I'm along on the adventure! Can't wait to read the rest.

Rothenburg always makes a good first stop IMO. We've been there a half dozen times and never get tired of it.

Looking forward to hearing more about your trip.

Looking forward to more!

Can't wait to hear the rest of the story!

also looking forward to more!

A great start! Happily remembering a lovely town called Rothenburg, and waiting for more!

Great start! We're planning a Germany trip for fall 2013 so I'll be reading this for ideas

Thank you for your kind encouragement.

Day Two: Rothenburg ob der Tauber

While the temperature is warm during the day, the temps drop considerably at night. We sleep very comfortably with the windows open but are grateful for the fan in each room. Our rooms are not adjoining, but our balcony is – we are awakened to Lunatic Maximum tapping on our balcony door. He can’t sleep any more and is enthralled by our view of the city wall and surrounding Tauber valley. While breakfast is not included in the price of rooms at the Eisenhut, we decide to have breakfast on the hotel’s beautiful balcony and the breakfast is extensive with freshly made waffles, and 3 or 4 separate buffet bars, etc.. The morning is beautiful and leisurely.

After breakfast, we stroll into the market square and in and out of little shops. The boys are captivated by the sword shop (/www.waffenkammer-online.de) they turn into 5 year olds and begin roll playing any character from movies, books, TV that ever handled a sword – they are Obi Wan Kenobi and the Three Musketeers all rolled into one. They reluctantly leave the sword shop – a bit later, I remind them that their grandparents wanted them to pick out something they really wanted on this trip and they would give it to them as a present. With a gleam in their eyes, they look at each other and then at me and then simultaneously say “the sword store” and we immediately start walking back. Their swords choose them in a sort of Harry Potter/Hogwarts ritual and before we know it, two swords are being shipped back to the United States – they are thrilled.

At 2:00 we meet Claudia in the market center for a 90 minute walking tour around town (this is a standard tour which does not require being rearranged – just show up, go on the tour and pay a nominal fee following the tour – great tour and great value - www.rothenburg.de). We learn about Rothenburg’s amazing history – walk along the city wall, through the gates into the gardens and we marvel at the picture perfect Hansel and Gretle architecture and incredible history. The town is so congenial and just a very happy place to visit.

Following the tour, the boys and I climb to the top of the tower (not for the faint of heart) and enjoy a gorgeous view of the town and the valley below. Then we sojourn to the criminology museum where we take photos in the stocks and ooh and ahh at medieval torture devices – morbidly interesting.

By dinner time, we are starving again (actually two teenage boys are ALWAYS starving) and we are waiting at the delightful Burgerkeller Famile Terian when it opens – many people have posted about this restaurant before us – it was really great. We were greeted by the owner, his mother was in the kitchen and we enjoyed a feast of brats, pork tenderloin, cordon blue, potato dumplings etc. and in a very charming environment – incredible!

We stroll back into the market square right at 8:00 p.m. for the Night Watchman’s Tour – as we walk up to the crowd, a gentleman is standing beside the obvious Night Watchman speaking to the crowd – he is telling them that following the tour, he would be happy to give autographs and pose for photos, but during the course of the tour, he and his camera crew are just on the tour like everyone else. As we walks into the crowd, I realize it is Rick Steves – I say this to Mario – and Lunatic Maximum (now standing right next to Rick Steves) says, “Who is Rick Steves?” When I don’t answer the question (because he’s standing right next to us) – Lunatic Maximus continues to ask the question two more times, getting louder each time (geez). Anyway, Rick Steves seems just like you would imagine – very nice, interested in all things travel and is an engaged member of our tour.

The Night Watchman’s Tour is awesome – my husband said he reminded him of Gene Wilder in the “Bride of Frankenstein” and my entire family start to talk in his odd speech pattern throughout the rest of the trip. The Night Watchman is fun, informative and makes the village history come to life as the sun is setting. The town is even more enchanting as the full moon rises over the village and we walk along the walls. We truly love this little town. Mario and I drop into hell www.hoell.rothenburg.de for a night cap while the boys are throwing Frisbee in the market square and listening to the bells. We wake up and go to sleep to the sound of the bells – what a beautiful sound!

I agree that R od T is a magical place. I popped in there on a whim once and grabbed the shabbiest room (only one I could afford at the time) yet had the time of my life. That was 20 years ago and I've now had 5 more visits to Germany! Waiting eagerly for more about your travels.

Kimi, I am giggling as I read your report. I recently posted our trip report to Italy with our sons ages 17 and 14. We had almost an identical episode involving a gladiator helmet. Something about traveling seems to really capture their imaginations!

Thanks for sharing your trip!

I'm loving your report. I stayed at the Eisenhut in 2006 and thought it was wonderful. My room was on the top (gabled) floor and faced the street and town hall.

I haven't been to Hoell, but I took a photo of the very interesting tiny 3-wheeled BMW car from Hoell. It was rather wedge-shaped, and the single door was the front of the car. The logo from Hoell was painted on the side.

Hi Kimi,

Great report! Thanks so much for taking the time to write it. We loved Rothenburg, had dinner at the Alter Keller and thought the Nightwatchman Tour was the highlight of our stay. After getting home, we ordered his DVD online. Should have just bought it while we were there.

