The Schöens Wochenende (Happy Weekend) train ticket is an amazing deal if you have more time than money. For only €28 up to five people can travel all weekend on local trains (that's €28 total for up to 5 people!). If you wanted to, you can travel all the way from Berlin to Switzerland on nothing but local trains (but it takes about 10 train transfers and 10 hours to do it). Buy a pass at any German train station.
Meppen is a beautiful town. I have been there 3 times.
Füssen is an amazing place with unmatched beauty. Everyone knows about Schloss Neuschwanstein, which is overly touristy but still a must-see, but I found there was a lot more to see than just that. Schloss Hohenschwangau is actually much more interesting on the inside (it was actually lived in and is chalk full of artifacts) and much less crowded, so don't skip it.
There was one particular restaurant here that really stands out in my mind, and I highly recommend. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name. The best I can do is to say that it was just to the left of a drug store, on the south side of a street, east of the traffic circle on either Kemptener Strasse or Ritterstrasse (I think). It's worth hunting for. It has a traditional appearance on the outside, with true Bavarian atmosphere with traditional food, the kind of place where you can order a whole leg of pork with dumplings and a tall glass of wheat beer. And the waitress there spoke five languages, including English.
My family stayed in the Oberwesel Castle! Fantastic experience. We lived in Europe for 12 years and will never forget Oberwesel! Beautiful area.
Nuremberg is surprisingly beautiful, I will definitely go back.
Wuppertal is well known for its suspended train (Schwebebahn). The big industrial city has turned into a cultural place (historical and art museums, University).
I can't say much for the town of Hannover, it's a bit dreary especially in the winter.
I visited Wertheim recently, what a remarkable improvement since I was there earlier in 1962-63. You have made it a virtual wonderland of scenery!
Baden-Baden is fun to explore especially with all of the staired ally ways that lead into seemingly secret courtyards with foutains. Bring a good pair of shoes because the town is very hilly.
Paderborn is a beautiful city with great shops and plenty of night life. There are many restaurants of worldwide origin and the city generally has a welcoming and exciting feel to it. Paderborn is a must for anybody visiting Germany.
Weimar is a cool little town, worth a stop. Good food, nice people and quiet. A good place to get some rest after a fun time in Berlin but still have a good time. Real low-key. Plus, if you're interested I recommend visiting Buchenwald, the former concentration camp which is just five minutes away.
I loved Bautzen! It's amazing! Planning my next trip there for December!
I've been to Bayerisch Eisenstein 5 times since 1995. I spent time there waiting for the train to Klatovy. Everybody was very friendly and the town is really nice. I will be back in August. Greetings from Australia.
I love Bad Blankenburg- in fact I love Thuringia! The little town in the middle of wild nature is so lovely that u must see it with ur own eyes to understand how beautiful it really is...
I lived there for over 7 years so I know what I'm talking about, now I do live in Scotland but Bad Blankenburg is a lot more attractive than this village here will ever be...
Kochel was a very sweet town and my family and I absolutely loved it there. Everyone was very nice and understanding of our English/German translations... :-)
Freiburg is a really interesting place, with its liberal and evironmentally friendly attitude combined with interesting inner city. It reminded me of San Francisco, except smaller and much less gay. I did manage to get a little bored here by the end of my three days, so I only recommend two tops. Going to see a match of FC Freiburg is highly recommended, and the stadium can be reached from the city centre by a long but beautiful walk (one and a quarter hours) along the river to the east.
One interesting thing about Singen is that it is home to that sauce that many Germans put on everything known as Maggi. Everywhere you are reminded of Maggi.
Fly really cheap to anywhere in Europe with Germanwings from the Cologne-bonn airport!
Hamburg is a vibrant, cool city. The harbour area is fascinating, and the Reeperbahn (German version of Amsterdam's Red Light District) is worth a visit - for the experience of course! Very friendly locals, cool bars, restaurants, culture, and good shops...what more can you want?
We've been in Erfurt for three days, very nice town to visit.
Karlsruhe is a great midsized people, about 250,000 people live there. You can find a huge palace and many cultural things to do. Nightlife is ok, too. And Karlsruhe is one of the warmest cities in Germany very close to the Rhine River, the Black Forest and the French Border (all within 30 minutes).
I lived in Bad Kreuznach! Fantastically beautiful area. It's more fun when you're fluent in German, though.
