A Trip to Germany

I lived in Schweinfurt, Germany for two and a half years when I was in the Army. I learned enough of the language to get directions, order food, etc. I tried to assimilate into the culture as much as possible; most of the time that meant walking in the downtown area later in the evening and taking up the sights. I was always respectful to and cognizant that I was in their country. I even dated a German national for a couple of months... The people are friendly, warm, and fun. The German's like to drink their beer, and dance. Most of all, the country is clean, and gorgeous. I wanted to tell you about three cities that are a must see when you travel to Germany.

I have been to the first city three times. The second time, and last time before I got out of the Army, I sworn to myself that when I got married, whenever that may be, I would bring my wife for our first year anniversary. I wanted my honeymoon to be close to home, and have one year to settle in before taking a long trip. The city is in the southern portion of the country, and is close to Austria. It is in the German Bavarian Alps, but down in the valley. The river flowing through town is white because the water is so clean. There is one particular day trip that you have to do. It is called the Eagle's Nest (Kehlsteinhaus). You start at the bottom of the mountain, get on a bus, and start going up the hill. If it weren't for the excellent driving ability, you would think that you would go off the ledge. The view going up is superb. You get almost to the top of the mountain when you get out and enter the side of the mountain. This is where you get into an elevator and go the rest of the way up to the Nest. Once on top, you can have a snack, sit and enjoy the views of the surrounding mountaintops, or look down on Salzburg, Austria. This is also where Adolf Hitler would go to strategize for upcoming campaigns. The city that I am talking about is Berchtesgaden. This city is so romantic because you are in nature, with all of the amenities of home with great hotels. A three night, four-day stay gives you plenty of time to see the area. We stayed at the Hotel Alpenhof. It had large grounds and an indoor pool. It was really nice.

The next great spot is Baden Baden. This is the Beverly Hills of Germany. It has beautiful fountains and rivers meandering through the city. My wife and I went to the opera house to see a performance, which was a lot of fun. We went in the limousine provided by our hotel, Der Kleine Prinz. The food was great in the hotel and at local restaurants, as well as excellent shopping (we brought along an extra bag just to fill with purchases). A great day trip while in Baden Baden is Strasbourg, France. You are fairly close, and you have to drive over the Rhine River, which is spectacular. Strasbourg citizens speak English, German, and or course, French. I sometimes ordered food in all three languages and I always go what I wanted. The people are friendly, and are willing to help you out. There is a river cruise that goes around the city, which was a lot of fun. There is a large system of locks to get to the different levels of the river. You have to go on the river cruise. Strasbourg seemed like a laid back city for having almost one million residents. Then you go back to Baden Baden, small, quaint, but majestic.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is the next city that you must see. This is a medieval town where cars are not even allowed in most areas. The town sits upon a hill overlooking the Tauber River. From our hotel, the Burg Hotel, you could just see the river down below. The Burg Hotel had a very small staircase to go upstairs, and a cannon on the south wall for protection. This town is where they filmed part of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. There was a museum of torture that you have to go see, as well as go up into the wall surrounding the city to see where the guards used to be posted. The restaurants again, were great. We sat down on a patio and enjoyed a drink and a cigar. This was a peaceful city that is worth the visit to just look at the architecture. According to wikipedia.com, along with Chitty Chitty; Rothenburg can be seen in the original Charlie and The Chocolate Factory movie at the end when they are in the glass elevator, and Rothenburg was also the inspiration for the village in Walt Disney's masterpiece Pinocchio.

No matter where you go in Germany, you are surely to love the people, and the countryside. I have many memories of performing my military maneuvers in the countryside of Germany, as well as calling field artillery and air strikes at the range. My fellow soldiers and I took one Friday a month, skipped the chow hall, and ate at a local restaurant becoming more familiar with the county that we were living in. I went to several other cities; Berlin, Frankfurt, Wurzburg, Heidelberg, Munich (during Oktoberfest), and even over to Paris. To make your trip compete, go at least to my three favorite cities, and then branch out; you won't regret it!

By the way, I did take my wife on our one-year anniversary to all of these places and more. We were on a four country (Germany, Austria, Italy, and France), two and a half week vacation. We rented a Mercedes Benz E Class, and drove the Autobahn. It was the best trip of our lives, and yes, when the kids are older we want to repeat it.