Southern Germany solo trip

Monday, August 26th:

I went to the preserved and reconstructed remains of the Dachau nazi concentration camp, the first nazi camp. I saw the museum, the reconstructed barracks building, went into the crematorium building and saw the ovens where they burned whoever died or was killed in the camp, and some of the religious memorials. This was not one of the 6 nazi gassing places, although just before liberation they built a gas chamber in part of the already existing building that had the crematorium ovens, which would have been able to gas about 150 victims at a time, although the nazis didn’t have a chance to use it. Then I went to the Marionplatz and rode the elevator to the top of the Neue Rathaus. It cost 6.50 euros.

Tuesday, August 27th:

My first stop was the Munich Residenz museum, the former home of the ruling Wittelsbach family. I didn’t know and had not read anywhere, that there is a marked right direction to go through the museum, that after you leave one room, you aren’t allowed to re-enter it, and that you can’t return to the entrance and re-enter. I was doing the audio-guide, but after approximately 1/3 of the rooms – there are at least ninety rooms - I skipped ahead to the nearest men’s room and then the staff wouldn’t let me return to the room after the last one that I had observed and heard the English recorded description of. It is marvelously restored and an artistically decent place. I didn’t see the treasury or attempt to buy another ticket to the museum. Then I went to the Bavarian National Museum. I was there for just under 4 hours and saw some detailed artwork that must have taken much talent and time to make. This is an excellent and under-rated place, although much of the stuff was Christian-themed, which wouldn’t be that meaningful to me as a non-believer. I saw the special exhibit too, with the highly detailed models of ships that had a space to pour a liquid into and drink out of. I missed most of the rest of the 3rd floor. Then the Englisher Garten, a park where I saw a few people surfing on a wave in the river or canal, the Monopteros, a round structure shaped like a Greek temple, and the Chinesischer Turm, a Chinese-style tower next to a beer garten /restaurant with a lot of outdoor seating.

Wednesday, August 28th, 2024:

My first stop was Schloss Nymphemburg, another palace used by the Wittelsbachs. The place has the same “No same day re-entry” rule as the Munich Residenz, but I didn’t have a problem this time because I was able to empty myself more completely before I entered the main part, which is less than half the size of the Munich Residenz. The main part is as big as a royal residence needs to be except lacking a big formal dining room for state dinners and parties. Then I went to the other small buildings on the combination ticket. Then I realized that I might have time for the Lebnachhaus museum, a museum of German art from about the 1800’s to 1930’s and a few more recent works. There was an exhibit made by the Turkish author Orhan Pamuk. Some works were modern crap – an almost plain gray painted canvas, a series of white canvases with streaks of black; works with a jumble of blurry blotches of color. I arrived about 7 minutes after 4pm and left just before closing time at 6pm.

Thursday, August 29th:

It was time to say goodbye to Munich. I took the ICE train to Nuremberg. It showed up only 20 minutes later than originally scheduled. At the train station in Nuremberg, I put my stuff in a locker, paid the 3 euro fee, then realized I needed a shirt from my stuff in cast my tour of the tunnels would be too cold, opened the locker, got the shirt, paid the fee again. I hate myself for wasting 3 euros. I didn’t even end up using the extra shirt. Then I tried going to various places listed in the guidebooks, including the Frauenkirche, a church with a star of David embedded in the floor behind the alterpiece. The building used to be a synagogue. Then the Christians did a pogram against the Jews on December 5th, 1349, killed about 560 Jews, kicked the surviving Jews out, and turned the building it into a church. I saw at least 3 other churches. Then I went into the Albrecht Dürer Haus. There were no works by him. A screen allowed you to see digital photos of some of his works, the rooms of the house were furnished, there was an exhibit of recent tattoos based on Albrecht Dürer’s drawings. One room had original paintings by other painters that were copies or near copies of Albrecht Dürer’s works. I had an advance ticket for a guided tour at 5:15 – “Unscathed by WWII in English – Treasure trove under the castle”. They guide sounded quite knowledgeable. I stayed at Eco Smart Apartments Premium City on Breitscheidstraße 58.

