Germany, Austria and Switzerland:
Accommodations Listings
Included in this section:
51. Rothenburg and the Romantic Road: From the Rhine to Bavaira Through Germany's Medieval Heartland
52. Hallstatt, in Austria's Commune-with-Nature District
53. Gimmelwald: For the Swiss Alps in Your Lap
54. Alpine Escapes (Taveyanne and Ebenalp, Switzerland)
51. Rothenburg and the Romantic Road:
From the Rhine to Bavaria Through
Germany's Medieval Heartland
Sleeping in Rothenburg
(€1 = about $1.40, country code: 49, area code: 09861)
Rothenburg is crowded with visitors, but most are day-trippers. But when the sun sets, most retreat to the predictable plumbing of their big-city high-rise hotels. Except for the rare Saturday night and festivals, finding a room is easy throughout the year. Unless otherwise noted, enough English is spoken.
Gasthof zur Goldenen Rose is a classic, 12-room, family-run place — simple, traditional, comfortable, and a great value — where scurrying Karin serves breakfast and stately Henni keeps everything in good order. Flowers spill out of the window boxes, and there's a peaceful back garden. A few cheaper rooms share a bath (S-€22, D-€38, Ds-€48, Db-€50–55, some triples; spacious family apartment-€110/4 people, €130/5 people, €150/6 people; kid-friendly, streetside rooms can be noisy, closed Jan–Feb, Spitalgasse 28, tel. 09861/4638, fax 09861/86417, www.thegoldenrose.de, info@thegoldenrose.de). The family also serves good, reasonably priced meals (restaurant closed Tue eve and Wed).
Gasthof Goldener Greifen, once Mayor Toppler's home, is a big, traditional, 600-year-old place with 15 large rooms and all the comforts. It's run by a helpful family staff and creaks with rustic splendor (small Sb-€38, Sb-€48, small Db-€60, big Db-€82, Tb-€97–102, Qb-€117–122, 10 percent off for 3-night stays, full-service laundry-€8, free and easy parking, half a block downhill from Market Square at Obere Schmiedgasse 5, tel. 09861/2281, fax 09861/86374, www.gasthof-greifen-rothenburg.de, info@gasthof-greifen-rothenburg.de, Brigitte and Klingler family). The family also has a couple of loaner bikes free for guests, and runs a good restaurant, serving meals in the back garden or dining room.
Gästehaus Raidel rents 12 large rooms in a 500-year-old house filled with beds and furniture, all handmade by friendly Norry Raidel himself. The ramshackle ambience makes me want to sing the Addams Family theme song — but the place has a rare, time-passed family charm (S-€24, Sb-€39, D-€49, Db-€59, Tb-€70, cash only, Wenggasse 3, tel. 09861/3115, Norry asks you to use the reservations form at www.romanticroad.com/raidel). Norry plays in a Dixieland band, invented a fascinating hybrid saxophone/trombone called the Norryphone, and loves to jam.
Hotel Gerberhaus, a classy and stylish hotel in an old building, is warmly run by Inge and Kurt and daughter Deborah, who mix modern comforts into 20 bright and airy rooms while maintaining a sense of half-timbered elegance. Enjoy the pleasant garden in back (Sb-€56, Db-€69–98, Tb-€119–129, Qb-€145, prices depend on room size; 2-room apartment with kitchen-€109/2 people, €155/4 people; 10 percent off and a free Schneeball if you stay 2 nights and pay cash, non-smoking, 4 rooms have canopied 4-poster Himmel beds, Internet access, laundry-€7, Spitalgasse 25, tel. 09861/94900, fax 09861/86555, www.gerberhaus.rothenburg.de, gerberhaus@t-online.de). The downstairs café and Biergarten serve good soups, salads, and light lunches.
Best Budget Option in Rothenburg
Here in Bavaria, hostelling is limited to those under 27, except for families traveling with children under 18.
Rossmühle Youth Hostel — This charming hostel, run since 1981 by Eduard Schmitz, rents 186 beds in two buildings. While it's mostly four- to six-bed dorms, they also have 15 doubles. Reception is in the droopy-eyed building — formerly a horse mill, it was used when the old town was under siege and the river-powered mill was inaccessible (dorm bed-€19, bunk-bed Db-€44, includes breakfast and sheets, all-you-can-eat dinner-€5.40, self-serve laundry including soap-€5, entrance on Rossmühlgasse, tel. 09861/94160, fax 09861/941-620, www.rothenburg.jugendherberge.de, jhrothenburg@djh-bayern.de).
52. Hallstatt, in Austria's Commune-with-Nature Lakes District
Sleeping in Hallstatt
(€1 = about $1.40, country code: 43, area code: 06134)
Hallstatt's TI can almost always find you a room (either in town or at B&Bs and small hotels outside of town — which are more likely to have rooms available and come with easy parking). Mid-July and August can be tight. Early August is worst. Hallstatt is not the place to splurge — some of the best rooms are in B&Bs, just as nice and modern as the bigger hotels, at half the cost. A bed in a private home costs about €20 with breakfast. It's hard to get a one-night advance reservation. But if you drop in and they have a spot, one-nighters are welcome. Prices include breakfast, lots of stairs, and a silent night. "Zimmer mit Aussicht?" (TSIM-mer mit OWS-zeekt) means "Room with view?" — worth asking for. Unlike many businesses in town, the cheaper places don't take credit cards. Ask if your hotel has in-town parking when you book your room.
