Rick Steves' Germany, Austria, Switzerland & Prague: 2001
Please share any ways we can improve or fix this guidebook. Are there recommendations in this book that disappointed you? Do you have any new experiences or new places we should consider? Any warnings or tips? Here's what you thought:
Pension Seibel-Munich
Pension Seibel in Munich has gone schussing downhill since our last stay
! We've stayed there several times and have always loved the location and
the family atmosphere — but this time the atmosphere was gone (new management?),
the room was in disrepair (broken toilet seat, missing bathroom tiles, broken
HEAVY window that actually blew off its hinges into the room! Still a fabulous
location, but definitely ask to see the room before committing!
Berkland <email>
Arlington, VA USA 12/18/01
Have you ever thought of going to Augsburg, Germany?
I watched your show and it was wonderful. I am a german citizen and moved
to the US 3 years ago after marrying a US citizen. My hometown is Augsburg,
a historic town in the south close to Munich. You might want to consider
going there one day. Mozarts father was born there, it has the oldest home
for poor older residents in the world, the rent is under 5 Marks a month!
Luther wrote his theses there?! And there is a lot more that I know you
would enjoy. It was home to many american GI's over the years, before they
closed the Bases a few years ago. There will be a historic Festival "Das
Brunnenfest" in 2002, which is great to see! And so much more... I love
to watch your shows, they bring my Home in my living room, and you appear
sensitive to the local customs and traditions. Thank you.
Heike <email>
CO USA 12/15/01
Eastern European city connections
The GAS guide needs to add a few more entries to its list of Eastern Europe
city train connections. There's nothing on Vienna - Bratislava connections
from what I saw in the GAS guide. Bratislava is not very far off the Eurail
territory but this does not tell me if it's valid for any portion of the
Slovak side. Many websites don't seem to have this information either on
the pricing. Best thing I recommend is to check at Vienna South station
for any trains to Bratislava. For Budapest, it would be useful to know which
trains from Vienna could be used with Eurail pass without having to pay
for a couchette/sleeperette. I had to take a later train one time because
of this.
Josh Hanz <email>
Foster City, CA USA 12/09/01
A backdoor way to get to Prague from Munich
One thing the GAS guide might be able to use, is a backdoor method to get
to Prague from Munich. Although it's quicker to take a EuroCity train from
Munich to Prague, I'd like to offer a cheap and more homely method. Warning,
this is only recommended for the brave and adventurous. Passport is required
(may also need visa for some countries) It costs about 50 Euro for the complete
trip for second class. Included are two Schönes Wochenende tickets, or two
BayernTickets, or any combination thereof, as well as daily roundtrip fares
from Zelezna Ruda to Prague central station via Pilsen and Klatovy.
You start at Munich central station, arrive at 7 in the morning. You will take a RegionalExpress train to Plattling via Landshut. Change trains to a Regionalbahn (a modern articulated diesel train) to Bayerisch Eisenstein, right at the Czech border. Disembark at Bayerisch Eisenstein, have your passport checked, and cross into the Czech Republic. Change money at the bank at the back of the building, then go to the CD train office to buy a ticket to Prague, via Pilsen.
Then, board the train to Pilsen which will wait about ten minutes. It's a diesel run to Klatovy. This stretch is slow, and the train stops at all stations. But you get a very scenic view of the southwestern Czech Republic.
Once you arrive in Pilsen, you would have about an hour or so until your next train to Prague arrives. You can go shopping or do some sightseeing. The nearest tram stop however is away from the station, and you will have to buy tickets for each ride you take, no round trip tickets are available. Depending on the train to Prague you take, it may not stop at every station. Once you arrive in Prague, buy a 24 hour ticket or whatever season ticket you'd like depending on your stay.
Now you want to go back to Munich. Usually the latest train to go back
to Munich leaves about 2 PM. Before you go back, buy a ticket to Zelezna
Ruda via Pilsen. When you go back, you might see second class compartments
that will accomodate up to eight people (!) Once you get to Pilsen, you
might not have enough time to do anything. Board the train to Karlovy
Vary via Klatovy, then at Klatovy, change to a diesel train. Then cross
back into Germany. Changing to the train back to Munich, at Plattling,
there's not much time to buy anything to eat (I learned this the hard
way-try to get a bratwurst in under five minutes!) The quick RegionalExpress
will whisk you back to Munich. You'll think it's a bullettrain compared
to what you were riding before. But it's quite an adventure, and one I'd
recommend for the Prague section of the GAS guidebook.
Josh Hanz <email>
Foster City, CA USA 12/09/01
Prague metro line B to Cern´y Most
In the 2002 GAS guide with the Prague section, the yellow line "B" according
to the map on page 214 only goes to Ceskomoravska. On more recent maps,
this line goes five stations further to Cerny Most. The new stations, in
this order Vysocanska, Kolbenova, Hloutebin, Rajska Zahrada, Cerny Most.
Red Line C is also building stations north of Holesovice station.
For a nice view of the city, I recommend taking a trip on the C line to
Vysehrad and look across the small canyon. Otherwise you can visit the tower
near the Jirihoz Bodebrad, along the green line "A". Djekuji / thanks,
Josh Hanz <email>
Foster City, CA USA 12/09/01
The Ticino backdoors of Switzerland
I think you need to also have a section on the Ticino, the canton where
Italian is spoken (it's also spoken in parts of Graubünden). So I would
like to add my bits to it, from several visits from 1987 to as recently
as April 2001. I found nice places to stay in Lugano's Paradiso district
for anywhere from 60 to 70 Francs per night. Transportation is fairly efficient
in Lugano, during the weekdays, and adequate enough to get to the FFS train
station on Sundays, the same goes for Locarno, Bellinzona and Chiasso. There's
a very good view of the lake Lugano, as well as Mount San Salvatore and
Monte Bré. You can also see into Italy from Lugano, but not Campione (which
is like an Italian land-island inside of Switzerland, just a mile north
of Bissone).
In Bellinzona, Castelgrande is a must-see site, even if you don't go in it. Saturday mornings there is a nice flea market, and on the midtown street, you can see all the cantonal flags hanging down.
Locarno is a nice lakeside resort, similar to Lugano, but on the Lake Maggiore. The FFS train station isn't in Locarno itself, but just a few steps outside the city limits. If you go underground to the FART (pardon the acronym) station, it runs three stations under Locarno. It goes all the way to Domodossola in Italy, past the border station in Camedo (Swiss side). Locarno has a youth hostel along the FART line.
Mendrisio has a shopping center called "Fox Town" which unfortunately isn't very easy to reach by public transport. It's somewhere between the town's entry to the Autostrada northbound, and the FFS train station. FoxTown is a nice factory outlet store, where designer products can be purchased for a fraction of the price at the average department store.
Last but not least, Chiasso is at the southernmost end of Switzerland. Anything between Chiasso and Bissone is called the "Mendrisiotto" region. Chiasso station is right at the border with Italy, and if you leave the station, and go right, you will see an actual border crossing. The last Manor store there is within walking distance to the border. Como is not very far off from there. If you have a radio handy, Chiasso is the furthest most point that you can hear the German broadcast of DRS 1.
To get from the Milan Malpensa airport to Ticino, I recommend Flycar,
sponsored by the Swiss Post (it's a nice postal bus, for just 20 Francs
or 16 Euro to Lugano, about 13 to Mendrisio). The scenery after Varese
is breathtaking. It's quite a constrast by going through the border to
Stabio, and you're literally entering mountain country. This is a fine
example of a back-door, in my opinion.
Josh Hanz <email>
Foster City, CA USA 12/09/01
With a car in Czech Republic
Just returned from spending Thanksgiving week in Prague and Cesky Krumlov.
Since Rick doesn't talk a lot about driving into the Czech Republic, most
of my comments will be about that. My wife and I drove from Germany into
Prague. There was about a 30 minute wait to cross the border into Czech
Republic; the long line was because there was only one booth open. They
didn't check our passports. We had to buy a toll sticker (just like Austria
and Switzerland); they took DM (this was good, as we entered Czech Republic
without any korunas.) The roads were fine. It was very foggy the entire
way, so we didn't get to see much of the landscape. The drive into Prague
was pretty much like driving into any big city; a few wrong turns and some
traffic (we arrived around 4 in the afternoon on Saturday) but it wasn't
too bad. We had a street map - highly recommended.
Since I've heard many stories about cars getting broken in to and stolen in former east block countries, I was concerned about the parking. We decided to stay at the Cloister Inn, since they had a small enclosed courtyard for cars; Rick doesn't mention this, but they have a website with all the details. The parking cost 250kc/day.
The drive from Prague to CK was largely uneventful; the countryside, though probably not as lush as at other times of the year, was still worth driving through. We drove through many small towns on the way.
It took about three hours to get to CK. Our pension was in the pedestrian district (as most are) and we weren't sure if we could drive in, so we parked at one of the lots outside of the city center, walked to the pension and was given a pass by our hostess, allowing us to drive in the pedestrian zone. This was good as we were stopped by police as we entered the pedestrian zone; we showed our pass and they waved us through. Our pension was on a dead end street; parking was on the street in a spot reserved for our pension, so in CK when a pension says they have private parking, it is probably on the street.
CK has a web site at http://www.ckrumlov.cz/uk - it's great! It has everything you need to know for planning your trip, including a 3-D map.
Now, as for the drive from CK back to Germany - well, it was snowing
and our path back to Germany was on narrow, hilly rural roads. Driving
on rural roads in the Czech Republic during a heavy snow is an adventure
in itself. If you're not used to driving on snow, don't risk it
Gary <email>
Laurel, MD USA 11/30/01
Koln cathedral's treasury
Rick's 2001 Germany, etc book mentions that the treasury for the Koln cathedral
wasn't worth it. That was true in the past but this year it is newly renovated.
It was wonderfully interesting, complete with many English descriptions.
Not only are there many reliquaries but some very old artifacts found in
the oldest parts of the cathedral. It is certainly worth a look!
Jennifer Wagnon <email>
Dexheim, Germany 11/10/01
Where to stay, what to do, and I wish I had gone to...
Going to Salzburg? Stay with Trudy. She is in Steve's GAS book. She is WONDERFUL
and so are her accommodations. And I could not believe the rates. The rates
were so low, I felt guilty. We left her a BIG TIP! Our family stayed there
for $28.00 a night. Yes, $28.00 with Breakfast!
Don't miss the visit to the Eagle's Nest and the museum at the bunkers.
Well worth it.
Going to Munich or Berlin, DON'T miss the Third Reich Walking Tours.
Don’t miss a chance go to Vienna. What a wonderful city. There is
so much to do and see. All without a car. Stay at the Post Hotel. Great
location!
Didn't care much for Dachau, it was too much in your face, pictures of
people larger than life. (It was educational.) Funny... when I was there,
I saw tour guides waving Israeli flags; but this camp only housed a minority
of Jews and the gas chambers were never used. I wish I had visited Mauthausen
or one of the other camps to understand just how horrible people can be
to each other. (My guide said Dachau was the “Club Med” of
the camps.)
Rob
American, USA 11/05/01
Bern- Maerzilibahn cable car extra charge
The Maerzilibahn cable car, the one that is situated behind the Swiss Parliament
in Bern and goes down to somewhere close to the Aare river, is not covered
with the Swiss Pass or any Bern public transit pass, so you have to pay
one franc per ride, up or down. A book of 20 tickets costs 18 Francs but
isn't worth it if you're there for only two or three days. The walk uphill/downhill
is quite steep.
Also, the Youth Hostel is directly accessible from the train station
by public transportation only at night when the line 30 is running. So
this is definitely something to take into consideration. Luckily the Swiss
Pass does cover the Bern bus.
Josh Hanz <email>
Foster City, CA USA 11/03/01
Just back from 2.5 weeks in Germany & Austria. We drove and had no problems (Europe by Car for the rental). The hotel Hornburg in Rothenburg is wonderful, Martin makes you feel so welcome! The breakfast was great, location excellent. In Vienna we stayed at Pension Pharmador (http://www.inthotels.com/pharmador/eindex.htm). I picked it because it had free parking, but I would recommend it to everyone. Very quiet even in the middle of the city. It was nice having the convenience of an elevator and the luxury of a full bath with a tub! Very reasonable priced and friendly staff and a full breakfast with free newspapers!! We walked to everything (we are in our late 40"s). I can't say enough about it.
Another nice place in a big city was the Bloberger Hotel (http://www.blobergerhof.at/keuschnigg/index1-e.htm)
just outside of Salzburg. The bus was less than a block away and took
us right into the city! We were disappointed in Halstatt (sorry!), we
arrived in the town about 10am and by 1pm we had seen everything, but
could not get into our hotel until after 5pm! (Gasthof Simony, nice place).
Next time we would have made this a stop, then traveled on to another
town for the overnight. If you are flying out of Frankfurt I would recommend
spending a day seeing the Museums. They were wonderful. You can buy a
Museum Card for one price and get in any Museum in the city for the next
two days. Be sure and see the Duane Hanson exhibit at the Schirn Kunsthalle.
Just another note, most eating establishment close from 2pm until 6pm.
A few places we wanted to stay at were above restaurants and we had to
wait until after 6pm to inquire about a room. Your welcome to write if
you have a question!
debra <email>
grants pass, or USA 11/03/01
Melk-Krems, Vienna and Lausanne
If in Vienna and planning a Melk Krems boat trip be aware that the schedule
Rick supplies in the book for times is good only UP TO October, not THROUGH
October. In october there is only one daily trip. There are no trips after
October. Don't miss the Abbey. It is decadent. They have an ultra guilded
church with bedecked skeletons and a lovely garden. Eat in town though,
the Abby's food is... blah. Beware the monk with a gold Rolex watch... he
seems to be exempt from the poverty vow. I would like to whole heartedly
second Pension Suzanne in Vienna. They are incredibly nice there and the
rooms are clean and just a hop to the opera house, the metro and downtown.
Do not skip his suggested tram ride. Also, if fgoing to Lausanne SW., be
sure to stay in The Regina (also his suggestion). The rooms offer a magnifico
view of the castle, the beds and covers promote incredibly deep sleep and
the owners and night man are beyond friendly and helpful. Go on the boat
ride to the castle. It is a highlight.