Friday, August 30th:

My first place was the castle (aka Nuremberg Castle, Nürnberger Burg, Imperial Castle of Nuremberg, Kaiserburg Nürnberg). I paid to see the museum, which was well done with many suits of plate armor, old guns, swords, and other weapons, possibly at least one chainmail shirt, at least one model of the castle at some time in the past. Also I saw the well, inside a miniature house so the enemies wouldn’t find the well easily – you can enter it on the hour or half hour, a staff member lowers a chandelier with 4 candles down the well, pours a bit of water down and you hear the silence until the water finally hits the water or stone at the bottom. The well is about 163 feet, 8 inches deep, in an hour they could haul about 52-53 U.S. gallons out. Then I went up to the top level of the Sinwell Tower, which might be only 135 feet to the top of the roof, saw the black and white photos from before and after the bombings on the top level and the views of the town. It has been nicely renovated with a modern glass door at the top of the stairs and modern glass blocking people from falling from the floor down the stairwell. Then I went past part of the castle walls, passed the landscaped garden, although I didn’t look at it too closely. Then walk past various streets, the Weissgerbergasse with some preserved old buildings, and saw the Kettensted (Chain Bridge), the oldest preserved surviving iron chain bridge in Europe, originally built in 1824, going over the Pegnitz river. I couldn’t figure out how to get right next to it.

Saturday, August 31st:

I went to the Germanisches Nationalmuseum / Germanic National Museum. I saw a few (just a few) old clocks including the oldest known spring driven clock, some miniature sundials (I guess people who carried them didn’t really need to know the time but just carried them as a novelty or to show it off), more old guns and metal plate armor, although less plate armor than at the castle, a lot of catholic-themed painting and sculpture, plaques with no words meant to show that somebody had recently died; some old German and Dutch landscape and portrait paintings; some prehistoric artifacts, the two oldest known globes, possibly 3 to 5 times bigger than a basketball, and some detailed carved doors with people doing activities. I saw everything at least briefly. Then I went to the courtroom where the Nuremberg trials were held. I arrived less than an hour before closing time. I probably should not have entered, but I paid the entrance fee just to see the courtroom. I didn’t bother with most of the audio guide; I wouldn’t have had time for much of the audio guide.

Sunday, September 1st: I took the trains to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Switching trains worked out better than I expected. There were a few lockers at the train station but all of them seemed to be broken. I dropped my stuff off at the hotel and then went to the Rothenburg Museum. It occupied me for longer than I expected. It is nice that they had a room about the mistreatment of Jews in the town – there was a pograms against the Jews in 1298 when they killed approximately 450 Jews or about 10% of the town’s population, and more pograms in approximately 1349. Also I went to the covenant Garden and saw the memorial plaque about the 1298 pogram. Then checked into the hotel, then saw the house at the southern end of Plömleinstraße, the one you see in all the pictures of Rothenburg. I have no clue why this house should be so special. Yes it looks characteristically German or Bavaria with wood beams on a the outside on a white background and the house is at the end of a island of buildings where there is a fork in the road. Then the Hand-Georg Baumgarten Night watchman English tour. The substitute did a fine job. My hotel was Gästehaus Alter Keller [a German restaurant is on the first floor, the small hotel is in the floors above it]

Monday, September 2nd: I took the trains to Würzburg. I was able to leave my stuff in a locker and then see the Würzburg Residenz. It has been marvelously restored and rebuilt. I stayed at an apartment turned into a vacation rental, at Haugerkirchgasse 5/2.

Tuesday, September 3rd: I walked ot Festung Marionburg, crossed the Alte Mainbrü (old Main bridge, a pedestrian only bridge). From the Bridge you can see the castle. From there it is an uphill hike to the castle. There were stairs in some places. I saw the art museum in the castle, including the display case with Jewish ritual objects. The museum was bigger than I realized. Then I walked a little, just a little, near the castle, to one viewpoint that I got to by going through a tunnel and up some stairs. Then I went to the Japanese Gardens but it was too much walking but I did it anyway but then I sat on a bench for a at least 20 minutes after I arrived. I walked along just a few paths past some little waterfalls, then I went to the “Museum in Kulturspeicher Würzburg” just because I needed something else to fill some time and it was too early to go back to my hotel. This is a modern art museum, with some landscape and portrait paintings from the 1800’s; sculptures and drawings by Emy Roeder; some decent abstract works from the 20th century and recently; this place was better than other modern art exhibits I remember...

