Other places to visit in Germany

Aachen.

Germany is a lot more than just major cities, but November weather does not lend itself well to visits outside major cities. However, in early Nov 2008, I visited the Mosel area. It rained some, but most places were open (except Burg Eltz). I visited the wine towns of Bernkastel and Zell and the Reichsburg in Cochem. I then went to the Harz N.P. It rained there 1 of 4 days, but I was able to visit neighboring towns and take the narrow gauge steam train up the Brocken. I was on the middle Rhein in March, when the weather was not much different than in November. Burg Eltz was closed, but the Marksburg and Rheinfels were open. I've also spent March in the Allgäu in southern Bavaria and in the Black Forest.

Tubingen, Bad Urach, Mainz.

How about a "Fachwerk" tour of smaller villages with well-preserved half-timbered houses? Many of these are in the former East side or near the former border: Quedlinburg, Wernigerode, Goslar. These are all in or near the Harz national park, which includes. You could then get over to Leipzig and Dresden easily if you haven't been before, and on over to the Polish border. Beautiful and untouristy, but not as much English spoken if that's an issue for you. November will be dark and damp, but there are plenty of gemütliche pubs - both wine and beer - to warm up in.

We loved Passau, if you haven't been there. Another spot we really enjoyed was Naumburg. We also liked Erfurt and Eisenach.

Have you been to Lubeck and Kiel?

Please see the last post I left on General Europe, the thread Other Places To Visit In Germany. Thanks.

Trier, Cologne, Braunschweig, Wolfsburg (for the Autostadt), Wolfenbuettel, Hildesheim, Alfeld (factory designed by Walter Gropius in 1911, and some cool Fachwerk buildings).

Idstein

Go with Jo's recommendations, and you won't be disappointed. If going to and from Heidelberg, I would recommend at least a quick stop-off in Heppenheim and Lorsch. For the Odenwald, my recommendations would be Lindenfels, Michelstadt and Erbach. All merit at least a one hour visit.

Excellent response from everyone, as usual. This is exactly what we're looking for. We always go over the Thanksgiving holidays and have been lucky with the weather. Thanks again.

Great suggestions coming in from everybody. Here are my contributions: Idstein, Buedingen, Seligenstadt, Marburg, Gelnhausen, Steinau, Eppstein, Erfurt, Quedlinburg, Lübeck, Bad Homburg, Kronberg, Michelstadt, Glauberg. Have a look at the other "tourist routes" that run through Germany, other than the Romantic Road. Try the "Fachwerk Route", the "Fairy Tale Route", or even the Apple route or the Wine Route. These will take you to places that will be off the normal tourist stops, but will offer you some beautiful old, historic towns, and gorgeous scenery. Mountain areas and parks can also be added in for a change from the Black Forest. Look at the Harz Mountains, the Spree Wald, the Ruhr Gebiet, the Odenwald, the Taunus Mountains, Vogelsberg, Wetterau, and so on. Google things like Celtic burials, Roman ruins or Limes, Deutsche Orden, to find some interesting stops.

Hi, Several very recommended suggestions mentioned above, especially Erfurt, Naumburg, Marburg, Kiel, Lübeck, Tübingen. I suggest also Magdeburg, Hamelin, Weimar, Münster/Westf., Lübben, Eutin/Holstein, Meißen, Leipzig, Minden. Kleve. If you're going to be in the Berlin-Potsdam area, motorised and are interested, go into the villages in Brandenburg, the historical villages and landscape of Brandenburg-Prussia.

I second the recommendation for Werningerode and the Harz mountains area. It is a very scenic area, particularly on fall with the leaves all going down. There are many back country roads that offer scenic views as well in the areas. Well worth spending 3 days between cities and some leisure drives in the countryside.

One small German city that my wife and I love is Bamberg. Its very easy to get to, has great history and buildings. Its a UNESCO World History Site and is beautiful. Bamberg is also home to rauchbier, a truly great German secret that is wonderful!

Google UNESCO sites Germany. Not Germany but very nice Salzburg.

Bad Wimpfen Schwaebisch Hall Dinkelsbuehl Noerdlingen Feuchtwangen Iphofen Wertheim Miltenberg Bamberg Hannoversch Münden Tuebingen Hechingen Herrenberg Meersburg
Speyer

I have a couple of sggestions:
1) Erfurt, Weimar, Liepzig, and Dresden are a good combo of big and smaller cities. 2) I had a good trip one year visiting the three great Romanesqe cathedrals in the Rhineland - Speyer, Mainz, and Worms.

I forgot to mention Eisenach. There's an attractive old town, but the highlight is the Wartburg, which overlooks the city from a low mountain. Everyone knows that Neuschwanstein was the inspiration for the Disney castles, but less well known is that the Wartburg was the main inspiration for Neuschwanstein.

... and now add Fritzlar to the list (visited there today). Another substitute for Rothenburg, although it's located in an area of northern Hessen that few foreign tourists are likely to pass through.

Hi Jim, Herrenberg, which is south of Stuttgart has a great square, VERY old 1/2 timbered buildings. It's just so adorable and authentic we try to return as often as possible if even just for an overnight. Hotel Hasen there has good weekend rates, a lovely breakfast, and a sauna-bliss. Herrenberg is only 35 minutes outside of Stuttgart. Close to Herrenberg is Neu Ulm-a university city that my father likes to visit. Ludwigsburg has a nice palace and I don't ever recall it listed in tour book other than DK Eye Witness Travel Guide. I grew up in the area, so I might be biased, but my husband also enjoyed it. My pop also thought Regensburg was great, except for finding accommodations. We return next month, yea!
Happy travels

Limburg, Friedrichshafen and Kassel.

Our tour group spent a half-day wandering in Monschau and we all loved it.