Does anyone have a good idea of a souvenir I should bring back from Germany? I will be travelling around so would like to know before I leave....

I always pick up a small beer stein (salt and pepper shaker size or slightly larger) with the name of and scenes from each place I visit. They look nice on the shelf and remind you of which places you have visited.

A fraulein. They are delicious. <BR>

Kristina: Beer steins from the Hofbrauhaus in Munich; Cuckoo Clock from the Black Forest or Garmisch; Wine glasses from Heidelburg; Hummels from anywhere; Incense Smokers from Kathe Wohlfarht's in Oberammergau, Rothenburg, etc.; Salt and pepper shakers from the middle Rhine, preferably Bacharach. <BR> <BR>I collect beer glasses and beer (just one) from different areas. Breweries sponsor pubs and have only one brand available and you can usually get a glass for a small price added to your bill. The single bottles of beer that I get are regional and not available out of the country. When I'm on my deathbed, my wife has instructions to chill all of them and bring them to the hospital or wherever for immediate consumption. <BR> <BR>Many items are available in various locations, but somehow are better in the ones mentioned. Have a good trip.

Kristina, <BR> <BR>Christmans Ornaments - I always try to buy at least one on each trip I go on. It reminds me of how lucky I am to travel every time I decorate my tree. I found a huge varity of beautifully made ormnaments in Germany. <BR>I also buy a calander for my desk at work to remind me of what I am working for. <BR>Both choices are light weight and easy to pack. <BR>Have fun in Germany! <BR>Aileen <BR> <BR>

Long ago, we brought back an entire Christmas scene, carved in wood, from a woodcarving shop south of Munich, near the Wieskirche. Each year, out they come -- the Holy Family, the angels, the animals, the kings, the shepherds, etc. Recently, a person who knows far more about those things than we do, gave us an estimate of their current value. It blew our minds!

Smoker Men are fun to collect. They come in all different types and can be found in shops around Germany. <BR> <BR>The cukoo clocks: Advice on this. Get a good one if you get one. There are plenty of cheap ones in shops. A few things to look for. 1. Do not get bright gold chains on the pendelums. Get darker ones that will always look good. All the gold ones will turn dark anyway. 2. Get wooden carved weights, not molded. You cannot find the carved weights in the US. 3. Get one that is finished on the sides also, not only the front. Look for small individual shingles on the roof. 4. Ask how long they play before pulling the weights. 5. Look at the workings. Some are plastic. All this sounds expensive, but it is not that much more than the cheap ones. A good clock shop in the Black Forest will steer you right and you will be very plesed when you get home and never see your clock in Wal Mart. <BR> <BR>Christmas Ornaments: Germans have great ones. Get a pickle. Find out why you need a pickle. Good story. <BR> <BR>Wood carvings: Oberammergau has an entire city full of them. Expensive, but enjoyable when you get home. <BR> <BR>Crystal: Area near Passau has the crystal and glass area. Towns of Zweisel and Bodemais. Great glass factories and they ship the heavy stuff. <BR> <BR>If you see a US Army post go into the book store. (They will let you in there and they take dollars.) You may be able to find a book about bargain shopping in Germany and various outlet stores. We still use our book. <BR> <BR>Rothenburg: Visit the Kathe Wolfarht store there. Worth the trip. She also has pretty good prices. We get to Germany frequently and have discoved that if you see it there, buy it. You really do not save that much by looking around and Kathe does a great shipping job. My wife loves her glass ice cycles for the Christmas tree. <BR> <BR>Beer: Drink as you go................

Aileen....I collect the glass Christmas ornaments made in Europe (have 368) and want to pick some up on my trip next May. Were they easy to find? What types of stores sell them? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks.

Dear Bob, <BR> <BR>Not saying I disgree with you, but wondering about your statement that US Army posts in Germany will just "let you in". Can you clarify? Thanks.

