Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report trip to southern germany

Last September my husband and I took a 3 week trip to southern Germany flying into Munich and later home from Frankfurt. We chose to start in Munich because of the wide choice of nonstop flights from NY. We arrived in Munich at about 10am on 9/6 and took the S-8 train from the airport to Karlsplatz where our hotel, the Konigshof, was located. Taking the train was very reasonable, easy and comfortable and using the ticket machine was simple with directions in English. Although the Konigshof does not look very fancy from the outside, the lobby was lovely and we received a very warm welcome. In fact, we were very pleased with the warm, friendly and very helpful service during our entire stay. The hotel’s location on Karlsplatz was perfect for walking and also because of the major train station right outside our door which allowed easy travel to all parts of the city. Since we were so early, our room was not ready yet so we walked a few blocks to an ATM (we used mostly cash on the trip to avoid fees that credit card companies charge) and then we started walking in the area visiting the Dreifaltigkeitskirche which was the first of many baroque churches we would see on this trip. It was lovely inside although there was a gate preventing close access to the interior. We walked to the Platz der Opfer de Nationalsozialismus honoring the victims of the Nazis with an eternal flame. When we got back to the hotel, we found that our room was ready. Before leaving home, I had signed up to become a member of Leading Hotels. The membership was free and we seemed to have gotten an upgrade at the Konigshof. The room was very large with a seating area and a very large bathroom. It overlooked Karlsplatz but we heard no outside noise at all. After getting a bit settled, we headed out again walking to the Alte Pinakothek where we used the audio guide to see the old European masters collection in a beautiful setting. We were very sorry that we never had time to see the Neue and Moderne museums. By 5:30, we were exhausted and hungry and walked down the street to Cohen’s Restaurant, where I had made reservations. The menu is Jewish food with a Middle Eastern touch. The owner, who was from Israel, served us and sat down with us and she and her son made us feel as if we were in their home enjoying a home-cooked dinner. The portions were very large and we really ordered too much food having herring, soup with knadel, turkey schnitzel and a Moorish fish dish. It was a very enjoyable first meal in Germany. We were able to easily walk back to our hotel where we found a complimentary plate of fruit and bottle of beer with a mug and pretzel.

The next morning we received a complimentary newspaper and went down to the very extensive buffet breakfast served in a lovely room overlooking Karlsplatz. The buffet had a large selection of breads, fish, fruit, yogurts, cereals, cold cuts, juices and coffees and teas and there was also a menu you could order from for cooked foods. The weather was drizzly and gray and chilly. We took the S-2 train (buying the partner XXL day pass) to Dachau leaving Karlsplatz at about 9am. We then took the bus 726 from the town of Dachau to the memorial. The bus is very easy to find right near the train station. The bus was very, very crowded but the ride is not very long. We had planned on taking the 11am English tour at the memorial but, for some reason they couldn’t explain, the tour was canceled so we used the audio tour which was excellent. The audio tour provides both information about the various parts of the memorial and additional survivor stories you can listen to. We stayed at Dachau for a large portion of the day making the 3:30 train back to Munich. It was a very moving experience and should be seen. Following the recommendations of many on this board, I had not planned any “fun” activities for after our visit to the memorial. We took the train to Marienplatz and watched the 5pm performance of the glockenspiel along with the crowds. The performance lasted about 10 minutes and was pretty overrated as far as I’m concerned though my husband enjoyed it. When the rain started, we went into St. Peterskirche which was beautiful and very ornate with a gorgeous altar. As we saw in many buildings on our trip, near the entrance they have photos of the damaged church after WWII and of the restoration which is amazing. We walked past the Altes Rathaus and through the Viktualienmarkt though many of the stores were closed and the beer garden was empty because of the rain. We walked over to the Jewish Museum and the new synagogue built in 2006 both of which were closed because it was Rosh Hashana. The architecture of the synagogue is striking. We visited the Asamkirche which was built as a private chapel. Although it was a bit dark inside and hard to see all the details, it has a jaw-dropping interior with every inch embellished in some way. A mass was starting at Frauenkirche so we didn’t stay at this time. We visited St. Michaelskirche. The outside was covered because of restoration work being done. By this time we were getting very hungry so we walked back to Marienplatz and went to Andeschser am Dom at Weinstrasse 7. I hadn’t made a reservation in advance and they were crowded but the hostess said we could eat so long as we were out by 8PM. Since it wasn’t even 7PM yet, we agreed. We were seated at a table with a woman and we enjoyed using our very basic German to make conversation. The food was very tasty. We had salad, roasted duck with red cabbage and steak with fried onions. We had one large order of apple fritters for dessert and they were light and delicious. We were out by the time they needed the table and we headed back to the hotel . Since it was raining heavily and we had our day tickets, we took the S-bahn back.

