Southern Germany's Top 8!

Rothenberg and Southern Germany

Fun Fact #1: The German Autobahn does have a speed limit…it’s just a recommended speed. Buses, trucks, etc. have a speed limit of 60; everyone else has a suggested speed of 120 km/hr. Also, Germany has a P.A. system that interrupts through your radio with any announcements about weather alerts, upcoming traffic jams, etc. Smart, if you ask me.

*Before departing Germany, we also visited Dachau (former concentration camp, now memorial site). Dachau was very difficult and emotional for me; the site’s presence is heavy. It weighed on my chest. Our guide did an excellent job explaining the camp’s operations and history, and though I’ve heard accounts from Holocaust survivors yearly at my middle and high school, it has an entire new meaning when you are in that place. So while it was far from a joyous highlight of my time in Germany, it was still a moving and important part of my trip. Certainly worth mentioning.

Now, for the happy stuff! Our stops include a few different towns in Southern Germany, so this list is in chronological order of the places we visited.

Presenting, Southern Germany’s Top 8!

Lake near the Castles

8. Walking in the medieval village of Rothenberg, most of the buildings and landscapes are over 800 years old.  Colette and I strolled down the wall of the city, looking out at the rooftops and church steeple. We relaxed on the back porch of a café sampling wine and cheese, gazing at the nearby St. Jacob’s church. We explored the Castle Gardens and wandered up and down the cobbled streets and small shops. Even though this was the most tourist-filled of our stops, it was still peaceful in the (finally) sunny weather and cool breeze.

Walking the Wall of Rothenberg

7. For dinner, Colette and I went outside the city gates to a nearby Bier Garten. We plopped down at a table next to large tree with colorful lights and listened to the songs of a daughter and father duo- singing and playing accordion at the front of the large yard to a raucous and cheerful crowd. Soon, our travel buddies for the trip strolled in and joined us. (We are assigned a 'travel buddy' we need to check in with at each of our meeting times. This way, we can notice if you're M.I.A. and running late.) Brad and Sherri are from Seattle and celebrating their 25^th wedding anniversary. They have two daughters a little younger than Colette and I, and they are by far our most favorite people on the trip. Not long after, Cindy and her son Derek happened to come in, so we had a full, happy table. The potatorolls I had were absolutely delicious (they’re like fancy hashbrowns), the hefewiesen beer was plentiful, and the company was perfect. We had a wonderful time enjoying the music, relaxed atmosphere, and steady supply of beer. Now, we had to meet at 8pm in the Market Square for the Night Watchman Tour (which I will delve into in another highlight), so we had left ourselves 1.5 hours for dinner, getting accustomed to the leisurely pace of dining in Europe. However, we found ourselves rushing to pay at 7:56pm, and we had about a 10 minute walk to get back to the square. We bolted back to that square; Sherri leading the way. It was certainly one way to jog off the potatoes and beer. We made it right in the nick of time, but I wouldn’t have changed that frantic scramble back into town, all of us laughing and huffing, for anything.

6. The Night Watchman Tour. This man is straight out of Monty Python—with his witty remarks, perfect comedic timing, and a drawling accent. Despite being in a massive tour of Americans and other English speakers who take over the streets as we tour Rothenberg and learn its medieval history, it felt like a personal performance. He was fabulous; words do not do the man justice. I hope the picture of him does some.

 5. Our Night Watchman made sure to point out a local bar in Rothenberg named "Hell." As anyone would suspect, Colette and I knew we would be returning to Hell at the duration of the tour. Yes, the puns are endless. A whole group of us decided to visit Hell for a few drinks. While we there, we saw the Night Watchman grabbing a glass of wine at the bar. Colette put on her best Southern charm and invited him to join us for a drink; how could he refuse? We learned how he applied to the job through a newspaper ad, and he has been a watchman for 21 years. A truly interesting man. Hell certainly provided great company, great drinks, and was quite comfy. 

One of the views from the bus

4. To get to and from our towns, we spend a decent amount of time on our coach bus. And the view out the window is simply incredible. Lisa, our tour guide, informed me that people pay expensive train rides to get the views we have, and I absolutely believe it. The German landscape is nothing but what I have found in every town- peace, serenity, and beauty. Whether it's the glacial water of the rivers, forested mountains at the edge of the snow-covered Alps, or the vast, vibrant green farmlands and barns, every glance is stunning. Breathtaking.

Hohenschwangau Castle

Neuschwanstein Castle (Cinderella's Castle)

3. A trip to Germany wouldn't be complete without visiting castles (you know- my summer homes). The Hohenschwangau castle was "Mad" King Ludwig's childhood home. Steeped in the beauty of the 'Romantik' era, almost every wall is painted with elaborate religious and historical scenes in pastels and gold. The furniture and pieces are ivory and gold, elaborate and ornate. While most say this castle paled in comparison to King Ludwig's last creation, the Neuschwanstein, I'd find it quite suitable for my next residence. 

The Neuschwanstein castle, which means 'New Swan Stone', is the inspiration for Cinderella's castle. So naturally, I felt right at home. Ludwig was never able to finish the castle, being declared 'mentally insane and incapable of ruling' his country. 3 out of the 4 floors were finished, and masterfully so. The Romantik style wall paintings were everywhere, as were gold decorations, intricately carved wood, an abundance of swan paintings, sculptures, and faucets, and even a mosaic-tiled ballroom (where I will hold my House Warming party). The icing on the cake is the view out of every window- the alps, the forests, the quaint nearby towns.

2. The Luge Ride! At the mountain across from the castles was a smaller hillside, where we all experienced our first luge ride. A luge ride consists of the following: sitting with your legs out straight in front of you on a leg-length long board, your hands hold onto the lever between your legs, you push the lever forward to go faster and pull back to slow down, then you are taken up a slight slope to the top of the hill, from there you take off down a winding, metal, curved track. (I have included a picture of David enjoying himself while luging, because my description is completely insubstantial.) More or less, however, it is a roller coaster with self-controlled speed. Unsurprisingly, I spent most of my time pushing down on the lever and speeding my way down the track. Exhilarating.

Looking out at Rothenberg

1. I couldn't end a Highlight list of Germany without proper attribution to the food! Whether I was scarfing down potatorolls, eating baguette sandwiches, savoring warm & fluffy pastries, relishing the in-season asparagus soup, tasting fresh salads, sampling sweet white wines or gulping hefeweisen, I haven't had a meal I didn't enjoy. I thought Germany was just pretzels, beer and sausages, but it is truly a fully-rounded hearty cuisine. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm.