Short Trip to Germany

I would start in Munich, Germany is famous for its beautiful architecture, fine culture, and the annual Oktoberfest beer celebration. Munich's cultural scene is second to none in Germany, with the museums even considered by some to outrank Berlin in quality. See the Rathaus-Glockenspiel of Munich is a tourist attraction in Marienplatz the heart of Munich. Every day at 11 a.m. (as well as 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. in summer) it chimes and re-enacts two stories from the 16th century . It consists of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures. The top half of the Glockenspiel tells the story of the marriage of the local Duke Wilhelm V to Renata of Lorraine. In honour of the happy couple there is a joust with life-sized knights on horseback representing Bavaria (in white and blue) and Lothringen (in red and white). The Bavarian knight wins every time of course. This is then followed by the bottom half and second story: Schäfflerstanz (the coopers' dance). According to myth, 1517 was a year of plague in Munich. The coopers are said to have danced through the streets to, "bring fresh vitality to fearful dispositions." King Ludwig Castle in Bavaria Neuschwanstein Castle - The palace has appeared prominently in several movies and was the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle and Hohenschwangau Castle or Schloss Hohenschwangau is a 19th century palace in southern Germany. It was the childhood residence of King Ludwig II of Bavaria and was built by his father, King Maximilian II of Bavaria. It is located in the German village of Hohenschwangau near the town of Füssen. Rhine Valley Line (Germany)
This scenic train runs in Germany between Koblenz and Mainz. For about 100 kilometers the train passes alongside the river Rhine that winds through a picturesque valley. Take to train up the valley to Cologne. Enjoy your time together.

Wow, talk about a copy and paste from some guide book or wiki article. Do people really get that excited about that Glockenspiel? Suzanne and her grandaughter will be there in July, so writing about the Oktoberfest seems a bit out of place. That said, there are 100's of festivals all through Germany that will be a lot more fun and interesting for a 16 year old. Check out the many medieval fests, or jousting tournaments that are held all summer in various locations Since you are already in sort of the Northern part of Germany, then going to Berlin seems to be a location that doesn't entail too much travel time. You can spend your whole 5 days there and never even begin to see it all. Whether it is museums, art, Jewish history, a cruise on the Spree, or day trips to Potsdam or to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp you will never run out of things to do in Berlin. There are dozens of themed walking tours in Berlin to satisfy any kind of interest that the 2 of you might have. Underground bunkers, the Wall, the Cold War, 3rd Reich, Jewish Experience, Alternative Art scene, etc.

my favorite postcard from munich is just a picture of people looking up at the glockenspiel it would be hard to give a recommendation without knowing your granddaughter's interests. does she like medieval history, or modern history, or does history bore her? art? modern music?

Reading Linda's reply, we are now going to fit in an extra day in Munich.
Thanks.

Suzanne, Presumably, the friends in Cologne would be taking your daughter around during the week she is with them, such as seeing Cologne, maybe to Aachen, Düsseldorf, Neuß, Bonn, and other sites in the lower Rhine are. Then the five days you're with her can be spent either in the Munich area, as suggested above, or, as I would reccomend, in the Berlin-Potsdam area, maybe a day trip r/t to either Leipzig or Dresden and Meißen. Timewise, that depends on how intensively you want to visit Berlin, its sights and museums, thereby skipping both those places.

What city are you flying to? If Frankfurt, you will be doing a lot of driving (or train riding) in 5 days to go to Munich and then back up to Cologne. The Rhine and Mosel rivers are beautiful and full of old castles and history. You could spend 2-3 days in this area alone. Not too far east of Frankfurt is Rothenburg, a beautiful, walled, medieval city. If you do get to Munich, as mentioned in another post, the Ludwig castles are a must see. Good Luck!

Actually, Jo, I rather like the Glockenspiel. And the food market nearby. But it is a long way from Cologne, virtually diagonally across the country. There is loads to do within much less than half that distance. The post which describes Munich does sound dramatically like the sales brochure for a tour there. The bit about the museums sounds a bit puffed up, and the bit about the Glockenspiel does make it sound a bit more than it is. Although I like it, it is little more than two rings of characters going in opposite directions then the fight. Fun but hardly worth going several hundred km out of your way to see. Munich is a very neat city but there are many half the distance.

I vote for either the Rhine river castle area mentioned above for historical & scenery touring or for Berlin for a cosmopolitan feel.

I'm guessing that if your daughter is staying with a family in Cologne, they will probably take her to the Middle Rhine, so my suggestion would be something outside day-tripping distance from Cologne. Either Berlin +/- Hamburg +/- the Baltic coast or the Bavarian Alps +/- Munich. Is Steve using a female alias now?