Paul

You make me want to go back!

Day Three: Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Prague

We all sleep peacefully through the night and wake to the sounds of the bells in our medieval village – ahhhhh. Once again, we indulge in waffles, freshly squeezed orange juice, eggs bacon and sausage overlooking the Tauber valley – so serene.

We pack up our little wagon and head to the Czech Republic. I must admit – I’m not sure what to expect on this little leg of our journey – the entire place is a bit of an enigma to me, but I am cautious mostly because the car rental agencies were so iffy on wanting to rent a vehicle to go there. Right before we get to the border, we stop to fuel up and the boys stock up on kinder bars and Toblerones – so funny. Roughly four hours after leaving Rothenburg, the GPS delivers us safely to the Hotel Pariz (www.hotel-paris.cz). Honestly, this hotel was not my first choice. I tried to book at the Savic Hotel (www.savic.eu/en/home) but they were already booked. The Hotel Pariz worked out nicely – was very comfortable, with a nice staff, ample breakfast, free Wifi in common areas and about 15 -20 minute walk to the Charles Bridge and surrounded by limitless amenities (including a Starbucks – smile). The architecture is elegant – rooms and bathrooms are nicely appointed and spacious. I would absolutely recommend this hotel, however if I were returning to Prague, I would probably book a hotel a little closer to the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle.

We get settled into our rooms then begin to twist and turn our way to the Charles Bridge. As we walk through the mammoth gate of the bridge – looking up at Prague castle and cathedral – the beauty is almost ethereal. Once again, I am in love with a new location. We cross the bridge and take the stairs down below – we have the perfect table waiting for us at Kampa Park (www.kampagroup.com) to celebrate our arrival into Prague. The weather and night are spectacular and we are sitting by the river with a perfect view of the bridge. We enjoy great food, wine, service – the evening is perfect. As we walk back toward the bridge, we stop for ice cream (what a wonderful tradition) and we linger on the bridge listening to a cello quartet (www.pcq.cz/en and www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFeI2IIBzR4&feature=related). The Scholar particularly loves the cello quartet – we are enjoying the magic of Prague. Reluctantly, we leave the bridge – twist and turn our way back to the hotel and are excited to explore the city even more tomorrow!

Thanks for a great report. Awesome that you got to meet Rick Steves.

You have such a wonderfully positive and enthusiastic attitude towards everything. No wonder it has been a wonderful trip!

Looking forward to hearing more of your adventures.

Nice report. We've dined a couple of times at Hotel Pariz and wondered how it would be to stay there. Glad you liked it. Love the Art Nouveau details.

Day Four: Prague

We enjoy a lovely breakfast with several buffet stations and made to order omelets and we are ready to discover Prague! Before the trip, I had reached out to jana@personalpragueguide.com to arrange a personal guide and she connected us with Veronika.

Veronika is delightful, passionate about her city and overflowing with knowledge. We collectively decide to focus our 3 hours together on our side of the Charles Bridge and I do believe we may have covered every inch of the Old Town. We view the gothic and Art Nouveau architecture on our way to the astrological clock – which is so incredible that is unfathomable that they would have had the ability to create something so complex 600 years ago! We continue onto the Jewish Quarter where “80,000 human beings were rounded up and exterminated by the Nazis” – hard to believe such atrocities. While we are well aware of history, it is haunting to be where it happened and so disturbing to think of words like “rounded up” and “exterminated” in reference to human beings.

We simply marvel at the history of Prague and how it survived countless obstacles throughout time. As we walk along the streets, I particularly love the signs above the doors: blue lion, golden angel, red lion, two fish, blue dragon, green frog and even the executioner! As we leave Veronika, we walk back to the astrological clock to watch it on the hour – all 12 apostles make their appearance – the sins of vanity, greed and lust along with the skeleton nodding at them all that their time is running out – and the rooster announcing each new day – phenomenal!

We walk back toward the hotel and discover an underground network of shops: pharmacy, convenience store, juicer, Starbucks and such. For dinner, we walk back near the Bethlehem chapel and the hanging man sculpture to Svejk Restaurant www.uzelenehostromu.eu/EN/main - we love this place! We arrive just as the Czech women are facing up against the Brazilians in beach volleyball (is this every male’s favorite Olympic sport?) – so of course, we cheer on the Czechs! The Scholar has the pig’s knee – which has a very grand presentation and he loves it! We also have the ribs, goulash, salmon and Czech Pilsner beer (which is fantastic). While we are there, we are also able to cheer Michael Phelps on to Gold – great and festive night! We go in search of ice cream on our way to the Charles Bridge to enjoy the cellists and energy of Prague at night! Our weather is perfect – the full moon is hanging low in the sky – we have another phenomenal day!

Sorry for my delay. Here is my next post:

Day Five: Prague

My sweet Mario begins my day with a Venti Non Fat Latte from the nearby Starbucks – it really is just the little things in life! Veronika had a family commitment today, so our guide today is Marketa. She is equally passionate about her city, delightful and informed. I only wish we had spent a bit more time with her because we covered a lot of territory in a very short period of time, but she could not extend her time with us.

