I will be traveling in late Nov and first week of December with a friend to visit this region for the first time. I expect to arrive/depart from Munich/Prague and I am interested in learning of other traveler's experiences in the area. My first thought is to arrive Munich and travel to Passau, Regensbeg, Pilsen and Prague over 8-9 days travelling by train. Am I missing any little gems along the way? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. This is not my first time to Germany or to Prague and I have been to Christmas market in the past. I certainly know about Saltzburg but am tending to think I'll pass on this trip, partly for time, partly for travel connections, and partly because it was so crowded the last time I was there.
Posted by
Oberpfalz, Germany
1296 posts
You may consider Landshut between Passau and Regensburg. It has a nice Weihnachtsmarket too. A short stop in Weiden in der Oberpfalz possibly? Not a lot to see and the Weihnachtsmarket is very small, but many Sudeten Germans moved to Weiden after being expelled from the Czech Republic after WWII. You can find the Tachauer Heimatmuseum in Weiden. Traveling by train it would be hard to make many of the small sights in the region.
http://www.weiden-tourismus.info/kultur-weiden-in-der-oberpfalz/museen.html
I had to check to see if there was a train station in Mariánské Lázně, but visiting one of these old Bohemian Bath towns could be good too.
Posted by
Delanson, NY
79 posts
We loved the Prague Christmas Market and the whole atmosphere in December 2012. A more obscure one was in Görlitz, north of Czech Republic, on the border of Poland. It is about the only town in the former area of Silesia that still lies in Germany. Coupled with the intact medieval town center it was really nice. Another place that we loved was Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad). We visited a little bit too early for the main Christmas activities so I can't comment on their market, but it is a magical little city terraced along a gorge in the highlands of northwest Bohemia. You can take a lift high above the city to a lodge (Diana) and also visit the classic hotels, baths and springs from it's late Nineteenth/early Twentieth Century heyday. This website describes their Christmas schedule from a few years ago: http://www.karlovy-vary.cz/en/aktuality/advent-time-in-karlovy-vary-46
Posted by
OP
Rough and Ready, Ca, USA
65 posts
Thank you both, these are excellent suggestions
Posted by
Germany
868 posts
Between Munich and Passau are Burghausen, a small town with the worlds longest castle, Altötting, Bavarias most important place of pilgrimage (which I found quite fascinating) and Hitlers birthplace. Since the Oberpfalz (Upper Palatine) was mentioned: I liked Amberg quite a lot, a cute town with a preserved town wall.
Between the border and Prague isn't that much to see. The interesting places are all either to the south or north of your route, i.e. the spa triangle or the towns of Southern Bohemia.
I'm not fond of the Czech Christmas markets. Historically they aren't a Czech traditions (they disappeared with the expulsion of the Germans and only slowly reappeared in the 90s... in many places without tourists you still can't find them). From Prague Germanys Christmas country, the Ore mountains, isn't far away, but sadly it's almost impossible to get there by public transport from Czechia.
Posted by
NorthCarolina
936 posts
We did the Markets along the Danube a couple years ago...
Regensburg Thurn & Taxis Romantic Christmas Market was the best we saw. Seems we had to pay to get into the palace to have access to the market . . . but it was totally worth it and the market was truly the nicest we saw over our 2 week trip.
https://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/Advent-2010/Thurn-and-Taxis-Palace-Market/
Posted by
OP
Rough and Ready, Ca, USA
65 posts
Thanks to all, I am going to reroute based on these replies