This was not one of our vacation trips with my wife, but a business trip combined with some sightseeing. I was due to attend a Trade Fair at Nuremberg for three days, and decided to add a few days of sightseeing in Bavaria before and after the event. I was accompanied with a younger business colleague of mine. Usually, my trips are preceded with a lot of planning, guidebook perusals, restaurant listings etc. There was no time for all of this, and a few questions on this Fodors forum (for which I received excellent replies as usual) was all the planning I had time for. So here goes a somewhat brief trip report of a nice time I had in Germany.

Our rough itinerary was as follows:
Day 1 : Frankfurt
Days 2-5 : Nuremberg
Day 6 : Day trip to Rothenburg odT
Day 7 : Day trip to Bamberg
Day 8 : Return

Day 1: Sunday March 29:
Our flight from Mumbai departed in the wee hours of the morning, and we reached Frankfurt at 7am local time. A longish wait for our baggage, and we were out. It was a bit nippy, with temperatures hovering around 5 C. Walked over to the train station next door, and purchased "gruppenkarte" ticket for E 14 (which allowed both of us unlimited journeys on local transport for a day). Then boarded the S-9 suburban train, and alighted 12 minutes later at the Hauptbahnhof. Out Hotel Excelsior was right opposite the south exit of the train station, and we were there by 9am. It was early for a check-in, but we were told that we would get our room in less than 30 minutes. Meanwhile we settled down in the comfortable lobby sofas, and helped ourselves to some welcome tea and coffee. We got our room before 10 am, and started refreshing ourselves.

The hotel was basic, but quite comfortable. Extremely well located (right across the Hbf), it had comfortable sized rooms, decent breakfast, free drinks in the minibar, and reasonable interiors. A steal at E 69 a night for Frankfurt.

We left the hotel by 11:30am, and boarded the Tram # 11 from outside to Romer stop. I wish to thank Mainhattengirl of this forum who had given excellent advice on how to spend our day at Frankfurt, which we followed to the tee. The Romer Square was extremely lively on this Sunday afternoon, with these lovely half-timbered houses and churches all around. People dressed as statues everywhere. Lots of cafes, pedestrians and tourists around. Dropped into the Tourist office at the Square to pick up some maps. We gazed around at the lovely City Hall, the Alt Nikolai Church, St Paul Church and other buildings around the square. Then walked over to Paulaner restaurant (behind the cathedral) where we had an excellent lunch accompanied with wonderful dark beer (the Germans sure know how to brew this stuff).

After lunch we visited the interiors of some churches, of which we found the St Paul very interesting, as was the inside of the Kaiserdom cathedral. Sipped some coffee at one of the sidewalk cafes on Romer square, and forayed in all directions of the Square to visit more beautiful churches, Saalgasse, and the river. After a few hours, we strolled over to the Hauptwache building (sp??) which was quite pretty, and then on to the Stock Exchange building and the Old Opera House. This old part of Frankfurt was in sharp contrast to the skyscrapers that we could spot in the horizon, which is where we headed next (the Banking district). After a leisurely walk past the notable buildings (of which we liked the Japan Centre building the most attractive) we found ourselves back at Romerberg. We went over to the Holocaust Memorial Wall, which had plaques with names of thousands of people who had lost their lives, which was moving.

In the evening, we crossed the bridge and ventured into the Sachsenhausen district. It was still a bit early at 6pm, and most pubs were closed or deserted. After wandering around the alleys for some time, we plonked ourselves in one of the bars, and treated ourselves to some "apfelwine", which this area is reputed for. It was interesting and different, but frankly, I didn't quite take to its taste. Finally, we walked over to the famed Adolf Wagner restaurant, and were taken aback by the huge crowd that swelled inside. Very atmospheric and lively place. We were not very hungry, and ordered lightly, but everything was extremely well prepared and delicious. Loved the noise and ambience of the place.

We decided to call it an early night, as we had not slept well on the flight the previous night. By 9pm we boarded the subway back to our hotel and retired for the day.

Day 2:Monday March 30:
I woke up late, as we had a comfortable 10:21 am train to catch for Nuremberg. After a leisurely breakfast, we checked-out of the hotel, and walked across to the Hbf to board our train for Nuremberg, where we alighted at 12:30pm. By booking this train journey a few weeks in advance (based on advice from this forum), we had managed to save considerable money. The total cost of the round trip journey for the two of us cost only E 69, against the E 192 that we would have otherwise paid purchasing on the spot.

