Zurich to Frankfurt (12 days in May)
Dec 23rd, 2005, 06:00 AM
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Zurich to Frankfurt (12 days in May)
My husband and I are flying into Zurich May 11 and deoarting out of Frankfurt May 23. Our iteniary is not planned and I would like advice from you, the experts. We are in our late 20s, childless, enjoy sporting, food and wine. I am more intersted in the small villages (away from tourists) to get a better sense of the culture. From various posts, I am intrigued by Mt Pilatus, Riquewihr (Alsace), Tier, Beilstein, St Goar (river cruise), Rothenburg. I would appreciate some advice based on your personal experience. **Also, I am completely opposed to some tourist-ridden cities (as Rothenburg and Pilatus may be), I just dont want my entire trip to be filled with other Americans...
Dec 23rd, 2005, 06:21 AM
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Our favorite towns on our trip a couple of years ago were Bamberg and Beilstein.
Bamberg is an absolute gem. Lots of folks have written about it here, so try a search.
Beilstein is very small, so we thought it the ideal oasis after a hard day of sightseeing up and down the Mosel. Others might want more to do at night, though none of the towns on the Mosel have taken on the nickname "the Paris of the Mosel valley" when it comes to nightlife.
Rothenburg is tourist-ridden, though it quiets down after the tour buses leave for the day. We chose to stay in a castle hotel in Colmberg, a short distance east of Rothenburg. We did day-trips from there, including Rothenburg. R'burg is full of good photo opportunities as they keep the old (and the rebuilt) buildings in tip-top shape.
Bamberg is an absolute gem. Lots of folks have written about it here, so try a search.
Beilstein is very small, so we thought it the ideal oasis after a hard day of sightseeing up and down the Mosel. Others might want more to do at night, though none of the towns on the Mosel have taken on the nickname "the Paris of the Mosel valley" when it comes to nightlife.
Rothenburg is tourist-ridden, though it quiets down after the tour buses leave for the day. We chose to stay in a castle hotel in Colmberg, a short distance east of Rothenburg. We did day-trips from there, including Rothenburg. R'burg is full of good photo opportunities as they keep the old (and the rebuilt) buildings in tip-top shape.
Dec 23rd, 2005, 09:07 AM
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Beilstein is great, very scenic, but as Rufus says, it's pretty quiet after dark.
Rothenburg is tourist ridden during the day but once the tour buses leave, it is quite nice. Even during the day, there are areas where you can escape the crowds if you venture away from the main square.
That said, last year we discovered the lovely little town of Bad Wimpfen which is about an hour from Heidelberg on the Neckar River. To me, it was just as lovely as Rothenburg but there were no tourists. Check it out at www.badwimpfen.de. Dinkelsbuhl is also a worth a visit. We did it as a day trip from Bad Wimpfen.
Rothenburg is tourist ridden during the day but once the tour buses leave, it is quite nice. Even during the day, there are areas where you can escape the crowds if you venture away from the main square.
That said, last year we discovered the lovely little town of Bad Wimpfen which is about an hour from Heidelberg on the Neckar River. To me, it was just as lovely as Rothenburg but there were no tourists. Check it out at www.badwimpfen.de. Dinkelsbuhl is also a worth a visit. We did it as a day trip from Bad Wimpfen.
Dec 23rd, 2005, 09:43 AM
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We also liked Dinkelbuehl.
Unfortunately for us, the day we visited, there was a large and very loud Brazilian drum and trumpet band and dance troupe that decided to put on a demonstration of their act in the middle of town.
We have nothing against Brazilian music, and I certainly do not dislike the sight of a couple of dozen attractive Brazilian women prancing about in skimpy swimsuits and high heels on cobblestone streets.
However, that was not the experience we were seeking when we decided to stop in Dinkelbuehl. We did watch and enjoy for a few minutes, but they were soooooooooo loud that Mrs. Fly got a headache.
So we decided to walk away from the center of town and find someplace to have a light lunch out of earshot of the fascinating rhythms and eyeshot of the undulating bodies (sigh--if it had just been the dancing and no music, but...).