I lived in Soest for a few years, as well as worked there. Soest is a small city, very accessible and easy to get around in (keeping in mind it is, like many medieval cities, built in circles radiating out from the Cathedral in the centre of town). It is very conducive to walking or cycling. Not only is Soest historically interesting but it has a wealth of interesting gasthofs, cafes, konditorei, and nightclubs. As Soest was home to both Canadian and British troops from the 1950s through the 1970s and into the 1990s -- as well as Belgian troops -- English is not difficult to find, although one should always try and struggle through in German first. For anyone traveling through this region, Soest is an absolute must see.
I recently visited your beautiful, peaceful city, and honestly didn't want to leave. It reminds me somewhat where I live in Seattle Washington, with the water all around. And Flensburg has such an interesting, and very old history. Right on the border with Denmark, it has the Danish neatness, and beauty. I will come back some day when I can stay longer. You're fortunate to live in such a heavenly, quiet, peaceful city like Flensburg. I'm sure you have your share of crime,and similar problems, but not like the United States. Will close for now. And thank you for making Flensburg such a wonderful city. God Bless You.
I used to live in Thallichtenberg in the early 80s. It's an awesome town. I lived below the castle, and on Sunday I'd sit out front and listen to the town band practice, I loved it.
Regensburg is a wonderful medieval town, one of the only places not to be hit at all during WWII. The old town is especially charming, hosting a sausage kitchen that claims to be nearly one thousand years old, right along the river. Well worth a visit!
Tecklenburg is such a beautiful village on top of the Ranges of Teutoburg Forest. It is full of old tiny halftimbered houses, it is so cute! If you are near Münster - visit this place, it will be unforgettable.
Schliersee is absolutely beautiful! The people are about the friendliest I've ever met -- some locals we met actually took us to Oktoberfest (45 minutes by train) and we had a most outstanding time! However, the Schliersee area is a vacation area for Germans, so don't expect to find too many people who speak English, but most people there will do anything to help you, especially if you make an effort to speak German, and SMILE!
There are plenty of good castles along the Rhine to the south of Koblenz, but do yourself a favour and make a day trip to Berg Eltz. It's a scenic and cheap train ride thirty minutes west to the charming Moselkern, and then an enjoyable five-kilometer walk to the castle.
Heilbronn is a nice, medium- to small-size city with a little bit of everything to do. I've never stayed in a hotel there but it's a nice town/city. Summertime offers nice festivals and the wintertime offers the beautiful WeihnachtMarkt! Enjoy it!
Plau am See is a stunningly beautiful lake district. The people are warm and welcoming and the surrounding country is well worth a drive tour to seek out the hidden treasures. I can't wait to go back again.
Bochum is beautiful, if you go there some day you can't miss a soccer game-- these people are so dedicated to their team, it's a great experience. You also have to see the Rhine river and take the lifts up the hills over all the vinyards, if you do I promise you will not be disappointed.
I was an American soldier stationed in Eschwege in 1952. It is a neat city and I would love seeing it again.
Something very interesting in Bremerhaven is the "Deutsches Auswandererhaus," the "German Emigration House." Between 1830 and 1974, more than seven million people emigrated to oversea countries from the habour of Bremerhaven. The museums shows the reasons, why people left their countries to the New World, under which conditions they travelled, and how they have been treated after arriving in their new homeland. At the end, the museum shows facts and figures about migration today. This museum is interesting especially for people visting Germany from oversea countries, if they want to know a little bit about their ancestors. The museums has public computers for researching passenger lists from ships that went to New York City (in cooperation with an museums at Ellis Island). I enjoyed being in this museum.
Try the Westensee Schluck (a local schnapps) - quite delicious!
I spent a short weekend in Kiel with a friend and we were surprised at what a pleasant town it is. All the red brick buildings in the old town: looking very sturdy and sober. And then you come to the Harbour and - hey, what a nice and modern breeze! I loved it. Nice beaches nearby and great paths for bicycling.
Osnabrück is nice and quiet, although you have a lively students' scene with many pubs in old halftimbered houses. What is nowhere mentioned in the guidebooks I used is that the Varus battle was fought north of town and one can visit a very interesting museum right on the former battlefield.
The town sits in between two forests and has many nice walks (although some are a challenge to follow due to the lack of trail marks). If you are keen on megalith tombs, there are very inspiring places in the town itself, many are in the surrounding. It also has castles, mills, and many festivals throughout the year - oh, and such a wonderful Christmas-market! Osnabrueck is a great chill out town!
Hostelz.com is the only hostel guide with complete information and reviews on all youth hostels and backpackers worldwide.