Gasthof Simony is a well-worn, grandmotherly place on the square, with a lake view, balconies, ancient beds, creaky wood floors, slippery rag rugs, antique furniture, a lakefront garden for swimming, and a huge breakfast. Reserve in advance, ideally by phone or fax. To be safe, reconfirm your room and price a day or two before you arrive and call again if arriving late (S-€35, D-€55, Ds-€65, Db-€85, third person-€30–35 extra, cash only, kayaks for guests, Marktplatz 105, tel. & fax 06134/8231, www.hallstatt.net/gasthof/simony, Susanna Scheutz).
Bräugasthof Hallstatt is like a museum filled with antique furniture and ancient family portraits. This creaky old place — a former brewery with eight clean, cozy rooms — is run by Virena and her daughter, Virena. Six of the rooms have gorgeous little lakeview balconies (Sb-€45, Db-€76, Db with balcony-€84, Tb-€120, free parking, just past TI on the main drag at Seestrasse 120, tel. 06134/8221, fax 06134/82214, www.brauhaus-lobisser.com, info@brauhaus-lobisser.com, Lobisser family).
Gasthof Zauner is run by a friendly mountaineer, Herr Zauner, whose family has owned it since 1893. The 13 pricey, pine-flavored rooms on the inland side of the main square are decorated with sturdy alpine-inspired furniture. Lederhosen-clad Herr Zauner recounts tales of local mountaineering lore, including his own impressive ascents (Sb-€57, Db-€98, Db with lakeview-€106, cheaper mid-Oct–April, closed mid-Nov–mid-Dec, Marktplatz 51, tel. 06134/8246, fax 06134/82468, www.zauner.hallstatt.net, zauner@hallstatt.at).
Pension Sarstein, popular with students and other travelers, is a big, funky, flower-bedecked house heavy with lakeview balconies. You can swim from its plush and inviting lakeside garden (Db-€60, cash only, 200 yards to the right of boat dock at Gosaumühlstrasse 83, tel. 06134/8217, fax 06134/20635, www.pension-sarstein.at.tf, pension.sarstein@aon.at, Isabelle Fischer).
Best Budget Option in Hallstatt
Gasthaus zur Mühle Jugendherberge, below the waterfall, has 46 of the cheapest good beds in town (bed in 3- to 14-bed coed dorms-€14, D-€28, family quads, sheets-€3.50 extra, breakfast-€4, big lockers with a €15 deposit, closed Nov, reception closed Tue Sept–mid-May — so arrange in advance if arriving on Tue, below tunnel car park, Kirchenweg 36, tel. & fax 06134/8318, toeroe.f@magnet.at, Ferdinand Törö). It's also popular for its great, inexpensive pizza.
53. Gimmelwald: For the Swiss Alps in Your Lap
Sleeping in Gimmelwald
(1.10 SF = about $1, country code: 41)
Gimmelwald is my home base in the Berner Oberland. To inhale the Alps and really hold them in, you'll sleep high in Gimmelwald, too. Poor but pleasantly stuck in the past, the village has only a few accommodations options — all of them quirky and memorable. Rates include a new tax, which gets you into the public swimming pool in nearby Mürren (at the Sportzentrum). Factor the cable-car cost (5.40 SF per ride from Stechelberg or Mürren) into your accommodation costs. The cable car goes up and down twice an hour (at :25 and :55 past the hour from Stechelberg and Mürren, and at :00 and :30 from Gimmelwald). Be warned: You'll meet a lot of my readers in this town. This is a disappointment to some; others enjoy the chance to be part of a fun extended family.
Hotel Mittaghorn, the treasure of Gimmelwald, is run by Walter Mittler, a wonderful Swiss gentleman, with the help of trusty Tim. Walter's hotel is a classic, creaky, alpine-style place with memorable beds (if the bed's too lumpy or short, consider putting the mattress on the floor, or wear socks and drape the blanket over your feet), and a million-dollar view of the Jungfrau Alps. The hotel has three rooms with private showers and four rooms that share a shower (1 SF/5 min). Walter, now in his 80s, is careful not to let his place get too hectic or big. He, Tim, and Rosemarie (who comes in to clean up) appreciate sensitive Back Door travelers. To some, Hotel Mittaghorn is a creaky nightmare, with a kitchen that would never pass code, bumpy beds, teeny towels, and minimal plumbing, run by an eccentric old grouch. These people are better off in Mürren or Interlaken (Db-86 SF, 6-SF surcharge per person for 1-night stays, cash only, free Internet access, open April–Oct). Reserve by telephone only, then reconfirm by phone the day before your arrival (tel. 033-855-1658, www.ricksteves.com/mittaghorn). Walter usually offers his guests a simple but hearty 15-SF dinner at 19:30 (by reservation only). Hotel Mittaghorn is at the top of Gimmelwald, a five-minute climb up the steps from the village intersection.