We woke up to a cloudy, drizzly and chilly day, had another delicious breakfast, went to the train station and bought a partner tageskarte (day ticket) and went back upstairs to take the tram 17 from outside our hotel to Schloss Nymphenburg. At the Schloss, we purchased a Bavarian Castle 14 day pass which ended up saving us a substantial amount on admissions to various castles on our trip. At Nymphenburg, we purchased the audio guide and went through all 16 rooms. It was well worth it if only to see the first room, the banqueting hall. Then we walked through the very extensive gardens and visited all 4 garden buildings. We visited the Marstallmuseum to see the very ornate coaches and sleighs and, although it wasn’t that interesting to us, the porcelain collection. This visit took a large part of the day. We took the tram back to the hotel where we both decided a nap was in order. Later we walked down the main pedestrian shopping street, Kaufingerstrasse, which was always crowded and visited Frauenkirche which was totally restored after WWII. We decided to go to the Englischer Garten and we took the U-bahn to Tivolistrasse. This turned out to be a mistake because it put us in the middle of the Garten when I wanted to be at the southern end, and I didn’t have a map which showed exactly where we were and the maps in the park itself never show you were you are. We walked and managed to find the Chinese Tower and Monopteros. When we left Monopteros, I thought we were heading south but it soon became clear that we had no idea where we were. I finally asked directions and was told we were going in the totally opposite direction from the one we wanted. So we turned around but managed to stay totally lost. We finally found our way out of the park onto the city streets and realized that we weren’t even on any of my maps anymore. We wandered first one way and then another and then my husband saw a bus which he thought would take us back to Marienplatz. We used our day ticket to jump on the bus which only went a few stops and then the driver announced that we were at the end of the route. We weren’t at Marienplatz but at Marienenplatz. The driver gave us directions in German which we tried to follow only to get totally turned around and confused again. At this point, we were laughing so hard. I asked directions of a young mother who told us we were yet again going opposite from where we wanted to go. Finally we came Isartorplatz and, from there, we were able to find our way back to Marienplatz. We had dinner at an Italian restaurant called La Valle right off the Marienplatz on Sparkassenstrasse 5. I had made reservations before we left home. The restaurant had a menu in English and all the waiters spoke English though we continued to try to use our German whenever possible. The food was tasty. We shared a pizza with a very thin crust and then each had a pasta dish. We walked back to the hotel along the Kaufingerstrasse buying a dish of ice cream for dessert.

We woke the next morning to sunshine and predicted highs in the 60s. After breakfast, we walked down the Kaufingerstrasse and walked through the Alter Hof courtyard and visited the Renaissance courtyard at the old mint, Munze. We came out at Max Joseph Platz right by the Nationaltheater. We visited the Residenz Museum using the Castle Pass and took the combo ticket. The audio guide was included in the price and we took the one for the Residenz first and followed the arrows throughout the building indicating the tour. The route was very easy to follow and there were many guards throughout to help if needed. The building is so huge that some rooms are only open in the morning and others only open in the afternoon. We went when we could so there were some rooms we missed (such as the two chapels). Parts of the Residenz were closed for renovation but the number of rooms we saw were exhausting and I’m not sure how much more we could have absorbed. After the Museum, we went back to exchange our audio guide for one covering the Schatzkammer, the treasury. If you listen to every item on the audio tour, it will take about 5 hours so we listened selectively and it was well worth the visit to see these treasures. We turned in our audio guides, picked up our backpacks and headed outside to visit the Cuvillies Theater. The theater is very beautiful and was also covered by our combo ticket. We came out after visiting on Odeonsplatz, looked at the Feldherrnhalle, visited the Theatinerkirche (which was beautiful with an all white interior). We wanted to walk through the Hofgarten but they had it closed because they were filming a movie there. We walked around the perimeter of the Hofgarten, saw the State Chancellery and visited the very moving below- ground memorial to the soldiers lost in WWI. We walked past the Haus der Kunst to the southern end of the Englischer Garten (where I was trying to get to the day we got so lost) to show my husband the surfers. He couldn’t believe it and just stood watching them for, what was to me, much too long. When I finally pulled him away, we headed over to the museum area and visited the Brandhorst collection because my husband really likes Warhol. The building was beautiful but much of the art was too contemporary for my taste. We walked along the street and stopped at Brasserie Tresznjewski for dinner. They didn’t have an English menu so we tried to figure out what many of the items were using our phrase book. The portions were substantial and tasty. We shared a salad with duck breast and vegetables and then had a red curry and a pork dish. It was a simple walk back to the hotel where we dropped off our heavy backpacks and then walked down the Kaufingerstrasse since they were having a special evening when the stores are allowed to stay open late. There was entertainment, dancers, bands, beer gardens, etc. all along the street.

