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DEAR GEMüTLICHKEIT SUBSCRIBER The Travel Letter for Germany, Austria, Switzerland & the New Europe November 26, 2001 Our 15th Anniversary This month marks the end of 15 years of Gemütlichkeit. The first is- STYRIA’S WINE ROADS sue was January, 1987. Some read- Austrians liken the rolling hills and vineyards of the southern part of Styria to Tuscany. The ers have been with us the whole similarities end, however, when it comes to prices and the number of American tourists. way and others are brand new. Sin- cerest thanks to all. ell an Austrian you’ve been to point out the differences. “If this We started traveling frequently the Styrian Wine Road (Süd- were Tuscany,” she says, “at this to Europe — and Germany, Austria, T steirische Weinstrasse) and she time of year, everything would be Switzerland in particular — in the look wistfully into the distance and brown.” mid 70s. But since 1987 Liz and I say “Ahhh, the Styrian Toscana.” In True, on a hot day in late July, have made some 40 trips to our part, this is because of a memorable the view is a palette of innumerable three countries to research hotels, advertising slogan, but also because greens — the rolling fields, the restaurants, backroads, and destina- the landscape really does look some- shimmering leaves of the poplar tions. These days we also rely on thing like the Italian region of Tusca- trees and the broad pointed leaves the good judgement of our corre- ny. Located on the border with Slov- strung along the vines — but not a spondents Doug Linton, Jim enia, the southern Styrian hint of anything parched or with- By Doug countryside is a blend of Johnson and the Claudia Fischer- Linton ered. In fact, its downright humid: Roger Holliday team. crescent hills, tall singular perfect weather to sit in the shade of In the course of all this travel, poplar trees, the occasional farm- a vine arbor and enjoy a cool, per- we’ve stayed at or inspected hun- house, and vineyards one after the spiring glass of fruitful Styrian dreds of hotels and thousands of other. white wine. hotel rooms. Surveys tell us that Frau Jakobé, the owner of one of Which brings up another differ- most of you consider the choice of these vineyards at the top of the last ence in the two regions. Rather than where to stay one of your most im- crest before the border, prefers to Tuscany’s deep red wines, southern portant travel decisions. There’s are Continued on page 3… differences in what you’re willing to spend for a night’s lodging, so we have tried to cover a broad spec- Essential Switzerland trum. The majority of you seem to be his is the second in our three- #1. Lauterbrunnen Valley & Environs about where we are, somewhere in part series on what we think For our money, this is Switzer- the middle — mid-priced hotels T are the 10 leading destinations land’s number one showcase. High, most of the time, with the occasion- in each of the three countries we slender waterfalls cascade in long, al foray into luxury. cover — the essential Germany, Aus- silvery ribbons staight down its tria and Switzerland. green flanks. Quaint, traffic-free At any level we are always con- villages perch above it on grassy scious of the price-to-value ratio. This month we offer By Bob shelves, and towering over all are Where can our readers get the most our Switzerland answer to Bestor the famed mountain peaks Eiger, Continued on page 2… the frequently asked ques- tion, “I only have a few days, what Monch and Jungfrau. Some of the This Month in Gemütlichkeit should I see?” world’s most spectacular scenery. Features Page Best Towns: Mürren, Wengen Styria’s Wine Roads ........................................................... 1 The destinations are listed in Finding Pre-War Germany ............................................... 1 and Lauterbrunnen. Recommended Web Sites .................................................. 8 order of our preference, as if we Readers’ Forum ................................................................... 7 Top Sights: • The ride to the Commentary were advising a first-time traveler Dear Subscriber, 15th Anniversary .................................. 1 what to see in each country. This is Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest rail- Hotels/Restaurants way station • Trümmelbach Falls Hotel Sattlerhof, Gamlitz A .............................................. 3 obviously a subjective process and Weingut Harkamp, St. Nickolai A ................................... 4 Weingut Kästenburg, Ehrenhausen A ............................. 4 you may disagree with the choices. Suggested Activities: Ride the Schloss Seggau, Leibnitz A .......................................................... 4 train to Schynige Platte (on the route Restaurant Sattlerhof, Gamlitz A ................................................ 5 For example, Lucerne, a wonderful Weingut Erich and Walter Polz, Spielfeld A ............................. 