Shannan <email>
Keys, FL USA 10/24/01
Gimmelwald
Save yourself some hard ach and don't go to Gimmelwald. Because it is the
most wonderful place I have been, I didn't want to leave. We stayed at the
Eggman's bed and breakfast. We had a great private room with a kitchenette,
and our own patio to enjoy dinner with a spectacular view. The bed was great
and I wanted to down comforter, but my cousin made me leave it. Murren was
a great little town to relax in. We went to Schilthorn for breakfast, which
was great. And spent at day at Jungfraujouch which is even better. If you
want lunch there make reservations so you can get a window seat. I guess
the hiking is something around Gimmelwald, but we enjoyed the view on a
patio in Murren and soaked it all up. We were there 3 day’s and it
was not even close to being enough.
Wendy <email>
Brooklyn Park, MN USA 10/23/01
Germany ,Austria And Switzerland
Rick Steves' Germany, Austria & Switzerland (GAS) - did it - loved it! Thanks
for the help. Skip old Frau Fischer's Haus Sarstein in Hallstatt, dirty,
dirty. (I think Rick left her out of the latest edition but she didn't know
that?) Consider staying in and visiting Bad Ischl. It is a neat town in
itself and one can easily make day trips to Hallstatt from there. (But would
miss the peaceful ambiance of evenings and mornings on the lake.) Stop in
and get a smoked whitefish or trout from the small market that the two Hallstatt
fisherman operate. (You will see them tending their nets most every morning)
Try to hit Innsbruck on July First. A very colorful morning assembly on
Friedrich Strasse and parade through town by many militia units in traditional
Tyrolean costume to honor the heroes of the battles against the conquering
Bavarians in the early 1800's. See our negative comments and suggestion
concerning the Salzburg Panorama Sound of Music Tour on the Grafitti Board's
"Tours other than Ours". Stayed in St Gallen, Switzerland and bused and
trained to everything in the Appenzell area. Saw more and enjoyed it immensly.
Buy the Appenzeller Card!! Really wanted to bus from Reutte over the Mochtannberg
Pass to St Galen via Dornbin, Austria to see and visit the Bregenzer Wald
in Voralberg, planning to spend one night in one of the villages along the
way. But, there are no through bus connections over the pass until 7 July.
(We got to Reutte on the 5th!) Up until the 7th the buses run only as far
as Warth from Reutte on the east side and from Dornbirn only as far as Schrocken
on the west side. Has Rick Steves ever checked that route out? Was it a
bad plan in the first place?
David Law <email>
Tacoma, WA USA 10/21/01
Munich
Just back from a trip to Italy which started and ended in Munich. A little
correction: the Lufthansa bus from train station to airport now costs 18
DM per person. It's exceptionally easy to find/use. We arrived in Munich
on the opening day of Oktoberfest and recommend it highly! We had no idea
what to expect — it was great fun. The next morning, we had planned to
catch a train to Italy but due to a train strike were delayed and discovered
the Oktoberfest Parade instead. It's held the 2nd day of Oktoberfest and
what a spectacle! Almost three hours of fabulous costumes and bands and
herds of oxen with loud bells ... again, great fun. We stayed at the recommended
Hotel Bristol, which is about 15 minutes walk from train station and 10
minutes from Oktoberfest grounds. Nice hotel — friendly English-speaking
staff. Feather pillows and duvets (unless you're allergic, in which case
they provide polyester). Big buffet breakfast with eggs! Our room cost 280
DM (about $130) during Oktoberfest and 145 DM (special Rick cash price)
three weeks later. Good place for dinner: Hackerhaus (just a couple of blocks
from Hotel Bristol).
Charlene <email>
Centennial, CO USA 10/16/01
Cologne Sites
Just returned from a family wedding in Cologne, Germany. Thanks to Ricks
advice was even able to entertain German visitors - I took some of the smaller
cousins to the chocolate museum in Cologne - good for school age kids, but
leave the younger ones home. Extensive exhibits in English and free samples!
The Roman museum next to the cathedral has brief summaries on its permanent
collection in English & French now. Temporary exhibits on the main floor
(I was told) are rarely translated. Worth a visit for the incredible glassware
alone!
Cathy W.
San Jose, CA USA 10/14/01
Germany
We just returned from 2 great weeks in Germany. Frankfurt, Rothenburg, Munich,
Bavaria, Black Forest/Triberg, Heidleburg, Baden, Cologne, Rhine, Trier,
Mosel. Used Rick and Eyewitness. Will answer questions and provide suggestions
upon request.
Mike <email>
Taylorsville, OH USA 10/09/01
Just Back
We just got back from Austria, we used Rick's guide book and faired very
well with the following exceptions:
1. You should recommend Gruner Baum hotel in Hallstatt.
2. The Cafe Winkler is closed for renovations
3. We took Bob's special tour instead of Panorama tours, we were very glad
we did, Bob's uses small minivans (less people), the guide Steve was fantastic!
Susan Leitner <email>
Columbia, MD USA 10/07/01
Hallstatt Austria
I agree about the Gruner Baum, we had a lovely room with a great balcony
overlooking the lake, not to mention the great meal, and nice staff. I think
you should add the Gruner Baum to your book!
Susan Leitner <email>
Columbia, MD USA 10/07/01
Hallstatt, Austria
We had a great time in Hallstatt, Austria despite the fact that it rained
for virtually the entire time we were there. Three points:
1. The Hotel Gruner Baum was a great place to stay. Friendly proprieters,
good food, and 2 cats and a dog to greet guests.
2. Whenever the bill was brought to our table, the waitperson gave us a
recap of what we were paying for, I don't think the bill was "padded" the
way a previous poster had described.
3. We thought is was funny when we ate at one of the restaurants in Hallstatt
and some annoying Americans asked the waitress to "take all the skin and
bones off the fish," and after that wanted tartar sauce. The waitress told
them to remember they were not in the U.S. and to respect local customs.
We almost stood up and applauded!
John Piepkorn <email>
Minneapolis, MN USA 10/02/01
Linderhof, etc
Just came back from 3 weeks in Germany, Austria, Switzerland (well, sort
of), Belgium, Italy, Lichtenstein, and the Netherlands. Whew. We based out
of Garmish, Germany since we are military and it was a great centrally located
area. So glad I read Rick's books because although my husband used to live
here, much had changed in the 5 years that had gone by. For instance, Neuschwanstein
was just like Rick said, my husband remembered walking right up to the castle
and going in. Hohenschwangau is well worth the parking and long line headaches.
Even better is Linderhof, and we didn't get to go inside. But that was the
beauty of it, we came right before sunset and we were the only ones there..in
August! It was like it was our castle.
We daytripped to Trento, Italy. Wish I had brought a page or two with me
on that town..gorgeous, but it was hard to find a restaurant as we were "winging it". Venice was good when we went because it rained and most of
the tourists stayed away.
The biggest headache of the whole trip was the Frankfurt airport. The airport
is alright, but plan extra time to do the VAT form. We went up and down
and asked everyone where to go and it ended up more of a pain than it was
worth.
Lichtenstein -yawn- best part is the tunnel, and get ready for long lines
to get into Switzerland, and don't think of driving through Switzerland
without forking out some cash.
Marissa Jones <email>
Abilene, TX USA 10/01/01
Vienna
I strongly urge anyone traveling to Vienna to avoid Hotel Corvinus. I have
always had great experiences with the hotels I found in Rick Steve's books
with the exception of Hotel Corvinus. The owner overcharged me for my stay
there. He does not keep his word.
Russel
Denver, CO USA 09/25/01
My wife and I stayed at the Hotel Uhland in Munich, in early August.
A great bargain indeed as the room only came to $80 US. It was very convenient
to the U-Bahn and down the street from the Octoberfest site, which is actually
a wonderful little neighborhood. The only thing that I would add to the
guide book was that there are no smoke free rooms (but you could barely
tell that). My wife and I also used Rick's guide book to select Pension
Suzanne in Vienna. Great location as it is right on the same street at the
Opera House. One thing that we noticed in this hotel was the continental
breakfast versus the full breakfast that we really enjoyed in Munich. There
was no difference noted in the guide book and I think that is something
that could be added. All in all a great trip!!
Happy European Traveler
Atlanta, GA USA 09/10/01
We stayed at Hotel Am Markt in St Goar for a one night "on the way
to somewhere else" stop. It was great. We arrived only minutes before the
restaurant closed, but they stayed open for us. We thought the food was
great and the prices were extremely reasonable...we sat outside and fell
in love with watching the Rhein go by. Our rooms were spotless. We wish
we'd planned several days along the river!
Nancy <email>
Millersville, MD USA 09/06/01
I just came back from 17 days with my family in Germany,Austria, Slovakia
and Czech Republic. Every hotel was booked using Rick's recommendation.
Rothenburg:Kloster Stueble, Munich:Hotel Uhland, Salzburg:Hotel Jedermann,Vienna:Hotel
Admiral and Prague:Hotel 16. All were clean, the staff helpful and with
good locations. We drove and found free parking everywhere but Prague. If
staying in Heidelberg, I highly recommend the Hotel Hollander Hof a few
feet from the Old Bridge and right on the the Neckar River. We were there
for the fireworks and castle illuminarion on 9/1. The book was our bible.
Mark Draganescu <email>
Chalfont, PA USA 09/04/01
I had a bad experience in Hallstatt, Austria. We came in on the last train
and were not met by the ferry despite the posted times. We signaled with
flashlights to see if they would make the run which they did for the price
of 500 schillings ($US 33.33) as opposed to the regular price of 25 schillings
($US 1.67). We then ate at two different restaurants and got tabs without
food listings just prices so we had no idea how badly padded the tab was.
It's a real tourist trap.
Stephen Sutherland
Huntington Beach, California USA 08/25/01
While driving from Baden Baden to Bacharach, we decided to stop for
a few hours in Heidelberg, even though Rick does not recommend it and writes
it is not worth the time. I found it to be absolutely charming and full
of character, with old cobbled streets and creaky old buildings. The bridge
across the river has great views of the castle. Yes, there were a lot of
tourists, but that was part of the fun. I certainly would have enjoyed spending
a night there to explore the castle that hovers over the town but I had
reservations elsewhere. I'm glad to have stopped there.
Linda
Danville, CA USA 08/24/01
My family recently spent 2 weeks in Europe and found many helpful tips
in Ricks books. One word of warning, however, regarding the Hotel Helvetia
in Munich. I would definitely NOT recommend it for families. It was near
the train station (we thought convenient). Quite a sleezy area and right
on the street. Although the windows on the front are soundproof and quiet
enough when closed, it was too hot to leave the windows closed (no fan in
the room) and much too noisy with them open. The second night we requested
something on the back side of the hotel and while it was quieter, the further
back we went, the dirtier it got. Food was fine and price was right.
K Beitz <email>
Burlington, ky USA 08/22/01
Hello all. Earlier this year my wife and I cycled from Vienna to the
Salzkammergut area just outside of Salzburg. It was a great trip cycling
mainly along the famous Danube cycle paths. We have written a web page to
help others who are thinking of doing something like this. If you would
like to check it out visit http://mikven.tripod.com/AustriaWebPage.htm
mike venamore <email>
brisbane, Australia 08/18/01
The book is a good starting point, but as others have learned, there are other places in these countries that merit mention and exploration. Beginning in Vienna, we thought the Spanish Riding School rehearsal was pretty boring and not worth the wait in line. We stayed at Pension Funfhaus where we had their 2-bedroom "apartment." The rooms were a bit small, and although I knew Europeans often keep their "toilets" and "bathrooms" separate, there was no sink in the "toilet" room, which was a bit odd. But for $30/night/person, it wasn't a bad deal! Directions to the Vienna Woods are a bit vague in the guidebook; You need to know that the bus #38A doesn't always go up to the "top" of the Vienna Woods. Sometimes it turns around and goes back to the other end of the line!
My friend took us to a "Heurigen-wannabe" in Vienna, just off Stefansplatz. I think the name was Esterhazy. Food was great, and the place was in a real wine cellar. Wine tasted like Heurigen wine, too! Regina also told us about a small shop that sold gelato?
Rick doesn't say much about Klagenfurt and uses it only as a sleepover place for his tours. It's a wonderful Roman provincial capital. We visited some great places, like Hofausterwitz, a medieval castle on top of a lava plug that has been owned by the same family since about the 12th century — and it's never been conquered by any army. There are also Roman archaeological sites in the nearby mountains and a church on top of one such site (Magdalenenburg) that was built on top of a Roman temple that was built on top of a Celtic "church." And the Worthersee (Lake Worth) is glorious.
Munich was our next big city! Munich is great, but keep in mind that it starts dying on Saturday night. We were lucky to find anyplace open for food on Sunday. And Pension Seibel is getting too full of itself. Rick's recommendations have made its owners cocky.
Dachau was tricky to get to and in the rain it was truly gloomy and frightful. We did NOT like the fact that the area near the crematorium had been "prettied up," with gardens and flowers, and there were only a few small ground level plaques that told you this is where prisoners were shot.
Neuschwanstein in the rain isn't much fun and the crowds in July are horrendous. We did take a bus tour so we got to see Linderhof, which was lovely!
We drove in a rental car to Wurzburg. We all found the Romantic Road boring. We did stop in a little town where the road crosses the Danube River (known as the Donau) and it was lovely, with its pastel houses and all the flowers. The Marienburg is always worth a visit and a bus from the bus station next to the train station takes you right up there. We stayed in a pension of Rick's recommendation. It was indeed cheap, just down the street from the train station, but did it ever smell musty on the ground floor!
We took a river cruise up the Mainz River which is a waste — the boat is nice, but the scenery on one bank is non-existent — all industrial stuff — and on the other side there were only a few green spots.
Leaving Germany via Frankfurt Airport was about as stressful as in any
US airport. A word of advice about the tax refund forms. In Austria, we
just handed the completed form to the appropriate customs person who cheerfully
gave us our VAT back. In Frankfurt's airport, the 2 men snarled at us
because we didn't have the purchased items with us — we had mailed them
home! They finally stamped the forms and sent us to the cashier. I have
to agree that some more detail needs to be put in the guidebook and that
while Rick may find certain cities/villages great, this is really a judgment
call, his opinions, his tastes. He needs to encourage us to go to other
places and to send his own people there, too, to check them out for the
best things to see, do and where to stay and eat.