Saturday morning was sunny and clear and we had our final breakfast at the hotel, checked out and walked a few blocks to the Europcar rental office to pick up the car. Of course, they didn’t have the type of car we had reserved and offered us an upgrade to a SUV which we didn’t want because it uses more gas, we certainly didn’t need the all- wheel drive feature and, since we would be driving from place to place with luggage in the car, we wanted a vehicle with a real trunk. Other than the SUV, they offered us a Mercedes with a stick shift which I can’t drive and, so we ended up taking the SUV and figure we spent at least $100 extra on gas during the trip. There was a cover in the back so the luggage was not visible through the tinted windows so that wasn’t an issue. The car had a navigation system which we used instead of the portable one we bring on every vacation and the system really came in handy during the trip. We took the autobahn out of the city and headed south towards the Bavarian Alps. Near Eschenlohe there was a huge traffic jam so we got off and got on routes 2 and then 23 north driving first to Schloss Linderhof for the 1:45PM English tour. There are a small number of lockers across from the hotel (and an even smaller number which work because many were out of service so look for a locker with tiny lights on) and you get a coin from the ticket office to use the locker. It was a 5 minute walk to the Schloss and we first walked around taking pictures in the beautiful clear weather. We took the English tour which we felt was a bit rushed. The Venus grotto is up on the hill and a bit disappointing. They kept talking about the grotto in German and saying that the English description would be coming but it never did so finally we left and visited the Moorish kiosk (beautiful inside and outside) and the gardens. We then drove back to Ettal, parked in one of the lots which charge 1 Euro and visited the Kloster and the beautiful basilica. We bought a very small bottle of their famous fruit liqueur which was very good. We then drove north on 23, skipping Oberammergau because the Passion Play was being performed and we wanted to avoid the crowds. We stopped at Echelsbacher Bridge which I had read about in some guide book but that was a total waste because, at least at the time we were there, you had no view because it was all in shadow. Perhaps at a different time of day it would be worth a stop but not in the afternoon. We drove on to Wieskirche and parked in the lot (1 Euro/hour—make sure you always have a lot of coins because many of the parking lots require coins and some even require exact change) and walked over to this exquisite church which is in a lovely countryside setting. This is a very worthy stop. After walking all around the inside of the church, we took some time just to sit and look at the beautiful interior. We drove to our hotel, Hotel Muller, which was often recommended on this site, and the drive was lovely. We pulled over often to admire the scenery and to take photos. We received a very warm welcome at this hotel in the town at the foot of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, a great location. Our room was small but it opened up to a large communal deck with views of Neuschwanstein. The hotel doesn’t provide any toiletries other than soap so be prepared with your own lotion, shampoo and conditioner. We had dinner in the hotel dining room and it was delicious with very good and friendly service. As we found often in Germany, the portions were very large. We each had a salad to start (one with shrimp) and lamb and wiener schnitzel were our main courses with a portion of the best home fries I have ever had. It was a very enjoyable evening. The hotel took care of obtaining our tickets for the next morning for the two castles recommending we take the first tour at Neuschwanstein in order to beat the crowds and to visit Hohenschwangau afterwards.

