Hello

We are thinking of spending the coming week-end in Germany, somewhere in the region Eifel- Trier - Koblenz - Lorelei. We would like to stay max 4 hours drive from Bruxelles.
We means the family, 5 of us, we like cities (hence Trier) or scenic (hence Lorelei) or walking (Eifel).

Buget is not a problem, we have our ar and need only one/two night(s) at a hotel.

What would you recommend ? Thanks.

Mvg.

if you were prepared to travel a little beyond Trier [or to use that as your base and do this as a day trip] you could spend some time in the Pfalz around Annweiler and Burg Trifels.

lots of lovely walking and the wine season should be in full swing at the moment.

I strongly recommend the lovely town Monschau in the Eifel. Very picturesque and many things to do there.

www.monschau.de

At the German-Belgian border you find the Hohes Venn, a moor landscape.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohes_Venn

Besides Trier, one of my favourite cities is Aachen - with the magnificent cathedral from 800 A.D. and a gothic city hall with a nice little restaurant, the Postwagen, tucked at its side.

Do the Lorelei only if the weather is still fine. Along the Rhein, Oberwesel is one of the most picturesque towns, and the Marksburg in Braubauch (near Koblenz) is one of the best-preserved truly medieval castles. (While Burg Eltz is a reproduction.)

traveller - interestingly, the first thing I found on that link to what certainly looks like the lovely little town of Monschau, is a plea for help with refugees.

Perhaps it is my naivety but I had imagined that most of them would be in the east of the country at the moment.

our friends live in the Pfalz near Landau- I must ask them what their experience is.

No, the most refugees are in the west part of the country. The key to distribute the refugees is tax revenue (2/3) and population (1/3), so the economically stronger cities receive a higher proportion of refugees. The state of Nordrhein-Westfalen gets 22% of the refugees, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern just 2%. It is a bit strange because there are so many vacant flats in Eastern Germany while there is a shortage of housing in the thriving cities of the West.

Most of the refugees have provisional accomodation in gymnasiums, vacant industrial buildings or container villages before the city administrations have to find regular housing for them. A tough task, for certain.

Street life is not affected in Germany (but in Athens, we saw squares and parks populated by homeless refugees, just with blankets and thin foam mattrasses which were handed them by volunteers - I do not know what happens when winter comes.)

thanks for that update on the situation traveller. the basis of the distribution has a logic to it, but as you say, it would make sense to take advantage of facilities which are already available.

Nevertheless what Germany is doing is very impressive and I hope that it works out well for everybody.

"the Marksburg in Braubauch (near Koblenz) is one of the best-preserved truly medieval castles. (While Burg Eltz is a reproduction.)"

Eltz was never destroyed. It took some hits - in the 1300's - after which fortifications had to be rebuilt. But like Marksburg, which had additions built on in the 17th and 18th century, there was never any rebuilding - only additions. I cannot understand calling Eltz a "reproduction." It's a great castle to visit, IMO.

"we like cities (hence Trier) or scenic (hence Lorelei) or walking (Eifel)."

I would make a stop in Trier on the way to or from the Rhine, where Boppard, St. Goar (Rheinfels Castle,) Oberwesel, or Bacharach would make good base towns.

The scenery in St. Goar is outstanding and allows good access to the opposite side of the river via ferry (for Marksburg Castle and the Loreley... and the Wine museum and tasting room in the old city tower of St. Goarshausen at the south end of town.)

St. Goar - St. Goarshausen ferry: http://www.schiffbilder.de/1024/pers...chen-18381.jpg

Wine museum:
http://www.rhein-lahn-kreis.de/image...emou7dthn601h7
tower: http://www.welterbe-atlas.de/uploads...oarshausen.JPG

However, I don't think getting to the Loreley is all that exciting... better is the gorgeous WALK along the Rhine Castle Trail between St. Goar and Oberwesel... make a stop at the "Loreleyblick" lookout and take in the Loreley across the river. (You can walk in this very scenic area just as you can the Eifel, by the way.)

http://www.romantic-germany.info/Rhe...eg.6751.0.html

On the path to Oberwesel is the Günderodehaus:
http://www.christiane-geldmacher.de/...in2014-003.jpg
http://www.gastlandschaften.de/filea...f41b775895.jpg

Thanks !

These are exactly the kind of answers I was hoping.
Aachen is for this time, I've been there countless times, and we plan to go for the Xmas market.

I'l print it all, and look on a map, but I've got possibilities now.

mvg

Trier got to be a good option, walking up the Urziger cliffs might be nice if it is warm enough.