Hilde Horvath <email>
Old Bridge, NJ USA 08/17/01
I agree that it's really important to learn basic words and phrases of the
country you are traveling in. However, for some reason German has always
been extremely difficult for me. I can now speak enough German to get around;
however, understanding the language when someone else speaks it full speed
is a horse of another color. When I ask them "Wiederholen Sie, bitte" or
"Sprechen Sie langsamer, bitte," they automatically launch into English.
They were so anxious to practice their English that they wouldn't let me
practice my German!
Mary from Oregon
USA 08/11/01
An addition to my 6/14 notes on Vienna: If you love classical sacred
music, be sure to plan your stay in Vienna to include Sunday. Every church
features a famous choral work at Sunday morning services, and a number of
them also have sacred music on Sunday evenings (Mozart's Vespers and the
Bach Magnificat were advertised while I was there). Rick mentions the Vienna
Boys Choir but not the other outstanding choral music happening all over
Vienna on Sunday.
Mary from Oregon
USA 08/11/01
Often what we perceive as rudeness is just big-city brusqueness, or hurry.
Munich waiters and waitresses can be "brisk", to be sure, but it isn't necessarily
rudeness, and isn't directed toward foreigners. As you know, in most of
Europe you are welcome to a table for the entire evening, so a reserved
table would not be offered to anyone else on the expectation that they would
be finished before the "reservees" show up. Just a thought. My own experiences
in Munich last summer were all very pleasant — -including an unplanned visit
to a German dentist! I hope you encounter friendlier people next time.
Lura <email>
Seattle, WA USA 08/07/01
My wife and I returned from a little over 2 weeks in Europe. The last few days were driving from Verona (wonderful place and people) through the mountains to Austria (wonderful place and people), and spending 2-3 days in Munich, before flying out of Zurich.
We couldn't get out of Munich fast enough. I am of German heritage on one side of my family, and had really looked forward to fun in Bavaria. As soon as it became apparent that we were not fluent in German, we were met with the greatest rudeness. We were even told there were no tables available in two restaurants, when we could see 20 or so empty, and we were early by European standards. We were clean, tidy and dressed appropriately.
Believe me when I say that the rudeness encountered in Munich makes NYC
and Paris look wonderful.
Tom Tapscott <email>
Durham, NC USA 08/05/01
One of my favorite areas in Germany is the Rhine/Mosel region, and I've found Rick's guidebook info to be quite accurate. Still, here are a couple of ideas for the next edition. First of all, the "Gemütlichkeit" of staying in someone's home is quite special, as Rick points out, but when there are so few of these "Zimmer" options in the guidebook, they become overbooked and quickly unavailable to spontaneous, call-ahead travelers like me. In St. Goar, for example, Frau Kurz is the only listing in this category, and she's way overbooked as a result. The tourist offices are great, but they have very limited hours and don't recommend places.
Secondly, while Rheinfels and Burg-Eltz make for great tours, Eltz is closed from Novermber through March, and Rheinfels open only on weekends in the winter. However, Marksburg Castle, across the river and a few km to the north of Rheinfels, provides an excellent tour of a real, undestroyed knight's castle, and the place is open nearly year-round. With so few places open in the off-season, I hope you'll include a description and info on Marksburg in your future editions.
Finally, with the confusion over the trail to Burg Eltz, perhaps you
could use the Ringelsteiner Mühle restaurant, out in the woods outside
Moselkern, as a landmark in your trail description, a place name that
locals would recognize and be able to use to assist hikers gone astray.
Russ Staub <email>
Galt, CA USA 08/04/01
I have had nothing but good experiences using Rick Steve's books, but yesterday I had the most bizzare "Backdoor Experience" I would ever care to have.
My friend and I are currently traveling through Austria, and decided to stay in Hallstatt a few days... Absolutely incredible town. However, next to the Youth Hostel in town, there is a butcher shop. Apparently Tuesday morning is slaughter day, as at seven in the morning, the town awoke to the screams of pigs!
I looked out the window, and somehow overnight they had brought pigs into a little pen behind it, and one by one, a dozen pigs were caught by two Austrian guys, covered in blood, wearing cute little hats, dragged into the shop and shot. We heard all of it, and the blood being hosed down the creek. Pigs make the most horrid screaming noise when they are being caught and dragged to their deaths.
Now I realize this is where pork comes from, and I had pork schnitzel just today, but I was quite shocked to see this next to the youth hostel in a town overrun by tour busses.
Rick promises getting you closer to the locals and their everyday cultural
goings on, and I guess I sure have experienced this.
Jeremy Young <email>
Lake Stevens, WA USA 08/01/01
A warning about Pension Perschy in Vienna. I emailed this pension for
prices. They emailed me back with a price and reservation offer. I responded
the next day with my credit card number to guarantee the reservation. Instead
of confirmation, I received an email stating that they had quoted me the
wrong price and gave me a new price at about 500 ATS higher. I understand
that mistakes happen, and I also realize that procedures are different in
other countries. However, I don't patronize any business which doesn't honor
their commitments. I'd be curious to know if this has happened to others.
If you make a reservation at Pension Pertschy, I recommend that you take
documentation of the price quoted to avoid an unpleasant surprise when you
get to Vienna.
Randy
USA 07/28/01
Our Family went to Germany, Switzerland and Austria this past Spring. Perhaps this summary may be helpful to someone.
Miami — Dusseldorf, non stop, via LTU airline over Easter break, excellent flight and service on this German airline. Myself, wife and two kids, 15 and 12. Used an Entertainment Book coupon for car rental upgrade at National Car Rental in Dusseldorf. Reserved a mid-size car and wound up with a triple upgrade to a Vectra Station Wagon which was great for a family of four. Dusseldorf to Bacharach. Beautiful little village on Rhine.
Stayed in family room at Hotel Kranenturn. Nice, quaint, creaky old Europe, castle type atmosphere. Cannot overemphasize the noise level of the trains that run all night however. Very, very, very VERY, loud. If it were not for the earplugs they provide it would be unbearable. We had a very good dinner there and Fatima is great. Nice village to walk around and hike up steep hill to castle which is now a hostel. Rhine cruise boats are right across the street. Could not take the cruise due to the cold, so we toured the Rhine by car which worked out great.
Must address the weather issue. We were shocked at the cold weather we had in April. Freezing. We wore thermals and heavy coats almost every day. People told us it was unusual for April but this was the second year in a row that we froze in Europe in mid April. We probably only had five days that hit 50 degrees and most days were in the thirties. Travel books told us the average daytime temperature in April is 59 degrees, ours was about 40 degrees. Other than that off season travel is great. No crowds, choice of accomodations and restaurants, more attention from locals.
Found a very good, inexpensive local restaurant in Koblenz called Chianti. Visited St. Goar and Rhinefels Castle. Good sightseeing... Bacharach to Rothenburg . Nice ride after we picked up the Romantic Road. Rothenburg is fantastic. Great shopping and walking around. Kids loved the torture museum. Took the Night Watchman tour which is a lot of fun. Great nightime views from the gardens of the walled city. Stayed at Pension Freund which is nice as they give you a two room apt for the cost of a room. Only spent one night there.
Romantic Road to Munich. Enjoyed Dinkelsbuhl and Nordlington, but Rothenburg remains special. Highly recommend Hotel Uhland in Munich. Great large family room on first floor of very nice neighborhood and excellent breakfast. Free Parking...Brisk 20 minute walk to central Munich. Took the morning Munich Walking tour. Very informative and interesting. Hofbrauhaus is the best at night. Excellent Italian restaurant near Hotel Uhland, La Fiorentina; great food and friendly staff. Went to Dachau for an afternoon. Very moving and good experience for teens.
Munich to Reutte with stops at Mittenwald, Garmisch, Oberammergau for quick visits. Highly recommend Youth Hostel in Reutte. Clean, friendly, family room with bath and breakfast. Nice hosts. Very good restaurant down the road — Soyer’s Sennerland, great Pizza.
Lauterbrunnen was great. Valley Hostel in Lauterbrunnen valley has a nice family room, wonderful helpful hosts and communal kitchen. Visited and enjoyed Trummelbach falls and Staubbach falls. Special train and lift passes for kids allows them to ride inexpensively. The scenery was spectacular. Took a few hikes.
In Trier, we had a nice dinner and friendly staff at the Gaststatte Zum Schwarzen Ochsen, at the town square. Spent last day stopping at signs that said "Winegut" and stopped to sample the wines. Mosel Valley road hugs the river all the way. Great scenery; Zell, Cochem and Bernkastle were favorites. Nice Hostel on mountain overlooking Bernkastle.
Tips- Go off season but bring thermals, pack light, one backpack, one
daybag per person (we did laundry twice at Hostels). Try hosteling for
a family, most hostels have family rooms. For general travel Rick’s
books are great. Use an Eyewitness type book for specifics. Revisit sights
at night. We went back to Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, Fussen, Ehrenberg
and other places after dark and they are amazing when lit up and so quiet.
We were the only ones there.
Brian Dunne <email>
Pompano Beach, FL USA 07/25/01
Traveled two weeks in Germany with German Rail Pass and had a great
time. After having spent two nights in Beilstein, however, I think next
time I'd make that a home base for a week or more and just take day trips
from there with a rental car. What an idyllic spot! The Hotel Haus Lipmann
was great, with meals (and their wonderful wines) on the vine-covered terrace
and our room looking out over the Mosel. We did find that, at least in summer,
there are more buses between Cochem and Beilstein than mentioned in Rick's
book, with one around 17:00, one around 18:00, and the last around 23:00.
Bus stop is beside the train station (hard right when coming out of the
station). We had no trouble finding our way to Burg Eltz from the Moselkern
train station (however, I always carry more than one guidebook). The Hotel
Hornburg in Rothenburg was as great as everyone on this site has said (see
11/14/00 posting for details). The owners have two large dogs. They're very
well-behaved, but allergy sufferers might need to know this. We especially
enjoyed the walk to Detwang and the wine terrace of the Gasthof zum Schwarzes
Lamm. In Bacharach, we loved eating at Wolfshoehle, which is somewhat off
the tourist track. Our itinerary included Luebeck in the north, quite an
interesting place. I think Rick's readers would enjoy the Hotel Alte Stadtwache,
situated on the Krahenteich ("crow pond") in the southern part of the city
where few tourists go (www.altestadtwache.de). Good food there and also
at an Italian restaurant a few doors farther down the street (San Marco,
I think it was). And finally, for those like Mary (below) who are frustrated
at not being able to talk to people, learn a little bit of the language!
Why should we expect people to speak English? We've used the "Learn in Your
Car" series for Spanish, Italian and now German and find knowing some of
the language invaluable in our travels. In Rothenburg, we were able to stop
an American woman who was about to have her whole family drink from a fountain
above a horse trough (the sign "Kein Trinkwasser" meant nothing to her).
Janet <email>
CO USA 07/25/01
Another gripe, about the chapter on Prague. Please, Rick, refer to
sights in the native language, not in English. It's not much help talking
about the Charles Bridge when all the signs say Karlovy Most! The same is
true in any language for tourist information offices and automatic teller
machines. If you want to find them, asking for TIs and ATMs will get you
nowhere fast. Please use the local terms!
Mary from Oregon
USA 07/23/01
Finally have time to respond not to Rick's guidebook, which omits the
former East Germany, but to his article on Luther in Travel News some months
ago. I spent the first week of May traveling to the Luther and Bach sites
in Eastern Germany. I had already been to Wittenburg in 1992, when there
were few tourist facilities and nobody at all spoke English. It was so frustrating
to meet so many friendly people and not be able to talk to them! This year
I found lots of tourist facilities and lots of English speakers, especially
among the young, who were very anxious to try out their English on me. While
facilities and knowledge of English have improved, one thing hasn't changed — the
people are as friendly as they were in 1992. I found the people I met far
more friendly than their western Germany counterparts. If you go: The Lutherhaus
in Wittenburg is closed for renovation. A few of the things from the Lutherhaus
have been moved to the Cranach house, but most of them are unavailable.
This is not, therefore, a great year to go stalking the Luther Trail. The
Marienkirche where Luther preached is open; the Schlosskirche, where Luther
is buried and where he posted the 95 Theses, is also being renovated and
is open although full of scaffolding. In Eisleben, where Luther was born
and died, there are two museums, one for the birth house and one for the
death house. Each contains primarily photocopies of what is in the Lutherhaus
at Wittenburg, but if you have to go this year you'll get more info than
you'll get from the closed Lutherhaus. The Graf von Mansfeld Hotel in the
center of Eisleben is beautiful. Since a single room was the equivalent
of US$40, it really isn't that splurgy, but with enormous rooms beautifully
decorated in 18th century style, heated towel racks in the bathrooms, etc.,
it felt like staying in a palace! The restaurant is great, too. I am a sucker
for any place that offers a "spargelkarte" (asparagus menu), and this was
the best I found in my German travels. Eisenach, birthplace of Bach and
home of the Wartburg Castle where Luther translated the Bible, is a really
beautiful town and well worth a visit (it's on the main rail line to Leipzig,
too). I was fascinated by the castle, which has lots more history than just
Luther. The incident which inspired Wagner's Tannhauser took place there;
also Saint Elizabeth, who at the age of 4(!) was married to one of the counts.
My favorite story about the Wartburg was of Ludovic der Springer (Louie
the Jumper) who came upon the site and reportedly said, "Wart, burg [wait,
mountain] and I'll build my castle here." Unfortunately someone else owned
the real estate and wouldn't sell. Louie got around this by having baskets
of dirt from his own land brought to the Wartburg so he could swear to the
Holy Roman Emperor that he built the castle on his own soil. Finally, Leipzig's
Thomaskirche, where Bach is buried, has motet concerts Friday at 6 p.m.
and Saturday at 3 p.m. (the same concert done twice); there is also Bach
music at Sunday services. I didn't get to Erfurt where Luther attended the
university. I drove from Eisenach to Leipzig, planning to give Erfurt a
brief stop on the way, but with several of the dreaded stauen (traffic jams)
on the Autobahn, I barely made it to Leipzig in time to avoid paying an
extra day's car rental. It took 4 hours to drive 200 kilometers! I was told
that Friday is not a good day for driving on the Autobahn. I should have
turned the car in at Eisenach and taken the train!