We woke up early and had breakfast which was included in the room price. There was nice variety on the buffet and the service was very good. We took the bus up to Marienbrucke (the bus was already stuffed to overflowing and later the lines to get on the bus were so long), took our photos and walked down to the castle waiting in the courtyard for the time of our tour (9:20AM) to be lit up on the board in the courtyard signaling our turn to go through the machines to meet our tour guide. The interior of this castle is all dark woods and very gothic looking. The tour was a bit rushed lasting only about ½ hour. We then went in to watch the video presentation which was readings about Ludwig and his life matched to still photos. We went out through the kitchen and the gift shop and walked down the hill a bit and took the horse and carriage the rest of the way down the hill (you pay the driver for the ride) which was a very pleasant ride. When the carriage let us off, we went directly to Hohenschwangau for our 11:20AM tour. The day had turned very sunny and warm. The tour of Hohenschwangau was fine and the castle is lovely inside and so different from the other two Ludwig castles we had visited. This was a much more understated interior. After the tour, we stopped at the hotel, changed into lighter clothing, got a map of Fussen from the desk and headed out. First we stopped at Tegelberg which is very close to the hotel because my husband wanted to take a ride on the Somnerrodelbahn which is a sort of summertime luge ride on the mountain. He had a great time. We thought of taking the cable car to the top of the mountain for the views and hikes but, since it was a beautiful Sunday, it seemed that many others had the same idea and the wait to get on the cable car was well over 1 hour. Instead, we drove to Fussen and parked in one of their many parking garages (the machines to pay for parking in garages throughout our trip were very easy to use with English directions available). We parked in garage #5 which was very convenient to the Altstadt. We came up out of the garage right by the Tourist Information (which was closed on a Sunday afternoon) and by the plaza with very interesting fountains composed of cubes of rock balanced on bases of rock solely by the use of water. We sat on the convenient benches and spent time just watching these fountains. We then followed the walking tour of Fussen in Rick Steves’ book which worked out very well. Fussen is a lovely town and a very enjoyable place to spend a beautiful afternoon. The illusionist architecture at the Hohes Schloss was particularly interesting. Renovation work unfortunately closed the Heritage Museum so their regular exhibits were unavailable. That was disappointing. The cafes along the main pedestrian street were very busy. We stopped off at a bakery for a snack and then drove back to the hotel. The weather began clouding up and, while my husband had to review something for work, I sat out on the deck (I never saw any other guests using the deck) and enjoyed the lovely view. We ate at the hotel again sharing a shrimp and pasta appetizer, salmon and wiener schnitzel (the home fries weren’t as fabulous as the night before) for main courses.

Monday was overcast. After breakfast, we drove to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. On the way we stopped at Lechfall, a small waterfall outside of Fussen. Not especially impressive but worth a short stop (and they have a very clean bathroom there). We drove on the autobahn over the border into Austria (gas prices were much lower in Austria and the station right over the border was mobbed) and arrived back in Germany at Garmisch-Partenkirchen following signs to the ski stadium where we parked (need change for the parking meters). By this time it was raining, cold and damp. We walked through the parking lot following the signs to Partnachklamm which is a gorge that was recommended. It was a perfect place to go on a rainy day because you get a bit wet walking through the gorge even on a beautiful day. The walk from the parking lot to the start of the gorge is about 15 minutes. They charge you 3 Euros to visit the gorge. We walked through and came out the other end and then turned and walked back again. It was well worth the visit. We went back to the car and drove to Mittenwald which is recommended a lot on this site. Unfortunately, all the mountains were covered by clouds so we couldn’t see any of the beautiful views of the Alps. We followed signs for parking and paid at the machine. We stopped at the tourist office for a town map and to use the restroom. We wandered around this very charming town stopping in the beautiful church which is in the center of the town. From there we just wandered up and down streets admiring the beautiful houses with brilliantly painted facades, gorgeous flowers and carved gables. The town is small and you can’t get lost. We drove back to our hotel and then drove to the Fussen area for dinner at Fischerhutte in Hopfen am See, a restaurant on a lake surrounded by mountains but the clouds and rain meant that we had no view at all. While we were looking at the menu (they had one in English and an English-speaking waiter), we saw a rowboat go out to a dock not far from shore and two men got out and played Alpenhorns. We couldn’t find out whether they do this every evening or not but it was an enjoyable surprise. The dinner portions were very large. The fish soup was ok but our main courses, salmon on pasta and shrimp with a side of pasta were both very tasty. I’m sure, in clear weather, the view must be lovely.

