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YOUR best experiences

Hey everybody, we're nearing our next trip and starting to take a look at all the things to do in each spot. I would love to hear all your "off the beaten path" type experiences for any of the locations you've been to on this list. We aren't much for museums or guided tours- we travel for culture, food, to bump arms with the locals; we really believe the best experiences are the small things that lie outside the obvious tourist destinations. What was your favorite restaurant? Where did you buy a bottle of wine and just hang out and watch the locals/tourists? What was the most romantic thing you did? Something we wont find in the books or on tripadvisor.

I will add, since some of your best experiences may have been doing something "touristy", that we're not totally adverse to museums or typical touristy things, we just limit them to a few... I mean, we're going to Oktoberfest this year... in Lederhosen/Dirndl... a seemingly unpopular choice on this forum. There's a certain "bucket list" mentality to doing the touristy stuff that we both enjoy.

I realize you may not have been to all of these places, please feel free to drop a line on any of them. Thanks everybody! Be safe!

Copenhagen
Berlin
Dresden
Prague
Vienna
Salzburg
Munich

Posted by
2527 posts

Some of my most memorable experiences are well unplanned and not necessarily related to tourist venues. What's memorable to me, surely wouldn't be to many folks and perhaps you as well. Relax, explore and enjoy each city on your next trip.

Posted by
681 posts

We really enjoyed Dresden itself, but a very fun thing we did while there was to go to Rathen by train and hike up to the Bastei Bridge. The bridge, the surrounding rock formations and the views over the Elbe River are just amazing.

Posted by
610 posts

My favorite thing in Vienna was sitting in Volk Garden to enjoy the roses and people watch. I'm not sure what time of the year you'll be there, but at the end of May the roses were gorgeous and they had so many unusual ones. There are a lot of local families that come there to walk around and older couples sitting on the benches enjoying the good weather. It's one of my fondest memories of Vienna.
In Salzburg, we rented bikes from the area where you can get carriage rides and took the bike path that was along the river out into the countryside. We didn't have long to explore because we found the bIke rental place quite late, but in good weather it would be a beautiful long ride.

Posted by
5678 posts

My most recent trip to Berlin was a bit of trip down memory lane as I had been there on a college trip. So for me one of the most memorable things was walking through the Brandenburg Gate and then on to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. These two places represented so much of 20th century Germany--WWII and then the Cold War. When i was there in the 70's we did see the Brandenburg Gate, but we were in a bus driving slowly past it with guns trained on us the entire time.

I had such a short time in Dresden, but what struck me most was the DDR--East German--architecture that was everywhere. It was in contrast to this wall of the Procession of Princes which survived the firebombing of Dresden in WWII.

In Prague we had lunch with the best view ever. I found it again on TripAdvisor. It's on the Mala Strana district not that far from the Castle.

In Vienna I have two great memories. The most recent was going out to dinner at the Rathausplatz where they had a taste of Chicago type set up (but with china plates!!!) and you could concerts on a huge screen. It was a wonderful way to spend an evening. Sadly, I don't think that my earlier experience can be replicated. When I was in Europe the first time back in the 70's I was staying in youth hostels. And in Vienna I stayed in a former SS Bomb Shelter. It was a bit spooky and I've never forgotten it!

Salzburg--I hate to have to tell you this, but I really loved the SOM tour. I did Bobs tour, which was the small bus. I got a kick out seeing various places and hearing the lore, whether it was true or a story didn't matter. But one of the high points was the luge ride. So, even if you don't do a tour, try to do Luge Ride somewhere. I got to have four rides between this tour and one we in the Czech Republic. I would have love to have done it again and again.

Munich--I've spent so little time in Munich, despite going to school near Stuttgart for six months. So, I'm not sure I have much to add here. What I remember the most was just walking and people watching between Marienplatz and Karlsplatz.

I do hope you like beer. I went to Germany when I was 19 and picked up a lifelong appreciation for good beer. Of course, I returned to Wisconsin where I was able to maintain that appreciation.

Pam

Posted by
768 posts

A great side trip from Salzburg is to go to the ice cave in Werfen, South of Salzburg.
Look up "eisriesenwelt" on the web. Panorama Tours, the Sound of Music tour company, will get you there.