Wednesday, September 4th:

I took the train to Frankfurt am Main. I got on the train at 8:55am. When I arrived, I left my stuff in a locker at the train station. My first stop was the Jewish museum in the former home of the Rothschilds. On the way I walked along Kaiserstraße. The lightweight day backpack I was using had been fraying because it was too light-duty and I had put a heavy bottle of water and too much weight in it; I spent 30 euros on another backpack I happened to see for sale in a store and threw the fraying light-duty back pack away....The museum had more miniature biographies than I made time to read... there was a good amount of English descriptions... Then I picked my stuff up from the locker at the train station, took a train to closer to the hotel, Hotel Royal on Wallstraße 17. After checking in, I went to the Museum Judengasse, an excavated, portion of the former Jewish ghetto or Jewish street, now under a modern roof with labels and descriptions. Jews were only allowed to reside in the Judengasse from 1462-1811.

Thursday, September 5th:

I joined the “Frankfurt on Foot” walking tour. The tour started at 10am and lasted until after 1:30. It was a fine tour, the guide (Hayden) took us to enough places, took us inside a historic big church, to the nazi genocide memorial by the Judengasse museum, and so on. My next major place was the Frankfurt historical museum. I entered just before 3pm. It was open until 6pm. There was a small amount of description of Anne Frank, and her family, the Frank family had lived in Frankfurt for an unknown number of generations before moving to Amsterdam in about 1933-1934; also there was a description of an African guy who was made to be an extra in nazi propaganda films but he survived the was in Germany... mention of a company based in Frankfurt that made Zyklon B gas... I only looked at the first floor good and didn’t have time for the second floor except that I slightly looked at the coins on the 2nd floor... it’s a shame the coins are not displayed in vertical acrylic cases... My next stop was the Goethe Haus, the home of a German author. The house and the attached Romantic museum entertained me until after 8pm (the place was open until 9 on Thursdays) even though I can’t explain exactly what I learned there but there were a good amount of English descriptions.

Friday, September 6th:

My first site was the Städel art museum. It has two floors of old paintings, with some old Dutch landscapes, a few early 20th century works, some catholic themed works, just a few sculptures. The basement level has modern art, but it was mostly crap, unlike the modern art museum in Würzburg, except there was one memorable piece consisting of a white tube supported by 2 to 3 other white tubes, with a face visible by squatting and looking into one end of the horizontal tube. My next stop was the archaeology museum – there was an exhibit consisting of at least 8 display cases with objects and fragments of objects excavated from the sites of nazi concentration camps, with a good amount of English descriptions. The rest of the place had no English descriptions; there were some ancient Greek pottery with red figures on a black background; some Luristan bronzes (from Western Iran, made approximately between 1000 and 650 B.C.), some German descriptions of Ancient Roman worship of Egyptian god(s), a few objects and a lot of description of stuff excavated from the Roman town of Nida in the Northwest suburbs of Frankfurt am Main, and so on. The museum is attached to a former monastery or covenant that has an old catholic-themed fresco painting which is supposed to be the oldest example of something but I forgot why it should be so special. Then I was tired enough that I should have done nothing more extensive but I decided to squeeze in the Palmengarten. I did too much walking but also sat on a bench for at least 20 minutes, by a fountain where I could see the Europaturm (Frankfurt television tower). Only one big greenhouse was open as far as I figured out – the Palmenhaus – originally built in 1869. I went in and saw tall palm trees, and no more than 6 tanks of small exotic fish, in a grotto. I didn’t go in the adjacent botanical gardens.

Saturday, September 7th: The last day of my trip. I took a day trip to Aschaffenburg. I bought the train tickets at the last minute from a machine. First I went to Schloss Johannisberg, originally built in 1605-1614. The extensive museum inside includes 45 old cork models of Roman buildings from Rome, Italy; paintings, catholic robes used by priests, a chapel with a highly detailed catholic-themed work on the wall the worshippers face (an alterpiece?); other rooms had porcelain, some old Dutch landscapes, and so on. My next stop was the Pompejanum (originally built in 1840-1848, rebuilt starting in 1960), a replica of the house of Castor and Pollux in Pompeii in Italy. I had already been to the Pompeii sight; I could have been as happy if I had skipped the Pompejanum and gone to the archaeology museum in Aschaffenburg that I didn’t make time for. There were some marvelous views of the Main River from just outside the Pompejanum.