Tuesday was a sunny day and we checked out of our hotel driving towards Bodensee (Lake Constance). Our first stop was Lindau where we drove onto Insel and parked in lot #5 which was a great location for walking around Lindau. From the parking lot, we just walked over the bridge and the tourist office and the train station (with its clean restrooms) were right there. The weather was very hazy so the views across the harbor were not very good. We walked along the harbor, along Maximilianstrasse with side trips to Thieve’s Tower which has a “Rapunzel” braid hanging from a window and Peterskirche which is now a WWI and WWII memorial with 15th century frescoes on the walls. We walked down to the Marktplatz and into both the Lutheran and the Catholic churches and then back along the harbor to return to our car. We drove on to Meersberg and checked into Residenz Am See, a lovely hotel overlooking the lake. We had reserved a parking place at the hotel which worked out well because the non-reserved parking was often full. Our room was a very nice size with a balcony although the bathroom was quite tiny. We were given a free bowl of fruit (as we had been in each of the hotels so far) and the beverages in the mini bar were complimentary. At the suggestion of the woman at the hotel, we walked down to the harbor (not far at all) and took the boat out to Mainau, the island which is a botanical garden. Since it was late in the day, we were able to buy a cheaper combo ticket which covered the boat trip and entrance to the island. The ride was about 20 minutes and, since the sun was out, it was lovely sitting outside. We spent about 2 hours on the island walking all around following the map we were given. My husband took lots of photos. We took the boat back to Meersburg, climbed the large stone staircase opposite the harbor to the Oberstadt and had dinner at Winzerstube zum Becher, a lovely restaurant. They had an English menu and English-speaking waitress and the food was delicious and plentiful. The salads came with mushrooms and bacon bits and the roasted duck and local fried fish were excellent. After dinner, we walked down the staircase again (a bit more difficult in the dark) and back to our hotel.

Wednesday was cloudy and chilly so we were very glad we had gone to Mainau yesterday. The breakfast at the hotel was excellent with a very extensive and delicious buffet. We walked to Meersburg and then took a right up Steigstrasse, a very charming street and ended at the Altes Schloss. Using a discount card our hotel gave us, we purchased tickets to the Burgmuseum in the Altes Schloss. You walk through at your own pace. Although all the descriptions were in German, we were able to pretty much figure out what the signs said (at least enough to get by). There are tours of the tower but they are only in German so we skipped that. Next to the castle is a very picturesque mill with the oldest wooden water wheel in Germany. We went to the Neues Schloss which is supposed to have closed for renovation in October. When we were there, the rooms were mostly empty and not worth visiting and I wasn’t able to find the Dornier Museum about the development of the seaplane which was supposed to be on the first floor of the Neues Schloss. However, there was an interesting temporary exhibit about the inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci. The chapel right next door to the Neues Schloss was worth a quick look. We picked up our car and some local maps at the hotel and drove to Uberlingen where we spent a pleasant 1 ½ hours visiting the churches, the Altes Rathaus, walking along the back streets and along the Seepromenade. It started to drizzle so we picked up the car and drove back stopping at the pilgrimage church at Birnau on the way. We had to wait outside for a while until the service ended but then we were able to visit this beautiful and ornate church and were lucky enough to hear someone playing the organ while we were there. Then back to the hotel. We walked along the lakefront in the opposite direction from Meersburg and had dinner at the See Hotel Off. This was a lovely restaurant overlooking the lake and we received a very warm welcome. Although they didn’t have English menus, our waitress spoke perfect English and together we were able to translate most of the items on the menu. We ordered a fish sampler which gave us the equivalent of 2 full courses of varied and delicious fish dishes which came with noodles and potatoes and a salad to start. Our waitress was so warm and friendly and the whole evening was a total pleasure.

Thursday was cloudy again as we checked out of the hotel. They gave us a linzertorte as a parting gift. Our first stop was Triberg where it was sunny. We parked and walked to the waterfalls called the Wasserfalle Gutach for which we paid 3 Euros. We walked up to the two different bridges and to the lower level seeing the falls from different perspectives. We then walked up the hill to the Wallfahrtskirche Maria in der Tannen (Church of Our Lady of the Fir) which was pretty but quite dark inside, walked back to town and into the store of 1,000 clocks to see the amazing displays of cuckoo clocks. We then drove to Furtwangen and, after a bit of trouble finding parking and the museum, we spent about one hour at the German Clock Museum. They gave us a booklet of English descriptions which we used while there. The Museum collection was very interesting and well worth a stop. We then followed the road to St. Margen and the turn-off to St. Peter where we parked in a free lot and visited the basilica. Following the signs to Mount Kandel, but it was so hazy there was no view to be seen. Our next stop was Freiburg where we had to negotiate a lot of construction which made getting to our hotel, Colombi, a bit difficult. We used the valet parking while at this lovely and luxurious hotel in a fabulous location just a few blocks from Munsterplatz. This hotel did not include breakfast but there was a café right off the lobby and we would have coffee, tea and pastries in the morning. Delicious! Our room was very large with a seating area with a couch, chairs and a desk, a very large bathroom and a walk-in closet larger than any I have at home. They left complimentary fruit, chocolate and water bottles. Using the map of Freiburg they gave us, we followed to some extent the Rick Steves walking tour. We really liked Freiburg. It is a charming city and, although there is a major university there, it does not feel crowded at all. We had dinner at Oberkirchs Weinstuben each having creamy mushroom soup and then one pork and one turkey entrée. We were sharing a table with a very friendly couple from Wurzburg and our conversation made the evening very enjoyable.

