Need Germany Ideas

Is it real castles, in real strategic positions, that you would want to see, or the stage-set and very new but very famous King Ludwig castles that you want to see/visit?

I’m all ears. I figured Ludwig was easier because it’s so popular? But please share what you would have in mind :) Germany is relatively new to me. I’m watching Rick Steves videos right now for some insight.

Is your timeframe still 2022 or 2023?

Yes indeed :)

Only 2 days in Berlin would be frustrating as there’s so much to see. I had a full week there and didn’t manage to cover everything on my list. I think it’s a great city. A tour of the old closed airport was fascinating and the food was good. My vote would be a week here including a day trip to Potsdam that I didn’t have time for.

Haven’t posted before but we had an amazing private tour guide in Berlin. Am I allowed to name him here?

Yeah one week isn’t enough to see practically anywhere. This wasn’t on my original itinerary so to me, it’s just a week long transit period between France and Italy. Still would like to make the most of those 7 days though :)

And of course! Post away. All the resources are certainly appreciated.

We used Finn Ballard of Finn Ballard tours. You can find him via his website or trip advisor I’m sure. We had limited time in Berlin and saw and understood so much more with a guide. He’s exceptionally knowledgeable and engaging. We did one 4-hour tour focused on WW2 and one on the Cold War. Highly recommended!

Berlin is an amazing city that you can easily spend a fortnight in without feeling bored. But seeing more than just Berlin is probably a good idea. There are huge regional differences in Germany, it is a young country. So a stop in Munich on the way south is not a bad idea. But personally I would spend more time in Berlin. For castles, a day trip to Potsdam from Berlin is recommended.

You could also skip Berlin and focus on southern Germany (with a stop in Strasbourg on the way) and maybe bit of Austria, castles and beer can both be found everywhere.

After 3- 4 days in Berlin, slow down a bit and take the train to Munich so you can really enjoy the beauty of the countryside. The ride can take as little as 4 hours. Be sure to stop in the station to grab a beer and lunch fixings. From Munich, arrange a day trip to Dachau. It is a solemn place where one truly learns the meaning of "never again..."

In Munich, do a day trip with BIG HAT TOURS to Dauchau Concentration Camp - he is amazing and so knowledgeable. Check out his webpage - I don't think anyone should go to Germany and NOT see a Concentration Camp. We also did a Munich City Walking tour and Third Reich Walking tour - it was a great way to see and learn and see the amazing sites of Munich and his prices are GREAT.

We love Germany and do a Xmas Market Trip there every other year - we prefer the smaller towns. We also LOVE Nuremburg.

Hi FGH, Berlin is my favorite place in DE and is an incredible city to explore. I’ve been there twice and can’t wait to return.
I have also been to Munich and recommend Berlin over Munich. I liked Munich, but you’ll have more “wow” moments in Berlin. The only problem is, you don’t want to go in June when there are torrential downpours making it impossible to sightsee. I recommend exploring its neighborhoods and museums along with experiencing the vibe. Have fun!

Badger writes, "You could also skip Berlin and focus on southern Germany..."

This makes a lot of sense if you're moving across Germany (and then Austria) on the ground in the direction of Venice.

Like Badger, I would suggest entering Germany via Strasbourg, FR (which is just 2 hours by TGV train from Paris - so a stopover there is feasible if you wish.) Paris > Strasbourg > Munich > Salzburg is a segment of the historic "Orient Express" route that cuts across Southern Germany. It's a route that offers you some very good options on the way to - and just beyond - Munich.

HEIDELBERG: A short detour off the route from Mannheim (where you get off anyway to change trains.)

STUTTGART: On the route... Mercedes, Porsche museums?

SALZBURG: (In Austria, natch.) Less than 2 hours from Munich, great old town with lots to see and do; can be seen on a day trip, but stay 2 nights if you can and do a day trip to Hohenwerfen Castle or to the Eisriesenwelt ice cave.

The train ride from either Munich or Salzburg to Venice is a scenic one. Do it during daylight hours.

Concentration camps: I don't understand the high level of enthusiasm for this, especially if your time in Germany is just one week. I think most visitors... a.) do not learn much that they haven't already learned, b.) find the Dachau experience overwhelming and depressing, and c.) end up reinforcing stereotypes about Germany and Germans rather than getting to know the country and its people.

