I returned a few months ago from a great trip to Switzerland so we're planning our next European vacation. Thinking Germany would be interesting so have been watching Rick's episodes on same and ... we both have the feeling of been there, done that.
So my question is, is Germany substantially different enough from Switzerland to make it a worthwhile visit? Or would it be more of the same? Or is Switzerland still too fresh in our minds? Several questions, actually.
I'm suggesting to hear further north in Germany, but I put that response on the duplicate thread under Switzerland.
Hi,
A few months isn't enough time to let go of your Swiss trip in my opinion.
Our very first trip to Europe was a Swiss trip (Liechtenstein, St. Moritz, Zermatt, Wengen and Luzern) and have done 9 Germany/Austria trips, 4 of which included the Italian Dolomites, which are like nothing else you'll see in the alps. Amazing scenery. Bavaria and Austria are easily accessible flying into Munich. For instance, Salzburg and Innsbruck are about 2 hours away and the Dolomites (Val Gardena) is about 3.5 hours from Munich. We've planned on taking other trips, but Bavaria, Austria and the Dolomites keep calling us back :)
We would like to revisit Switzerland, but there's something special about Bavaria and Austria in particular. The friendly people, the gorgeous scenery, everything.
Paul
phred, absolutely Germany is different enough. Try the wine country in Rhine/Mosel valleys for one thing. There is more to see from a historical perspective as well. Not to mention less expensive.
Preserved historical town cores are far more common in Germany, as are castles. Except for Alpine chalets, the vernacular and civic architecture in the two countries are almost completely different. The northern half of Germany is about as different from Switzerland as Mexico is from the US.
The history and politics of the two countries are different.
