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Contents
List of Maps viii
What’s New in Germany 1
1 The Best of Germany 4 1 The Best Travel ...... 4 8 The Best Biking ...... 11 2 The Best Museums ...... 6 9 The Best Spas ...... 12 3 The Best Castles & Palaces ...... 7 10 The Best Luxury Hotels ...... 12 4 The Best Cathedrals ...... 9 11 The Best Small Inns & Hotels ...... 13 5 The Most Charming Small Villages . . .9 12 The Best Restaurants ...... 14 6 The Best Driving Tours ...... 10 13 The Best Beer Halls & Taverns ...... 15 7 The Best Walks ...... 11 14 The Best Shopping ...... 15
2 Germany in Depth 16
1 Germany Today ...... 16 Beyond Baroque: the Modern 2 Looking Back at Germany ...... 17 German Music Scene ...... 34 3 Art & Architecture ...... 23 5 Eating & Drinking in Germany . . . . .36 4 Germany in Popular Culture: The Best of the Wurst ...... 37 Books, Film & Music ...... 29 O’ Zapfstisl (“The Barrel German Literature: From Is Tapped”) ...... 38 Gutenberg to Grass ...... 30
3 Planning Your Trip to Germany 41
1 Visitor Information ...... 41 6 Health ...... 57 2 Entry Requirements ...... 41 7 Safety ...... 58 Cut to the Front of the Airport 8 Specialized Travel Resources ...... 58 Security Line as a Registered Frommers.com: The Complete Traveler ...... 43 Travel Resource ...... 60 3 COPYRIGHTEDWhen to Go ...... 44 9 MATERIALSustainable Tourism ...... 61 Calendar of Events ...... 45 It’s Easy Being Green ...... 62 4 Getting There & Getting Around . . . .47 10 Packages for the Independent Getting Through the Airport ...... 48 Traveler ...... 63 5 Money & Costs ...... 53 Ask Before You Go ...... 63 The Euro, the U.S. Dollar, the British 11 Escorted General-Interest Tours . . . . .64 Pound & the Canadian Dollar ...... 54 12 Special-Interest Trips ...... 65 What Things Cost in Berlin ...... 56 02_287842-ftoc.qxp 10/24/08 4:15 PM Page iv
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Germany for Jewish Visitors ...... 66 Online Traveler’s Toolbox ...... 69 13 Staying Connected ...... 67 14 Tips on Accommodations ...... 69
4 Suggested Germany Itineraries 75
1 The Regions in Brief ...... 75 4 Germany for Families ...... 84 2 Germany in 1 Week ...... 79 5 The Fairy-Tale Road ...... 87 3 Germany in 2 Weeks ...... 83
5 Berlin 90
1 Orientation ...... 90 Night of Shame ...... 142 Berlin Today & Tomorrow ...... 93 In Memory of ...... 147 Neighborhoods in Brief ...... 94 Fun for Kids ...... 149 Ich bin ein Berliner—But 6 Organized Tours ...... 150 What Is a Berliner? ...... 96 Safari Tours in That Sardine 2 Getting Around ...... 98 Can on Wheels ...... 151 Fast Facts: Berlin ...... 100 7 Sports & Outdoor Pursuits ...... 152 3 Where to Stay ...... 102 8 Shopping ...... 154 4 Where to Dine ...... 117 Treasures in the Barn District . . . . .156 5 Exploring Berlin ...... 126 Calling All Ceramics Lovers ...... 159 The Best Sightseeing Deal ...... 128 9 Berlin After Dark ...... 161 Frommer’s Favorite Berlin 10 A Side Trip: Potsdam & Experiences ...... 138 Its Palaces ...... 169 Marker Identifies Hitler’s Bunker . . . .141
6 Saxony & Thuringia 176
1 Weimar ...... 176 Singing Through the Centuries: The Thuringian Forest: Germany’s the St. Thomas Boys’ Choir ...... 197 Green Heart ...... 181 3 Dresden ...... 203 2 Leipzig ...... 189 Schloss Lübbenau Reclaimed . . . . .218 4 Meissen ...... 219
7 Franconia & the German Danube 221
1 Bayreuth ...... 222 4 Regensburg ...... 243 2 Bamberg ...... 227 Cruising the Danube ...... 246 3 Nürnberg (Nuremberg) ...... 232 5 Passau ...... 248 Albrecht Dürer & the German 6 Ulm ...... 252 Renaissance ...... 239 02_287842-ftoc.qxp 10/24/08 4:15 PM Page v
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8 The Romantic Road 257
1 Würzburg ...... 258 8 Dinkelsbühl ...... 276 2 Miltenberg ...... 263 9 Nördlingen ...... 278 3 Amorbach ...... 265 10 Donauwörth ...... 280 4 Bad Mergentheim ...... 266 11 Augsburg ...... 281 An Excursion to Stuppach ...... 268 12 Füssen ...... 286 5 Weikersheim ...... 268 13 Neuschwanstein & 6 Creglingen ...... 269 Hohenschwangau ...... 289 7 Rothenburg ob der Tauber ...... 270 The Fairy-Tale King ...... 290
9 Munich 293
1 Orientation ...... 293 Black September Neighborhoods in Brief ...... 294 for the Olympics ...... 334 2 Getting Around ...... 295 6 Organized Tours ...... 335 Fast Facts: Munich ...... 299 7 Sports & Outdoor Pursuits ...... 337 3 Where to Stay ...... 301 8 Shopping ...... 337 4 Where to Dine ...... 310 9 Munich After Dark ...... 341 Family-Friendly Restaurants ...... 315 10 Side Trips from Munich ...... 347 Beer Gardens ...... 320 Before Hitler, a Beloved Artists’ Colony ...... 348 5 Exploring Munich ...... 322 Frommer’s Favorite Munich Experiences ...... 323
