Where would you spend 3 Christmas nights in Bavaria?
Nov 2nd, 2005, 04:56 AM
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Where would you spend 3 Christmas nights in Bavaria?
If you could spend 3 nights Christmas weekend in Bavaria, where would it be and why? Is there a specific hotel or "gasthaus" that you love there? Or restaurants and activities? Looking for inspiration!
Nov 2nd, 2005, 05:37 AM
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We spent last Christmas in Salzburg and loved it. I know that is not technically Bavaria but it is pretty close. We stayed at a family-run hotel called the Weisse Kreuz in the altstadt.
We spent the time just before Salzburg in Munich. I love Munich anytime of the year but the Christmas markets make it even more fun.
As for villages you could look at Bertschesgaden, Mittenwald, Oberammergau or Fussen.
We spent the time just before Salzburg in Munich. I love Munich anytime of the year but the Christmas markets make it even more fun.
As for villages you could look at Bertschesgaden, Mittenwald, Oberammergau or Fussen.
Nov 2nd, 2005, 05:44 AM
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We were in Garmisch Partenkirchen between Christmas and New Years last year and it was wonderful. See my report--Winter Wonderland. The only problem could be getting a hotel for just 3 nights at that time of year. They seem to require booking for 7 to 10 days minimum, but you could try it. Good luck and enjoy.
Nov 2nd, 2005, 06:34 AM
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If you picture in your mind's eye what a Christmas in the Black Forest would be like, then you will have an idea of where I spent the most idyllic Christ mas ever, in 1986, in a tiny spa village in the area of Lenzkirch (never heard of it, right?) in the heart of the Black Forest region near the Bodensee, in the village of Saig.
We stayed in a Bauernhof-a working farm/ guesthouse, with the snow piled high to our waists but the roads cleared so you could still drive. The beautiful ancient church, with its church bells ringing on Christmas Eve, the snow on the pines-the traditional Christmas dinner of goose (which I don't eat) and red cabbage-and gluhwein of course. There is a hotel Saigerhoh there where you can do the spa treatments. A more Christmas card perfect area could not be found.
We stayed in a Bauernhof-a working farm/ guesthouse, with the snow piled high to our waists but the roads cleared so you could still drive. The beautiful ancient church, with its church bells ringing on Christmas Eve, the snow on the pines-the traditional Christmas dinner of goose (which I don't eat) and red cabbage-and gluhwein of course. There is a hotel Saigerhoh there where you can do the spa treatments. A more Christmas card perfect area could not be found.
Nov 2nd, 2005, 07:43 AM
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Are you relying on public transportation, or will you have a car? Traveling in many parts of Bavaria without a car is frustrating. I love Munich, I consider it a blue-chip city.
Consider Bamberg, a lovely city with many architectural treasures and an addictive Rauchbier (smoked beer). I loved my stay in the Hotel Residenzschloss, which sits right on the banks of the Regnitz river and below the magnificent Dom.
Good luck.
Consider Bamberg, a lovely city with many architectural treasures and an addictive Rauchbier (smoked beer). I loved my stay in the Hotel Residenzschloss, which sits right on the banks of the Regnitz river and below the magnificent Dom.
Good luck.
Nov 2nd, 2005, 11:14 AM
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I second Salzburg and highly recommend the Hotel Freisacher in Anif, which is a small town 5-10 mins. outside of Salzburg. We walked to a small church behind the hotel and attended midnight mass on Christmas Eve. It was THE most magical Christmas.
I can also recommend the following hotel:
HOTEL JAGDSCHLOSS GRAF RECKE
5742 WALD IM PINZGAU
AUSTRIA
Hotel Jagdschloss Graf Recke in Wald im Pinzgau (which is run by Count von der Recke) is an old hunting lodge. We enjoyed a horse-drawn sleigh ride, complete with warm blankets, hot cocoa, and schnapps to keep us warm. The Count keeps a superb Chef on hand to provide gourmet meals and the views are amazing.
http://www.ila-chateau.com/jagdschl/
I can also recommend the following hotel:
HOTEL JAGDSCHLOSS GRAF RECKE
5742 WALD IM PINZGAU
AUSTRIA
Hotel Jagdschloss Graf Recke in Wald im Pinzgau (which is run by Count von der Recke) is an old hunting lodge. We enjoyed a horse-drawn sleigh ride, complete with warm blankets, hot cocoa, and schnapps to keep us warm. The Count keeps a superb Chef on hand to provide gourmet meals and the views are amazing.
http://www.ila-chateau.com/jagdschl/
Nov 2nd, 2005, 12:07 PM
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Tries2PakLite: Thank you for mentioning Hotel Jagdschloss Wald im Pinzgau! It looks wonderful. We were "im Pinzgau" September 2001 and enjoyed the area a lot. Christmas at the Jagdschloss sounds great and I'd like to try it some day.