Mary from Oregon
USA 07/23/01
Re getting to Burg Eltz: I don't know about the walking directions,
but Rick's driving directions to the upper parking lot were excellent!
Mary from Oregon
USA 07/20/01
The Swiss Pass was a joy. I paid just $160 for the second class pass
and had access to all the trains, lake steamers, and city transit that I
needed. When I tired of Lucerne, buried beneath summer tourists, I hopped
a train to Zurich, checked out the gleaming Marc Chagall stained glass at
the Fraumunster, dashed back to the train station and hopped the next train
back to Bern. The pass paid for itself many times over. I was in Switzerland
for five nights. I based myself at the handy Rick-recommended Hotel National
in Bern - a quick walk from the train station and pretty much everything
else in town. The ancient elevator was a grand daily experience in itself.
The Bundeshaus view terrace was a fine site from which to view the Eiger,
Monch, and Jungfrau one evening, just before sunset. The Musee Olympique
in Lausanne made for a wonderful afternoon. The garden and the path up toward
the museum make a most attractive approach. I received a 25% discount with
my Swiss Pass, too. Even casual fans of the Olympic Games should pay a visit
to this interesting museum. I enjoyed an afternoon in the town of Nyon -
midway between Geneva and Lausanne. The Roman museum is small and informative
(ask to borrow the English-language translation at the cashier). The Picasso
Museum was the favorite thing about my visit to Lucerne. The many photos
of Picasso at work and play are quite touching. The Matterhorn was completely
hidden behind clouds the morning I visited Zermatt, but the town of Zermatt
was quiet and peaceful (at least on that particular Friday afternoon). Fribourg
was the last Swiss town I visited. It has a picturesque old town, and a
very attractive cathedral with glorious Art Nouveau stained glass.
Tom <email>
Los Angeles, CA USA 07/19/01
My husband and I just returned from three wonderful weeks in Europe.
Using Rick's book as a guide, we had many great experiences and were overwhelmed
with the beauty of Gimmelwald! That said, we do have a couple warnings for
those travelling to Rothenburg or Fussen. We loved Rothenburg and found
it delightfully uncrowded, especially for early July, but were disappointed
that the listing for Gasthof Marktplatz did not mention that is is right
next to the clock tower that chimes very loudly, and hourly, all through
the night. The room was nice, clean, and had a great view, but those bells
are definitely something to be aware of. Also, if you travel to Fussen and
plan on hiking to the Tegelberg gondola, there are some things to be aware
of. First, the hike from the castle to the gondola, while very steep in
places, is a nice hike with great views. And watching the hang gliders and
parasailors take off at the top is a definite thrill! The warning we want
to pass along, and one we wish that Rick would include in his book, is to
be VERY CAREFUL if you choose to hike down instead of taking the gondola.
We had originally planned to take the gondola down to the luge area, but
the gondola was experiencing "technical difficulties" and was not moving,
so we decided to hike down. We consulted the trail map at the top and noticed
there was a trail that followed the same "path" as the gondola. DO NOT TAKE
THIS TRAIL! We are both experienced hikers and could not believe that this
"trail" even existed, let alone was not clearly marked with some sort of
international symbol for danger. Our descent along this trail consisted
of one and a half hours of clinging to chains bolted in to hillsides and
sheer rock faces while looking for small toe holds for our feet. We literally
feared for our lives in some places and ended up with very bloody knuckles
and shaken spirits. Like I said, we are experienced hikers, logging many
miles in SE Alaska, western Montana, and the Washington Cascades, and nothing
we have ever seen compares to what we experienced on this trail. We do accept
some responsibility for not finding out more ahead of time, but in our defense,
we did consult the map and the trail had one sign at the top in German,
but given the amount of international tourists to the area, we really felt
that there should be a much clearer warning about the severity of the trail.
So please learn from our mistake and wait for the gondola! The bright side
was we made it down shaken, but safe, enjoyed a few great luge rides at
the bottom as well as some large and tasty german beers!
Kim Ward <email>
Klamath Falls, OR USA 07/19/01
Rick's book was invaluable in Germany...loved the Hotel Kranenturn
in Bacharach..excellent restaurant, friendly staff, lovely town...the train
did not bother us but could really be a problem if you are a light sleeper
at all. Munich, stayed at the Pension Seibel....great location, although
a little confusing as the entrance is between the shopping area for 2 shoe
stores. It was a pleasant place, simple rooms but adequate, good breakfast.
Only disappointment was the Deutches Museum. My husband and I both love
science and work in science fields but found this not worthy of the a visit...most
exhibits that were interactive were broken..few explanations in english...I
would skip it even if I were in town on a Monday when most other sites are
closed. We did Fussen and the castles on our own without difficulty...just
a 4:00 am train..but were delighted when 2 stops out of town we found ourselves
on the "school train" with 50-100 8-13 year olds. Then we rode the "school
bus" in with them to the area below the castles...we were the only ones
on the 8:30 am tour at Honneschwangau...quite an experience for us and our
personal guide. Thank you for all of the great tips!
Debbie Phibbs <email>
Mukilteo, WA USA 07/17/01
We visited Plzen, Prague, High Tatry, Hallstatt, Schonau am Konigsee,
Munich, Rothenburg, the Rhine, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Steeves' Germ/Aust/Switz
was our main tool for the trip. However, we found Americans toting the Steeves'
books everywhere (especially in Hallstatt and Bacharach). So, if you want
to avoid being surrouned with others from the US, don't follow Rick's #1
picks...go further down on the lists (one can only hope Rick will increase
the number of places to stay so we can avoid "family" reunions). That said,
we adored Gasthoff Simony in Hallstatt and Ursula Orth's place in Bacharach.
Parking was tricky, but manageable. We rent cars when we travel and find
that most books cater to train hoppers. The farther out you go from city
centers, the eaisier the parking. Take notes of places you really like so
you can make reservations for yourself or friends easily a second time.
(I'm planning a honeymoon for some friends right now and am sifting through
my charge receipts for info.) Follow Rick's advice about saying "hello"
and "goodbye". It's the easiest way to get someone to help you. (Hello Rick!
Do you have any openings?...I can be packed and at the airport in 20 minutes.)
Ciao.
Jeanne Chapman <email>
Arlington, VA USA 07/16/01
Rick Steves raves about Burg Eltz castle (on the Mosel)in his book and
many people on the Internet said it was one of their highlights in Germany
so I was really looking forward to seeing it. We started with great frustration
though. Rick Steves and people on the Internet said it was easy to get
lost getting to this castle so I decided we should just follow Steves'
directions to the letter. Trouble is his letter wasn't very good. We followed
his guide as to how to walk up to Burg Eltz from the Moselkern train station
but his description of how to get to the path up there was faulty. We
ended up walking around in circles and arguing about what way to go. My
husband is fluent in German fortunately so we could ask locals how to
get there....although we saw few people out on the street. A retarded
man we met twice couldn't tell us (but he sure liked shaking our hands).
A man who was gardening told us to go back the way we came but he wasn't
clearer than that and probably a frustrating hour or more later we finally
found a trailhead. More like happened to stumble across it....it certain
was never marked at all from the train station and it was quite a long,
long ways from the station. The heavily wooded trail up was rather steep
in places but pleasant and full of Germans. I always get a kick out of
being on a long forest trail in Germany and seeing so many toddlers, elderly
grandmothers and women wearing heels as one sees! The German's enjoy long
wooded walks..something 95% of Americans probably would never do. It took
us about an hour or so to get up to the top and the great view one then
sees of Burg Eltz. I do wish Rick Steves would have *clear* directions
in his next edition of this book on how to get to the path leading up
there though!
Anna
USA 07/08/01
We visited Gimmewald recently as part of our 25 day trip to Europe.
We absolutely loved it in the Swiss Alps. My husband and I thought it
would be an adventure to take one of the hikes Rick Steves recommends.
It was the one from the top of the Schilthorn, you take the lift down
to Birg, and hike from there to Gimmewald. My husband and I are both physically
fit and young, although not experienced hikers by any means. Unfortunately,
while Rick says this hike is *interesting* he does not indicate the difficulty
or danger. It was our own fault for being ignorant, but we set out on
the hike with one bottle of water each, a small bag of trail mix, and
no sunscreen. Well, we were in for a surprise. It was six hours of hiking,
and there were places I literally feared for my life, and watched in agony,
afraid my husband was going to fall and cruch his skull on the rocks below.
Horrible switchbacks led down the face in one area, full of slippery gravel
in which you could lose your footing and tumble down the mountain. Very
precarious footing in another stretch, in which you have a cable to hold
on to - don't look down! A couple other places were frozen snow over waterfalls.
These presented two dangers. One, that the snow would break under your
feet, sending you crashing down, the other that your feet would slip on
the slippery surface, also resulting in a fall down the mountain. Once
we crossed the face, we finally reached a point where it was much less
dangerous and we were able to admire the amazing view. But by now we were
both sunburned, hungry, thirsty, and our legs were quivering with either
nervousness or exertion, or maybe both. The remainder of the hike was
much more pleasant, along a ridge, into a timy village where we had some
much needed lunch, and behind a waterfall, my favorite moment of the trip.
But it was a long day, we were both exhausted and severely sunburned at
the end of it, and from start to finish, including our "lunch break" it
was about a seven hour hike. I don't recommend it if you are not an experienced
hiker, or with someone who is!
Dana McMahan <email>
Villa Hills, KY USA 07/06/01
My eldest son, his family and I just returned from visiting Burg Eltz
along the Mosel in Germany. We lucked out and found about 20 other Americans
for an English language tour with no waiting. A spectacular and beautiful
castle, where you can see how real people really lived. Rick doesn't mention
in his writeup that there is a Treasury in the basement for which there
is a small extra charge. It is well worth visiting as it contains not
only jewelry, china, gold and silver but a marvelous collection of swords,
coats of mail, halberds, maces, crossbows and other medieval weapons,
and also a great collection of early firearms (how could they ever hold
those horribly long and heavy things up to their shoulders and aim?) This
collection was a big hit with my 10 and 12 year old grandsons. Also, a
family of 2 adults and up to 3 children can get a family ticket for a
10 mark disount. Finally, the 10 min. walk from the upper parking lot
to the castle is more like 15 (is Rick a race walker?), not counting a
5 minute stop for photos at the castle viewpoint. And it's about 25 minutes'
walk back up the hill. Well worth it, though. The Mosel Valley is beautiful;
in addition to a road on each side there are bike paths, most of the way
separated from the road. A great bike trip, and an easy one if you go
downstream. I've been told that you can return with bikes on the train
to your starting point.
Mary from Oregon
USA 07/03/01
EBENALP!EBENALP!EBENALP! This is the very small location in Switzerland
that Rick mentions. The only way to get there is the gondola from Wasserauen.
The Berggasthaus Ascher is the place that has rain water pumped through
it. No showers, bunk style beds, but don't let that scare you. My friend
and I had just come from Prague and Munich and the difference was staggering.
The two owners of the guest house, Claudia and Bennie, were two of the
nicest people we met on our trip. The air was the sweetest I've ever smelled.
I just wish I could have bottled it. Finally, the views...incredible.
We went on June 30th and there was still snow around us. It wasn't cold,
60's-70's, but the snow was there. The house is beautifully perched in
the cliff-side and gets just enough cool breezes to really refresh you.
The Rosti and Sausage (hash browns, but better), was wonderful. I had
a killer sore throat when we got there, but couldn't stop eating. If you
ever get a chance to go, please do so. I'll be scanning the pictures into
my web site this week. http://www.bigfoot.com/~petesawyer Check it by
Sunday and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Pete <email>
NJ USA 07/02/01
When you have comments about a hotel, a place to see,an area of special
interest to visit, etc., Be specific about your information.!! Generic
information is useless. Give the name of the place exactly, the hotel,
the bed-&-breakfast, and a brief description including addresses and one
or two unique features of the place, to help others orient themselves
to your information. Also, identify the place in relationship to one or
two other iportant places close by to help those who read your comments
understand exactly what you are talking about. Please.
Art. <email>
fort worth, tx USA 07/01/01
On your way up from Italy to Vienna, tour down through Graz, Austria. I had the privelege of living here for four months. I have since taken two groups of friends over to Europe, and insisted they stop through Graz. They were always reluctant, but later noted it as a highlight of their trip.
If I could give one super backdoor suggestion, it would be Mixnitz, and the short hike along the little-known "Baerenschuetz-Klamm". This was EVERYONE'S favorite. Below are some links, including a map.
Once you make it to Mixnitz, any local will gladly point you in the direction of the hike. A country road leads you up to a dirt path, and about 45 minutes later you'll reach a pay gate (about $4), where the beautiful hike begins through waterfalls, up a very steep canyon. Wooden ladders/bridges are built new nearly every year (avalanches destroy them regularly). Wear a raincoat, as some of the ladders and bridges take you underneath or too near the water to avoid getting wet.
Don't go if you're afraid of heights, or weary of walking on wooden ladders with railings. Most should have no problems. The hike down is quite easy, and follows old roman "tracks" carved into the limestone path. The last kilometer or so winds through green pastures and Austrian cows with klanging bells. The whole trip should take about 4 hours if you're slow. I've done it in two hours - but that was nearly running! It doesn't get any more backdoor than this!! Nor does it get any more BEAUTIFUL!! It is well worth the detour!
http://www.bacher-reisen.com/tag5.html
http://www.cis.tugraz.at/lsg/Fotos/Bklamm/Onbridge.jpg
http://home.snafu.de/simon/IMAGES/mixnitz.html
http://www.cis.tugraz.at/lsg/Fotos/Bklamm/Klamm.jpg
Mike from Moscow <email>
Moscow, ID USA 06/26/01
My sister and I just returned from a 15 night trip to Germany and Austria and had a wonderful time - and we found Rick's book extremely helpful. One tip I would give is for Rick to state clearer directions to some of the sites. Sometimes he just tells you which U-bahn stop to get off at and you expect to see the sight as you emerge from the station. This is usually not the case. The exact address would be helpful and maps with all the street names. Just for this reason alone, I would suggest people bring copies of a second travel book that lists the addresses. Used in conjunction, we were able to find our way.
