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Watch out, Klaus!!; We're headed your way.
Topic Started: Mar 16 2009, 08:31 AM (519 Views)
brenda
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..............
Can you share your recommendations for things to see and do in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland? We'll be there for about 10 days very soon. We just found out today and we'll be leaving in less than two weeks. That's not much time to plan the trip.

I think we would like to take day trips from a fixed location in the middle of the region (perhaps Salzburg or a town near there?), and if you can recommend a good place to stay, I would appreciate that, too. We are a family of three, and daughter is 14 years old now, so no small children to worry about.

I hardly have time to make all the arrangements, much less create an exciting itinerary.

Help!!
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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George K
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Finally
Go to Salzburg - get your photo taken in front of Mozart's birthplace.
A guide to GKSR: Click

"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... "
- Mik, 6/14/08


Nothing is as effective as homeopathy.

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- Klaus, 4/29/18
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Qaanaaq-Liaaq
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I lived in Germany for three years.

You can take a tour of King Ludwig’s castle in the Bavaria area.

Since you’ll be in alpine country in the middle of March, it isn’t too late for winter sports if you’re into any. Garmisch and Oberammergau are quaint picturesque little towns with lots of stores selling cookoo clocks. Oberammergau is where the “Passion Play” is held every ten years.

Me, QAANAAQ, you NOT.

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musicasacra
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HOLY CARP!!!
We loved Vienna.
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brenda
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MS - Yes, I think we would love Vienna, too. Any particular places of interest there you would recommend?

QL - Love the castle tour idea. We should have time for one of those. And we definitely want to go to the smaller towns. Oberammergau sounds like a great place to add to the list. I might pass on the clock thing. I love the carving, but not the cuckoo. (No jokes you guys! :tsktsk: )

GK - We might decide to stay in Salzburg; and it's likely we'll want to stand on the same spot you did for your picture. Is it marked with a little sign "GK was here"?
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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musicasacra
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HOLY CARP!!!
brenda
Mar 16 2009, 09:48 AM
MS - Yes, I think we would love Vienna, too. Any particular places of interest there you would recommend?
Lots. The Belvedere:
Posted Image
Great art collection, beautiful building and grounds.

When I'm planning a big trip, I get the DK Eyewitness travel books. Chock full of photos, easy to find what interests you.
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brenda
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musicasacra
Mar 16 2009, 09:51 AM
brenda
Mar 16 2009, 09:48 AM
MS - Yes, I think we would love Vienna, too. Any particular places of interest there you would recommend?
Lots. The Belvedere:
Posted Image
Great art collection, beautiful building and grounds.

When I'm planning a big trip, I get the DK Eyewitness travel books. Chock full of photos, easy to find what interests you.
Excellent suggestion, MS. I just requested seven different books from that collection to be reserved for me and sent from various libraries in our region to my local library. We have a great interlibrary loan system here.
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Klaus
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Hi Brenda,

I would not recommend to stay in Salzburg. Salzburg is a nice town, but there is not that much to see, compared to other options you have.

Munich has some interesting places. Neuschwanstein is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Germany. Vienna is one of my favorite towns. I don't know Switzerland extremely well, but the cities are not so spectacular in my opinion.

I'd probably stay mostly in Bavaria, and spend 2-3 days in Vienna.

Maybe you can say a bit more about what kind of stuff you are looking for. Culture? Nature? Shopping? Activities? Then I can probably give you better advice.
Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman
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brenda
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Klaus
Mar 16 2009, 11:07 AM
Hi Brenda,

I would not recommend to stay in Salzburg. Salzburg is a nice town, but there is not that much to see, compared to other options you have.

Munich has some interesting places. Neuschwanstein is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Germany. Vienna is one of my favorite towns. I don't know Switzerland extremely well, but the cities are not so spectacular in my opinion.

I'd probably stay mostly in Bavaria, and spend 2-3 days in Vienna.

