Deutschland and the Romantic Road (Berlin, Frankfurt, Heidelburg, Wurzburg, Rothenburg, Neuschwanstein, and Munich)

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I've been dreaming of driving the southern roads of Bavaria for years, so I was excited that one of my friends got some time off between completing her residency and starting her new job. We added a pit stop in Berlin to our Romantic Road drive due to all of the history. Plus, I was told by my German friend that it's a must see.

Berlin (Spend 2-3 days): A dark history has shaped the culture and attitudes. The intertwining of the U.S., French, English and Soviet occupation is palpable. Most people I met spoke at least French and English and likely Polish or Serbian.
Where to stay: I would recommend staying the the Mitte area - near Alexanderplatz. It is close to the Berlin Wall Memorial and has quick access to all the other attractions via the underground. Public transport is pretty easy in Berlin. Plus, Mitte is filled with great little shops, coffee houses, restaurants, and lounges. Of course, if you're looking an epic night scene, then East Berlin is the best place to stay - raves and dance clubs galore.

Things to do:
- The Berlin Wall Memorial: Berlin history is very heavily swayed towards the Cold War. The museum is worth the tour to better educate yourself post WWII and the pitfalls of occupying a war torn country.
- East Side Gallery: The highlight of our time in Berlin. Grab some beers and spend an hour or two walking the wall to view all the amazing street art.
- Checkpoint Charlie: The famous checkpoint between East and West Berlin. If you already went to the Berlin Wall Memorial Museum, then you can skip the Check Point Charlie Museum. But don't miss the free outside historical display just beyond the checkpoint.
- Tiergarden: This is a beautiful garden to stroll through. If you really have time to spare, an interesting thing to do would be to compare a few sites in this area to what they looked like in 1945 (http://interaktiv.morgenpost.de/berlin-1945-2015/).
- Sammlung Boros Museum in Mitte (http://www.sammlung-boros.de/boros-collection.html?L=1): This museum is located in an old bunker and worth the visit.
- Ravensbrück Concentration Camp (or any Concentration Camp): As somber as this visit is, it should be done. Ravensbrück is about an hour north of Berlin via public transportation and is unique as it was built to be exclusively for women. Between 1939 and 1945, some 130,000to 132,000female prisoners passed through the Ravensbrück camp system; around 40,000 were Polish and 26,000 were Jewish from all countries including Germany,18,800 Russian; 8,000 French, and 1,000 Dutch. Only 15,000 of the total survived until liberation. Make the time for this visit, it should take about half a day or a little more. Then go back, grab a beer and engage in the discussion of pulling parallels from recent history such as the Bosnian war and the current Syrian conflict and refugee crisis.
Where to eat: Just a heads up, the food in southern Germany was much more traditional German and delicious! Berlin, like any other major city, has a lot of variety.
- The only place worth noting is Brauhaus Lemke. Try the Currywurst; it's quite popular in Berlin.

Night life: Warning - Berliners know how to party and the party doesn't usually start until 1am. So grab a late dinner, a cocktail afterwards and maybe an energy drink.
- Rivabar in Mitte: This was a cool little lounge with delicious custom drinks.
- Felix in Mitte: This was a fun disco bar with a cool lounge area. The drinks were pricey, but you'll know the music and everyone is out dancing. Don't arrive until midnight or 1am - open until 6am.
- There are a bunch of other great dive bars all around Mitte - only downer is that some of them allow smoking.
- As mentioned before, the hard core, very German, club scene with house music is mostly on the East side and I just couldn't muster the energy to go out two nights in a row. But ask any young German on where to go for that scene and they'll tell you.

Bavaria and the Romantic Road: Rent a car and drive from Frankfurt to Munich, stopping at all the quaint little towns along the way! You'll appreciate the flexibility of being able to have your own car. Plus you get to go on the autobahn (I was only brave enough to go 120Mph).

Where to stay:
We mostly stayed in Airbnb's.
Rothenburg: Hotel Gotisches Haus - Old timber hotel; very charming.

Things to do:
- Make a short pit-stop, an hour or two, to see Romerberg in Frankfurt. Nothing else is worth the time in the financial capital.
- Spend a day wandering around Old Heidelberg and walk down Hauptstrasse, the mile long main street. Go at night and see the Heidelberger Schloss beautifully lit up. The castle ruins are among the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps. Hike (do not drive - it's impossible) up Philosophenweg across the river to get amazing views of the town.
- Wurzberg had mixed reviews, but I think it's a must see for at least 1/2 a day! Start at Residenzplatz and walk towards Fortress Marienberg, crossing the Old Main Bridge. Stop for some wine, but only drink the white. It is light and refreshing in this region. Then make the climb up to the fortress - the views are amazing.
- All you have to do is wander around Old Town in Rothenburg ob der Tauber to see everything you want to see. Peek in and out of the shops, especially the Christmas ones. Walk around the top of the wall to get some breathtaking views. Rothenburg looks like an iconic German Christmas Village. Truly charming.
- Make the drive to Schwangau, spend the day and be sure to see Neuschwanstein, the infamous Cinderella's Castle. There's another castle in the same town, but Neuchwanstein is the main attraction. Ludwig II built this castle and was quite nutty. Try to buy tickets in advance if you can, but not necessary. If you're the adventurous type, book a parasailing company to get the full affect of the scenery.
- Spend at least 2 days in Munich. I recommend two things: 1. Wander around all the beer gardens, especially hitting up Hofbrauhaus and be sure to get plenty to eat. Also, make sure to see Sankt Peter, Marienplatz an New Town Hall. 2. If you haven't been to a Concentration Camp yet, make the 40 minute commute to Dachau, the first Concentration Camp built and of which all other Concentration Camps are based. (See notes under Ravensbrück).

Where to eat:
- Heidelberg: Schnitzelhaus Alte Münz for every kind of Schnitzel, Papi for some great Italian and Hugo for a great wine house.
- Rothenburg: Reichskuchenmeister for the most amazing mushrooms included in many dishes.
- Munich: Any beer garden will do.

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