Nov 2nd, 2005, 01:22 PM
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We spent three nights over Christmas in Oberammergau last year which was just magical. We loved the small village feel of it and everything was very traditional and, of course, Oberammergau is such a pretty spot as well. I do agree with Julie that you might find it hard to get accommodation this close to Christmas, especially as you are only after 3 nights.
Jun 2nd, 2006, 11:51 AM
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My frien, Michael, is from Germany and we are tryting as I type this really..to find an apartment in Nurenberg for that time.
Its central enough for his relatives to come find and stay with us.
He says that in his opinion, it has the best Christmas Market, and Lebkuchen (sp?)
Its central enough for his relatives to come find and stay with us.
He says that in his opinion, it has the best Christmas Market, and Lebkuchen (sp?)
Jun 2nd, 2006, 02:06 PM
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Nuremberg would locate you in a fairly central location to see the others in the area. I've always heard they had the best Christmas Market in Germany.
Munich is a short train ride away, Salzburg a bit longer but still within a daytrip.
MvK
Munich is a short train ride away, Salzburg a bit longer but still within a daytrip.
MvK
Jun 2nd, 2006, 03:34 PM
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I would head back to Regensburg, which has not one but three Christmas markets. There's a very nice hotel in the "Bishop's Court" area; I'll try to find the name of it again--I posted it a while back and failed to make a note of it.
Regensburg has a fine Gothic cathedral (rare in Bavaria) and a superb choir that is rated second only to the Vienna Boys Choir. The "Regensburg Sparros" choir consists of about 3/4 boys and the other 1/4 men, all with magnificent voices. Hearing them sing at Christmas time is a rare treat.
Regensburg has a fine Gothic cathedral (rare in Bavaria) and a superb choir that is rated second only to the Vienna Boys Choir. The "Regensburg Sparros" choir consists of about 3/4 boys and the other 1/4 men, all with magnificent voices. Hearing them sing at Christmas time is a rare treat.
Jun 3rd, 2006, 02:45 AM
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Last December, we spent nine nights in Salzburg and Munich at Christmas. It is a picture postcard world there, especially for this Florida girl.
The music, decorations, gluhwein, food and markets were amazing and it was the most festive holiday experience ever.
It was so spectacular that my fiance and I will be honeymooning there this December inclding two nights at Vier Jahreitzen in Berchtesgaden.
The music, decorations, gluhwein, food and markets were amazing and it was the most festive holiday experience ever.
It was so spectacular that my fiance and I will be honeymooning there this December inclding two nights at Vier Jahreitzen in Berchtesgaden.
Jun 3rd, 2006, 03:38 AM
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Tries2PackLite, thanks for suggesting the Friesacher...we are trying to find the perfect hotel for us on the outskirts of Salzburg--four stars, less urban setting, takes pets--and this looks like a good option. A TA review says it's on the #25 bus run, which is perfect as that is the same bus that goes by Schloss Hellbrunn...when I was there on Tuesday, I was thinking about the wonderful walking trails around the schloss and how it would be nice to stay in that area when we travel with our dog. The prices look reasonable for the quality.
I like Salzburg very much but not sure I would want to stay in the city at Christmas...would be too crowded for us (my husband gets short-tempered around the teeming hordes...our recent Saturday afternoon foray to the British Museum was NOT a success). But staying on the city's outskirts sounds great. Esp. as the hotel has a good restaurant.
I like Salzburg very much but not sure I would want to stay in the city at Christmas...would be too crowded for us (my husband gets short-tempered around the teeming hordes...our recent Saturday afternoon foray to the British Museum was NOT a success). But staying on the city's outskirts sounds great. Esp. as the hotel has a good restaurant.
Jun 3rd, 2006, 04:26 AM
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Our family has spent two Christmases in the area around Munich and Salzburg-- in 1999 and then more recently in 2003. We definitely plan to do this again, and I can't imagine a better place to spend Christmas.
Both times our stays in Salzburg included Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (as well as a few other days). There are several day trip possibilities from Salzburg as well.
I have visited Salzburg several other times, and I didn't think it was too crowded at all at Christmas. The good news is that there are things to do on Christmas Eve afternoon and Christmas Day. If you choose to spend Christmas Day in a smaller place, you may find that you don't have anything to do and limited choices of where to eat your meals.
The Christmas markets close up sometime around noon on Christmas Eve. You can attend a concert on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I could recommend a couple of restaurants for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Our two Christmas trips have also included Munich for a couple of days and Oberammergau for a couple of days. These are both also really special destinations for the holiday season. We especially enjoyed the Christmas market in Munich.
See this photo album (called "Christmas in a Postcard"
from our 2003 trip. This may help convince you what a special Christmas destination this area is: http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3787
Kathy
Both times our stays in Salzburg included Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (as well as a few other days). There are several day trip possibilities from Salzburg as well.
I have visited Salzburg several other times, and I didn't think it was too crowded at all at Christmas. The good news is that there are things to do on Christmas Eve afternoon and Christmas Day. If you choose to spend Christmas Day in a smaller place, you may find that you don't have anything to do and limited choices of where to eat your meals.