Maybe you can say a bit more about what kind of stuff you are looking for. Culture? Nature? Shopping? Activities? Then I can probably give you better advice.
The Brenda Family likes: Cultural and historic sightseeing, shopping for locally made things, activities if related to traditional culture (does that make sense? :) ), GREAT local foods and beverages, sightseeing of nature (but not extreme stuff - no mountain climbing :eek: ).

Restaurant recommendations are greatly appreciated. Hubby and I love good food and wine. We want local cuisine that is wonderfully fresh and authentic. If the place will share recipes, that's a huge plus!

What do you like in Vienna?
What is fun to do in Bavaria?
Do you have favorite restaurants in various locations?
Are there specialties in locally produced things, including foods and arts, that are not to be missed?
Are there small towns that are worth a visit? (We love small towns.)
Are there towns with certain distinct characteristics of culture that make them unique and worth a visit?
Are there small inns you would recommend?

Klaus, thank you for taking the time to make recommendations. Hubby leaves this weekend, and then daughter and I join him a week later for 10 days. I need to get some trip ideas put together before hubby leaves. That means I need to quickly work on this in the next few days.

And, yes, I just found out today that we are going. Are you familiar with the phrase 'flying by the seat of your pants'?

Oh, and I have to get all my job work done early so I can be ready to go, too. Where's the little smiley face of a woman pulling her hair out of her head? :lol2:

“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Klaus
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HOLY CARP!!!
Munich has many nice restaurants. Avoid pure tourist places such as Hofbräuhaus. I'd recommend Weisses Brauhaus
http://www.weisses-brauhaus.de/

Go to a bakery and buy a "Bretzn" (a kind of pretzel) - you can nowhere get a better one than in Munich. But don't buy the huge Bretzn - they are for tourists and taste like old shoes. Buy the normal small ones. If you are in a restaurant, try "Käsespätzle" - quite delicious.

Munich often has very good concerts, especially piano concerts. If you are interested, check out the program in the Herkulessaal.

In Vienna, I'd plan a lot of time for sitting in nice cafes to enjoy a "Brauner" with Austrian flan. The castles in Vienna are definitely worth a visit. I like the old cemetery ("Zentralfriedhof") in Vienna a lot (visit the graves of Beethoven/Schubert/Brahms/Strauss/Schönberg).

The former Dachau concentration camp (near Munich) is a good place for a more reflective afternoon.

Bamberg is a very popular destination for American tourists. Kulmbach, Würzburg, Coburg, and Bayreuth are also worth a visit.

Franconia (Franken) is a very nice wine region (the rest of Bavaria is dominated by beer).

You can often find very nice restaurants in small towns. Usually much better than the big "famous" restaurants in the big cities. Avoid any restaurant that offers their menus in English - they are often ripoff places. One nice restaurant in an otherwise not so interesting small town is "Hotel zur Post" in Fürstenfeldbruck (a 20min trip from Munich).
Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman
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brenda
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Wunderbar! Ausgezeichnet!! (I have no umlaut key to do real German for you, Klaus, but I minored in German while in undergraduate school.)

Those are wonderful recommendations and I really appreciate it. I agree that the smaller towns often have better foods and fun things to do. We like to go where the tourists don't go, but the locals do. If upon entering the restaurant everyone turns to stare at you because you are new, that's a good sign. :)

Are you near that area so we can take you out for a beer or a glass of wine? If so, PM me and I will let you know more about the dates we will be there.

If you think of more places for us to visit or restaurants to try, just send me a note or refresh this thread. I'll find it. :)

Danke sehr, Klaus!

