We have 2-3 days to spend in early September touring Germany from the Schaffhausen area on our way back to Munich. We will be driving and enjoy seeing scenic countrysides, mountains, quaint towns, fine art museums and palaces. We like to avoid heavily populated and touristy towns.
What towns/routes/%26quot;must sees%26quot; do you recommend for driving through the Black Forest and Bad-Wurttemberg?
|||
From Schaffhausen to Munich, you can first visit Hohentwiel (in www.schloesser-und-gaerten.de ), Germany%26#39;s largest castle (fortress) ruin by Singen that sits atop a former volcano. If you then go a little further north, you can drive from Tuttlingen to Sigmaringen along the gorge of the Danube River through the Swabian Alb (my favorite area of Germany with lots of castles and caves and excellent cliffside scenery- www.schwaebischealb.de ). This idyllic stretch of the river has lots of castles and palaces perched atop the cliffs. You can even stay in a castle from the 1100s, Wildenstein, which is now a youth hostel ( www.jugendherberge-burg-wildenstein.de ). There is a nice monastery at Beuron, and Sigmaringen ( www.sigmaringen.de ) has an excellent castle/palace with an extensive medieval armor and weapon collection. This area along the Danube is one of the most scenic in Germany. From Sigmaringen head via Pfullendorf, Heiligenberg, and Salem to Lake Constance ( www.bodensee-tourismus.com ). There is enough to see and do at the lake to last you several weeks. The loveliest town on the lake is Meersburg ( www.meersburg.de ) which also has Germany%26#39;s oldest castle. Nearby, is the lovely church at Birnau and also the reconstructed prehistoric fishing village on stilts in the lake. A boat trip can be made from Meersburg across the lake to the garden island of Mainau.
If you like Baroque churches and monasteries, the region north of the lake, Upper Swabia ( www.oberschwaben-tourismus.de only in German), has Germany%26#39;s highest concentration of beautiful Baroque churches and monasteries and is host to the Baroqe Road ( www.barockstrasse.org only in German). From there Munich can be accessed by either the A8 or A96 autobahns.
Although the places I have mentioned are excellent, you probably will see only a few German tourists and no or a few foreign ones for a %26quot;real%26quot; German experience.
You could also drive through the German Alps to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and then take the A95 autobahn to Munich.
Your last question is different than the first one. Baden-Wuerttemberg is a premiere tourist destination in Germany: www.baden-wuerttemberg.de ; www.tourismus-bw.de ; www.schloesser-und-gaerten.de for the excellent castles, palaces, monasteries, and gardens operated by this German state.
Some excellent regions within this state to visit:
Black Forest- www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info
Swabian Alb- www.schwaebischealb.de
Lake Constance- www.bodensee-tourismus.com
Upper Swabia- www.oberschwaben-tourismus.de
Some excellent places I always enjoy revisiting:
Tuebingen www.tuebingen.de our favorite town in Germany to repeatedly visit with its hilly cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, castle, interesting nontourist shops, and one of Europe%26#39;s oldest universities
Bebenhausen Monastery well preserved medieval monastery just north of Tuebingen (in www.schloesser-und-gaerten.de )
Hohenneuffen Castle the largest castle (fortress) ruins of the Swabian Alb (in www.schloesser-und-gaerten.de )
The fairytale-like castles Hohenzollern ( www.burg-hohenzollern.com ) and Lichtenstein ( www.schloss-lichtenstein.de ) where they recently completed filming of Sleeping Beauty
Germany%26#39;s oldest state stables, world-famous Marbach (Gomadingen)- www.gestuet-marbach.de where you can visit the magnificent stallions in their stalls and the mares and colts will be out in the fields
Esslingen ( www.esslingen.de ) with its well preserved medieval center
Ludwigsburg ( www.ludwigsburg.de ) with Germany%26#39;s largest perfectly preserved Baroque palace (in www.schloesser-und-gaerten.de ) with lots to see including the longest and best palace tour that I%26#39;ve been on in Europe
Stuttgart ( www.stuttgart-tourist.de ) has the excellent Mercedes Benz and Porsche Museums (after all, it is where the automobile was invented), the excellent Staatsgallerie for art along with two other art museums, at least 6 palaces, and many other interesting sights
|||
Thank you so much for your wonderful recommendations!
No comments:
Post a Comment