From Nuremberg Hbf, we boarded the U-1 underground to the Jakobinnenstrasse stop, from where it was a 2 minute walk to our hotel for the next 6 nights, the Quality Hotel Bavaria at Furth. It was a decent hotel, with tasteful interiors, but the rooms were a bit small, and so was the toilet.

Dumped our bags and boarded the underground back to the city centre (Lorenzkirche). Had lunch at a Chinese restaurant called "Royal Dragon", which was decent. Then walked to the Tourist office across the Hbf, where we picked up some maps and got necessary directions. We boarded a tram to the Reich Party rally grounds, and visited the Documentation Center. This was a very interesting "museum" with a detailed audio-guide, which chronicled the rise of Adolf Hitler and the events under the Nazi regime. The walks outside are very interesting and at times picturesque, with the lovely lake in the foreground. We strolled around the unfinished Congress Hall, the Zeppellin Field, Grand Stand, Parade road etc. It was an eerie feeling on stand at the same pulpit that Hitler had used ever so often to rouse his army. The entire visit took a couple of hours and was well worth it.

We then boarded a tram back to the opposite end of the city, and alighted near the castle. Walked over to the lookout area for excellent views of Nuremberg. The castle itself had closed by then, but we strolled around the grounds, and the worked our way down towards the Albrecht Durer house, and over to the city center at Hauptmarkt. The weather was a bit chilly, and we were surprised at the deserted look that Nuremberg wore on a Monday evening. Architecturally, the town was lovely, and the building styles reminded me so much of Prague, with almost every building having a statuette in one corner of the exterior, and a single ornate window jutting out from one part.

We had a round of dark beer (wonderful again) at the Bratwurst Roslein, a large and lively pub/eatery, very atmospheric. Then strolled around the city centre past the lovely churches and buildings. Finally, grabbed a pizza at Pizza Hut, and boarded the underground back to the hotel.

Hi indiancouple, enjoying your trip report so far. Looking forward to the rest!

I am so pleased that you enjoyed your time in Frankfurt. Your trip report reads very nicely. Waiting to read the rest!

Enjoying your report also. We were in Nuremberg last fall and really enjoyed it. We had initially booked in Furth and then decided to book directly in Nuremberg itself. If you were returning, would you book again in Furth or stay in Nuremberg?

Thanks for posting your trip report, indiancouple. So far, it sounds like you had a great time. I'm looking forward to reading about the rest of your adventures.

Robyn

Hi indiancouple,

Thank you for taking the time to write. Looking forward to the rest of the report.

Paul

Hello yk, artstuff and pja1, thanks for your compliments. Will be posting the balance trip report shortly.
Mainhattengirl, thanks once again for your detailed and helpful suggestions. And many thanks for persuading me to stay a day in Frankfurt. It was really nice.
JulieVikmanis, I would surely recommend staying in Nuremberg instead of Furth to anyone. The only problem is, whenever there is a large Trade Fair in Nuremberg, all Nuremberg hotels seem to be booked many months in advance. We were attending a Trade Fair in Nuremberg ourselves, and just could not find any hotel available in Nuremberg at all. Hence we were forced to take a hotel in Furth. Thankfully, it was right next to a subway stop. However, it did mean an extra 10 minutes of commute each way, every day

Day 3: Tuesday, March 31:
The trade fair that we were attending was starting today. So we were off to an early start, and boarded the subway directly to the Messe stop. The entire day till 6 pm was spent at the Nuremberg Messe, and I wont bore the readers with details of the trade fair.

We exited at the closing time of 6 pm, and boarded the subway to the city center. A short evening stroll around the town (the weather had started to warm up today). A lot more people were visible on the streets, perhaps due to the warmer temperatures, and the town appeared much more lively. We headed to the Barfuber pub, which I understand is almost an institution in Nuremberg, with an underground seating capacity of 600 people ! The atmosphere was great, although I must admit that the taste of the dark beer was not as good as what I had tasted earlier on the trip.