5 destination, is not included. This list to the Jungfraujoch), eat lunch at the Winzerhaus Kogelberg, Kaindorf A ........................................... 5 Hotel Heitzmann, Zell am See A ................................................ 8 isn’t the top 10, it’s our top 10. Here hotel (or bring a picnic), then walk Restaurant Le Mazot, Zermatt S ................................................. 8 Hotel Fürstenhof, Vienna A ......................................................... 8 is Switzerland: the approximately two-hour “pan- Hotel an der Kapelle, Meiningen ............................................... 8 Continued on page 5… http://www.gemut.com December 2001/January 2002 S http://www.gemut.com Vieux Manoir au Lac in Murten, Gemütlichkeit, A double room at the DEAR SUBSCRIBER Switzerland. Anker, in Martkheidenfeld, was $83. Continued from page 1 Then there are the truly bargain In late 2001, that same room is $86. for their money? The most important hotels that may not have all the at- The dollar in 1987 brought 1.82 DM. element in our evaluation of a hotel tributes we look for but whose prices Today it fetches 2.19 DM. is the room itself; cleanliness, quality are well below their peers. In that Fierce competition has kept car of materials and furnishings, size, category are such places as Munich’s rental rates and transatlantic airline decor, view, lighting and air quality Hotel Kraft, the Pension Heim near ticket prices about the same as they (we’ll take an airy, cool room in a Füssen in Bavaria, L’Auberge De were 15 years ago. Remove that com- two-star over a hot, stuffy one in a Chernex in the hills above Montreux; petitive element, however, and the five-star any day). After the room we the Pertrisberg in Trier, and picture changes. In 1987, a first-class look at people and service, location Salzburg’s Hotel Jedermann. ticket on the Glacier Express was and setting, facilities, and, finally, A few favorite haunts are no $67. Today, even though the dollar is public rooms. longer in business or have slipped about 8% higher vs the Swiss franc The hotels that combine all these badly. Three in the latter category are than it was in ‘87, the same St. Mor- traits — and offer the best value — the beautifully-located Forsthaus tiz-Zermatt trip is $155. (By the way, have become our favorites. Places Grasek in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Rail Europe is announcing increases such as the Art Nouveau in Berlin; Munich’s Hotel Adria, and the in rail pass prices for 2002. Since Hotel Anker in Marktheidenfeld, Brienzer-Burli in Brienz, Switzer- most passes are good for travel up to Germany; the Sonnenhof in Bad land. six months after date of purchase, Sachsa, Germany; Zur Stadt Mainz Simply gone are Schloss Neuhof those planning to travel in the first in Würzburg; Gutshotel von Kessel- in Coburg, Germany, the wonderful half of 2002 would do well to take statt in Neumagen-Dhron on the Hotel Geiger in Berchtesgaden, and advantage of current prices by buy- Mosel, Schloss Haunsperg outside the fine restaurant of the Markgrä- ing their passes no later than Decem- Salzburg; the Altstadt in Vienna; the Continued on page 8… fler Hof in Freiburg, Germany. Two Innere Enge in Bern; and the Wald- splendid music venues we miss are Using Gemütlichkeit hotel Doldenhorn in Kandersteg, Vienna’s Cafe Budva (Gypsy music) • Foreign currency prices are converted to U.S. dollars Switzerland, are just a few of the and the Ewig Lampe (blues/jazz) in at the exchange rate in effect at the time of publication. places we’ve discovered over the Berlin. • Hotel prices listed are for one night. Discounts are years. Interestingly, every one of the often available for longer stays. above-mentioned hotels is family Because of their attitude toward • All hotel prices include breakfast unless otherwise noted. owned and operated. Americans, there are just three hotels that are to be avoided under all cir- • Local European telephone area codes carry the “0” Of course there are many out- required for in-country dialing. To phone establish- cumstances: Gebhards Hotel in Göt- standing hotels that have all these ments from outside the country, such as from the USA, tingen, Germany, the Benediktenhof do not dial the first “0”. qualities, but at much higher prices: (if it’s still in operaton) in Ettal, the Beau Rivage Palace in Lausanne, southern Bavaria, and Vienna’s Logging on to Gemütlichkeit’s Website the Victoria Jungfrau in Interlaken, Mailbergerhof. Except for the most recent 12, back issues in text format Berlin’s Ritz-Carlton Schloss Hotel, from January 1993 are available free to subscribers only at the Grüner Baum near Badgastein Thanks to the strength of the dol- http://www.gemut.com (click on “For Members Only”). Austria, the Benen Diken Hof on the lar, hotel prices today are surprsingly To access the issues enter the user name and password published in this space each month. The July codes are: German island of Sylt, the Imperial close to what they were in 1987. Ac- User Name: meck Password: 108 in Vienna, Lucerne’s The Hotel and cording to the March 1987 issue of Vol.