If you remember the old cranky guy from your first itinerary post who likes to travel slowly but has no problem with the young folks doing fast-moving itineraries... that's me 😃. Or should I say, "That's me 😡."

His only request was that we spend at least a week in Germany

I would suspect your friend has a reason for this request. Are there things he wants to see or do in Germany?

Russ gives many good ideas.

I also like the Berlin to Munich thought. Remember that "at least a week" part of the quote above? I think you would find it worthwhile to stretch a little beyond a week in order to give Berlin more time. If you were to choose this option, consider stopping at Erfurt on the train ride from Berlin to Munich to see a smaller German city that escaped Allied WWII bombing; the town is full of impressive architecture, including many gorgeous half-timbered buildings. The Erfurt train station has copious lockers for storing luggage.

I will offer another option. Your itinerary is pretty city oriented, and you mentioned hiking around Machu Picchu in another post. How about some nature in Germany? Fly from Paris to Munich and spend a couple of days there, then head into southern Bavaria to see its beauty. I would suggest Berchtesgaden. Hike in Berchtesgaden National Park. Visit Königssee -- take the boat across the lake to the Salet stop, walk to Obersee, hike along the right side of Obersee to a snack bar and then through a gorgeous alpine meadow (complete with cows) to Röthbach Waterfall. Walk through the Zauberwald (Magic/Enchanted Forest) from Ramsua Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden to Hintersee (a small lake). Ride the Jennerbahn cable car. Visit the Nazi Documentation Center and the Kehlsteinhaus aka Eagles' Nest at Obersalzburg. A local bus can take you to Salzburg for a day trip, too.

Concentration camps: I don't understand the high level of enthusiasm
for this, especially if your time in Germany is just one week.

I 100% agree with Russ.

Please excuse me now. I need to go chase the neighbor kids off my lawn.

Russ has some good suggestions and I like Dave’s idea to not confine yourself to big cities. Of the 80 or so days I’ve spent in Germany, a grand total of 5 have been in the bigger cities.

Hi- my first time to Germany was in 2019 and my partner and I decided on Munich.  We spent a total of 5 nights there with an additional 3 nights in Salzburg.  We took the tram to Nymphenburg Palace, toured Dachau Concentration Camp, ate schnitzel and drank beer, climbed the tower at St. Peter's Basilica for a breathtaking view of Munich from above, and thoroughly fell in love with Germany (and Austria).  Friendly people, great train system, beautiful cities! Salzburg is a short train ride away, and while I would say 3 nights there was perfect for us, you could also do Salzburg as a day trip or an overnight (very compact and walkable).  I've always found that concentrating on a smaller area for a week somewhere is better than trying to cram a lot of places in and just touching on them.  Munich is really hip and a lot of fun, with great food/beer, and lots to see.  Enjoy!

Wow thank you for all the ideas you guys :) Lots to think about and consider.

UPDATE: My friend said he would also “settle” for Austria hahaha. Another avenue of thought could be flying to Vienna and explore Austria, making our way down towards Italy? Or maybe some combination of Germany and Austria? I see a few people have mentioned Salzburg. I’m a major nerd and would love to check out the Mozart stuff. And maybe some pretty alps?

If you are into Mozart don't bypass Vienna. The music, collections of instruments, opera are totally worth a trip. There is so much to see and do. Salzburg has an unavoidable touristy feel....Vienna carries it's history with a sense of dignity. Look at recent Austria posts for my suggested trip between Salzburg and Vienna. Definitely tour Austria. Beers and schnapps in Salzburg. Beers in Leoben. Wine, schnapps and Heurigen in Vienna. Powidltascherl for desert.

"I’m a major nerd and would love to check out the Mozart stuff. And maybe some pretty alps?"

Salzburg should not disappoint you.

https://mozarteum.at/en/home/
https://www.salzburghighlights.at/en/best-of-mozart-concerts/
ALPS: See Dave's suggestions above!! The place names he mentions may seem unpronounceable, but don't let that scare you off - they are great destinations.

True that Salzburg comes off as "touristy" - probably because it's fairly small compared with monstruous Vienna, so there's a relatively high visitor-to-resident ratio. Salzburg itself is worthwhile on other grounds (besides Amadeus that is) - it's a fun place I've been back to repeatedly - and it is so close to Munich - and such a different kind of place from Munich that together they make a terrific one-two combination. Vienna... I did the opera and Schönbrunn and the Lippizaner stallions and half a dozen other big things over 4 days. I was glad to have been there but honestly, I found it a bit dull on the whole, and I have never returned.