Friday was overcast. We walked over to the Munster wandering through the wonderful market which is set up every day on the plaza. The famous tower of the Munster is covered for extensive renovation which they are still trying to raise money to pay for and there is also a lot of construction work going on inside the church. This is an amazing building and the stained glass windows captivated us. For the afternoon, I had worked out a drive into the surrounding countryside but found out that the Hollental, a highly recommended drive, was closed for at least four weeks because of falling rocks. We drove to Staufen, parked in one of the many parking lots, and walked to the center of this charming village just in time for the sun to come out. We purchased a ham sandwich (I needed to try authentic black forest ham) which we ate out by the central fountain and then we walked up and down the main street and then followed the Rick Steves walking tour through the back streets of the village. My husband was happy to find a small coffee roaster and to sit on the bench outside the shop in the sun sipping his freshly roasted espresso. We picked up our car and drove to Belchen to take the cable car up hoping for a clear view over the surrounding area. It was relatively clear but still a bit hazy. After taking the cable car, we walked all the way to the top admiring what we could see and enjoying the fresh, cold air. We then drove back to Freiburg and wandered around areas we hadn’t been to yet especially Fischerau and Gerberau streets and locating the synagogue and memorial to the Jews who had been deported from Freiburg. We decided to have dinner at Sichelschmiede which I had read about. We ate inside although the restaurant had a very inviting terrace because smoking was allowed on the terrace. The restaurant is filled with knick knacks and you feel as if you are in someone’s home. The waitress spoke English and the menu was also in English. We ordered snail soup for an appetizer and our entrees were sauerbraten and hanger steak each served with spaetzle and salad. The food was delicious and the portions were very large. My husband declared their beer to be the best of the trip so far. We walked back to the hotel purchasing some ice cream for a light dessert and then had the delicious truffles we received with our turn-down service.

Saturday was sunny and cool and we walked over to the market at the Munsterplatz and bought a grilled bratwurst and a Freiburg rote wurst for a late breakfast. Another stand sold delicious fresh apple cider in real glasses. We checked out of the hotel and drove towards Gutach to visit the Black Forest Open Air Museum. The Museum has various buildings which were brought to this spot and rebuilt. There are English explanations on a spinning languageboard outside many of the buildings. We couldn’t go into the main farmhouse building because a wedding was being held there but we were able to visit all the other buildings. It was a nice stop on a lovely afternoon. We then got on the autobahn heading towards Baden-Baden, our next stop. And we spent 4 hours stuck on the highway. Every so often we would crawl a bit and then come to a total stop and there were no exits to get off. We finally reached the front of the traffic jam and saw that the autobahn was closed because they were taking down a bridge. Everyone had to get off at the same exit which meant that the local routes to Baden-Baden were also very crowded. We finally reached our hotel, Hotel Belle Epoque, at about 7PM having missed the afternoon tea which was included in the price of our room. Our room was in the smaller and what looked like newer building next door which had a very tiny elevator to take us to our room on the top floor. The room was a nice size but the lighting was not very good and the bathroom and the shower were very tiny. The hotel recommended an Italian restaurant, La Gondola, about two blocks away. This was clearly a neighborhood restaurant with many regular patrons but the owners warmly greeted us and the food was very tasty. We had a delicious and very large salad and shared one large and one small pizza. The hotel gave us the Schwarzwalder Gastekarte discount card but we weren’t going to be in the area long enough to use it.