We started out in Munich and stayed 5 nights at the Hotel Helvetia, which was very basic. It was very close to the train station which made it convenient, but also put it in a slightly seedy area. However, the reception desk always was manned by a friendly employee, so we felt safe within the hotel. It was clean, had nice beds with duvets, was pretty noisy, offered a meager breakfast (just rolls/jam), and had an odd smell in the hallways (the Ali Baba restaurant on the ground floor perhaps?) Anyway, it was fine for the price.
In Munich, we had fun at the Hofbrauhaus (good food and beer) and were surprised by how interesting the Deutsches Museum was (the self-serve restaurant was a great choice for lunch).
I also cannot stress enough how great the Euraide tour (office at the main train station) to Neuschwanstein was. They depart tour every Wednesday in June and July at 7:30am and it was perfectly run by Alan (the owner of Euraide). In one day we saw Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Wies Church and a bonus trip to Kloister Ettal. This would never be possible on one's own. Definitely try to hike up to Mary's Bridge at Neuschwanstein if you are fairly fit - to see the castle from such a vantage point was a highlight of the trip. Alan stated that the tour usually sells out by noon on the Tuesday before the tour so get to the train station before then or reserve your spot through their website (www.euraide.de).
In Innsbruck (a beautiful city) we stayed at the Pension Paula (pensionpaula.at) and was thrilled with our double room with bath, balcony and spectacular view. All for about $45 double. The famous golden roof is truly only a golden awning - pretty disappointing, but the Imperial Court Palace is very interesting and the scenery of the town is the true attraction. Definitely take one of the cable cars up to get an even better look at the Alps. If you are planning on seeing most of the sights I recommend buying an Innsbruck Card which includes all admissions and transportation for 1-3 days. It pretty much pays for itself if you take a cable car ride.
Next we were on to Salzburg - which was very rainy - bring an umbrella! We stayed at the Pension Bergland which was a bit of a hike to the old center, but was clean and very nice (note: my sister and I were both allergic to the bedding or something in the room - and we don't normally have this problem. For this reason alone, I wouldn't stay there again) The breakfast included cold cuts and cereal, which was a nice break from just bread.
As a major fan of The Sound of Music, it breaks my heart to NOT recommend the tour given by Panorama Tours. It was a complete waste of time. The guide was surly, they just drove us by some sights that I think merited a stop of the bus, they stopped the bus at a lake town that had nothing to do with the Sound of Music except that it had a Sound of Music souvenir shop (can we say, commission?) and in general was not fun. My sister and I could have found all of the sights we were shown (and more) on our own (with the exception of the wedding church) and not wasted our time and money.
Also, we found the Salzburg Card to be a great time and money saver. It was so nice to just hand the cards over instead of dealing with cash all the time. If you get the card, try to visit Stiegl's Brauwelt (Brauhausstrasse 9) for an informative presentation on beer-making. A bit expensive if you don't have the card, but a great deal if you do, as you end the tour with 2 small beers (their definition of small is .3 L!), a pretzel and a souvenir of another beer.
If you get tired of Austria food, I can recommend the Spaghetti & Co restaurant at Getreidrgasse 14 near Mozart's birthplace for a tasty, inexpensive meal. There is also a location near St. Stephen's in Vienna.
In Vienna, we stayed at the Pension Wild which was a major disappointment. Although in a fairly convenient location, the rooms were far from Rick's description as we found our room very small, not very clean, with a wall lamp missing and dilapidated furniture. More disturbing though, was the fact that there was never anyone at reception (you have to buzz them to check in and out) which I found unsafe (anyone off the street could just wander up to the rooms). It was especially disturbing when we came back to the pension around 11pm and the front door was still unlocked (it was supposed to be locked up around 9pm, I believe). This makes a 3am trip to the hallway bathroom kind of a scary experience. Otherwise, Vienna was wonderful.
Definitely follow Rick's tip to get tickets to the Spanish Riding School's morning practice around 11am. No line, and we ended up getting seats after about a half hour of standing. Plenty of time to admire the horses.
Also, next trip we will just get standing tickets to the opera house. We splurged on seats for 490 ats each and it turned out the gallery standing section was only 3 rows in back of us. We didn't end up staying the whole time anyway (4 1/2 hours of Wagner is a lot) and we would have felt less guilty about leaving the standing room section.
Schonbrunn was wonderful and we got the VIP tickets which included the
grand tour, the maze, the view from the top of the gloriette, and an apple
strudel baking presentation (with a sample!) at the old bakery. Definitely
a highlight. Sorry this is so long, but thought it might help. Have a
great trip!
S Smith <email>
Los Angeles, CA USA 06/26/01
Ah, those European holidays, where everything closes up tight and all
Europe is on the move, filling up hotels and hostels: Rick does not highlight
these enough in his guidebooks. Please, Rick, highlight holidays in each
country for the next revision. Until Rick does this, Lonely Planet guidebooks
have a complete list. Especially be aware of holidays that differ each
year, depending on the date of Easter: Good Friday and Easter Monday,
Ascension Day, the Monday after Pentecost (Whitmonday) and Corpus Christi
(10 days after Pentecost). I knew about the others but got caught in Germany
by Corpus Christi this year. You need to be aware that most stores and
museums will be closed on these days. Germany's Sunday closures are also
a pain — all stores are closed from 2 p.m. Saturday until Sunday morning.
In France, most stores are open Sundays and closed Mondays. Not all holidays
are celebrated in all countries. Also be aware that the week before and
after Easter, Ascension Day weekend and Pentecost weekend see lots of
locals on holiday, especially in southern climes, making reservations
well in advance mandatory.
Mary from Oregon
USA 06/19/01
Just had a wonderful week in Germany and wanted to share some tips. First off, check the holidays before you leave! We only packed a week's worth of clothes for a two-week vacation because we knew there was a laundromat near our hotel in Munich. Well, Monday June 4 is a national holiday in Germany (Whitmonday, whatever that is)and not only the laundromat but EVERY store in the country was closed. (We went to Plan B, which is the Rick-approved bathroom sink laundry, which actually doesn't work too bad except that in Italy my wife left a white shirt to soak in the sink and the maid took it with the dirty linen and we couldn't get it back.)
Anyway, the rest of our trip was spent at the Burg Liebenstein, a castle overlooking the Rhine about 15 km south of Koblenz. I can DEFINITELY recommend this hotel/castle - about $80 a night, beautiful rooms, and wonderful small-family-inn type service. Plus, you're an hour's drive from Cologne or Frankfurt. Rick recommends St. Goar and Bacharach and they are both wonderful, charming little towns.
One thing to keep in mind, however, when staying along this
part of the Rhine is the trains. There are train tracks that run along
either side of the river and they are probably the busiest tracks in Germany,
if not Europe. Find out how close your hotel is to the tracks, because
a train comes by every ten to fifteen minutes 24 hours a day - that is
NO exaggeration!
Robert Young <email>
Cincinnati, OH USA 06/19/01
I realize that you issue your books thinking about weight & space, but really.....The German-Austria-Switzerland & Prague tries to do too much in too little space. Why do France & Italy each rate their own volumes, but these countries do not? Expand your horizons!!!! I really believe that Germany is big and interesting enough to rate its own book all by itself. Prague could be inserted into the back without too much trouble. Austria & Switzerland could comfortably remain together with more coverage. If you're traveling to Germany, it doesn't mean that you want information for Austria & vice versa.
Now that Germany has been united for over 10
years, more coverage should be made for its eastern territories. Eisleben,
Dresden, & other regions are still off the beaten path for many. LIttle
crowds and welcoming hosts abound, but there is no place to get information
about them other than the Lonely Planet series. They don't put out updated
versions on a yearly basis either. The Rhine & Mosel regions are wonderful,
but very much on the beaten path nowadays. They are crowded, packed, and
full of tourists. I realize that you visit your tried & true areas yearly
ensuring that the information is current. But I do believe that you should
consider expanding the scope of your recomendation for getting away from
the hords of tour buses. Austria & Germany have many off the beaten areas
which are neglected by all American travel texts. This is an opportunity
that you should not pass up. We as readers & travelers beg for more information
on the roads less traveled:-)
Sara <email>
06/19/01
We just returned from a two week trip to Europe that included the Bernese
Oberland. Beautiful! I have to admit, we did not stay in Gimmelwald, but
in Muerren at the Hotel Eiger. This is not a budget choice, but it was
wonderful. I would recommend buying the Swiss Pass if you're going to
be in Switzerland for any length of time — second class is fine. We hopped
on and off trains, boats, and buses throughout the country with our saver
passes.
Beth <email>
Columbia, SC USA 06/18/01
We had a double room for 5 nights reserved at the Pension Seibel in
Munich in Jun. Upon arriving, they gave us a single room - very small.
The next night they moved us into a double room, which was far nicer.
It overlooked the inner courtyard, which was very noisy beginning at 8am
with businesses putting trash out, etc.
Dave
Md USA 06/18/01
I'd like to mention the lovely town of Celle, just north
of Hannover, with lovely late-medieval-early-renaissance houses lovingly
kept in mint condition by their owners. Also, in NW Germany, there's the
Teutoberger Forest, which I visited near Osnabruck. This forest has historical
associations because there was a big battle between Romans and Germans
there in the first century AD which ended any Roman hopes of conquering
Germany (and later led to the fall of the Roman Empire as Germanic peoples
were pushed westward by invasions of their territory from the east). And
the Teutobergerwald is a beautiful place to hike! Finally, there is the
Eiffel Massif between there and Trier, another beautiful but untouristed
area worth visiting.
Mary from Oregon
USA 06/17/01
Well I'm just back from Germany and Switzerland, a very special trip. Once again the Rick Steves guide suggested experiences that I'll remember for a long time to come. To the lady who was disappointed by the Hotel Staubach at Lauterbrunnen, I feel for you — I loved the heck out of the hotel, but only because I had a room with a balcony. I got up at dawn, and watched the mist wreath the little green valley, and watched the waterfalls coming down from the peaks. It's a rustic hotel, it's like getting a summer-camp cabin in Yosemite, but I loved it. Phone shower across the hall, washbasin in the room, funky spare-Grandma-room appointments. If you can deal with that (and insist on a balcony room), you can't beat the price (~35.00 was what I paid for a single).
Took the railway from Wengen to the top of (forget which peak? starts with M), climbed fairly easily to the very top of the peak, and got a 360 degree view of the most beautiful mountains+the 2 Interlaken lakes. Then, took the lifts to the top of the Schilthorn and had lunch at the revolving restaurant. All Rick Steves recommendations and much fun.
Then in Montreux, saw the great Chateau Chillon. This is now second only to Arundel in Sussex, England, as my favorite castle in the world. Great old tapestries, armory, original oak furniture, coats-of-arms painted on the walls, and foot-and-a-half diameter oak pillars holding up the ceilings. Marvelous castle dating from the 12th century or before.
A warning to those going to Germany's Mosel valley: I went to Zell, and loved loved loved the place, and the Hotel Gruener Kranz (very kind people there); Burg Eltz is RS' favorite castle in all Europe, but I didn't end up able to see it, because: Zell and environs are a TREK from the autobahn. I mean, you get off the autobahn, and you're traveling for moons before you reach it. Also, the little villages (charming though they certainly are) are so small that they weren't listed on my map.
Zell was, but the
other villages you go through on the way aren't, so you're passing through
maybe 10 little villages that aren't on your map, and the road signs don't
point to any major towns or autobahns mostly, just to the next little
unknown village! So you spend maybe an hour winding around these places
and wonder, am I completely lost? It was 2:30 a.m. before I got to the
hotel. Although, the weirdest thing yet: there's a 24-hour BP gas station
in Zell! Of all the places for it? So finally I could ask directions.
Whoosh. And the castle did look beautiful, but I ran out of time and never
got to see the inside. Next time, though, for definite! I'm going back
to Zell and to the Hotel Gruener Kranz and to Burg Eltz.
Andrew <email>
USA 06/15/01
Salzburg, this time. Rick's 15 minutes from the train station to his
recommended Institute St. Sebastian took about 40 minutes trying to find
my way from his map and asking directions. Street signs are woefully lacking
in Salzburg (they are evidently not replaced after a building is painted
or remodeled?). It took 25 minutes to go the other way when I knew where
I was going! If you are short-legged like me, double Rick's walking times!
Mary from Oregon
USA 06/14/01
Some comments on Rick's Vienna directions after being there:
(1) If you are basing in the Mariahilferstrasse area, do not take the Metro from the Westbahnhof all the way to Stefansplatz when you first leave your hotel or hostel. Instead, get out at the Volkstheater stop, which is on the Ring. From there, take Rick's recommended tour of the Ring on Tram #2. Volkstheater is 2 stops along the Ring from the Staatsoper where his "tour" starts. When you get to the Staatsoper the second time, get out and take the walking tour recommended in the book, which gets you to Stefansplatz. This saves a lot of unnecessary walking (from Stefansplatz out to the Staatsoper and back again). The Volkstheater metro station is also where you catch the tram to the Museum quarter.
(2) Be sure to catch the El Greco exhibit at the Kunsthistorisches Museum through Sept. 1. Even if you've seen most of the paintings elsewhere (I have), the exhibit is so dramatically lit that the paintings show to much more advantage than they do in their "home" locations. The great, almost abstract "View of Toledo" from the NY Metropolitan Museum is there, looking 1000% more dramatic than at the Met!
(3) Opera — if you do the stehplatz (standing room) bit at the Staatsoper, the parterre Stehplatz recommended by Rick are often oversold; I had to stand on the steps at the back and saw very little. Take your binoculars to the nosebleed section in the gallery. They wouldn't let me go up there with a parterre ticket.
(4)Spanish Riding School: Definitely go to the museum first and watch the video of the performance in the basement. During the "morning exercise" the first horses schooled were relatively green; the later horses were more advanced (argument for going in nearer 11:00 unless you're a dressage fanatic like me). You won't see a rehearsal of a performance; you will see horses and riders working on individual moves. If you pay attention to the video and to the museum's other explanations of the various movements, you will recognize many of them during the practice. If you're completely ignorant of dressage and not particularly interested in horses, either get tickets for an actual performance or just go to the museum and watch the video; for you the rehearsal will be about as exciting as watching cement set.