We went for dinner at Vapiato, an Italian restaurant, which was a self-serve market-like restaurant, cooking up fresh pastas, salads and whatever. It seemed to be very popular, as there were long lines at every counter. Enjoyed the meal, which was worth waiting for. We were tired after a long day at the Messe, and decided to return soon after to our hotel and crash out.

Day 4: Wednesday, April 1:
Once again, the full day till 6 pm was taken up by the Trade fair. Today, when we left the Messe at 6pm, we went straight to the Hauptbahnhof, where we purchased tickets for our upcoming journeys on Friday and Saturday.

We then walked over to the Germanisches National Museum, which was open till 9pm today, passing through the Craftsman Courtyard on the way. The Museum was so-so; could have been laid out more imaginatively in my opinion. Some of the sections, housing Durer's paintings, were closed for some reason.

As we exited, we spotted a Thai restaurant nearby, called "Tawan Thai". We popped in for our dinner, which was quite decent. Their fiery dishes were not quite fiery (perhaps catering to the local tastebuds), but the food was decent. Then back to the hotel after another tiring day.

Day 5: Thursday April 2:
The weather had really warmed up by now, and was a comfortable 20 C during the day. The skies were clear, and there was bright sunshine. Today was the last day at the Trade Fair, and we were done with our visit before lunchtime. By then, some of the stalls had started packing up, and everyone seemed to be in a party mood.

We left the Messe grounds by 1:30pm, and went to the city center. We spotted a large Mexican restaurant at Rathausplatz, which looked interesting. Went inside, and probably had the best meal of the trip. A shot of tequila, followed by dark beer, with nachos, fajitas and burritos. Yum.

Walked to the Toy Museum, and found the visit quite interesting. Amazing collection of toys going back 400 years. And a useful audio guide to take you through. On leaving the Museum, we walked to Trodelmarket, which had a nice collection of shops, where my colleague did some shopping for his toddler son. Then over to the Hauptmarkt, which was alive and kicking at this afternoon hour. Finally, made it to the Durer House and took a short inside tour. All through the afternoon, it was sipping coffee at roadside cafes, biting into olives from wayside stalls, and an ice-cream now and then.

We ended up at the Bratwurst Roslein once again, whose dark beers I particularly fancied, and it did not disappoint again. We decided that we were too stuffed to even think of dinner, and decided to skip it altogether. Late in the evening, we wound our way back to the hotel.

indiancouple....

Your'e in Germany, and you eat in Pizza Hut, have Mexican,Thai, and Chinese food?......I don't get it!

Germany offers incredible foods, did you try any German food?

But I did enjoy the trip report and it was helpful as we are going to Bavaria for the Christmas Markets this December.

Mikek

I was thinking the same thing Mike!

I think I would've tried German/Indian food rather than German/Mexican or German/Chinese. But that's the beauty of travel isn't it? Everyone goes for different reasons, sees different stuff and enjoys varieties of food and entertainment. I, for one, would NEVER go to Europe and spend over a hundred bucks per person on a meal or hotel, but for many, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get a little crazy. I prefer to save my hard-earned money and be a cheapskate so that I can stay longer.

Valid point mike1728. Forgot to mention that both of us were vegetarians. Very limited choice in German food if you don't eat meat. Far more options in Italian, Thai, Mexican etc.

We did eat at German restaurants in Frankfurt, and managed to scrape off their limited veg menus, and whatever we could get was good. But coming from India, we like spicier stuff, which alas German food does not offer !

More German food coming up during the last 2 days !

Enjoyed your report too!

My favorite trip ever was spending 3 weeks in Germany about 8 years ago.

I want to do a bike trip there next summer with DH.

Thanks annesherrod. Balance installments coming up soon.

Day 6: Friday April 3:
The work part of the trip was over. Now two days of sightseeing to follow. We woke up late, catching up on some much needed rest, and caught the 10:30 am train headed towards Rothenburg ob der Tauber. We had purchased Tages Ticket-plus for that day (thanks to advice from this forum) for E 14.20, which allowed the two of us unlimited travel within the VGN network for the day (which included Rothenburg). The train journey from Nuremberg to Rothenburg does involve two changes, but the changes are very convenient, and timed well. The entire journey took less than 75 minutes.

We found a small travel agency at the Rothenburg station, and the helpful lady there gave us a free map, and directed us towards the city center where the Tourist office was. We reached there in minutes, and after picking up all necessary maps, we were off. The main Town Square itself is quite pretty, with the City Hall on one side, the Old Councillor's Tavern at another end, and a lovely fountain in one corner. Very pretty buildings looking like doll houses all around.

