AboutLarry Caldwell Expertise Bavarian Alps, castles, things associated with King Ludwig II, the Rhine, Rothenburg odT, Kathe Wohlfahrt, shopping, eating, crystal collecting (Swarovski, Wattens, Austria), (former) East Germany revolution of 1989-1990, concentration camps.
Experience Attended the special 350th Anniversary edition of the Oberammergau Passion Play in 1984. Fluent in German, I'm always asked by the locals where I learned to speak so well. That makes me feel good. When I go there, I want to blend right in and feel at home.
Expert: Larry Caldwell Date: 6/13/2008 Subject: places to see
Question I plan on visiting Germany with my wife in mid july, flying into frankfort and driving to the area of Vilseck and Weiden...we already plan to visit the regensburg area and tour the Danube for a day but we really would like to see more of the little villages as well as castles and churches, and places off the 'beaten path' so to speak...We do have a renal car but would take public trans if needed as well...This is our first trip ever overseas and we are looking for as many ideas as we can to make the best of it when we go in mid july this year
Thanks for your time on this
regards,
John
Answer Unfortunately you did not tell me how long you would be in Germany so I cannot give you any specific itinerary. However, with a general idea of where you will be I can suggest many things to see and do.
Since you are flying into Frankfurt and have expressed an interest in river tours, perhaps you might want to spend your first day or two exploring a little northwest in the Rhine/Mosel wine valley region. July is a good time to visit there because the wine harvest festivals are just starting up and if you are there on July 5, you can witness the spectacular "Fire on tthe Rhine" festival.
Along the Rhine are dozens of great little towns that you'll want to visit. There are a variety of ways to accomplish this - car, train, or riverboat. Since this is your first ever visit to Germany and you are not familiar with the area or driving, I suggest that upon arrival in Frankfurt, you catch a train right at the airport. Go to Rudesheim, just a short trip up the Rhine. Make that your home base for a day or two. Get acclimated.
Rudesheim is may absolute favorite town on the Rhine and it is everything that typifies the images one has in one's mind of old Germany. To learn more about the town, where to eat, where to stay (more on that later), go to http://www.ruedesheim.de/ and click on the English flag in the upper right-hand menu if you require translation.
After a refreshing night's sleep, take a riverboat tour of the Rhine. If you like (and I recommend it) purchase tickets that allow you to get on and off as you please throughout the day. This gives you the opportunity to explore any little town or castle that suits your fancy. Take the ride all the way on one leg and take note of what looks interesting. Then on the way back, get off at those places you liked and explore to your heart's content. Go to http://www.k-d.com/englisch/index.html for all the info you need to book a great river cruise on the Rhine.
After all that, take the train back to Frankfurt and get your car. As you head down to eastern Bavaria, you will want to check out your destinations of Vilseck and Weiden. Vilseck (the corner of the Vils river) is mainly an historical town and a US military base location. To learn all about it, visit their site at http://www.vilseck.de/english/index1.htm. I could not find a page on Weiden and am not at all familiar with that town.
As long as you are in this corner of the world, I will direct you to take an excursion off the beaten path into the Czech Republic. Head into Prague and experience some of the best of the old world. This is a great city full of history.
As I said earlier, here's a little suggestion about lodging. Europeans travel differently than Americans. Although hotels are readily available, the locals tend to lodge with the locals. Many, many people open their homes and let out extra rooms to travelers. They also usually offer breakfast. We call them Bed & Breakfasts in America. But they are everywhere in Europe and the least expensive way to travel. I do this all the time and always recommend this. Why? Because it will definitely take you off the beaten path and right into the culture of the place. What could be better than staying with friendly locals who are eager to show you their beautiful town and countryside?
A "FeWo" is a shortened German word for Ferien Wohnung which means vacation home.
One other way to do this is to wing it. There are literally so many of these homes that oftentimes as you're driving by you'll notice a sign out front of the house that says, "Zimmer Frei". This means the home has rooms available for travelers. It's all by chance if you do not know the family regarding accomodations and meals.