The Christmas markets close up sometime around noon on Christmas Eve. You can attend a concert on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I could recommend a couple of restaurants for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Our two Christmas trips have also included Munich for a couple of days and Oberammergau for a couple of days. These are both also really special destinations for the holiday season. We especially enjoyed the Christmas market in Munich.
See this photo album (called "Christmas in a Postcard"
from our 2003 trip. This may help convince you what a special Christmas destination this area is: http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3787Kathy
Jun 3rd, 2006, 07:54 AM
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I second Underhill's suggestion. We spent Christmas of 2002 and 2005 in Regensburg. This beautiful city is on the Danube river, and boasts the oldest stone bridge in Europe. Regensburg still has traces of its Roman origins, and many of its medieval buildings are still intact. It was not damaged in the war. There are many beautiful churches, wonderful squares, and great little shops.
The Christmas markets are fun; we especially liked the Romantisches market which featured all handmade goods with the artists present and working in their booths.
The Domspatzen choir that Underhill described is the oldest boy choir in the world (around 1000 years), and their voices truly sound like angels. In fact, Georg Ratzinger, brother to Pope Benedict, was the kappelmeister at the cathedral for 25 years (now retired).
Going to the 10:00 Mass on Christmas Eve with the cathedral's bells ringing out over the town is one of the most memorable experiences I have ever had. We went at the last minute in 2002 and stood on the side with no view and it was still fabulous. The next time we went over an hour early and had wonderful seats and it was just as wonderful. The church is barely heated, so dress warmly. We wore all our long underwear and hats, gloves, etc. and still froze.
We stay at the Sorat Insel hotel on an island in the Danube. Our rooms had a view of the river and buildings of the old city. This hotel serves the best breakfast I've ever seen. In 2002 the hotel served special dinners on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, but in 2005 the restaurant was actually closed for both days (except open for breakfast). We ate dinner at the Roter Hahn on Christmas Day and had a festive picnic in our room for Christmas Eve (although I think there were some pubs open).
The downside is that the city pretty much closes up at noon or 1:00pm on Christmas Eve and all of Christmas day. In 2002 we actually traveled to Prague on the 25th, but in 2005 we decided to stay put in Regensburg until the 26th. On the 25th I went back to the cathedral for the daytime Christmas service and walked all around the aldstadt, looking at the fragments of the Roman wall, and peeking in shop windows. My family was happy to spend a lazy day in the hotel, reading and looking out over the city.
The Christmas markets are fun; we especially liked the Romantisches market which featured all handmade goods with the artists present and working in their booths.
The Domspatzen choir that Underhill described is the oldest boy choir in the world (around 1000 years), and their voices truly sound like angels. In fact, Georg Ratzinger, brother to Pope Benedict, was the kappelmeister at the cathedral for 25 years (now retired).
Going to the 10:00 Mass on Christmas Eve with the cathedral's bells ringing out over the town is one of the most memorable experiences I have ever had. We went at the last minute in 2002 and stood on the side with no view and it was still fabulous. The next time we went over an hour early and had wonderful seats and it was just as wonderful. The church is barely heated, so dress warmly. We wore all our long underwear and hats, gloves, etc. and still froze.
We stay at the Sorat Insel hotel on an island in the Danube. Our rooms had a view of the river and buildings of the old city. This hotel serves the best breakfast I've ever seen. In 2002 the hotel served special dinners on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, but in 2005 the restaurant was actually closed for both days (except open for breakfast). We ate dinner at the Roter Hahn on Christmas Day and had a festive picnic in our room for Christmas Eve (although I think there were some pubs open).
The downside is that the city pretty much closes up at noon or 1:00pm on Christmas Eve and all of Christmas day. In 2002 we actually traveled to Prague on the 25th, but in 2005 we decided to stay put in Regensburg until the 26th. On the 25th I went back to the cathedral for the daytime Christmas service and walked all around the aldstadt, looking at the fragments of the Roman wall, and peeking in shop windows. My family was happy to spend a lazy day in the hotel, reading and looking out over the city.
Jun 3rd, 2006, 09:54 AM
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BTilke -- you are very welcome. We have been to Salzburg twice and have stayed in the city at The Hotel Elefant and then at the Hotel Freisacher. If we returned again we would go directly back to the Freisacher -- it is that good. The lounge with the fireplace and bar where you can relax after a long day at the Christmas Market is well worth the price of admittance. It is just a wonderful place to stay -- so homey and welcoming.
If you do chose to stay there, let me know what you think -- and try to get a room in the older section with a view of the mountain.
I'm not sure that anyone else on this board has ever stayed there -- because it is outside of town -- so I'd love to hear what you have to say. For us, it was a little piece of heaven.
Have a great trip!
If you do chose to stay there, let me know what you think -- and try to get a room in the older section with a view of the mountain.
I'm not sure that anyone else on this board has ever stayed there -- because it is outside of town -- so I'd love to hear what you have to say. For us, it was a little piece of heaven.
Have a great trip!
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