We found a nice little place with a pleasant terrace on a small square. Just started our meals (and I was on my second Radler) when we both heard some faint rhythmic sounds. Sure enough, the entire Brazilian band and dance troupe had decided to march throughout the town to "drum up" business.
And, sure enough, they picked the pretty little square where our cafe was located to stop and put on another show.
Fortunately, Mrs. Fly's headache had subsided, so we were able to finish our luncheon--and then we left Dinkelsbuehl to the Brazilians and several hundred Germans bizarrely undulating to the beat, beat, beat of the drums--the various dance styles exhibited by the residents of Dinkelsbuehl were somewhat akin to the dancing style of Elaine on the Seinfeld show.
Unfortunately for us, the day we visited, there was a large and very loud Brazilian drum and trumpet band and dance troupe that decided to put on a demonstration of their act in the middle of town.
We have nothing against Brazilian music, and I certainly do not dislike the sight of a couple of dozen attractive Brazilian women prancing about in skimpy swimsuits and high heels on cobblestone streets.
However, that was not the experience we were seeking when we decided to stop in Dinkelbuehl. We did watch and enjoy for a few minutes, but they were soooooooooo loud that Mrs. Fly got a headache.
So we decided to walk away from the center of town and find someplace to have a light lunch out of earshot of the fascinating rhythms and eyeshot of the undulating bodies (sigh--if it had just been the dancing and no music, but...).
We found a nice little place with a pleasant terrace on a small square. Just started our meals (and I was on my second Radler) when we both heard some faint rhythmic sounds. Sure enough, the entire Brazilian band and dance troupe had decided to march throughout the town to "drum up" business.
And, sure enough, they picked the pretty little square where our cafe was located to stop and put on another show.
Fortunately, Mrs. Fly's headache had subsided, so we were able to finish our luncheon--and then we left Dinkelsbuehl to the Brazilians and several hundred Germans bizarrely undulating to the beat, beat, beat of the drums--the various dance styles exhibited by the residents of Dinkelsbuehl were somewhat akin to the dancing style of Elaine on the Seinfeld show.
Dec 23rd, 2005, 10:55 AM
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Try to make a stop in Stein am Rhein to see the amazing painted buildings, and maybe Lindau on Bodensee with its beautiful harbor. No matter the crowds during the day, Rothenburg is gorgeous at sunrise and sunset. While in Alsace, if you'd like to explore more than the places on everyone's list, seek out little Dambach-la-Ville and make it your own. J.
Dec 23rd, 2005, 06:15 PM
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The Pilatus is a mountain - great views, easy to get to from Luzern (itself an hour by train from Zuerich), so there will be crowds. But it's okay, you don't hang around forever - best to bring your own picnic because the lines may be long. It will re-open in May - no dates given, depends on snow conditions so ask when you get there or keep an eye on
www.pilatus.ch/default.asp?sprache=E
The Rigi is another mountain in similar distance from Luzern, well worth going up - www.rigi.ch/ and - for hiking suggestions - www.gruxa.ch/rigi.htm
For small-town charm and beauty, explore the eastern Swiss regions. One of them is the Toggenburg - it's so not overrun by tourists that the website is only in German (www.toggenburg.org/index.asp) - click around, you'll get a good visual idea; the Toggenburg wintersport site is in English, look at www.skitog.com/.
Input Toggenburg Tourism into Google and you'll get quite a few unofficial sites in English.
Then there's the Appenzell region, with the fabulous Saentis - take a look at
http://saentis-cam.cnlab.ch/
and at
http://www.saentisbahn.ch/pages/d/in...lish.php?rub=5
download the pdf file in English
The Appenzell region is written up quite well at Imboden's
http://europeforvisitors.com/switzau.../appenzell.htm
and at
http://usa.myswitzerland.com/en/navp...ture-8789.html
Reichenau, Meersburg, Lindau are all really nice small towns on the Bodensee (German for Lake Konstanz).
St. Gallen is the matriarch of cities in that region, a cultural and religious and university center - www.st.gallen-bodensee.ch/englisch/
You could stay in Romanshorn on the lake, it has lots of charm and is not overrun at all - www.romanshorn.ch/ (click on Tourismus - in German only) and, in English,
www.thurgau-tourismus.ch/englisch/frame.cfm
Across the border, the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) is a region you should travel in May, hopefully things will be in bloom if they had a benign early spring. The only major city is Freiburg im Breisgau, it's on the SW periphery of the Schwarzwald region, many coach tours leave from there, and you can make up your own driving itinerary.