Maria and Olle Eggimann rent two rooms — Gimmelwald's most comfortable — in their quirky but alpine-sleek chalet. Maria and Olle, who job-share the village's only teaching position and raise three kids of their own, offer visitors a rare and intimate peek at this community (D-130 SF, Db with kitchenette-190 SF for 2 or 3 people, optional breakfast-20 SF, cash only, guarantee your reservation in advance with a check or PayPal, last check-in at 21:00, 3-night minimum, Wi-Fi; from cable car, continue straight for 200 yards along the town's only road, B&B on left; tel. 033-855-3575, oeggimann@bluewin.ch).
Esther's Guest House, overlooking the main intersection of the village, rents seven clean, basic, and comfortable rooms, three of which have private bathrooms (S-45–60 SF, big D-95–105 SF, Db-90–100 SF, big T-130–180 SF, Q-170–200 SF, family room for up to 5 people-140–230 SF, cash preferred, breakfast-15 SF, 2-night minimum, low ceilings, fine guests' kitchen, tel. 033-855-5488, fax 033-855-5492, www.esthersguesthouse.ch, info@esthersguesthouse.ch). Esther also rents two four-person apartments with kitchenettes next door (140–160 SF/2 people, 190–220 SF/4 people, extra bed-30 SF, 3-night minimum, check website for details).
Best Budget Option in Gimmelwald
Mountain Hostel is a beehive of activity, as clean as its guests, cheap, and friendly. Phone ahead or book on their website. To secure one of its 50 dorm beds the same day (tough in July and August), call after 9:30 and leave your name. The hostel has low ceilings, a self-service kitchen, a mini-grocery, a free pool table, laundry, free Internet access, and healthy plumbing. It's mostly a college-age crowd; families and older travelers will probably feel more comfortable elsewhere. Petra Brunner has lined the porch with flowers. This relaxed hostel survives with the help of its guests. Read the signs, respect Petra's rules, and leave it tidier than you found it — bus your plates and clean the kitchen. Impress fellow hostelers and Petra by volunteering to chop wood for the hot tub. The place is one of those rare spots where a congenial atmosphere spontaneously combusts as the piano plays, and spaghetti becomes communal as it cooks (25 SF per bed in 6- to 15-bed rooms, includes sheets, showers-1 SF, no breakfast, hostel membership not required, 20 yards from lift station, tel. 033-855-1704, www.mountainhostel.com, mountainhostel@tcnet.ch). Petra also makes great pizza every night.
54. Alpine Escapes
Sleeping in Taveyanne, Switzerland
(1.10 SF = about $1, country code: 41)
This remote hamlet is a huddle of log cabins used by cowherds in the summer. Taveyanne is two miles off the main road between Col de la Croix and Villars (a small sign points down a tiny road to a jumble of huts and snoozing cows stranded at 5,000 feet). The hamlet's old bar is a restaurant, serving a tiny community of vacationers and hikers.
The town's inn is Refuge de Taveyanne (from 1882), where the Seibenthal family serves meals in a rustic setting with no electricity, low ceilings, and a huge, charred fireplace. Consider sleeping in their primitive five-mattress loft (15 SF, D-30 SF, cash only, access by a ladder outside, bathroom outside, closed Mon–Tue except July–Aug, closed Nov–April, tel. 024-498-1947). It's a fine opportunity to really get to know prize-winning cows.
Sleeping in Ebenalp, Switzerland
(1.10 SF = about $1, country code: 41)
Berggasthaus Aescher promises a memorable experience. The 170-year-old house has only rainwater and no shower. Friday and Saturday nights sometimes have great live music, but are often crowded and noisy, with up to 40 people, and parties going into the wee hours. Monday through Thursday, you'll normally get a small, woody dorm to yourself. The hut is actually built into the cliff; its back wall is the rock itself. From the toilet, you can study this alpine architecture. Sip your coffee on the deck, sheltered from drips by the gnarly overhang 100 feet above. The guest book goes back to 1940, there's a fun drawer filled with an alpine percussion section, and the piano in the comfortable dining/living room was brought in by helicopter. Claudia can show you rock-climbing charts. For a strenuous 45-minute pre-dinner hike, copy the goats: Take the high trail toward the lake, circle clockwise up toward the peak and the lift, then hike down the way you originally came (dorm bed-35 SF, includes breakfast and comforter, no towels or showers available, dinner-14–22 SF, no credit cards but euros and traveler's checks accepted, closed Nov–April, 12 min by steep trail below top of lift, tel. 071-799-1142, www.aescher-ai.ch, reservations by phone only, run by Claudia and Beny Knechtle-Wyss and their five children — Bernhardt-age 24, Reto-23, Lukas-20, Lilian-19, and Dominik-17 — plus 35 sheep, 20 rabbits, five chickens, three pigs, a donkey, and a dog).
Updated for 2008. For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' Germany & Austria and Rick Steves' Switzerland guidebooks.