10 The Bavarian Alps 349
1 Berchtesgaden ...... 352 6 Garmisch-Partenkirchen ...... 368 2 Bad Reichenhall ...... 358 Hiking in the Bavarian Alps ...... 370 3 Chiemsee ...... 361 7 Oberammergau ...... 375 4 Bad Wiessee ...... 363 Shopping for Woodcarvings ...... 379 5 Mittenwald ...... 366
11 Lake Constance (Bodensee) 381
1 Lindau ...... 381 4 Konstanz (Constance) ...... 393 2 Friedrichshafen ...... 386 5 Reichenau ...... 396 Rebirth of the Zeppelin ...... 388 6 Überlingen ...... 398 3 Meersburg ...... 389 7 Ravensburg ...... 400 02_287842-ftoc.qxp 10/24/08 4:15 PM Page vi
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12 The Black Forest (Schwarzwald) 403
1 Freiburg im Breisgau ...... 403 5 Freudenstadt ...... 418 An Excursion to the Upper 6 Calw ...... 421 Black Forest ...... 409 7 Pforzheim ...... 423 2 Badenweiler ...... 409 Medieval Excursion 3 Titisee ...... 412 from Pforzheim ...... 424 4 Triberg ...... 415 8 Baden-Baden ...... 425 Wunderhiking in the Black Forest . . .416
13 Heidelberg, Stuttgart & the Neckar Valley 433
1 Heidelberg ...... 433 3 Stuttgart ...... 448 2 Hirschhorn, Eberbach & 4 Tübingen ...... 456 Heilbronn ...... 445 5 Schwäbisch Hall ...... 460
14 Frankfurt 462
1 Orientation ...... 462 5 Exploring Frankfurt ...... 479 2 Getting Around ...... 466 6 Shopping ...... 484 Fast Facts: Frankfurt ...... 467 7 Frankfurt After Dark ...... 486 3 Where to Stay ...... 468 8 Side Trips from Frankfurt ...... 490 4 Where to Dine ...... 474 Elvis in Bad Nauheim ...... 499
15 The Rhineland 501
1 Speyer ...... 501 5 Koblenz ...... 519 Watch on the Rhine ...... 502 6 Bonn ...... 522 Cruising the Mythically Rich 7 Bad Godesberg ...... 527 Rivers of Germany ...... 504 8 Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) ...... 528 2 Worms ...... 506 9 Cologne (Köln) ...... 532 3 Mainz ...... 511 Beer Taverns ...... 540 4 The Rheingau ...... 516 10 Düsseldorf ...... 547
16 The Mosel Valley 557
1 Cochem ...... 557 5 Bernkastel-Kues ...... 563 2 Beilstein ...... 560 The Taste of the Grape & 3 Zell an der Mosel ...... 561 an Overnight, Too ...... 564 4 Traben-Trarbach ...... 562 6 Trier (Treves) ...... 565 02_287842-ftoc.qxp 10/24/08 4:15 PM Page vii
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17 The Fairy-Tale Road 573
1 Hanau ...... 573 10 Bodenwerder ...... 591 2 Gelnhausen ...... 574 11 Hameln ...... 592 3 Steinau an der Strasse ...... 577 12 Hannover ...... 594 4 Fulda ...... 578 13 Bremen ...... 600 5 Marburg ...... 580 14 Lüneburg ...... 610 6 Kassel ...... 582 The Lüneburg Heath ...... 611 7 Hann. Münden ...... 587 15 Celle ...... 613 8 Bad Karlshafen ...... 589 16 Goslar ...... 615 9 Höxter ...... 590 17 Göttingen ...... 618
18 Hamburg 622
1 Orientation ...... 622 Family-Friendly Activities ...... 642 Neighborhoods in Brief ...... 624 5 Sports & Outdoor Pursuits ...... 643 Fast Facts: Hamburg ...... 625 6 Shopping ...... 644 2 Where to Stay ...... 626 7 Hamburg After Dark ...... 645 3 Where to Dine ...... 636 The Reeperbahn: A Walk 4 Exploring Hamburg ...... 639 on the Wild Side ...... 648
19 Schleswig-Holstein 652
1 Lübeck ...... 652 4 The Island of Sylt ...... 664 2 Kiel ...... 659 A Disappearing Playground ...... 666 3 Schleswig ...... 662
Appendix: Fast Facts, Toll-Free Numbers & Websites 669
1 Fast Facts: Germany ...... 669 2 Toll-Free Numbers & Websites . . . .673
Index 676 02_287842-ftoc.qxp 10/24/08 4:15 PM Page viii
List of Maps
Suggested Germany Itineraries 81 Where to Stay & Dine in Central Where to Stay & Dine in Western Munich 302 Berlin 104 What to See & Do in Central Where to Stay & Dine in Munich 324 Berlin-Mitte 113 The Bavarian Alps 353 What to See & Do in Lake Constance 383 Charlottenburg 127 The Black Forest 405 What to See & Do in The Neckar Valley 435 Berlin-Mitte 129 Heidelberg 437 What to See & Do Around the Tiergarten 135 Stuttgart 449 Potsdam 171 Frankfurt 464 Saxony & Thuringia 177 The Rhineland 503 Weimar 179 Cologne (Köln) 533 Leipzig 191 Düsseldorf 549 Dresden 205 The Mosel Valley 559 Franconia & the German Danube 223 The Fairy-Tale Road 575 Nürnberg 233 Bremen 601 Würzburg 259 Where to Stay & Dine in Hamburg 628 Rothenburg ob der Tauber 271 What to See & Do in Central Augsburg 283 Hamburg 641 Munich Neighborhoods 296 Schleswig-Holstein 653 Munich U-Bahn & S-Bahn 298