Tegelbergbahn
For fabulous views of the Alps and the Forggensee, take this cable car 983 60 oneway return 9.50 16 S 8.30am-5pm Jul-0ct, 9am-5pm Nov-Jun to the top of the Tegelberg 1707m , a prime launch point for hang-gliders and parasailers. From here it's a wonderful hike down to the castles two to three hours follow the signs to K nigsschl sser . To get to the valley station, take RVO bus 73 or 78 from the Bahnhof in F ssen, or from the Schwangau village centre. Accommodation in the area is surprisingly...
Ehekarussell Brunnen
At the foot of the fortified Weisser Turm White Tower stands the amazing Eheka-russell Brunnen Marriage Roundabout , a metallic fountain with six interpretations of marriage from first love to quarrel to death-do-us-part all based on a verse by Hans Sachs, the medieval cobbler-poet. The artist, J rgen Weber, faced a storm of criticism when the fountain was unveiled in 1984. On Hefnersplatz, the townsfolk had fewer quibbles with another modern fountain, the Peter-Henlein-Brunnen dedicated to the...
Dinkelsbuhl
Dinkelsbiihl, another colourful medieval town, proudly traces its roots to a royal residence founded by Carolingian kings in the 8th century. The whole town is immaculately preserved, having been spared destruction in the Thirty Years' War and WWII, and has a far less contrived feel than its more famous neighbour Rothenburg. For a good overall impression of the town, walk along the fortified walls with their 18 towers and four gates. The Altstadt is five minutes' walk west of the Busbahnhof bus...
Asian
Sushi amp Soul Map p292 201 0992 Klenzestrasse 21 mains 8-18 This stylish joint charms with soft lighting and a long central table that points dramatically towards the backlit open kitchen. But one thing's for sure - the sushi is fabulous. During the long-standing and popular happy hour 6pm to 8pm a multicourse Bento palette of sushi, not to mention all the cocktails, is half-price. Reservations are a must. Shida Map p292 269 336 Klenzestrasse 32 mains 9-16 Shida's excellent Thai food and...
A Primer On Train Types
Here's a quick lowdown on the alphabet soup of trains operated by Deutsche Bahn DB . Intercity Express ICE Long-distance, space-age bullet trains that stop at major cities only special tariffs apply and they're the most comfortable of the trains. Intercity IC amp EuroCity EC Long-distance trains that are slower than the ICE but still pretty fast they stop at major cities only. EC trains go to major cities in neighbouring countries. InterRegio IRE Slower medium-distance trains serving cities and...
Schloss Nordkirchen
On an island surrounded by a sprawling, manicured park, Schloss Nordkirchen 02596-9330 s 11am-5pm Sun May-Sep, 2-4pm Sun Oct-Apr amp by prior arrangement is an imposing baroque redbrick structure nicknamed the 'Westphalian Versailles'. On a nice day, the palace is well worth visiting for the gardens and the exterior alone. Since it's used as a state college for financial studies, the interior - with its stuccoed ceilings, festival hall and dining room - can only be seen on guided tours tours 2...
Information Tws
Several banks with ATMs can be found along Westernstrasse and around the Dom and Rathaus. Linnemann 285 50 Westernstrasse 31 Bookshop. Post office 01802-3333 Liliengasse 2 Off Westernstrasse. Raffles Internet Bar 282 507 1st fl, Libori-Galerie, Kamp 30-32 per hr 2 S9.30am-1am St-Vincenz Hospital 860 Busdorf 2 Tourist office 882 980 www.paderborn.de Marienplatz2a S 10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pmSat Apr-Oct, 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat Nov-Mar
Getting There Away Eka
ICE trains go to Berlin-Hauptbahnhof from Jena-Paradies 47,2 4 hours and Hamburg-Altona either from Jena-Paradies or Jena-West 87,1 4 hours . Half-hourly regional services from Jena-Paradies go to Rudolstadt 6.20,45 minutes and Saalfeld 7.60, 50 minutes . To get to Weimar 4.60,15 minutes and Erfurt 7.50,30 minutes , you must go to Jena West. The Hopper-Ticket see p251 can work out cheaper. Jena is just north of the A4 from Dresden to Frankfurt, and just west of the A9 from Berlin to Munich....
BUS Whj
The office of Regionalbus Braunschweig RBB 194 49 www.rbb-bus.de Bahnhof , from where buses depart, has free timetables for services throughout the Harz region. Buses 861 and 831 run between Goslar and Altenau in the south 861 continues to St Andreasberg. Bus 830 runs to Clausthal-Zellerfeld via Hahnen-klee. Trains are easier to get to Bad Harzburg, where you can take bus 810 to Torfhaus. The BEX BerlinLinienBus runs daily to Berlin 40 via Magdeburg. For timetables and bookings, refer to...
Dom Maria Heimsuchung
North of Rathausplatz you'll find the cathedral, Dom Maria Heimsuchung Hoher Weg S 10.15am-6pmMon-Sat which dates back to the 10th century. Over the years many alterations have been made here, including the addition of the 14th-century bronze doors with their Old Testament scenes. The oldest section is the crypt underneath the west choir, which features a Romanesque Madonna. Other treasures include medieval frescoes, the Weingartner Altar by Hans Holbein the Elder, and - dating from the 12th...
