty now?
I'll be waiting to hear more about your trip! Thanks for taking the time to write about it.
Laurie
Oct 9th, 2007, 01:22 PM
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Laurie, in many places the trees were ablaze in color. It was really beautiful. Living in a place where we don't really have much of a seasonal change (near Houston Tx), I thoroughly enjoyed it. Also, we normally travel to Europe in May. September was actually warmer and we still had a lot of daylight.
Oct 9th, 2007, 01:51 PM
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Hi Betty,
Sounds like you had an interesting time in Germany and Austria. I know what you mean about the weather. I was just in Germany the earlier part of September and it was a bit erratic - sunshine, then rain, sunshine, rain and sunshine, and then finally sunshine. My sister and I saw something like what you saw with the cows when we were in Switzerland. I hope to get all my vacation pictures up this week!
Oh, and not to hijack your thread, but Julie, my sister and I were in Aschaffenburg last month, so if you need any info let me know.
Sounds like you had an interesting time in Germany and Austria. I know what you mean about the weather. I was just in Germany the earlier part of September and it was a bit erratic - sunshine, then rain, sunshine, rain and sunshine, and then finally sunshine. My sister and I saw something like what you saw with the cows when we were in Switzerland. I hope to get all my vacation pictures up this week!
Oh, and not to hijack your thread, but Julie, my sister and I were in Aschaffenburg last month, so if you need any info let me know.
Oct 9th, 2007, 05:48 PM
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wanderfrau, Rothenburg is still my favorite. There are so many really outstanding buildings in a small area as well as a lovely city park. And altho there are a lot of tour buses that stop in Rothenburg during the day, it is still quiet and peaceful in the early evening and early morning. To me, Dinkelsbuehl and Noerdlingen seemed busier and noisier because there is more car traffic than in Rothenburg. And though there are a few really outstanding buildings in Dinkelsbuehl and Noerdlingen, I feel there is more "bang for the buck" in Rothenburg.
I have walked parts of the city wall in each city. In my opinion, there isn't much difference -- a wall is a wall -- but some of the city gates or "tors" may be more interesting in one city or the other.
I have walked parts of the city wall in each city. In my opinion, there isn't much difference -- a wall is a wall -- but some of the city gates or "tors" may be more interesting in one city or the other.
Oct 9th, 2007, 07:34 PM
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Thanks for your report, bettyk. I'm really enjoying reading about your trip. We were in Germany when you were, but up in Berlin and Cologne. We ended up with mostly good weather - it makes a huge difference in how the towns look. Will you be posting a photo link? It sounds like your husband is serious about his photography.
We've been to Bavaria/Austria three times, but only in winter, so it's cool to read about it in Sept.
We've been to Bavaria/Austria three times, but only in winter, so it's cool to read about it in Sept.
Oct 9th, 2007, 08:07 PM
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noe847, hopefully the photos will be uploaded within the next couple of days. There are a lot of them, as you can imagine, since it was a 3 week trip. While I could be accused of being biased, my husband has taken some amazing photos on our past trips that we have posted on webshots.com (under dkubiak). I think these are just as good if not better.
When they are ready, I will post a link for those who are interested.
When they are ready, I will post a link for those who are interested.
Oct 10th, 2007, 03:17 AM
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welcome back, bettyk. Thanks for posting this report.
Sound as if the trip was wonderful, regardless of the wet weather. I can't wait to see the photos.
Hope the football updates kept you informed. Don't know how pleased you were with the actual results, but at least you knew.
MvK
Sound as if the trip was wonderful, regardless of the wet weather. I can't wait to see the photos.
Hope the football updates kept you informed. Don't know how pleased you were with the actual results, but at least you knew.
MvK
Oct 10th, 2007, 03:59 AM
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Welcome back, Betty! It sounds like you had a wonderful trip, despite some less-than-perfect weather. I'm glad you enjoyed some of my favorite places in my neck of the woods (Mosel Valley, Tuebingen, Burg Hohenzollern, Meersburg, Mainau) and I was very pleased to read that you had a great meal at the Weinstube Forelle! Thanks for the report.
Oct 10th, 2007, 05:47 AM
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Thanks, all. It is good to be back, especially with my sore shoulder. We actually thought that we did pretty good with the weather considering the lenght of the trip. Besides, you're in Europe on vacation! I've suffered through many rainy days at home -- I'd much rather do it in Germany or Austria!
MvK, I wasn't thrilled to see that the Texans had lost 2 games while we were gone, but happy that they beat Miami on Sunday! Thanks for keeping me updated.
Hausfrau, Hohenzollern was one of our favorite stops, even if the weather wasn't the best that day. It's an amazing place and the dark skies made for some interesting photos! Bernkastel on the Moselle is gorgeous. Inch for inch, one of the most beautiful little towns I've seen. Meersburg also is just magical, albeit a little steep in places for my creeky knees! And Mainau Island -- WOW!! We felt like we had died and gone to heaven when we saw the dahlia display (12,000 plants, 250 varieties).
Overall, it was just a wonderful trip. The pace was good for us as it gave us time to relax when needed, but we were still able to see and do alot. The only thing we didn't do that was on my list was visit Harburg Castle. We just weren't up to it that day. We did stop nearby and David got a good photo. So, we'll add that to our list for next time!
MvK, I wasn't thrilled to see that the Texans had lost 2 games while we were gone, but happy that they beat Miami on Sunday! Thanks for keeping me updated.
Hausfrau, Hohenzollern was one of our favorite stops, even if the weather wasn't the best that day. It's an amazing place and the dark skies made for some interesting photos! Bernkastel on the Moselle is gorgeous. Inch for inch, one of the most beautiful little towns I've seen. Meersburg also is just magical, albeit a little steep in places for my creeky knees! And Mainau Island -- WOW!! We felt like we had died and gone to heaven when we saw the dahlia display (12,000 plants, 250 varieties).
Overall, it was just a wonderful trip. The pace was good for us as it gave us time to relax when needed, but we were still able to see and do alot. The only thing we didn't do that was on my list was visit Harburg Castle. We just weren't up to it that day. We did stop nearby and David got a good photo. So, we'll add that to our list for next time!
Oct 10th, 2007, 09:10 AM
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Bob, she really was nice. She always had a smile on her face and took the time to chat with you at breakfast. The hotel was great too. Very comfortable and close to everything. And you couldn't beat the price! Thanks for recommending it. I'm sure we'll go back.
Oct 12th, 2007, 12:15 PM
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Thanks hardwater. It's one of our favorite areas of Europe. Some people are passionate about Italy or France, but we love the German speaking countries of Germany, Austria and Switzerland the best.
Oct 12th, 2007, 12:58 PM
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Hi, Paul. Yes, I knew your trip was coming up. Hope you have a great trip. The trees should be even more colorful then. And hopefully the weather will be good. Look forward to hearing about it when you return!