By the way, you can see the same moves
cheaper by going to Spain and attending a performance (much easier to
get into) at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art at Jerez de
la Frontera. This style of riding, after all, originated in Spain!
Mary from Oregon
USA 06/14/01
In many Americans' minds, Germany is mostly Bier and Lederhosen and fairytale castles. I think that's very sad because Germany is so much more than that. I am a German, and, coming from the North, I grew up in the American traveler's German Terra Incognita. By introducing you to some of the overlooked attractions of the North, I hope to make you think about how far off the beaten path you really should travel.
For example, Germany's second-biggest city: No, it's not München (Munich), it's Hamburg! I have lived there for years, and it is my favorite German city. It is called the most English of all German cities due to longstanding trade ties with the Islands. You can tour its huge, modern, yet more than 800-year-old harbor by boat, with an English-speaking guide.
Hamburg is trade — visit the Speicherstadt ("storage city," rows of old warehouses which can be accessed by land and sea and are still in use for some of the most expensive goods like artwork, carpets or electronics), and don't forget the big trading houses between downtown and the harbor, especially the Chilehaus.
There is the magnificent Rathaus (city hall); the stock exchange, museums, theaters and musicals; more — but less glamorous — bridges than in Venice; the central Alster lake with its swans and sailboats, surrounded by the mansions of the wealthy; the old and new botanical garden, lots of bars and restaurants, the Reeperbahn (a world-famous red light district), neat shopping malls, Hagenbeck's Tierpark (the zoo), and the list goes on.
You can get everywhere using public transportation — there are special passes for tourists that will also give you free entry or reduced prices at a lot of attractions.
One of my Hamburg favorites is the Fischmarkt (fish market), which starts at 6 AM every Sunday and where not only all sorts of fish, but everything imaginable — and some unimaginable things — are sold. There is live music, and some of the vendors make an unforgettable competition out of loudly advertising and aggressively selling their wares. Watch out, you could be hit by flying bunches of bananas, oranges, or the occasional rubber tree!
The other Hamburg favorite of mine is the Croque, a baguette baked like a pizza — very crispy yet messy to eat, and it really hits the spot when you are hungry. They used to be a craze, but today you might have to search for one, because they are mostly sold in little hole-in-the-wall places where workers and shoppers go to have lunch.
Other than Hamburg, there are many more cities in the North. Like Hamburg, Lüneburg belonged to the Hanse, the powerful medieval trade organization around the North and Baltic Seas. It became rich through salt, which was (and is to this day) washed out of an underground salt deposit by water. Lüneburg today is a spa town with great brick architecture — and a valley where the ground has caved in from a thousand years of salt production.
South of Lüneburg you can find the Lüneburger Heide, a remote, sometimes hilly heather landscape that has been formed by grazing sheep for centuries because it was too sandy and swampy for agriculture. You may still see the occasional shepherd and his (or her) flock and dogs.
The heather landscape extends south toward Hannover, which has for many years, starting in the early 18th century, been part of the domain and even the home of the King of England. Even Ahlden, the little village 30 miles north of Hannover where I grew up, has its role in that story:
King Georg I, the first King of England and Hannover, had his wife Sophie Dorothea banished to the little castle in Ahlden when he discovered that she had an affair with the Swedish officer Count Koenigsmarck, and she lived there for the rest of her life. The Count conveniently vanished one day after visiting her, and dire conspiracy theories have surrounded his disappearance ever since. The story has even been made into a movie (Saraband for Dead Lovers, 1948).
The castle still exists. A big antiques dealer owns it, and several times a year the village is flooded with luxury cars when he organizes auctions there.
Our other claims to fame include a 1200-year-old church tower base, and a memorial in the forest where Germany's last wolf was shot in 1948. I admit, all that wouldn't be first on a tourist's list, but something that should be lies 10 miles north of Ahlden, near the city of Walsrode: The Vogelpark Walsrode, the world's largest bird park, famous not only for its birds but also for its landscaping. Plan to spend a full day there if you can. (www.vogelpark-walsrode.de)
I haven't mentioned beer yet, but Northerners love it no less than other Germans. We are proud of our brewing tradition and patchwork of regional brands, and if you visit the Vogelpark, the regional beer is called Schnuckenbräu. It is brewed at a little brewery at the Hotel Forellenhof, two miles north of the Vogelpark. The hotel not only has a very good restaurant, but also the Schnuckenstube, a little brew pub, where you can drink, eat and watch the brewmaster do his work (he speaks English and answer your questions). Everything at the pub is beer-related: The dishes are prepared with beer, the tables are decorated with beer ingredients, and even the free snack food is not peanuts or pretzels but malted barley.
Happy vacation!
Frank <email>
Cincinnati, OH USA 06/10/01
We planned our recent trip to Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Alsace using Europe Through the Back Door and the Germany, Austria, and Switzerland books. It was great. The books helped us plan what was important to us in each area but we were also flexible.
We stayed at Pension Weiher in Hohenschwangau with a great view of Neushwanstein at night. This had added benefits: we did not pay for parking but walked to purchase tickets. There was an additional savings because when we registered at the Pension, we were given a receipt that gave us significant discounts to the castles and shopping.
In Vienna, we stayed at the Hotel Admiral. When we asked at check-in about reasonable restaurants close by we were directed around the corner to a wonderful small family-run Spanish restaurant (Pedro's) where we had delicious sauteed calamari and sangria. It is perfect for a romantic evening. (From Hotel Admiral go left and at the end of the block go left again. It will be mid-block on your left side.)
Mistake we made: I used old maps. We would have fared much better by using Rick's tip to pick up road maps in Europe. (Although getting lost, we stumbled on some lovely sights). Also, because my husband likes structure, we booked all our hotels ahead. It rained the entire time we were in Hallstat and in retrospect we would have loved that additional time in Vienna.
My husband never wanted to go anywhere where they did not speak English so this trip was planned to give him photographic opportunities. He loved it and tried to converse himself with a little German and a lot of pantomime. Result: now he thinks we should take some German conversational courses and go to the area again, adding some new destinations but definitely doing Vienna again. (And this is someone who usually detests cities).
We arrived in Vienna a few days after the El Greco exhibit opened in the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Fantastic!
Top lodging on the trip: Pension Bergland. Beautiful room, great breakfast, and inexpensive internet access. Internet helped me not to get homesick on this trip since we could stay in touch with family.
We were disappointed at Hotel Staubach in Lauterbrunnen. Our first night there was the last night the Rick Steves group was there so the hotel was full. I did not realize when I booked that we would be higher than the elevators up a narrow, dark flight of stairs and in the attic. It rained and I was quite claustrophic. My husband offered to cancel and move on to France but we stayed and I am glad we did. The room didn't get any better with the hotel less empty, but I became fascinated watching the 5 am activity at the little bakery across the street. One of the best moments of the entire trip was when we took items purchased from the bakery and used one of the exit balconies on the floor below ours to sit, eat, and look down the valley and at the mountains. BUT if we had known the room situation, I would gladly have paid more money to have been down one floor with a balcony.
If you are still planning your dream trip, realize that you can do it
with the help of the guidebooks and good planning. B&Bs and small family
hotels are wonderful ways to interact with people. Budgets can be kept
by using the local bakery, butcher, and grocery store. Often lunch for
2 was less than $5, with some food left for a snack. This was usually
the local bread, cheese, and meat with a beverage. To add wine, figure
in another $5. Bon Voyage.
Carol Proctor <email>
Wayne, PA USA 06/10/01
To differ with Mr. Farley (two comments below):
1) The art exhibit at the Swavorski Crystal site is fantastic...do not
skip it. This is exactly what sets Americans aside from natives...it's
odd but it is good, especially the Brian Eno room. 2) Stores on Sunday,
particularly in Austria, are not always closed. In many towns the bare
essentials are available; just ask.
Albert Hanker
Bern, CH 06/10/01
Betlem Club in Prague is one of our favorite hotels. Everyone is tremendously cheery and helpful and the rooms are cozy and have great character. Highly recommended! Also the current exchange rates mean that they can meet you at the airport and take you to the hotel for about fifteen bucks (for both of us). For us it was well worth it.
Also, stick to Rick's recommendation for city walks and look out for
copycats (VERY simliar names, brochures, colors, fonts, etc.). Some fellow
travelers we met paid way too much for a "pub tour" that consisted of
being walked to two nearby pubs and being bought one Pilsner. That's it.
The brochure they showed me promised history, interesting stories, etc.,
but the guide didn't tell them anything at all and discouraged questions
with terse answers. Word to the wise.
Robert Bundy <email>
Los Angeles, CA USA 06/08/01
My wife and I just returned from Bavaria/Tirol. Rick's travel guides and website provided outstanding information, which included simple details that saved us a huge amount of time (example: toll stamps for Austria and where to purchase cardboard time clocks for parking). The best thing I did was prior to departing on my trip was buying and reviewing Rick's travel guides and video tapes, as it pays to do your homework.
Anyone traveling to Bavaria and Tirol, make an effort to travel to Bolzano, Italy (about 60 km south of Brenner) and see the "Iceman" exhibit, which has been shown on the Discovery Channel. It was fascinating and well worth the trip.
At Neuschwanstein, take the bus uphill (get a one-way ticket) and walk down. Save your climbing/hiking energy for the Ehrenburg Ruins in Reutte. The Ehrenburg Ruins are well worth the effort and will invigorate your (maybe winded) spirit with a spectacular view.
While in Innsbruck, make sure you visit the Swavorski Crystal Factory, but skip the art tour and go straight to the store. The art tour through the factory is strange (and I love art and artists), but the store displays some beautiful crystal figures and jewelry.
Above all else, the people in the Bavarian and Tirol regions are wonderful. I really made an effort to talk to them and was surprised to find out how similar we all are. As Steves recommends, take the time to meet the people, as it is well worth it.
Here are a few other lessons learned:
1. Research the weather for the region you will be visiting.
2. Research the official holidays for the region and adjust your itinerary accordingly. Sunday is simple: you can expect stores to be closed.
3. Pack rain gear no matter what and carry it with you. This will save you tons of time, especially in tourist season when vendors/merchants rapidly sell out during an unexpected shower.
4. Don't eat just German food in Bavaria. There is a great variety of regional foods available. We ate at a Greek restaurant (called El Greco) in Garmisch, Germany and it was fantasic.
5. Buy and use hiking poles.
6. Go easy on top of the Zugspitze (10,000+ feet above sea level), as you will feel lightheaded and out of breath from simply climbing a few steps. I'm in great physical shape, but my head was spinning like a top after climbing the steps to the lookout. Take the elevator and go easy.
In closing, we had a wonderful time. Thanks to everyone who has and
continues to contribute to this site, as I found the advice you provided
to be essential. Thanks Rick and also Kathy Wardlaw (past traveler/contributor)
for all the great information. Now, where should we go next?
Mike Farley <email>
Bartlett, TN USA 06/06/01
Just returned from a trip using this guidebook and enjoyed it tremendously!
Pension Unitas in Prague was just as Rick described — very central, affordable and spotlessly clean. We also tried two of Rick's restaurant recommendations in Prague and found the food very good and the locals friendly.
Pension Seibel in Munich was also great, although upon arrival our room wasn't ready until 4 pm, even though we told them that we had arrived on a night train from Prague and were completely exhausted!
Our Black Forest drive from Munich, including overnight stays in Baden Baden (Hotel Am Markt) and Staufen was truly memorable, and you haven't really lived until you've experienced the Caracalla Baths in Baden Baden. Overall, a great experience with a great guidebook.
I would recommend that Rick give at least some treatment to Zurich.
We flew home from Zurich so had to spend one night there, but I found
it to be a charming, friendly city, if a bit expensive. We took a two-hour
cruise on Lake Zurich in beautiful weather and enjoyed it very much.
Carrie Pratt <email>
San Francisco, CA USA 06/05/01
Just a note to any Canadian citizen that as of April 2 the Czech Republic
requires all Canadian passport holders to have a visa in order to enter
Czech. Visas are not available at borders or airports, only at Czech consulates.
They take about a week to get. We found this out the hard way - at 3:30
a.m. when the German border police came through to check passports, and
were unceremoniously dumped at a train station on the border at 4 a.m.
Nancy Fawley <email>
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria Germany 06/05/01
Just came back from Germany and Austria, used Rick's book and were very happy with everywhere we stayed.
Just one caution if you have reservations with Pension Soebel in Munich:
We made reservations before leaving for our trip, and received a confirmation,
via fax. When we arreived the lady of the establishment told us our room
was in the hotel, not the pension. The difference was central location
vs. away from everything. WE knew this because it was made clear in Rick's
book, and we had reserved for the Pension. The woman kept saying, "It's
all the same" when we insisted on staying where we were, where we had
reserved a room. Only when we finally asked if we could leave our bags
while searching for a room in the city center did the woman change her
story and then we got the key to a very nice room in a prime location.
dee <email>
seattle, wa USA 06/04/01
Some friends and I just returned from a trip which included the Czech Repbulic. Rick's information on Prague was invaluable to us. We can vouch for the helpfulness of the Ave hotel booking service — they found us a great, affordable room in a non-touristy area, and their staff was very helpful and friendly — a nice orientation to the city.
We took an evening dinner cruise on the Vlatva; the buffet dinner was terrible, but the nighttime views from the upper deck were priceless.
Following Rick's recommendation, we also visited Cesky Krumlov, and we can't say enough good things about it. It's a very beautiful little town with friendly, helpful people, and a visit there is a nice complement to the big-city experience of Prague.
We stayed in a family-run pension, the Hotel Nika, which was a little ways from the center of town — very charming, but it definitely helped to have a German-speaker in our group as our hosts were fluent in German, but spoke little English. (We found this to be true of many Cesky Krumlov residents, especially the taxi drivers.) Taxis are good, cheap transportation, and the drivers appear to be honest (which was NOT our experience in Prague).
Two different tours of the castle are offered with English-speaking guides, but apparently both tours are not given every day in English. We found this a little confusing, but we enjoyed the tour we received.