TRAIN Rgv
D sseldorf is part of a dense S-Bahn network in the Rhine-Ruhr region see p572 and regular services run to Cologne and Aachen as well. There are frequent ICE trains to Frankfurt 65,1 hours , Berlin 89, four hours and Munich 115, five hours . S-Bahns 1 and 7 shuttle between the airport and the Hauptbahnhof every few minutes. Long-distance trains also stop at the airport, significandy cutting travel time to the Rhine-Ruhr region and beyond. The free SkyTrain takes you from the station to the...
Naturpark Elbuferdrawehn
The Bleckede and the Biosph renreservat Nieders chsische Elbtalaue Lower-Saxony Elbe Floodplain Biosphere are located some 20km east of L neburg, in a wetland area of the L neburger Heide. The reserve is a haven for birdlife such as white storks, wild geese and cranes, and runs for 85km along the Elbe River. Cyclists and hikers will be well rewarded by this picturesque and interesting wetland, which is all part of the Elberadweg www.elberadweg.de p216 . If you intend to come out here, make sure...
Aroundcoburg
About 25km south of Coburg is the ornate gilded 18th-century pilgrimage church, Basi-likaVierzehnheiligen 09571-950 80 admission free S 6.30am-7pm Apr-Oct, 7.30am-dusk Nov-Mar . It stands on the spot where a local shepherd reported having recurring visions of the infant Jesus flanked by the 14 Nothelfer Holy Helpers , a group of saints invoked in times of adversity since the 14th-century Black Plague. The church is one of the masterpieces of Balthasar Neumann, the renowned architect. The...
Bernkastelkues
This charming twin town, some 50km downriver from Trier, is the hub of the middle Moselle region. Bernkastel, on the right bank, is a symphony in half-timber, stone and slate and teems with wine taverns. Kues pronounced koos , the birthplace of theologian Nicolas Cusanus 1401-64 , has litde fairy-tale flair but is home to the town's most important historical sights. The tourist office 4023 24 www.bernkastel.de Am Gestade 6, Bernkastel S 8.30am-12.30pm amp 1-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pmSat, 10am-1pmSun...
Around Hanover
Nobles the world over will tell you that ancestral homes can be such a huge financial burden to maintain, especially when they're turreted castles. In late 2005, the family of Prince Ernst August of Hanover Princess Caroline of Monaco's husband auctioned off some 25,000 household objects to raise money for the upkeep of their 130-room neo-Gothic fancy. Now a small part of the palace, Schloss Marienburg 05069-407 www .schloss-marlenburg.de tour adult under 16yr 6 4.50 S 10am-6pm Apr-0ct , is...
Besenwirtschaft
From about October to March, wine growers throughout the region attach a broom Besen to the front of their homes to indicate that they're open for business as a Besenwirtschaft, a small restaurant where people can drink and purchase the new vintage. They also serve lunch and dinner, usually featuring typical Swabian dishes like Kartoffelsuppe potato soup , GaisburgerMarsch a stew of sliced potatoes, noodles and beef and the evil-sounding Schlachtplatte sauerkraut with pork belly, liver, lard,...
Glossary
Abfahrt - departure trains Abtei - abbey ADAC - Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil Club rztlicher Notdienst - emergency medical service Aufenthaltserlaubnis - residency permit Aussiedler - German settlers who have returned from abroad It usually refers to post-WWII expulsions , Autonome pi - left-wing anarchists AvD - Automobilclub von Deutschland Automobile Bad - spa, bath Bahnhof-train station Bahnsteig - train station platform Bau - building Bedienung - service service charge...
The Birth Of Frankenstein
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, published in 1818, set a creepy precedent in the world of monster fantasies. The story is well known young scientist Viktor Frankenstein travels to Ingolstadt to study medicine. He becomes obsessed with the idea of creating a human being and goes shopping for parts at the local cemetery. Unfortunately his creature is a problem child and sets out to destroy its maker. Shelley picked Ingolstadt because it was home to a prominent university and medical faculty. In the...
Info Ukn
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ALTSTADT Bgt
Bamberg's main appeal lies in its sheer number of fine historic buildings, their jumble of styles and the paucity of modern eyesores. Most attractions are sprinkled along the Reg-nitz River, but the town's incredibly statuesque Altes Rathaus is actually on it, perched on twin bridges like a ship in dry dock note the cherub's leg sticking out from the fresco on the east side . To the northwest are the charming half-timbered homes of Klein Venedig Little Venice , complete with punts, canals and...
Fummel Vision
While you're in Meissen, it's virtually compulsory to try the peculiar local patisserie known astheMeissnerFummel. Resembling an ostrich egg made of very delicate pastry, legend has it the Fummel was invented in 1710 as a test to stop the royal courier from drinking between deliveries - great care is required if you want to get it home in one piece Test your skills at the 150-year-old Caf Zieger Burgstrasse , by the foot of the Rote Stufen. The Markt is framed by the Rathaus 1472 and the Gothic...
AROUND MEERSBURG Birnau
The exuberantly rococo Birnau church admission free , a favourite for weddings, is one of the true architectural highlights of the Lake Constance region. Sitting majestically on a bluff overlooking the lake and surrounded by lush vineyards, it was built by the rococo master Peter Thumb of Vorarlberg. When you walk in, the d cor is so intricate and profuse you don't know where to look first. At some point your gaze will be drawn to the ceiling, where Gottfried Bernhard G z worked his usual magic...