Need help on what not to miss in Germany

For green or Eco sights, the Netherlands is probably a good bet.

The only other place I know is right here in Frankfurt, as the skyscrapers are built or renovated to make themselves "Green". The Commerz bank when it was built in 1997 by Sir Norman Foster, was the 1st green skyscaper, due to its use of natural light with an atrium that goes all the way through. You can walk through the lobby of this bank and look up through the atrium.

The Deutsche Bank towers are just finishing up a 2 year renovation to make them the greenest skyscrapers in the world, at a cost of 200 million euro. Our newest shopping mall, "MyZeil" was designed to have all the rain water on the glass roof, flow into 1 central spot to be used by the building systems.

The Palmengarten is presenting an exhibition right now about designing urban green spaces. This is a huge botanical garden and very beautiful. Frankfurt itself is about 45% green, with 48 parks, and has a green belt going around it, a 10,000 acre city forest, and a smaller green park that surrounds the city core where the city walls and moats used to be. These all act as climate buffers and enhancers as well as offering nice spaces for families, kids and anyone else.

The Rhine Gorge and Moselle Valley both lie between Metz and Denmark. Plenty of castles to visit in both of these areas.

Other than the ubiquitous windmill farms you see everywhere in Germany, I don't know of that many "green" industries that you can see or visit. Surprisingly large areas of the states of Saarland and the Rheinland-Pfaltz remain as relatively undeveloped national parks, which in Germany, are more akin to our national forests. These are much more extensive than the better known Black Forest. In the Pfalzer Wald, there's also many castle ruins scattered around.

Since you will be nearby there anyway, suggest you set aside a day to see Wernigerode and/or Quedlinburg.

If you can't do that, then make a stop in Hannoversch Muenden.

All of the above are full of faschwerk buildings and absolutely lovely and can be seen in our photo album from September 09:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/575000387NPlKyZ?start=168

There are tons of castles on the banks of the rhein and mossel is beautiful area to visit. Koblenz, St. Goar are two great cities along the rhein. Cologne is a good one day stop to see the huge cathedral. If you can make it to the Blace Forest I highly reccomend triberg, furtwangen and staufen.

A cruise up the Rhine should not be missed.

I love Trier, Mainz and Wiesbaden.

Trier features a lovely amount of Roman history along with a nice cathedral.

Mainz has the Gutenburg museum which is a must for book or history fiends.

Wiesbaden is a darling town to stroll through with some international flair.

On a less Traveled Note, consider Idar-Oberstein which is famous for its gemstone industry and jewelery crafting. It also features the Felsen Kirche (or Church in the Rock) which is literally built into the side of the hill. Above is are Burg Bosselstein and Oberstein ruins. A nice two hour (with many rests and vantage points included) walk will get you to the top. You can make it in 20 minutes if you hurry, but what fun would that be?

They also feature a gemstone museum, a cave where mining still takes place (for the fun of the tourists) and a few other things. You can't forget to try the local specialty, spiesbraten, while you're in town. I also recommend Cafe Am Markt for cake and coffee or the eis cafe (ice cream shop) right accross from it.

Kirner is the most popular brew around there, and many prefer a pils but we tend towards the Krystal and Hefe weisen types. Avoid Kirner and go for the other option.

Their tourist information office is fully stocked with english information, maps and mostly english speaking locals.

Idar-Oberstein is about an hour and a half or so accross the border from Metz into western Germany.

"Would love suggestions on place to stay and sights to see in Western Germany as we make our way to Denmark-The girls want to see castles, we want to drink some great beer, and we would love to visit some "green" or eco sights..."

The aforementioned Rhine and Mosel valleys make for a good visit. Castles: two in/near Cochem you can tour:

Burg Eltz

Reichsburg

(amazing falconry show kids would love at Reichsburg too)

falconry show photos

And the best castle on the Rhine:

Marksburg

Beer: you can get it anywhere. The Weizens are almost a meal in themselves.

Eco sights: I don't know. Most of Germany is "green". I'd suggest you leave your work interests out of your vacation anyway and just enjoy the country.

Other suggestions on the way north:

Stop in the walled town of Hameln (think Pied Piper) where the Weserrenaissance buildings are very pretty and the town puts on Pied Piper play every day. Nearby Rinteln has even more fantastic buildings.

Rinteln town square

if you visit the rhine the rhinefels castle ruin would be fun for the kids. take flashlights for the tunnels.

To everyone that has posted THANK YOU-- we now have direction. We will stop at several of the places that you mentioned-- just finishing up the last of the packing today-- we are off on our adventure on Thurs. Will post when we get back on how wonderful it all was. Thank you for all your help--
In Peace-
Julie