Breakfast was served in the main building next door to the one our room was in in a lovely and very elegant room. The buffet was extensive and very good. Since we hadn’t had a chance to see Baden-Baden at all the day before, we spent some time walking around, again following, to some extent, the walking tour outlined by Rick Steves. It was a shame we didn’t have more time to spend here because it is a lovely place. We managed to get on the autobahn and avoid the construction which caused such headaches the day before and drove to the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart. We parked in one of the garages right around the museum and were shocked, when we reached the plaza by the entrance to see a very long line snaking out the door and down the plaza. And everyone had children with them! I despaired of getting in to the museum in a reasonable time but the line did move rather quickly although it stopped just as we reached the front. The guard told us that they had to wait until some people left before letting in any more visitors. He also told us that the museum was so crowded because of some type of kid's day which allowed free admission to museums if you had a child with you. Despite starting our visit much later than I hoped, we had a very good time at this museum and managed to see it all. We were given a free English audio guide which is only necessary for all the extra information they give you about the vehicles because all the signs are in both German and English. I’m not a big car person but I found this museum to be a very enjoyable way to spend a day. We ate at the restaurant at the museum because we weren’t sure when we would next have the opportunity to stop for dinner. The food was quite tasty and it was very pleasant sitting out on the terrace (there weren't any smokers). We picked up the car and felt the parking was pretty expensive (7 euros for about 4 hours) and we headed out to our hotel in Heidelberg, our next stop.

We stayed at the Hotel Hirschgasse on the opposite side of the river from Heidelberg but within very easy walking distance. They offered us complimentary drinks when we checked in. We had a suite with a bedroom and bath upstairs and sitting area downstairs. Breakfast was not included. Monday morning was very chilly as we walked to Heidelberg but, by afternoon, it turned into our warmest day so far. We walked across the Alte Brucke and wandered around stopping at a bakery which was giving out wonderful smells and had coffee and some pastries. We felt that Heidelberg was the most touristy of the towns we visited. There are many cheap souvenir shops and there are tour groups everywhere. We walked around the university area and, unexpectedly, the Student Jail was open and very interesting and worth a visit to see all the student art work on the walls. We visited Jesuitkirche and Heiliggeistkirche, walked up and down the Hauptstrasse. We bought the 5 euro combo ticket for the Bergbahn and the Schloss rather than walking up to the Schloss. Once at the top, we walked around the courtyard and then bought tickets (4 euros) for the English tour which was given pretty frequently. This turned out to be a great idea because we toured the inside of the buildings and learned a lot of information we would not have known other than by taking the tour. After the tour, on our own we visited the huge wine vat and the pharmacy museum both of which are included in the entrance price. We then walked around the Schlossgarten and took the Bergbahn back down. We wandered up and down various streets and then went back across the Alte Brucke to hike up the Schlangenweg to the Philosophenweg but the views were getting hazy and it was getting very warm so we didn’t continue up the Philosophenweg. Going back into Heidelberg, we decided to have dinner at the Thai restaurant right on the plaza as you come across the Alte Brucke. It was called Phuket (Steingasse 1) and the food was very tasty, the service excellent and the owner gave us a complimentary lychee drink which I had never tasted before. It was very refreshing. We got some lovely photos of sunset over the river and of the moon rising over the castle.

Breakfast at the hotel was too expensive (21 euros) so we packed and left driving via the autobahn to Bad Wimpfen which I read so much about on this site. There were no signs in Bad Wimpfen indicating where to go to visit the Altstadt and we ended up parking at the Marktplatz right by the Blauer Turm purely by accident and it was a great location. We started walking finding a very good sat bakery for coffee and pastries where we could sit outside and enjoy the atmosphere. We walked to an office which we thought was the tourist office but it turned out to be the office of a museum where we bought an English brochure with a town map and walking tour and used their bathroom. We followed the walking tour along with information I had copied from various guidebooks and it was very easy and very interesting. We really enjoyed our time in this lovely town. We picked up the car and headed back to the autobahn and drove to Schwabisch Hall, a much larger town than Bad Wimpfen. Again, we had some trouble finding the Altstadt and finally used the GPS in our car to find a parking garage. We parked in garage 2 which was a perfect location. We wandered through the town going across the river looking back at the half-timbered houses along the waterfront. We then found our way to the Marktplatz where we picked up a free map at the tourist office. We visited Michaelskirche and took in the views of the buildings around the Marktplatz and wandered around enjoying the beautiful weather. Then we picked up the car and drove to Rothenberg ob der Tauber where we stayed at the Markusturm Hotel. The hotel’s directions were perfect and got us right up to their door where they took charge of our car. The hotel is actually part of the wall around the old town. I know that Rothenberg is full of tourists (at least during the daytime) but we loved it. The Markusturm was a wonderful place to stay although, if you are sensitive to street noise, do not stay in room 101 which looks out on the cobblestone street with all the traffic noise starting very early in the morning. But the room was large L-shape with a sitting area and a very spacious bathroom. The entire staff of the hotel was very warm, friendly and helpful. We ate in the hotel restaurant the first night and were very happy with that decision. The dining room is very pretty but comfortable. The food was delicious. We both had the cream of mushroom soup and I had lamb and my husband had pork. One of the joys of staying overnight in Rothenberg is the ease of taking the Nightwatchman’s Tour. I agree with all those who say this is not to be missed. It was one of the highlights of the whole trip. You meet in front of the Rathaus and you shouldn’t be put off even if the crowd is large as it was the night we were there. This is a fun, informative and memorable tour and so worth the 6 euros.

