Blogs from Bavaria, Germany, Europe - page 9

Am letzten Samstag fuhren meine Mutter, meiner Patin und ich zu unseren Verwandten in Bayreuth. Bei früheren Besuchen hatte ich schon das Freimaurermuseum und die Eremitage gesehen und diesmal zeigte mir mein Onkel das Festspielhaus und die Villa Wahnfried. Eine Sache ist wichtig: es gibt eben das Wagner Festspielhaus, in welchem sich öffentlichkeitswirksam einmal im Jahr unsere Staatsspitze trifft und welches kein UNESCO Welterbe ist und das viel unbedeutendere Markgräfliche Opernhaus, welches aber von der UNESCO ausgezeichnet wurde. Das ist etwas merkwürdig und die Gründe dafür muss ich nochmals recherchieren. Also im Wagner Festspielhaus gab es an dem Tag eine Führung zu einer früheren Zeit (14:00), aber durch Stau und Kaffee kamen wir erst später dort an. Es befindet sich auf dem berühmten Hügel und ist von einem Park umgeben. Auch ein weiteres Wagner Wohnhaus ist ... read more

Da ich seit Anfang November nicht mehr für meinen Stuttgarter Kunden arbeite und statt dessen eine Festanstellung im Raum München angetreten habe, verließ ich die Stadt nicht mehr so oft. Nun hatte ich mir aber für den letzten Samstag einen Ausflug nach Neuburg a.d. Donau vorgenommen. Hier gibt es am Flussufer ein Renaissance-Schloss, welches ich mir ansah und außerdem unternahm ich einen Spaziergang durch die Altstadt. Der Hügel, auf dem sich das Bauwerk befindet, war aufgrund seiner Lage bestimmt schon lange bewohnt - vorher soll hier schon eine gotische Burg gewesen sein, die aber bestimmt nicht das erste Gebäude hier war - und es befindet sich heute eine flämische Gemäldegalerie mit sonstigem Museum darin. Ein ansprechendes Café habe ich in der Stadt nicht gesehen und außerdem drängte auch wieder die Zeit, denn ich wollte nicht zu ... read more

Since I decided to use Munich as my "base" for this trip, I decided to spend two nights here. Needless to say, I have always enjoyed my trips here, beginning in 1971 for my first Oktoberfest, and a few more times in the last decade. First, a bit of history. Munich was founded in 1158 and in 1175 the small city, with Marienplatz at the center, was fortified with protective walls. By 1330, Munich had outgrown the fortifications. The walls were expanded, and eight city gates were built, three of which still stand today. Munich was further strengthened in the early 1600s, but by the 18th century, the walls were seen as useless and destroyed. The main sights of Munich remain in a centralized ... read more

Hints from Fodor's: Hint #1 When planning multi-stop tours, the most important thing is to allocate enough time to fully experience each destination. This can vary by city, but at an absolute minimum, you should plan for two full dawn-to-dusk days in major capitals—ideally more. Travelers benefit from time to shed the underlying anxiety of intercity travel and fully immerse themselves in their temporary provenance. I once heard of some travelers who took a day trip to London from Paris just because they wanted to see the city. They spent five hours traveling between them and only a few hours on a bus tour of one of the world’s most fascinating cities. They could certainly say they had “seen” London, but it is debatable whether they actually experienced it. When I make several stops, other than ... read more

Riding on the Main Oct 12 & 13, 2022 After a great night and breakfast, we said our goodbyes, loaded the car and headed toward Miltenberg which is in the Main River. We took the scenic route to Miltenberg. We visited here before while on our Viking Cruise, and a Viking ship was docked in Miltenberg. We have decided to bike the Main River. This will make our third river in Germany that we’ve biked. We walked through Miltenberg enjoying the half-timber houses and looking for a place to have lunch. Most places were closed. It could have been because the tourist season was winding down or they just wanted a day off. We returned to platz where Kirsten remembers having her picture taken when she was a small girl. Also, this is the village Tante ... read more

We arrived in Regensburg early and had some free time in the morning to explore. The weather improved: a few showers, some sun but the temps were in the forties. Unfortunately, for sightseeing, the area around the ship was pretty plain and ordinary for a 2,000 year-old town. Nice clock tower, though. The highlight of the day was a visit to Weltenburg Abbey which hosts one of the oldest breweries in the region. While the beer was not on our agenda, the chapel in the Abbey was spectacular baroque architecture and completely over the top with St. George on a horse behind the altar. The marble work and statuary were just dazzling. It was a veritable riot of religious symbolism. We then boarded a boat for a short trip down the Danube through a steep-sided and ... read more