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christmas in the alps (or bavaria)? which towns?

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MY HUSAND & I ARE THINKING OF A TRIP TO GERMANY & AUSTRIA IN DECEMBER. WE WILL PROBABLY BE THERE OVER CHRISTMAS AND WE WERE THINKING OF SPENDING A FEW DAYS IN THE MTS, EITHER AUSTRIA OR BAVARIA.

ANY SUGGESTIONS? WE AREN'T REALLY SKIERS. I MEAN, I DID IT A LONG TIME AGO, BADLY.

BUT WE'D LIKE TO ENJOY THE WINTER BEAUTY, SLEIGH RIDES, TOGOGGAN, SNOW SHOE, ETC. ANY ENJOY SOME LOCAL NIGHT LIFE, SOME MUSIC, A SING ALONG BAR, EVEN A LOCAL OOMPAH BAND & DANCING THE POLKA (WAIT, IS THAT POLAND??)

ANYWAY.... ANY SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHAT TOWN WOULD BE BEST? WE ARE A FRIENDLY COUPLE IN OUR 50'S, NOT SUPER ALTHLETIC BUT ACTIVE. WE LIKE TO MEET PEO & EXPLORE BOTH CULTURE & NATURE & HISTORY.

I'M NOT FAMILIAR W/ THE TOWNS, EXCEPT FOR INNSBRUCK.

THE PLAN AT THIS POINT IS BERLIN TO MUNICH, THEN A FEW DAYS I THE MTS OVER CHRISTMAS, THEN SALZBURG. HOWEVER, WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT NEW YRS EVE IS GREAT IN BERLIN, SO WE MAY REVERSE THE TRIP. WE COULD ARRANGE TO STAY IN MUNICH OVER CHRISTMAS, BUT I'D LOVE THE WHOLE WHITE CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE.

VERY CONFUSED RIGHT NOW.

ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!

THANKS

Posted by
7 posts

I think reversing the trip is a great idea. The Christmas markets are excellent in Bavaria / Austria and it ends Dec. 24. For New Year's eve, you want to be in a big cosmopolitan city so Berlin is a great choice. Innsbruck is the closest town to the mountains and a good base for some winter activities.

http://www.oberraindlhof.com/media/Zoombilder/innsbruck-winter-2010-600x400_2.jpg

Innsbruck Christmas market is very scenic with the mountains on the background.

You can do Innsbruck, then Salzburg, then Munich and end in Berlin.

Posted by
12040 posts

You may want to look into some of the smaller resort towns around Kitzbühl. Kitzbühl itself is almost entirely devoted to Alpine skiing, but some of the less famous towns in the area have sledding, langlaufen (cross-country skiing) and winter walking trails.

"ANY ENJOY SOME LOCAL NIGHT LIFE, SOME MUSIC, A SING ALONG BAR, EVEN A LOCAL OOMPAH BAND & DANCING THE POLKA (WAIT, IS THAT POLAND??) " "Local night life" in the Alps during the ski season is usually Apres-ski. Probably not what you have in mind, but it's a distinct regional modern culture all of it's own. That being said, at least two restaurants I know of in Garmisch-Partenkirchen offer nearly nightly live Volksmusik (mostly just a guy singing with an accordion). One is the Fraundorfer, and I can't remember the name of the other one, but it's just down the street. There's less daytime activities for non-skiers in this town, however.

I was at a bar in Lech am Arlberg where there was a group of young people performing various German-language songs, some modern, some more traditional. It wasn't an esemble booked by the establishment to perform, just a social circle that would get together informally. I still remember that when they performed a folksy version of Marmor, Stein und Eisen bricht, practically the entire bar was singing along (it's one of those classic rock songs that every German-speaker knows). Lech, though, doesn't have many options for non-skiers.

Blasmusik (oom-pah) isn't very commonly heard during the winter in the Alps. Sometimes ensembles may give a concert after Sunday mass. Wherever you decide to stay, check the fliers or the community information board. If an ensemble is performing, it's usually well advertised.

If you can't find Blasmusik elsewhere, one sure fallback is the famous Hofbräuhaus in Munich.

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