Not trying to be a "budinski", but working as a defense contractor previously in Germany, we needed valid US Government ID to access any installation. The only places that I remember entering without security were some kasernes in Frankfurt that were support operations mainly for US military dependents (for driver's licenses, etc.). <BR> <BR>After the suicide truck bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut, all US installations went to high security status, especially Europe where terrorism was quite high. <BR> <BR>Some US installations will allow you a visitor pass to access the area with a valid passport, but only ID card holders can purchase goods there. I remember walking into the USO station in Berchtesgaden and getting some tour info and we didn't need to present our ID. Maybe there are others as well.

Ok, Bob... <BR>I'm dying to hear the Pickle story! <BR>I've gotten several wonderful Christmas ornaments in Germany as well, but haven't heard that one! (do tell?)

Re the Army posts: You cannot enter the PX or the post area without proper ID. You can enter the simple book store that used to be in downtown Garmisch and purchase books. No big deal, if it is still there. There was another in Berchtesgaden that we used to use also. In fact, we took a US military tour of the Eagles Nest in 1993 purchased from the US military tourist facility across from the train station. Trouble is, they closed that soon after that as we discovered a German bowling alley in its place in 1997. I also got on my old Army post in Stuttgart in 1988 and again in 1997 by telling the MP on guard duty what I was doing. He asked for no ID or passport....just waived me through. Seems like security was top notch. It was HQ for VII Army at Kelly Barracks. <BR> <BR>We also use Armed Forces radio when in Germany and have used the MP stations to update us on road conditions in the winter time. Trouble is again that the troop count is way down and a lot of the old tourist areas that US used to control for military personnel are now back into private sector. In 1993 the couple that went with us mailed all their post cards home using US stamps and dropping them off at US installations in Berchtesgaden and Garmisch. Cheap and worked great! Bill Clinton would have been proud. <BR> <BR>The pickle story? Ya gotta find that one out for yourself. It will give you something to research while in Germany.

Steiff stuffed animas are nice, I like the ones that are replicas of museum pieces.

Sharon.....If it were me, it would drive me nuts to wait and find out the "pickle story" till I got there....so...sorry Bob, I'll tell it as best that I know! I have (2)of them...(it's packed with the ornaments so this is from memory)...in Germany the Christmas tree is decorated Christmas Eve, and after the children to to bed, the parents "hide" the pickle on the tree....the next morning the kids search for it and whoever finds it first, gets a present....(hope that's right or Bob will be correcting me)!!!

Can't believe no one has mentioned CHOCOLATE yet or stollen. Also, the crystal Christmas ornaments & smokers which have been mentioned. We found a great little shop in Hamelin with very nice Christmas ornaments. The beer stein from Hofbrauhaus is nice (have one) but it can get heavy toting it around. Hummels are not the bargains they used to be (cheaper on ebay).

Marlise, <BR>Thank You!!! I was about to do a web search on Pickles!!! Sorry, Bob, put I could see myself in Germany asking about the pickle ornaments and being the butt of some joke! hahaha.. <BR>Anyway, what a cool story! I wonder why a "pickle"? I shall stock up on them my next trip there.

Marlise! You got the pickle story! Great! We now put one out every year. Now you took her out of her misery. Find a good one in Germany!

I will! PROMISE!!! I'll think of you, Bob...

All of the above suggestions are great but my favorite gift souvenir was mustard. Yes. Mustard. They sell it grocery stores in toothpaste tubes! All sorts and flavors. My wife thought I was nuts but I bought at least a dozen and gave them to co-workers etc. They were cheap, light, unbreakable and very different from anything people had seen here in the US. They were a big hit...

turnip---- that is a funny story. My German friend loves OUR French Honey Mustard! <BR> <BR>Kristina-- if you happen to visit Ettal (couple towns before Oberammergau; on the way), stop at the main street for the most beautiful pewter jewerly and wood carvings. Ettal is the town where many of Ludwig's craftmen settled down and there still an outstanding tradition of craftmanship. Pewter pins, earrings and steins were glorious and easy to carry back! The wood crafts were wonderful souvenirs, so beautifully done. Christmas ornaments are also a MUST! They can be quite pricey, so pace yourself!!