It's not a forest per se, just lots of nooks and crannies in the hills, many wooded areas, lots of quaint little towns, not many on train lines. Again, check a map, it's a natural to go through there from Zuerich on the way to your other targets you've listed.
Colmar, Riquewihr
(www.visit-alsace.com/riquewihr ), Guebwiller
(www.visit-alsace.com/guebwiller) are all a short distance from Freiburg, so you could make Freiburg or environs your headquarters after Eastern Switzerland for a few days.
That should get you out of the big cities and into the small towns where the real people live... You'll find that not everybody speaks English in those places, but as soon as they have anything to do with tourism and travel, they'll be able to help or call the other person who does speak English. Just don't take it for granted is what I'm saying.
Further north, the ships should have started running again on the Rhein, check
http://www.bingen-ruedesheimer.com/r...ise/index.html and
www.rheinschiffahrt-goar.de/ and www.hotel-rudesheim-rhine.com/
There's so much more...
WK
www.pilatus.ch/default.asp?sprache=E
The Rigi is another mountain in similar distance from Luzern, well worth going up - www.rigi.ch/ and - for hiking suggestions - www.gruxa.ch/rigi.htm
For small-town charm and beauty, explore the eastern Swiss regions. One of them is the Toggenburg - it's so not overrun by tourists that the website is only in German (www.toggenburg.org/index.asp) - click around, you'll get a good visual idea; the Toggenburg wintersport site is in English, look at www.skitog.com/.
Input Toggenburg Tourism into Google and you'll get quite a few unofficial sites in English.
Then there's the Appenzell region, with the fabulous Saentis - take a look at
http://saentis-cam.cnlab.ch/
and at
http://www.saentisbahn.ch/pages/d/in...lish.php?rub=5
download the pdf file in English
The Appenzell region is written up quite well at Imboden's
http://europeforvisitors.com/switzau.../appenzell.htm
and at
http://usa.myswitzerland.com/en/navp...ture-8789.html
Reichenau, Meersburg, Lindau are all really nice small towns on the Bodensee (German for Lake Konstanz).
St. Gallen is the matriarch of cities in that region, a cultural and religious and university center - www.st.gallen-bodensee.ch/englisch/
You could stay in Romanshorn on the lake, it has lots of charm and is not overrun at all - www.romanshorn.ch/ (click on Tourismus - in German only) and, in English,
www.thurgau-tourismus.ch/englisch/frame.cfm
Across the border, the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) is a region you should travel in May, hopefully things will be in bloom if they had a benign early spring. The only major city is Freiburg im Breisgau, it's on the SW periphery of the Schwarzwald region, many coach tours leave from there, and you can make up your own driving itinerary.
It's not a forest per se, just lots of nooks and crannies in the hills, many wooded areas, lots of quaint little towns, not many on train lines. Again, check a map, it's a natural to go through there from Zuerich on the way to your other targets you've listed.
Colmar, Riquewihr
(www.visit-alsace.com/riquewihr ), Guebwiller
(www.visit-alsace.com/guebwiller) are all a short distance from Freiburg, so you could make Freiburg or environs your headquarters after Eastern Switzerland for a few days.
That should get you out of the big cities and into the small towns where the real people live... You'll find that not everybody speaks English in those places, but as soon as they have anything to do with tourism and travel, they'll be able to help or call the other person who does speak English. Just don't take it for granted is what I'm saying.
Further north, the ships should have started running again on the Rhein, check
http://www.bingen-ruedesheimer.com/r...ise/index.html and
www.rheinschiffahrt-goar.de/ and www.hotel-rudesheim-rhine.com/
There's so much more...
WK
Dec 24th, 2005, 04:45 PM
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Try to see the church in Wies. If going down the Rhine, Freiburg is a nice town and the area around it, especially the Kaiserstuhl (sp?) which is between the city and the Rhine is known for its wines. You might want to do the <i>route des vins</i> in Alsace, following the foothills of the Vosges.