I kind of adore Salzburg. I fell in love with it based on this 90-second promotional video for its 2013 summer music/drama festival, which I watched approximately 672 times before my trip there in 2014 for... the summer music/drama festival. Yes, there are numerous trinket shops selling slinky Mozarts and Mozart ducks, but, gee, there's a lot of non-touristy stuff there. How to make it non-touristy:

• take in some good quality performances like those at the Mozarteum or Großes Festspielhaus.
  
• check out some of the historical sites or perhaps visit the Salzburg Museum which often has excellent exhibitions
• walk north along the Salzach River just to the first overpass bridge (10-15 minutes) and you'll find zero touristy stuff... and you'll walk past a playground with an amazing slide and a climbing structure that would not be allowed on any US playground; the walk back south offers gorgeous views of the Old Town
• wander Mirabell Garden
• visit the church where Mozart played... and the room where he was born
• catch a show at the puppet theater
• stay in a really old priest seminary that has converted a wing into a guesthouse for travelers
• grab a meal in the new town, which offers tons of food choices
• no one ever takes me up on this, but I always mention it... walk to the super cool Stadt:Bibiliothek Salzburg (city library) in the New Town. How can you not like a library whose exterior makes you think of a dinosaur (or maybe Godzilla?)? Go inside and check out the shockingly red carpet. Work your way up to the floor where you can take the nifty diagonally-traveling elevator up to the Panoramabar/cafe, which gives really nice views of the city's fortress in the distance. The cafe's staff consists almost entirely of adults with developmental disabilities who are being trained to work in the restaurant industry. So, honestly, you need some basic German language skills to order a snack/drink here... don't expect much of a response to English. Across the street from the library is an Interspar hypermarkt, which (at least to me) is a fun place to walk through to see Austrian clothes, food, etc. Pick up an Almdüdler soft drink for the walk back to the Old Town.

My first impression of Vienna after doing the RS Walk (which heavily features the shopping district inside the ring) and observing that commercial signs had been stuck on nearly every available surface on nearly every building: "This place feels a lot like Vegas with old buildings."

But I saw much more stuff after that that made me like Vienna.

I also adore Salzburg, and wouldn’t think of a stay there as “settling” at all. You’ll find stunning mountain scenery, beautiful lakes, beer halls, actual castles(Burg Hohenwerfen), ice caves, salt mines, charming chalets, cows with cowbells roaming the hills. Berchtesgaden (Germany) is a short drive/bus ride away. Konigsee is stunning, and a trip to Eagle’s Nest on a clear day is a must-do. Hallstatt is about as cute as a town can get. Salzburg itself has great character, tons of history, a great cathedral, a fortress, beer halls, Mozart stuff galore, along with all kinds of Sound of Music sights.

Hahaha wow Salzburg and even Austria as a whole just sounds cool to me. Hahaha yeah I used “settle” ironically. He wants to have some sort of Germanic/Bavarian experience so he is pretty “either/or” about the two countries.

The one item on my bucket list when my wife and I visited Berlin in 2018 was the Ishtar Gate at the Pergamon Museum. The Pergamon is one of several museums on the "Museum Isle." Altes Museum, the Neues Museum, the Alte Nationalgalerie, the Bode-Museum and the Pergamon are all within the same area and you could spend several days there. The Neues Museum has the famous Bust of Nefertiti. You should do a little research as there are too many treasures to list here.

fgh, I would also recommend Erfurt and Bamberg as well. Bamberg is a well preserved university town with lots of nice old buildings. I'd also encourage you in general to see more than just Berlin and Munich, both interesting places to be sure, but Germany has so much more to see. Also, I haven't been to the Berchestgaden area, but the photos of the Konigsee and National Park near it look amazing, plus its close to Salzburg, a win win situation.

Hi,

"I'm all ears." Great.

You have 7 full days set aside for Germany. You could skip south Germany all together and spend all of it in the North and East...a very doable and culturally and historically enlightening trip.

What about 4 full days for Berlin itself, a full day trip spent in Potsdam, seeing more than just Sans Soucci and Neues Palais, then reserve the last 2 days for Leipzig, Weimar or Dresden, all three logistically very doable from each other, ie, two out of three.