Sunday, September 8th: My flight back to Detroit left 12:35, only 2 hours later than originally scheduled.

Sunday, September 8th: My flight back to Detroit left 12:35, only 2 hours later than originally scheduled.

I did not eat any restaurant food. I rinsed my mouth with tap water but I didn’t swallow any tap water. I consumed bought bottled every day. I did not get sick (like the disease I got in Spain in March 2022).

I did not start with a negative attitude about Germany. I wanted to feel like Germany in 2024 is not a continuation of 3rd reich nazi Germany, that currently living people or at least anybody born after about 1930, are not able to be responsible for the nazi genocide and adolf hitler dictatorship, that Germany in 2024 and 3rd reich nazi Germany are separate entities separated by over 79 years. I perceived that other Jews would be mortified at me or worse for going to Germany, that other Jews would perceive that me going to Germany means I think the nazi genocide was good or ok, that I am supporting a bad country, and so on. (Local lay people and officials in the occupied countried in Europe helped nazis identify and kill Jews and others). My mom refuses to buy any product she identifies as “German”; she would be mortified if I had bought a German car brand – I drive a Kia (made in a factory in Mexico owned by a South-Korea-based company) – I use a Lamy pen (made in Heidelberg, Germany); my dad said my mom wouldn’t let them buy a Bosch dishwasher when they remodeled their kitchen; I could have bought Bosch windshield wiper blades but I bought a low end brand, but the cheap ones don’t wipe good but they are at least 2 years old, maybe next time I will buy the Bosch blades – nobody will think to ask what brand they are. When I asked her whether she would go to Germany if she could ride in a plane, my mom moaned that she wouldn’t be comfortable going to Germany; she reads too many historical novels about World War II, she has never taken a plane ride, she refuses to ride in a plane and admitted that she would feel strange alone in strange city and/or in another country. My mom was horrified at me when I told her I was going to Spain 2 weeks before my trip, in 2022 (first she complained about coronavirus, then the war in Ukraine, then she yelled that “what if the war spreads and you can’t get out, like in World war II??!!. My aunt had a similar complaint. I felt like I was doing something quite wrong, ornery or defiant by taking this trip, although I also perceive this should be nuts or irrational).

Thank you for your detailed trip report and sharing your - and your family's- feelings as Jews regarding Germany. Also, I was really impressed by your resourcefulness using trains and how your careful research enabled you to see what you had hoped!
I flew into Munich (solo, Jewish) prior to a last year's RS tour but only had a day and a half. I spent the full day with a private guide touring first Dachau ( he'd had me read a lengthy book you might enjoy: Where Ghosts Walked...) and then, three+ hours walking the city looking at sites well-known, hidden and various memorials. It was overwhelming and emotionally and physically draining but an incredible experience.
I went to see the giant clock and nearby stumbled on a 100% gluten free and vegan bakery! I also avoid restaurants (even when home). The system of color/letter coding foods whether in stores or on menus was brilliant and at my hotel the buffet breakfast included a lot of well labeled options, too.
I am leaving for Berlin soon!
I gained a deepened understanding and certainly stronger connection to my Jewish heritage than before I went to Germany. Seeing how a country deals with its past atrocities is insightful. Travel really broadens your perspective in so many ways!
My older relatives felt the same as your mother does. In my opinion, I don't think there's any way (or reason) to change their perspective, but really admire that you pursued your own interest and then took the time to share with others here.
Thank you again!

I am curious as to why you didn’t eat any restaurant food or drink tap water. ??

What a complete trip report. It was made even more meaningful by you sharing some of the mental/emotional challenges that you faced when planning and taking the trip. I know from previous posts that taking this trip was an act of courage. Good for you.

Interesting and detailed trip report, Mike. Thanks for sharing.

Most restaurant food is made with oil, sugar, and/or salt. I doubt eating restaurant food every day for 2 weeks is healthy. My great-grandfather with my same last name had a heart attack and dropped dead 7 weeks before he would have turned 40. I already outlived him.... I am not a foodie, I don't required my food to be highly spiced or flavored...