Posted by
1265 posts

Believe it or not, Tivoli Gradens in Copenhagen was very enjoyable.

Posted by
703 posts

We've been to all the places on your list except Dresden. But I'll just name one memorable and enjoyable experiences. In Prague we enjoyed a concert by a quintet playing Gershwin in a synagogue. Fun.

Posted by
2380 posts

Listening to the monks singing Gregorian chants at the little church of San Antimo in Tuscany was fabulous and an unexpected treat.

Posted by
8261 posts

Sometimes, it is not the where you go or what you see that makes for the "best experiences" category, but who you are with.
My favorite trip of all time will be the trip I had with my husband to London before he died. Wherever you go, take time to truly enjoy doing it together. Have fun!

Posted by
3428 posts

This was about 20 plus years ago. We were taking our then 11 year old daughter on her first European trip. She had begun playing the violin in the school orchestra a couple of years before this. One of the stops was in Salzburg. It was the night before the official opening of the Festival. After supper we were just wandering around the old town area. Suddenly we heard beautiful classical music and it sounded like it was moving towards us. It was! The National Orchestra from Czechoslovakia 'marched' into the center of Old Town, then gave a wonderful FREE concert! Our daughter was amazed. We sat on a hillside were we could hear and see them. Marvelous.

I know its not something you can duplicate, but it was one of those wonderful serendipity moments.

We also all love the Sound Of Music, so had to take the tour. She (and I) knew the answers to all of the guide's trivia questions. But one of the things she and hubby really enjoyed, was the mountain summer luge ride at the mid-way rest stop. Riding down a mountain on a metal luge course, while lying on what was basically large skateboard.

Posted by
11294 posts

I agree that the kind of thing you're seeking can't be planned. But if you're looking for a less famous Berlin sight that my mother and I really enjoyed, I highly recommend the aquarium. It's next to the zoo, but I enjoyed the aquarium much more. By contrast, the botanic garden was nice enough, but not worth the trip out there or the hassle of finding it from the S-bahn stop (I didn't have a smartphone with Google Maps yet).

In Prague, I really liked the Veletržní Palace. It's huge, and I actually paid twice to see it on two separate days. It's famous for its French painting collection, but even more impressive were the Czech artists I hadn't heard of or seen anywhere else. The Cubist furniture, similarly, is something not in other museums I've been to. It now has the famous Slav Epic by Mucha, but when I went that wasn't even there yet.

Posted by
115 posts

Thanks for the replies everyone, very cool to hear your stories and experiences. Im not looking to "plan" per se, as in create a itinerary, I research places pretty in depth before I go so I can understand them a little I get there. Its really great to hear some back channel experiences!

Posted by
424 posts

In Munich we have really enjoyed the Augustiner Keller beer garden. We each get a liter and then pick up dinner at one of the food stalls and eat outside under the chestnut trees. Another time when we went, a huge storm hit right as we arrived. We ended up eating inside and the restaurant filled up quickly. We shared our table with a German couple and had a great time chatting with them. They insisted that we take their umbrella so that we could make it back to the train station dry. We also really enjoyed renting bikes and riding through the English Garden. We stopped a beer garden (it was a small Hofbrau one, I believe) for beers and cribbage.

In Prague, head on down to the Vltava River at night. On the banks there are little bars (almost like pop up bars--nothing more than a cart that serves beer and shots!) where you can grab a beer or a drink and sit on the bank. It doesn't seem to be very touristy at all.

Happy travels, those are some fantastic cities!

In our travels we have really enjoyed connecting with others, but tourists and locals. We've had a lot of fun and great conversations just by being friendly and open.

Posted by
368 posts

Hi:
I really enjoyed the marionette theatre in Salzburg. It is amazing how you forget just how small the puppets are until the end. If you are interested you might want to look for tickets ahead and in the center of the seats. Ours were the second section and in the center and the view was excellent

Posted by
36 posts

In Munich I really enjoyed doing a Third Reich Tour, I can't remember which company but I think there are a few of these tours. And definitely the Hofbrauhaus beer hall! Live Bavarian music and the scene was memorable.