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Germany Field Trips
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Germany and its visitors are reaping the rewards of unity. Huge investments in infrastructure and services are not only erasing the Cold War dividing lines, but scars caused by World War II are also finally disappearing. In real terms, this means that travelers are likely to move around the country faster, dine better and experience newer attractions, such as the Reichstag's glass dome. A lot has changed, yet chances are that repeat visitors will still find the things they always liked: the restaurant serving huge helpings of sauerbraten or the biergarten with liter upon liter of lager and wheat beer.
Once you stop looking at Germany strictly in terms of east and west, you'll start to see it as the Germans do: as regions sharply defined by dialect, food, traditions and history. For the best perspective, sample as many regions as possible. Booming Berlin, now the No. 1 tourist magnet, is the clearest benefactor of reunification. Visitors to the cultural centers of Dresden, Leipzig and Weimar in eastern Germany will find improved amenities there as well. The north has the delightful old seafaring cities of Hamburg and Bremen. Along the Rhine and Moselle rivers are picturesque castles and steep, terraced vineyards. The Grimm Brothers collected the tales they heard in a trail of villages from Hanau to Bremen. In the south are snowcapped Alps, the alluring Black Forest, Munich, and Bavaria's boisterous beer halls and rococo palaces and churches.
Although it has plenty of fairy-tale sights and picturesque scenery that is reminiscent of medieval times, Germany is without a doubt a postindustrial, multicultural country with all the inherent advantages and conflicts. Reunification has been a huge social and economic undertaking, and it comes on top of an already heavy and, at times, troubling history. Travelers to Germany will probably not be affected, but on the other hand, visitors shouldn't expect all parts of the country, at all times, to be an Oktoberfest.
Because of Germany's size and diversity, we have divided the country into three itineraries to choose from or to combine for a longer trip. Although the following itineraries require renting a car, you can see the same areas while traveling by trains and buses, but you'll need to allow more time. If you are a first-time visitor with only enough time for one of the following itineraries, we recommend southern Germany.
Itinerary 1: Southern Germany
Day 1—Arrive in Frankfurt. Depart immediately for Heidelberg. Overnight.
Day 2—Tour Heidelberg in the morning. Drive to the Black Forest region, stopping for a look at the classic spas in Baden-Baden. Stay overnight or continue on to the Titisee with stops in Offenburg, Triberg or Furtwangen.
Day 3—Drive to Stuttgart. Tour the city and overnight, or continue on to Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber.
Day 4—Visit Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber if you didn't see it the day before and continue along the Romantic Road, visiting as many of the following villages as time permits: Feuchtwangen, Dinkelsbuhl, Nordlingen, Donauworth and Harburg. Overnight in Munich.
Day 5—Tour Munich.
Day 6—Drive to a Bavarian town such as Oberammergau or Garmisch-Partenkirchen and use it as a base for touring the area for two days.
Day 7—Take a (long) day trip to Fussen and surrounding area. Return to Munich.
Day 8—Day trip to Berchtesgaden.
Day 9—Depart Munich.
If you have more time, we'd suggest taking in the above sights in a more leisurely manner, rather than trying to add more attractions. For instance, allow a full day for Heidelberg and for Stuttgart and at least one extra day for the Black Forest and the Romantic Road.
Itinerary 2: Eastern Germany From Berlin
Day 1—Arrive Berlin.
Day 2—Tour Berlin.
Day 3—Day trip to Potsdam. Return to Berlin to spend the night.
Day 4—Drive or take the train to Dresden for overnight.
Day 5—Tour Dresden.
Day 6—Drive or take the train to Meissen, then continue on to Leipzig for the night.
Day 7—In the afternoon return to Berlin via Wittenberg (Martin Luther's house and grave site).
Day 8—Depart Berlin.
Or if you have more time:
Days 1-6 Same as above.
Day 7—Drive or take the train to Naumburg, then on to Weimar for the night.
Day 8—Make a day trip to Buchenwald or Erfurt.
Day 9—Drive or take the train to Eisenach.
Day 10—Drive or take the train to Wernigerode via Nordhausen and the Harz Mountains.
Day 11—Leave early to return to Berlin via Wittenberg.
Other variations on the itinerary above could include some time for camping, hiking or visiting seaside towns on the Baltic Sea or villages in a forest region. If time permits (or on subsequent trips), you might consider a special-interest tour: music (Bach or Wagner), theater, Martin Luther, historical. One tour we thoroughly enjoyed was a four-day program riding on small local trains (out of Leipzig), with day trips through the Harz Mountain region.
Itinerary 3: Northern Germany Tour
Day 1—Arrive Frankfurt. Overnight there or in Wiesbaden.
Day 2—Drive to Mainz (to see the Gutenberg Bible) and continue through the scenic Rhine area, stopping to take pictures of castles and vineyards. Overnight in Koblenz (the portion from Wiesbaden to Koblenz can be covered by boat down the Rhine and a car can be rented in Koblenz).
Day 3—Drive to Cologne.
Day 4—Morning drive to Bremen (about three and a half hours on the autobahn; take a break in Munster or at Kalkriese north of Osnabruck where an archaeological museum commemorates the historic German victory over the Roman legions in AD 9).
Day 5—Tour Bremen in the morning or head straight to Hamburg.
Day 6—Tour Hamburg.
Day 7—Drive to Lubeck.
Day 8—Return to Hamburg. Depart Germany.
If more time can be spent in northern Germany, days can be added in any of the following ways: Schedule a few extra nights to explore the North Sea or Baltic Sea region; spend two days driving around Lower Saxony and one day on the river cruise from Hannoversch-Munden to Hamelnand; and add half a day in Aachen or Bonn when you go to Cologne. |
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