We got $580 RT from PHX to Germany, so we decided to go on a whim. We've been to Europe dozens of times, just never to Germany. We fly in to Frankfurt on the 30th of August and leave Zurich on the 16th.
We need to go to Kempton to see a former exchange student, but other than that our plans are open. We would like to see Annecy on the french border. Are there any "must sees"? or recommendations on places to stay for my family of 4?
we prefer the countryside, and I am obsessed with WW2.
If you are starting in Frankfurt and ending in Zurich, Annency is pretty out of the way if you are wanting to see a French city. With 2 weeks of travel and preferring to stay in more rural places you might head south to the Alsace region of France then train/drive to Kempten. From Kempten you could explore the Bavarian alps or countryside before heading into Switzerland for your flight home.
If you are interested in WWII history I'd recommend a different route leaving Frankfurt and heading southeast toward Bamburg, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Munich/Dachau, Kempten (to see your exchange student) and Lake Constance before your flight out of Zurich.
"...we prefer the countryside, and I am obsessed with WW2."
Some of Germany's most scenic and most interesting territory is just an hour by train from FRA airport:
http://www.romantic-germany.info/Romantic-Rhine.4110.0.html
The Middle Rhine has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site: http://www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.de/index.php?id=288&L=3
I'd suggest a few days in the area before heading south. As you know, Remagen (between Cologne and Koblenz) was a much-prized Rhine crossing in WW II - you can visit the museum there - it's housed in the pillars of the former bridge:
http://www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.de/index.php?id=288&L=3
The Mosel River Valley is also very close:
http://www.der-takt.de/typo3temp/_processed_/csm_NEU_T_Reichsburg_Cochem_3_087e83a8d1.jpg
http://www.zughalt.de/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DB11321.jpg
http://www.mosel-reisefuehrer.de/17-highlights/556-moselhighlights-englisch
The Mosel flows into the Rhine at Koblenz and is dotted with wine towns and scenic spots:
http://www.mosel-personenschifffahrt.de/images/mosel.png
Trier is known for its Roman history but as a WW II buff you may also be interested in the Westwall... nearby in Irrel there's a WW II bunker you can visit on Sundays:
http://www.westwallmuseum-irrel.de/en/
In Kempten, you'll be a short distance from Oberstdorf, in the Oberallgäu. I'm sure your exchange student will be well aware of it. Oberstdorf is at the head of the Illertal, which is very pretty by itself, and just up from Oberstdorf is the Austrian valley, Kleinwalsertal, a very scenic, Swiss-like alpine valley.
Nuremburg, Dachau and the Eagle's Nest near Bertesgaden are frequently mentioned by those obsessed with WWII.
Trip reports at Bavaria Ben's excellent website - www.bensbaernhof.com - have excellent info both on places to go and smart travelling tips.
For insight into Munich's dramatic role in the rise and fall of the Third Reich, visit the new NS Doku-Zentrum, which just opened last May. It's on Briennerstraße, on the site of the Third-Reich-era Nazi headquarters building. Führerbau (Hitler's office building, where the 1938 Munich Accord was signed) is next door, repurposed as a High School for Music and Theater. Historic Königsplatz is across the street. The City's website offers free downloadable maps and audioguides for self-guided walks tracing the history of National Socialism in Munich.
WW2 aircraft are well-represented at Deutsches Museum's aviation branch, Flugwerft Schleißheim (S1 to Oberschleißheim stop), located on a small airfield north of Munich, that dates back to before WW1. The aircraft that were formerly on display at the Museum's main campus downtown have all (with the exception of the large Ju.52 transport) been moved to Flugwerft for the duration of the renovation project on Museuminsel.
"...our plans are open." How far do you want to go? Museums more to your interest are up north too. Are you staying only in the Munich area? If you're in Koblenz, see the Wehrtechnisches Museum for war ordinance.
Specifically for WWII, Nürnberg is a must, I have spent the last two weeks here in Nürnberg and there is a lot to see. The a Documentation Center Museum at the former Nazi Party Rally grounds is outstanding and can not be missed. You can also walk the grounds and see the remains of several rally ground buildings. Zeppelin Field, Crongress Hall, Grosse Srasse, and Luitpold Arena. Nürnberg also has a museum at the Justice Palace where the Nürnberg trials were held. Another must see! Lastly, a relatively unknown would be a tour of the Kunstbunker (Art Bunker) where the valuables and treasures of not only Nürnberg but other areas of Europe were hidden to keep them save from bombing raids. Tickets for this tour can be found at the Altstadthof Restaurant near Albrect Dürer Platz. Enjoy because Nürnberg is a great place to visit even outside the prospective of WWII.
I second Lee's recommendation for Oberstdorf. It has somehow remained off the radar for international travelers, but it is a very popular Alpine resort for Germans, particular for the SW part of the country. The town itself is very attractive, offers plenty of good restaurants and chalet hotels and the surrounding scenery is stunning.
For WWII history (which often on this website means 1933-1945), realize that the most lasting legacy of the war isn't what's there, but rather what's missing. With a few exceptions, don't expect to see much in the way of historical preservation. Other than the sites already mentioned, I can recommend the Heidelberger Thingstätte. This was built by the NS government as an outdoor amphitheater for holding party rallies. It didn't see much use, but it was never damaged, and other than the removal of all Nazi-related insignia, it remains completely intact. Another completely undamaged relic, and one that's still used for it's original puprose, is the Olympic Stadium in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Enjoy because Nürnberg is a great place to visit even outside the prospective of WWII. Nürnberg seems very keen to emphasize it's medieval and Renaissance history, particularly as the home of Albrecht Dürer... but unfortunately, the city's fleeting association with the yearly Party Rallies seems to be the big modern tourist draw.
"...obsessed with WW2." Is your top priority military sites or Nazi related such as Documentation Centers, etc. If it's military sites you are after, then there are numerous sites to see all depending on how far you intend to travel to track down these sites, such as German war cemeteries, or the German Army Museum, which includes obviously the WW2 section.
thank you for all of this! I didnt expect all this information! I love WW2, but I also love wine. Looking forward to some rhine valley time. I didn't realize things were so close...our student says that we can stay with her and use it as a home base to explore the area. She said oberstorf is beautiful!
now I realize I need 4 weeks
About three hours from Frankfurt is the Lorraine American Military Cemetery in Saint-Avold France. There are over 10,000 American military dead buried there. It is the biggest out of the American Military Cemeteries in Europe. We went as my great-uncle is buried there, but it is sobering the amount of white crosses there. We met with the caretaker and she took us to the grave. Put sand from Omaha beach on the grave to make the letters pop out for photos. I can't put into words how it feels to be there, so I will show photos instead
Here are some of my shots to show
From our December Trip 2015 (Yes the grass is still bright green)
http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/photos/7685573/
http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/photos/7653818/
From our May Trip 2013
http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/photos/2516976/
http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/photos/2522977/
It is out of the way in terms of Nuremberg, Munich, and Berchtesgaden. But maybe something to consider.
