Asking for guidance here: my wife and I are planning on taking our two young (late teens/early 20s) nephews to Germany for a week. Although we have been before...I lived there for 3 years and speak German reasonably well...this is a graduation present for them and their first time out of the US. They are both completely normal boys, athletic, intelligent, conversational, and we want them to see something other than the usual tour menu of old churches and museums. For example, they would love a visit to a brewery, to an auto factory, a concentration camp, Munich, perhaps Nurnberg, Augsburg, etc, the Black Forest, and that sort of thing. When my wife and I went previously, we were on a wonderful all inclusive bus tour of southern Germany, but mainly one church after another! Tough for me...totally boring for two young boys! So, any tips, ideas, contacts, in this regard will be appreciated. Thanks.
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9247 posts
I would take them to Berlin! Much more exciting than anyplace down south, especially with that age group.
Posted by
Morrison, CO, USA
893 posts
If you go to Munich, I know you said that you weren't really looking for museums, but. There is a very small museum at Munich University dedicated to The White Rose Movement. If you google White Rose Museum Munich University, and or Sophie Scholl, it gives you directions.
It's basically one large room, free, and it is dedicated to Hans and Sophie Scholl and the other students and professor that printed pamphlets against WWII and the Nazis in early WWII. They were executed and this is a small, well, done museum. Most of the information is in German but they have English language pamphlets that you can take around and will explain things. We found it very interesting, only takes about 45 minutes to go through if you look at everything. Might be one museum the young nephews could relate to.
Sounds like a great trip for them!
Mimi
Posted by
Paradise
7107 posts
The Rheinland/Saarland/Eifel regions have some good stuff for you.
Nürburgring: http://www.nuerburgring.de/en/home.html?go=44&lang=uk
Klettersteig, Boppard: http://www.boppard-tourismus.de/23-1-Klettersteig.html
(Flyer, in German just for you): http://www.boppard-tourismus.de/files/klettersteigflyer_31_10_2012_layout_1__2_.pdf
WWII museum in Remagen at the site of the REMAGEN BRIDGE - http://www.bruecke-remagen.de/index_en.htm
German bunker in Besseringen, open Sunday afternoons, I think - http://www.tourismus.saarland.de/de/b-panzer-werk-saarland
Cologne, Gestapo prison, now a Nazi Documentation center: http://www.museenkoeln.de/ns-dokumentationszentrum/pages/315.aspx?s=315
Cologne - Brauhaus tours: http://www.koeln.de/koeln/originelle-koelner-brauhausfuehrungen_36764.html
Braubach, Marksburg Castle tour: http://www.marksburg.de/english/frame_nj.htm
Hike the Rheinsteig or the Rhine Castle Trail
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
It sounds like many items on your list would be easy to accomplish around either Munich or Berlin. If Munich, reserve ahead by phone or email for the BMW factory tour. After that, if you still needed more vehicles, the Museum of Transportation and the Flugwerft Schleißheim both got high marks from my family. I can't compare the Volkswagon tours in Wolfsburg or Dresden, but they're certainly viable options from Berlin.
Posted by
Columbus, USA
346 posts
I know you only have a week, but if you are near Stuttgart, the Mercedes Museum is really worth it. It is one of the best museums I have been to. I am not a car person, but loved it! The museum integrates the developement of the car with what is going on in the world. The early cars are so cool to see!! The cars from the 30s and 40s are so beautiful! They also had other kinds of vehicles (Buses, Trucks, the Popemobile, etc).
My first time in Germany, I was in high school. I fell in love with Munich, Berchtesgaden, and the Alps. We had a snowball fight on the top of the Zugspitze. I enjoyed climbing around on the rocks above the Eagles Nest. Had a blast hiking to the Obersee on our Konigsee boat trip. There may or may not be pictures of me drinking at the HoffBrau house (I was 18 and my dad was a chaparone). Dauchau was a sobering experience, but an important one.
Have a great time!