The other benefit of staying overnight in Rothenberg was the ability to go out early before all the tourist buses arrive. We walked to Roder Gate and climbed the wall walking north and then west along the wall. It was wonderful because the town was still empty and quiet. At Klingen Bastion/St. Wolfgang’s Church we came down from the wall, followed along the cliff and then followed a path which went outside the wall to the Burggarten. We walked through Burg Tor and then along Burggasse just inside the wall and then headed back to the hotel for their extensive breakfast buffet. As the day went on, tourists descended on Rothenberg by the bus load. So many are Americans that you can almost forget you are in Germany because all you hear is English. After breakfast, we walked around the town visiting St. Jakob’s with its magnificent Altar of the Holy Blood by Tilman Riemenschneider. Then we walked through the Imperial City Museum which was interesting. My husband climbed the Rathaus tower while I waited below since heights are not my favorite. He reported that the top stairs were almost vertical and the final part of the climb and the viewing platform were a bit scary even for him. We walked over to the Criminal Museum which was interesting but some of the exhibits were very graphic and unpleasant so be warned. We wandered around the streets and then climbed up on the wall and walked around it again. At Roder Tower we climbed to the top (they charge 1,5 euros/person) which gives a very good view over Rothenberg in a few directions. The exhibit in the tower only consists of 2 or 3 photos of the bombing of Rothenberg and the English translation is far from complete. We went back to the hotel to relax for about 2 hours which felt good after a long day of walking. We then walked over to the White Tower and the area which was the Jewish section in medieval times. We walked outside the wall to dinner at the Italian restaurant, Die Blaue Sau at the Hotel Mittermier. The menu was more limited than the one they had shown online. The food was ok but not great. It was a bit disappointing especially considering the prices.

The next day was another sunny day and, after an early breakfast, we got going on our drive to Wurzburg. We followed the signs to the Residenz which made it very easy to find and we parked in the huge lot in front of the Residenz. We purchased our tickets for the 11am English tour (this was also on our Castle Pass) and, since we were early, we walked around the city a bit. The English tour takes you through the south wing. Then, on our own, we saw a photo exhibit showing the reconstruction of the Residenz and walked through the north wing. Unfortunately, the famous chapel was closed for extensive renovation. We then walked through the gardens. We walked around the town visiting the Dom and Neuminster churches. We went back for the car and drove the short distance across the river to the Marienberg Festung (Fortress). You can walk around the courtyard and see the keep, the Well Building and go through the garden to the terrace without paying. We skipped the art museums but used our Bavarian Castle Pass to visit the Prince’s Building which we felt would not have been worth it if we had had to pay for it. The building has some beautiful wooden furniture from the 1600s and the model of the city after the Allied bombing raid of 1945 was very interesting. The terrace affords good views back over Wurzburg. And that was the finish of our trip to southern Germany. We picked up the car and drove to Bad Homburg where we stayed in the Comfort Inn. If I had to do it over again, I would not have stayed as far as Bad Homburg and would just have found a hotel closer to the Frankfurt airport. The Comfort Inn had no parking of its own and we were very lucky to find a spot on the street which only cost us 2 euros for overnight parking. Otherwise we would have had to drive to a garage somewhere nearby and pay at least 12 euros for overnight parking. We had to drag our bags up a staircase to reach the lobby level. The room and bathroom were quite small but sufficed for the one night we were there. We didn’t want to move the car out of that parking spot so we needed a restaurant within walking distance for dinner. There was an expensive Mediterranean restaurant nearby but we chose a more reasonably priced Chinese restaurant on the edge of the Kurpark. The food turned out to be quite tasty. Breakfast the next morning was a surprisingly extensive buffet which was much better than we had expected for a hotel of this type. It was an easy drive to the airport and following the signs for Terminal 1 and then the signs for car rental return brought us right to the Eurocar return.

Thus ended a wonderful trip to southern Germany.