For a good meal in Cesky Krumlov, we highly recommend Na Ostrove, which
has outdoor seating overlooking the river. Try the garlic soup, the pork
medallions Viennese, and the "ice queen" dessert — a crepe filled with
jam, fruit and ice cream and topped with whipped cream and chocolate.
Delicious!
Pat <email>
USA 06/02/01
Just returned from a wonderful trip to Prague. I highly recommend the Guesthouse Lida. We stayed in one of his four new rooms which have very modern showers.
As far as I'm concerned, Jan Prouza is the best host in Europe. He took the time to orient us to the city and answer all our questions (there were many!). He also arranges tours to the other parts of Bohemia.
The guidebook is a little unclear with the house's location: it is a
10-minute walk to the metro station and then three stops to get near Old
Town (about 5 minutes). If you plan to visit Prague, Jan and his family
will take good care of you!
Heather Martin <email>
Seattle, WA USA 05/22/01
My wife and I recently returned from our 3rd wonderful trip to Europe since 1998. We have always used Rick's recommendations to get around safely and happily.
In Bacharach, we enjoyed Hotel Altkolnischer Hof, but were locked out b/c we returned from a day trip around 10pm. Luckily the owners heard us pounding on the doors and came downstairs to let us in!
Burg Eltz was worth seeing; Burg Rheinfels and the town of St. Goar were a disappointment. I would stay on the Mosel if we return.
In Munich, Kings Hotel (at the weekend rate!) was very nice: big fancy 4-star hotel 5 minutes from the train station and 10 minutes from Marienplatz. Hofbrauhaus is a must, even if you don't eat. What a fun time, and we didn't even get drunk!
Dachau was definitely sobering, but a must if you haven't seen a concentration camp. Definitely go if you can.
Salzburg: What a nice surprise, with classical musicians playing their violins in the street. We saw a Mozart dinner concert at the 1000-year-old restaurant recommended in Rick's book. Although $40 each for dinner is expensive, the memory was definitely worth it. Salzburg is a great place to stroll!
Our hotel (Pension Bergland) was clean and spacious, but not a classy splurge as Rick mentions in the book. Just an inexpensive, clean, basic place. We will stay somewhere else if we return.
I had looked forward to visiting Hallstatt for years, but it was a disappointment. It is beautiful, but it's out of the way. It reminded us of Lake Como in Italy, but not as convenient. The train tracks were under repair so we bused in rather than riding in on the Stephanie.
We made reservations 2 months prior w/ Susan at Gasthof Simony and were VERY disappointed when she put us in the hotel next door with no explanation or apology. There were 9 others who were bumped as well. The friendly hotelier next door explained that it's a regular occurrence since Susan doesn't have a computer and tends to misplace things.
The salt mine tour was fun; go if you visit.
We had our 2nd best European dinner of all time (after Auberge du Champs du Mars in Paris — thanks Rick!) at Gasthof Zauner. Absolutely delicious and inexpensive! Eat there if you visit Hallstatt!
In Fussen, Hotel Kurcafe was a very nice place with wonderful views of the Alps from our balcony. The Luge nearby was a blast — keep both hands on the stick!
We ate dinner twice at Rick's recommended restaurant (next door to Infoodays). The owners were so friendly and made us feel at home when we visited. What nice people!
We took the beautiful Romantic Road bus trip from Fussen to Rothenburg. The fields of gold were goregous. In Rothenburg, Hotel Hornburg was our favorite hotel of the entire trip! I actually heard of it from other readers who posted it here on the Grafriti Wall. Our room was huge, the people were great, and the location is as convenient as can be!
The night watchman's tour is a must. That guy is wonderfully entertaining!
The shopping is a huge hit, too. We bought so many ornaments at Kathe
Wolfhart's store, I think we alone paid her May electric bill! Thanks
again, Rick!
Bill and Karen Dills <email>
Orlando, Fl USA 05/16/01
I read about Hallstatt on this website and some more via www.hallstatt.net. I was really looking forward to enjoying this little town. When I got there, it exceeded my expectations. There was only a handful of locals walking the streets during the midweek afternoon. The town was ours to savor! Take a boat ride on the lake. We took a paddleboat out for some great views and relaxation. It's a must-see!
Salzburg was as enjoyable as on my previous visit.
I made it to Innsbruck this trip & kind of wished I had gone to Hall
or somewhere else instead. I guess I expected more from the hype of being
in the Alps & the Olympics.
Joe Fill <email>
Westminster, CO USA 05/14/01
Hi Rick! Thanks for the great advice through your guidebooks. Terry and I have just returned from a whirlwind trip to Europe. We need to tell you about a wonderful hotel in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. It is the Hotel Oberland and what a place — clean, affordable, friendly. Ursula and Mark Nolan were the greatest of hosts. They helped plan activities, served great food, and we feel really deserve some attention from you and your staff. Their location just down from the train and bus station makes it easy to get around.
Hotel & Restaurant Oberland
CH-3822 Lauterbrunnen
Phone ++41(0)33 855 12 41, Fax ++41(0) 33 855 42 41.
Julie Widau <email>
Indianapolis, IN USA 05/13/01
I was in Berlin last November and took some cash to exchange for DM. To my surprise, I found that the banks would only exchange new bills (they are more counterfeit-proof). They will exchange old bills only if you go to the Staatsbank. When I returned, I asked my bank about it and they were not aware of this.
As others say, I find it difficult to use traveler's checks these days. Credit, bank debit or ATM cards are the easiest.
By the way, Berlin is a beautiful city and the Tiergarten is a wonderful
place to spend a beautiful fall day.
Tina Hanna <email>
Austin, TX USA 05/06/01
The Astron hotel chain offers beautiful hotels all over Germany and
Austria, plus some in Switzerland, for exceptionally low rates. Astron
are 4-star hotels and can even impress a spoiled American tourist like
myself. You get their lowest rates on their website at www.astron.de (site
in English available). Example: In Vienna, Astron Hotel Belvedere, located
between the Belvedere palace and the Kärntner Ring, the main shopping
area, has rates from U$60 per room/nite.
Andreas Schuerrle <email>
San Diego, CA USA 05/03/01
Please expand the book to include the "East" as it does not stop at the "line" thru Berlin and resume with the city of Prague! (And put Leipzig onto the cheat sheet of European point-to-point trains.) You are missing the HEART and the cultural center of Germany. Nobody had a complete enough guide, so I was forced to write each town's tourist office for info on sights, trains, hotels, hostels, bus lines etc.
Examples of just a few things you won't see on the West side: Leipzig
and its music-drenched cultural life; Gera, a one-time capital and a fine
midieval city in the Thuringian forest; Meissen; Plauen and its rich tradition
of lace & embroidery making, instrument manufacture and brewery tours
(much of it FREE FREE FREE).
Rosemary Storbel <email>
Minneapolis, MN USA 05/02/01
My wife and I are in Hall in the midst of our 4-week holiday. I got
appendicitis while at Gasthof Badl and had to have surgery immediately.
Frau Steiner got me to the hospital and drove my wife around, finding
lodging closer to me than back to her hotel. Frau Steiner and her daughter
saved the day. I will recuperate at her hotel and am sure will be treated
like family.
Jim and Kristy Paggi <email>
Benicia, Ca USA 04/24/01
My wife and I just got back from Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. It is nestled in the lush valley below Murren and Wengen. We spent a night at the Hotel Oberland. It is one of the best family-run hotels I have ever stayed in. The operators of the hotel, Ursula and Mark, were so hospitable and friendly. We even got pictures with them. The hotel has a bar and an excellent restaurant. The fondue and the service is impeccable.
I recommend requesting the room that has the view of the waterfall.
There is something wonderful about falling asleep to the sound of a 900-foot
waterfall outside your window. And at night the town illuminates it from
8-11pm. What an experience!
Kevin Kifer <email>
Manassas, VA USA 04/24/01
if you are traveling to frankfurt or the rhine area, i highly recommend
the hotel admiral in weisbaden, run by gerda and nick speros. their 4th
floor rooms even have their own kitchenettes and their rates are reasonable!
marie
USA 04/22/01
When in Rothenberg stop and see Helene Then at Pension Then. She still
gets up every morning and rides her bike faithfully to "die supermarkt
und die backerie." Keeps a nice gausthaus. We're going back in May!
Dave Bridenbaugh <email>
Cincinnati, Oh USA 04/11/01
Rick, you need to add some more on Switzerland. Also, Chateau Chillon can be reached (or returned) from Montreaux by bus. Since the train only runs hourly, the trolley bus is a good alternative. The bus stop is right by the castle and is on a street parallel to but below the train station.
Also coments on your guidebooks in general:
1) Please mention in the local language what an ATM machine is called.
2) You suggest getting lots of cash fewer times to save time. With ATMs, it only takes a minute anyway.
3) Get big cash at beginning and smaller amounts at end from ATM to avoid having money left over.
4) One way to get rid of excess cash: pay last night's hotel bill with
your remaining cash up to what you have left (or will need at airport)
and then put the rest on a credit card. Great for getting rid of all that
pocket change!
John Pezzano <email>
Atlanta, GA USA 04/10/01
I just returned from Prague. Great city. I will definitely go back.
But a tip to tourists. If you go to the Prague Castle don't pay for the
audioguide. The information is useless. Any decent guidebook of Prague
will have much more information.
Paul M. Mucha <email>
Cleveland, OH USA 04/08/01
My family and I stayed at the City Hotel on Weberstrasse in Freiburg in March 2001. It was great and within walking distance to the old city. The hotel staff was friendly and helpful especially when they saw we had kids ages 5 and 8. They all speak some English and went out of their way to be helpful. The breakfast was fruit, cereal, meats, cheeses, juice, and breads. Another good feature was they had an underground garage for guests only. The fee was US$90 a night plus $6 for the garage. It was well worth it.
In Fussen, we stayed at the Hotel Sonne. This is our second time to
stay there and I think Rick should add this hotel to his list. The rooms
are clean, spacious, and modern. The staff is friendly and most of them
speak English. The fee was US$90 a night for a dbl. and included breakfast.
They have a small parking area in front of the hotel at no charge. The
location is in the center of town; the street name escapes me, but Rick's
recommended Hotel Kurcafe is on the corner. Please make reservations if
you travel mid-April through the summer, as there are many people there
visiting Neuschwanstein Castle and the city is packed and hotels are full.
But we had no problem in March just walking in. Happy Travels!
maria beisert <email>
houston, TX USA 03/28/01
My wife and I just returned. While in Fussen, Germany we stayed at Elisabeth's
B&B. It's located about 100 yards form the train station. The price was
very reasonable and the room was very nice. We could not ask for anything
better. We highly recommend Elisabeth's.
Robert <email>
Pflugerville, TX USA 03/22/01
My wife and I just returned from 21 days in Europe. Had a wonderful time. Even though it was still early in the year, we had wonderful weather throughout and were able to beat the crowds.
Krakow, Poland is wonderful. The Palace is a must-do sight. The cloth market in old town is wonderful.
In Salzburg, Pension Panzer was a wonderful little Pension with a great host.
Then drove to Hallstatt. What a wonderful little city. Even in the winter Hallstatt is beautiful.
We love driving the road along the Rhein. Spent the night at one of
the castles, Burg Reichestein. What a view and for only $80. Had a great
restaurant with great food.
Roger Hus <email>
Pinconning, Mi USA 03/21/01
Hey Rick, I was born in Weil Der Stadt near Stuttgart (you can get there
with the S6 from the Stuttgart train station for DM8.20). Weil Der Stadt
is the gateway to the Black Forest and is also the city where Johannes
Kepler, the German astronomer, was born in 1571. By the marktplatz they
have his birthhouse made into a museum.
Thomas W Maguire <email>
Dalton, GA USA 03/18/01
My wife and I stayed at the Hotel Kranenturm in Bacharach in early March 2001. The innkeeper, Fatima, was very nice and accommodating, and the place had charm. However, do not underestimate the proximity to the train tracks. Our room was on the train track side of the hotel, and even with triple-paned windows, the noise was loud to say the least.
In town, we ate at three restaurants not listed by Rick, but they were all very good (wolfschole and jaegar-something were the best).
Driving was very easy, even though we do not speak or read German.
Matt Shaner <email>
Houston, Tx USA 03/17/01
Stayed recently at the Hotel Bristol in Munich, Germany. It was everything
Rick said it would be and a whole lot more. Johann was a very gracious
host as was his English-speaking staff. The buffet breakfast each morning
was out of this world. Location was in the heart of the city and great
for walking around as well as easy access to public transportation. They
even had a garage to park my rented car for a modest 15DM/night ($7.50).
Highly recommended.
Jim and Hope <email>
Fulton, MD USA 03/11/01
We just got back from our tour of Bavaria, Austria and the Rhineland.
Of the 6 hotels where we stayed which were recommended by Rick Steves,
all were either outstanding or very good. All of the hotels were centrally
located. My only complaint is that not all were equipped with elevators,
and not all had available parking.
John Flores <email>
Sacramento, CA USA 03/05/01
In Munich, a friend set us up in the Hotel Domus on St. Anna Street,
near the old city. At about $100 per double, it's probably out of the
price range of Rick's listings; nevertheless, the rooms were very accessible
by elevator, we had the best breakfast there in all of Europe, and the
neighborhood is charming. One of the best-kept secrets of Munich is right
next door, the old cloister church of St. Anna's. (Not to be confused
with the newer, larger church across the street with the same name.) Go
in the side door, which is always open, and take a peek. It is a jewel
box.
Donna <email>
Salinas, CA USA 02/21/01
Jeff Penkowski (below) was right on with his Weihnachmarkts (Christmas
markets) comments. I experienced the ones in Heidelberg and Rothenberg,
and my wife loved the one in Nuremberg when we lived there. Go at night...they
are at their magical best after dark. My favorite German experience!
Jason Thompson <email>
Virginia Beach, VA USA 02/20/01
My husband and two daughters and I spent two weeks last April in Munich, Salzburg and Vienna. Memories that still give me goosebumps:
Salzburg:
- Mozart Dinner Concert. Yes, it's for tourists, but the food was delicious
and the music was divine. So much fun too.