In Flint and Benton Harbor, both in Michigan, there were problems with lead in tap water from lead pipes... yeah I know a lot of my fellow Americans like to consume unfiltered tap water... without testing the water from the sink at a hotel, you have no way to know what is in it... yeah it may have been filtered before going through the pipes but who knows what it picked up from the pipes... Who knows how good the filtration was... Who knows what kind of micro-organisms could be in the water... the labels on the bottled water in Europe says how much of certain minerals are in it...

Interesting report. I've lived near Rothenberg and Nuremberg and visited most of the places and attractions you've seen. Nice report.

If you return in the future, please be aware that food here is much different than what you'll find in the USA. The lack of preservatives and ultra processing makes a big difference, not only in taste. The first year I lived here I lost considerable weight without major changes to my diet, which I attribute to the quality of the food. Still, like most locals, bottled water is much more common than drinking tap water.

Thank you for your detailed trip report, Mike L, as well as your notes about the assumptions you had about how Jewish people feel about (modern day) Germany. I would be curious to know, if you want to share, if your recent experience visiting Germany affected those preconceptions? In Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, Isabel Wilkerson provides a dramatic contrast between how modern Germany acknowledges, educates, and attempts to redress the harms caused by Nazis toward Jewish people, and how the United States denies or minimizes our history with Black Americans and slavery. This book, which I highly recommend, made me reflect on how (if?) Germany's actions could be replicated in America.

About 12 years ago, when I visited London, I tried to "go paperless" with my travel documents and realized it was a big mistake. The immigration official at Heathrow was unamused that I had no ready evidence of my outbound flight. I did not have a UK SIM card for my mobile phone, so I had no Internet access to find the ticket in my email. I cannot remember how I talked my way out of the situation, but I am very glad I was not placed in a holding cell. I am sorry that happened to you! These days I print flight confirmations and hotel confirmations and keep them in a plastic sheet protector. These papers take up very little space in my luggage, and they provide a lot of reassurance.

Enjoyed the report. May I recommend for your next & future trips instead of purchasing plastic water bottles using a reusable UV & filtered water bottle such as that offered by LARQ or other brands out there.

Nice report…thank you!
Tip:
Next trip, take a screenshot of all your tickets, documents, boarding passes etc .
Then you don’t need internet access to find them, they are saved in your photos or Notes on your phone and you can access them anywhere with no data connection.

The plastic bottles of water in Germany have a usually 25 euro deposit, sometimes 15 euro deposit. I was able to put most of my empty plastic water bottles into a machine at the stores and got a receipt that the cashier scanned and the amount of the deposit was subtracted from the cost of what I was buying. The machine wouldn't accept just one bottle, and I left 3 other bottles in my last hotel because I wasn't going to try returning them on my way to the airport. Actually I saw a few glass bottles of water. I just bought the plastic bottles.

I think you meant 0.25 euro or 0.15 euro deposit. (Cents, not a full euro)

25 euros is a bit hefty for the “pfennig” bottle deposit, but I guess it would get everyone to bring the bottle back!

The next time you travel, try and visit some vegan restaurants as they use lots of fresh produce and have fabulous, healthy meals.
Sorry you missed out on some delicious food in Frankfurt. It is mushroom season here and a large salad with chanterelles is very tasty, or the Frankfurt specialty, Grüne Sosse, which is 7 fresh herbs in a joghurt/sour cream base served on boiled potatoes. No sugar or oils. The potatoes here are yummy! I guess I think you miss out on the culture of a country by not eating any of their food. The food in most of the countries here is nothing like the food in the US. It is seasonal, fresh, and not processed with corn sugars and extra fat.

The water in Germany is of highest quality. It is not like water in the US. The standards here are different.

Sorry we couldn't meet up. I could have shown you places to go or visit and saved you some time. It would have enhanced your visit here. Not sure why you didn't answer any of my messages to you.

Am presently with a group of people who the city of Frankfurt invited for a week long visit. Their parents are all survivors of the holocaust, either through the Kinder Transports, or surviving a KZ. Most of them had been to Germany before for a visit, none of them feel like they are doing anything wrong as Jews, visiting Germany. I honestly have never heard any Jewish visitor to Germany say anything like that.

For your next trip, see if you can find a light backpack that has a hip belt and light frame. They can carry more weight without ripping and will save your back and shoulders. You can find them in REI perhaps? A back pack should last longer than 3 days without tearing or falling apart.