We started off by climbing to the top of the City Hall tower, which was an adventure, but were rewarded with great views of the town from top. Next, we strolled over to the Jakob Church (which unfortunately was undergoing exterior renovation), then the Historical Vaults. Had lunch at the Eisenhut restaurant, where the decor was quite upscale, and the German vegetarian food that we ordered was excellent.

We went berserk doing shopping that day in cute little shops everywhere, buying all kinds of odds and ends. Prices seemed considerably lower than Nuremberg. Then walked to the Castle Gate, and into the Castle Gardens for lovely views on the other side. Next we walked on the elevated portion of the City Wall for some distance, and found ourselves near the picturesque Plonlein Square. Really a lovely place, and we walked up and down that beautiful street many times.

After several rounds of coffee at various sidewalk cafes, we slowly ambled back to the main city center. After resting for some time, we reluctantly made our way back to the train station and boarded a train around 6pm or so back to Nuremberg. Again two changes, and again very convenient.

Took the subway to Eiser Turm, and walked away from the city towards an Indian restaurant called "Taj Mahal" (mysteriously spelt as Tadsch Mahal !). Gaudy decor, but good authentic food. Our request to make the dishes fiery well well heeded to, and we had a nice time. Then a tram to Plarrer, and the subway back to the hotel.

Day 7: Saturday April 4:
This was our last day in Germany, and we strangely awoke a bit early. Took a 9am train to Bamberg. Had bought a Bayern pass for the day for 28 euros. Shamefully, there were only two of us, as 5 could have travelled on that ticket !

The train to Bamberg is direct, and took about 45 minutes. It is a longish walk from the train station to city center, and I was surprised to note that Bamberg was a lot bigger than Rothenburg. We reached the Gruyer market area, and wandered around the fruit and flower stalls, which was bustling with people. The place was far more alive than Nuremberg or Rothenburg; quite full of people, which was nice.

To walk to the Tourist Office, one has to perforce cross the Altes Rathaus, whose beauty stops you dead in your tracks. Throughout the day, we must have crossed this lovely structure half a dozen times, and we could never tire of looking at it. Certainly the most beautiful sight in this entire trip.

We generally strolled all over the town centre, walking here and there, admiring the architecture, going past the Geyersworth Castle etc. When the hunger pangs arrived, we settled down on a nice sidewalk cafe and again had good German vegetarian food, accompanied with the famed Rauchbier of Bamberg. This stuff was heavenly; I wish it was available in more parts of the world. The beer had a strange smoky flavour and a complex taste which I simply loved.

We then went over to the Dom Cathedral and the nearby Old Court House, all of which was very pretty. Then walked up to the Rose Garden in a nearby building (forget its name), where the views were excellent. Then a stiffer walk up to Michaelsberg, for still more fab views. Then down again all the way to Bottinger House. And finally over to Little Venice, which a beauty. We missed the last boat trip that left the city by a few minutes... we had really wanted to do that. Anyway, we kept going back to the Altes Rathaus, and photographed it from every angle.

When we had had enough, we made our way back to the train station, and boarded the train back to Nuremberg. We had really enjoyed our Mexican meal two days earlier at "Enchiladas", which we visited for an encore. God, it was really packed in the evening. After a longish wait for a table, we enjoyed another superb meal, and went back to our hotel to pack for the return trip.

Day 8: Sunday, April 5:
Woke up real early. Had called for a taxi at 4:30 am. Boarded the taxi to Nuremberg Hbf, where we had to catch a 5:30 am train to Frankfurt airport. Reached the airport at about 8:30 am, just in time to catch our 9:45 am flight home.

Nice short trip. We enjoyed it. And that brings me to the end of this trip report !

indiancouple......I probably assumed that you guys were veggies, and although I dont eat red meat at home (Boston), I cheat a little when I travel, as it is a shame not to try some pork or some type of bratwurst when in Germany (and I admit I feel guilty and run a few extra miles the next day)...but you can get some great spatzle with veggies with a German brown sauce....very good!!....Also...please anything but Pizzahut, you didnt travel 3000 miles for that!!

Cheers!,
Mike