- dinner at the Cafe Winkler, sitting outside, listening to all the church
bells ring at 6 p.m. The best pictures we took of the city were from this
vantage point.
- just off the Linzergasse, take an alleyway up to the Capuchin Cloister.
The stations of the cross are depicted on the walk up and when you arrive
you are blessed with another wonderful view of the city.
Vienna:
- splurge and take a carriage ride around the old city just as it is
getting dark. This is definitely a "pinch me" experience.
- Rick's quick-and-dirty ring tour is a great orientation to the city
too.
Donna Doornik <email>
Salinas, CA USA 02/19/01
My wife, 18-year-old daughter, and I visited Germany, Austria, and Switzerland during August 2000. We used your book almost exclusively, and had a great time.
We started out visiting a German girl who had been an exchange student at our house earlier in the year. Her family lives in Kirchhain, near Marburg. If you can visit people and stay in their homes, by all means do so. You learn things about the country you otherwise would not be able to see. (Marburg is not in the book, but it is worth a visit. It is a nice college town with a beautiful cathedral, a fort, and nice shopping.)
Rothenburg was one of the highlights of our trip. The Gasthof Marktplatz, in your book, has a great location, right on the market place. The walking tour by the Night Watchman is a must.
When seeing the Tirol and Bavaria, we recommend not staying in Ruette. It is out of the way, with nothing special of its own.
Do go to Neuschwanstein, but GET THERE EARLY in the morning. We got there before opening time, and still had a 20-minute wait in line once the ticket booths opened. When we got out, we saw the line going on and on. People had lawn chairs with them for the wait. The gorgeous view from the bridge behind the castle is well worth the hike to it.
Linderhof Palace is another great spot.
In Munich, we highly recommend the walking tours listed in Rick's book.
Salzburg was fun. We enjoyed the Sound of Music Tour, even though it sounded like it would be tacky. If you can, catch some of the music during the Music Festival. We especially enjoyed a chamber music concert, with dinner, in the castle overlooking the city.
For a wonderful experience in the Swiss Alps, take the cable car to Murren. We stayed at the Hotel Alpina, built right on a cliff. The best day of the trip was a hike above Murren. The hike starts at the top of a cable railroad ride, and wends around in the mountains. It is gorgeous, and not strenuous.
Bacharach was a nice stop on the Rhine. We stayed in Ursula Orth's place,
recommended by Rick. It was very nice. We highly recommend Rolf Jung's
walking tour, starting from the tourist information office. The river
tour on the boat starting from Bacharach was also nice.
Rick Bartholomew <email>
Olympia, WA USA 02/16/01
Just came back from Germany; a few comments/reflections:
1. I made a brief stop at St Goar and was amused to see quite a few hotels and restaurants posting signs "recommended by Rick Steves" (all of them were closed for the winter, by the way).
2. This trip's discovery was Bad Wimpfen (an easy day trip from either Stuttgart or Heidelberg, or any town in the Neckar Valley). It wasn't mentioned in any of my guidebooks (I had 4, including Rick's), and it deserves to be. The town dates back to Roman times and is a curious mix of architectural styles (from Romanesque to Gothic), has beautiful ruins and churches, and more half-timbered houses than you ever wanted to see. Okay, you can never have enough half-timbered houses, but you get the idea.
3. Many places in Europe are better visited off-season; the only thing
missing is the tourist crowds. With Germany, this is not the case. It
is far better to visit Germany during the summer or late spring if you
can; for the most obvious reasons: the hills and vineyards are green,
the castles are open, the boats cruise the Rhine and the Mosel, etc. I
still enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as my summer trip.
L B <email>
USA 02/13/01
Rick describes the restaurant at the Hotel Stadt Melk as merely "respectable."
We experienced our best meal there. The food and the service were outstanding.
Quite an unexpected surprise. The rooms are comfortable and the staff
is friendly.
Stephen H
USA 02/08/01
Best-kept secret in Europe is Prague. Absolutely fell in love with it! It is the last frontier for appearing, at first glance, like post-World War II Europe. The architecture is fantastic, everywhere you turn. I highly recommend traveling to the Czech Republic before it becomes too commercialized.
We were there in mid-September 2000. The weather was moderate, 65-70 and cool evenings.
One word of advice: we purchased our train tickets in Munich ahead of
time. There's a great place in the train station to do this. The tickets
were from Vienna to the Czech border, then separately to Prague and reversed
going out of the country.
Pat Summers <email>
Kearney, MO USA 02/08/01
We used Rick's book for a quick visit to the Bavarian Alps the week before Christmas 2000. We especially enjoyed our stay at Suzanne's B&B in Fussen. It is a perfect location for touring the region and within walking distance of the pedestrian area of Fussen. Suzanne was a wonderful hostess and our room was fantastic.
I do think that the book shortchanges Geneva, Switzerland by not including
anything about this wonderful city. There are many things to discover
in Geneva but it is dismissed with a statement about the hustle and bustle
of the city. I beg to differ and would appreciate its inclusion in this
book; after all, it is a gateway to the French and Swiss Alps.
Mary Klugherz <email>
Ketchikan, AK USA 02/04/01
[Dear Mary, and Jeff Penkowski (below):
Thanks for your suggestions. It is true that we skip many worthy cities and places in our guidebook coverage. And we will continue to do so. My books cover what I think makes it into the best first 30 days in a country or region. Geneva, Stuttgart and Frankfurt — by my assessment — don't quite make it. As for Christmas markets, I also try to focus on things that will be there to enjoy throughout the year.
Our books are more select, packable, and researched more often and more in person than our competition. This is possible only with our current approach to things. For information on places that we don't cover, we recommend the advice of your friendly local travel bookstore.
Ciao, Rick Steves]
Tip for visting the new Reichstag in Berlin: Go at night! I went at 9:30
PM (they stop letting visitors in at 10 PM) and you can stay until midnight.
It was great — no lines, and seeing Berlin from the top of the building at
night is great! This was in October, so check the times before going.
Betty <email>
Oak Park, IL USA 01/27/01
I've used Rick's books for vacation trips to Italy and Spain (including the side trip to Tangiers), so I previewed the Germany book prior to a business trip during December 2000. Was so disappointed in the lack of coverage for Stuttgart and Frankfurt that I decided not to buy it.
Please expand the Frankfurt section to cover a visit of Frankfurt's historic center. There's so much history to see and it can be done in one to two days. Also there is a TI in Frankfurt town center which has English tour books.
Also, add a general section on Germany's Weihnachmarkts. Every town
and city I visited had one of these Christmas markets located in/near
the historic center and served traditional German food.
Jeff Penkowski <email>
Concord, OH USA 01/17/01
We found a couple of "Back Doors" on a recent trip to Germany: the city of Ulm with its wonderful cathedral, and Bamberg with its picturesque town hall built on a bridge over the river.
The cathedral in Ulm has the highest church steeple in the world. We climbed it - 768 steps up a narrow winding staircase - for great views over the city. The Christmas market was in full swing in the main market square below and was packed with European tourists. The choir stalls inside the cathedral are magnificent with their numerous examples of beautiful medieval woodcarving. We also enjoyed a short walk along the city wall to the Metzgerturm and the quaint Fishermen's Quarter.
We also liked Bamberg. Hard to believe for the second week of December,
but we actually saw some roses blooming in the Rose Garden located in
the inner courtyard of the New Residence. Seems that Germany was having
an unusually warm December.
Marilyn
Poughkeepsie, NY USA 01/16/01
Spent two weeks in Austria and Switzerland the last of September. Thank you, Rick, for making this trip so enjoyable and much easier! What makes it nice is that you can experience as much of the country and culture as you choose, but undoubtedly, if you crave English conversation, there is always a Rick Steves reader close by! Favorites:
Vienna — lovely metropolitan city, teeming with music, shopping and historical sites. Pension Pertschy - lovely hotel, great location, helpful staff, reasonably priced. Schonbrunn Palace beautiful; great food at the outdoor cafe off the square. Marvelous restaurant called Ofenloch, fairly close to hotel, with local people, great food and a marvelous waiter. He made the evening!
Salzburg — beautiful city, very crowded. Lovely Hotel Bergland, 15-minute walk from center, very nice accommodations. Biergarten Weisse two blocks away - typical beer garden food but great fun. Lots of young people singing local songs.
Melk — our hotel was on the square and we had a difficult time finding it. If you come during the day, you are not allowed to drive to your hotel. The abbey is beautiful!
Hallstatt — heaven! What a lovely little town! Gasthof Simony - lovely old hotel. Room #12 is tiny - but with a lovely balcony overlooking the lake. Proprietress very accommodating. Had dinner twice at Gasthof Zauner, also on the square. Excellent food - make reservations.
Switzerland — Take the trip up to the Schilthorn and don't be discouraged if it is cloudy in the valley. We found to our delight that once we got to Murren, we were above the clouds! If you get to Grindlewald, have the cheese fondue at Hotel Oberland. Delicious!
A few observations:
— I had very little problem finding someone who spoke English. I found
everyone to be very friendly; just make certain you are!
— How good is your back? Pack light!
— We picnicked almost everyday at lunch and those meals were some of our
most memorable.
— It would have been easier to fly into one city and out of another. Saves
driving.
— Had no problem renting a car and enjoyed being able to go wherever the
mood struck us.
— Although the countries are relatively small, still felt like I was rushing
all the time. Spent three days in Vienna, three days in Hallstatt and
two in Salzburg, but never enough time.
Jane
Huntington Beach, CA USA 01/14/01
My family and I went on a fantastic 2-week trip to Germany, Austria and Switzerland this past June. We rented a car (Ford 5 speed — manual shift) out of Frankfurt. We traveled the backroads as much as possible. And driving the alpine roads of Europe was the experience of a lifetime.
From Fussen, Germany to Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, we passed through Andermatt, Switzerland and the Fukra and Grimsel Passes. In keeping with Rick's rating system, this was a 3-triangle experience! I cannot recommend doing this enough. Just pay attention to your driving.
There is a book that I highly recommend: "Motorcycle Journeys Through The Alps," by John Hermann. It can be ordered from Whitehorse Press at www.WhitehorsePress.com. This book describes all the great roads in the Alps. This is an invaluable aid for those who want to drive the great alpine roads.
Also, it's a great help to obtain detailed road maps before you head
out. I ordered maps by Kummerly and Frey (great detail) from Omni Resources
at www.omnimap.com.
Eddie Merrill
Fayetteville, Georgia USA 01/13/01
We just returned from a two-week trip to Austria and Prague.
Schweizer Pension in Vienna was wonderful. Anita Klaus, the owner, and her husband are great hosts, and the rooms are spacious and clean. We stayed for 8 nights. Our large room with bath cost only $70 U.S. per night. That included breakfast. On a few mornings we had to leave very early and they set out food the night before for us so we would have something to eat. The building isn't fancy and you have to take a creaky elevator, but it is a wonderful place to stay.
We had a walking tour with Vienna Walks (which was excellent) and it ended up at a very interesting new Jewish museum at Judenplatz. The museum incorporates the ruins of an old synagogue and the interactive displays are very interesting.
In Prague we stayed at lovely hotel called U Pava in the Lesser Quarter. It was a splurge ($150 U.S.) but it was absolutely gorgeous. Our room was beautiful and we had a view of the castle. On the night we stayed, it snowed, and when we woke up in the morning, the castle was covered in snow.
One warning about Prague: if you want to do any sightseeing (i.e. the castle) go early in the morning. By 10 a.m. the crowds at the castle were ridiculous and we skipped some of the sights because it was so crowded.
Finally, I know that Rick does not cover Zell am See but if you are
a skier, this is a great resort town to visit. It is on a pretty lake
and the town is charming. The skiing is pretty good (although the snow
conditions when we were there weren't great) and there are lots of other
things to do. If you go, try to avoid the pensions and hotels along the
pedestrian area. They can be a little noisy.
SFTraveler
CA USA 01/10/01
We just visited Germany last week, following suggestions from Rick Steves' book, but several options weren't available. So we found, and recommend:
Trier - Hotel Pauline, only a block from Hotel zum Christopher, 210DM for a triple, great breakfast.
Rothenburg - Pension Becker, about 2 blocks from Market Square, very
clean, simple furniture, proprietors spoke good English, 140DM for a triple.
Karla Keller
Edgerton, WI USA 01/09/01
My husband and I stayed at a fabulous apartment-hotel in Vienna, within
walking distance of the railway station. For appr. $70. a night we had
a spacious and beautifully furnished apartment, a fully equipped kitchen
and such amenities as a towel-warmer in the bathroom. We were treated
to a great breakfast in the morning and to some delicious Viennese pastries
from their cozy Konditorei (coffee shop) upon returning from sightseeing.
They made our stay in Vienna unforgettable! (Appartement-Haus Walch, phone
43(1)5974238, fax 43(1)5974238-20, and e-mail: appawalch@webcity.at, Website:
www.apartment.at/pav5-e.htm)
Mary
San Diego, CA USA 01/08/01
Berlin...fantastic city! Loved it and wished I had more time there.
Hotel recommendation (if you don't mind train noise, but it stops at midnight):
the Hotel Kunstlerheim Luise, in the Mitte district (Luisenstrasse 19,
tel. 280 69 41). Every room is artist-designed and each one different.
I was in a very black & white striped room with a wall mural of 4 hefty
ladies in various modes of dress. The lobby also sports unusual decorating.
The breakfast does leave much to be desired (for the price of the room).
Note: you do get ear plugs on the night stands...no kidding. One room
I looked at had a train passing by so close you could have touched it.
But if it isn't quaint churchbells, it's train noise.
Betty
Oak Park, IL USA 01/07/01
As I read other readers' accounts of the great hospitality from Suzanne's
B&B in Fussen I am wondering if I stayed in the same place. In all of
seven weeks of travel we never came across such a grumpy, even surly proprietor.
Maybe she was having a few bad days! We were also rather shocked when
the "attic special" turned out to have a ceiling so low that my husband
could never stand upright. The train tracks that run right next to the
B&B also cause middle-of-the-night rumblings and noise. I do agree that
the B&B was clean. But at 190dm for my family of five it was a rip-off!
C.Marck
Seattle, WA USA 01/02/01