“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Cathys
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Brenda - Sounds like a wonderful time - I'm jealous :) . Munich would be a good central location. English Gardens are worth an afternoon or day. Possibly Fruhlingfest will be going on while you are there too, Spring festival on the same grounds as Oktoberfest but much smaller scale. The romantic road is a nice day's drive from there if you have a car. In Switzerland, the Interlaken area is very pretty especially as Spring kicks in and there is gondola ride you can take up to Schilthorn with gorgeous views in the valley very near there.
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Klaus
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HOLY CARP!!!
brenda
Mar 16 2009, 05:54 PM
Are you near that area so we can take you out for a beer or a glass of wine? If so, PM me and I will let you know more about the dates we will be there.
That would have been nice. I lived in Munich until 2003, but now I have moved 1000km north.
Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman
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jon-nyc
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brenda
Mar 16 2009, 05:54 PM
We like to go where the tourists don't go, but the locals do.
Then forget central Europe - maybe you could go to Chad, Burkina Faso, or Mongolia instead. :)
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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jon-nyc
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I agree with Klaus that Switzerland is not that interesting, although a day in Zurich is pleasant enough, just because its such a clean, attractive place.

Berlin and Vienna are by far and away the two most interesting cities in the countries you mention. Go to Vienna for its history and to Berlin for its present.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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jon-nyc
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Brenda - do you have complete flexibility? Or is there some business wrapped up in this trip? And if the latter's the case where do you 'have' to go?
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Klaus
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HOLY CARP!!!
jon-nyc
Mar 17 2009, 02:09 AM
I agree with Klaus that Switzerland is not that interesting, although a day in Zurich is pleasant enough, just because its such a clean, attractive place.

Berlin and Vienna are by far and away the two most interesting cities in the countries you mention. Go to Vienna for its history and to Berlin for its present.
Berlin is very interesting, too, but I wouldn't recommend to go there if you have only 10 days since it is too far away. There is more than enough to see in Southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Budapest or Prague or Dresden are also closer than Berlin.
Trifonov Fleisher Klaus Sokolov Zimmerman
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brenda
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jon-nyc
Mar 17 2009, 02:15 AM
Brenda - do you have complete flexibility? Or is there some business wrapped up in this trip? And if the latter's the case where do you 'have' to go?
So far it appears the business part of the trip will be finished before the family component, and the business part is in Munich. So we have flexibility from there. Daughter and I will meet hubby in Munich to start the 10 day family trip.
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Aqua Letifer
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ZOOOOOM!
Take many pictures. :smile:

I cite irreconcilable differences.
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brenda
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Aqua Letifer
Mar 17 2009, 06:19 AM
Take many pictures. :smile:

Hubby adores his camera. :yes:
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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sue
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HOLY CARP!!!
How exciting, brenda!! What fun to have a spur of the moment holiday like that. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time.
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brenda
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Thanks, Sue. It just happened to work with my schedule (minor miracle there) and with daughter's (another small miracle). This is the first time the stars have aligned!! OK, so I've had to tug a few stars in place to get them all aligned, but it's worth it. :)

A little more advance notice would have been nice, but we'll pull it all together. It's just the three of us, so that makes it a bit easier.

I have wanted to go for YEARS. I minored in German during undergraduate school, so we'll see how rusty those brain cells are now. :)
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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brenda
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I'm bumping this thread to gather any additional ideas from all you smart people. This weekend hubby and I will map out the family portion of the trip. I really appreciate all the good ideas already shared.

Danke sehr!

“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Bernard
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I'm afraid I can't contribute any ideas but do want to wish you a wonderful and exciting trip, Brenda. Looking forward to a fully illustrated report when you get back! :)
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brenda
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Bernard
Mar 19 2009, 07:49 PM
I'm afraid I can't contribute any ideas but do want to wish you wonderful and exciting trip, Brenda. Looking forward to a fully illustrated report when you get back! :)
Bernard, you know what would make my trip completely awesome is to bring my hooking and spend a whole day next to a great family-run restaurant on the side of some mountain. I'd pop into the restaurant for my meals and beverages, then go back out to hook for another couple hours, and back and forth. I'd visit with whoever stopped by to chat, and try some of my rusty German while showing them how to hook.

Alas, bringing my hooking along is really out of the question. It takes up too much room and would become a travel burden. I'm sure the airport security would frown upon my hook and scissors, too. :lol2:
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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