We meet Marketa at our hotel and walk up to the bus station to take the bus across the river, up the hill to the monastery. What a beautiful place to start our day and gorgeous view of the city! We walk this area for the next few hours – down to Prague castle and cathedral, say a prayer at St. Nicholas church, picked up a yummy round cinnamon pastry and enjoy the history and stories of the city. We say good bye to Marketa near the Charles Bridge where we spend a little more time. We sit and enjoy crepes near Kampa Park and just enjoy a lazy afternoon and a little people watching. We meander around this area then we hire one of the red Skota convertibles to take us back up to the monastery. Along the way, the driver stops and reiterates many of the stories we previous heard from Marketa. We stop at the palace and there is no one there – we take photos in the convertible as if the boys are driving us in front of the palace – nice memories.

The Skota takes us back up the monastery and we walk to Bellavista (www.bella-vista.cz) for dinner – which of course, is a beautiful view. We relax, enjoy a glass of wine and the view. The Scholar has the roast, Lunatic has the pasta Bolognese, Mario has the pasta with garlic butter and I have the pasta with pesto sauce. We all enjoy the meal immensely, love the panoramic view and agree that it is the perfect place to spend our last night in Prague. As we leave Bellavista, the streets are almost empty, we walk back to the castle and take photos around the cathedral – we are the only people there. We continue down toward the river and enjoy listening not only to the cellists, but to someone playing a didgeridoo, a bluegrass band, a soprano soloist - we love the Charles Bridge – it is another magical evening and no one wants to leave. We finally call it a night and pick up ice cream as we walk back to our hotel. Everyone is jovial, relaxed and enjoying every minute of our time together.

Wonderful report, and I'm looking forward to more. Can you tell us how the weather was in the cities you visited as well, please?

Didn't notice this when you first posted. So glad you had such a wonderful time!! Can't wait to read the next installments!

Iwan2go: our weather was truly spectacular on the trip. Warm termperatures during the day, cooler in the evening - one day of rain and here it comes.

jgg: thank you for being the inspiration for much of this trip. Your trip report very much encouraged our little side trip to the Czech Republic and we loved it! Thank you for answering all of my questions.

Trying to catch up, so here is a bit more:

Day Six: Prague and Cesky Krumlov

We pack up all of our belongings into the wagon and drive a few hours to Cesky Krumlov. This is a stop on our journey that I have read about on a few trip reports, but basically know nothing about. I have my fingers crossed that this is a good stop and it turns out to be just enchanting. As we get off the highway, we stop at a local grocery story – the boys stock up on various flavors of Pringles, cookies, etc. – they love the familiar items in foreign packaging and unfamiliar flavors – again, it is the simple things.

We turn onto the cobbled stoned streets of the city and pull right up to the Hotel Konvice (www.en.stadthotel-krummau.de/). When I booked our rooms from the states, I booked the boys into a standard room and Mario and I in an upgraded room – I can’t remember what they called it. When we check in, the lady at the front desk tells me both rooms are exactly the same and just pick the room. She is correct, the layout of the rooms are the same. However, not until the boys have taken the luggage to the rooms did we realize that the boy’s room had a pleasant view of the castle and courtyard below and our room is overlooking the front of the hotel on the street.

It looks a bit overcast, so we dress appropriately and put on rain jackets and grab umbrellas. We walk to the lovely market square and up to the 14th century church – in and out of a few little shops and to Krcma Barbakan (www.krcmabarbakan.cz/en/index.html) for dinner. We sit down at a picnic table on the back deck over the river and we are eagerly greeted by the staff - the boys immediately engage in conversation with the owner. After several days of eating very heavy, we loved this dinner of grilled food! We enjoy the Arctic Char, perch, flank steak, stuffed pork – and the grilled spinach was so fresh – the entire meal was wonderful. Just as we are finishing our meal, a very blustery storm comes up which drives us inside along with all the other guests. Inside the restaurant is very cozy and cave like – everyone is huddled around tables together – it seems so Medieval like. We are sitting elbow to elbow engaged in conversation with Germans, Japanese, fellow Americans and Australians – all relaying aspects of our various journeys – we are all nomads at the moment.

We walk back toward the market square to meet our English speaking guide (www.ckrumlov.info/docs/en/atr138.xml) at 8:30 p.m. – by this time the thunderstorm has diminished to a gentle ran and the cobbled stoned streets are almost empty. We are the only people on the tour – we walk up to the castle and we are literally the only people up there watching the gentle rain fall around us – we are enamored by the cities history and marvel how the Renaissance frescos and beauty of the city have transcended time. We say goodnight to our guide outside the castle – we walk back to the hotel and hear the strains of “California Dreaming” coming from a local band. The boys sleep very peacefully in their room overlooking the courtyard – however, Mario and I hear the street noises all night and sleep a bit restlessly. Loved our little hotel but should have booked both rooms on the backside of the hotel. Still had a lovely stay there.

No excuses for my very large delay except a very busy life. In case this is helpful to anyone, here is a bit more:

Day Seven: Cesky Krumlov and Salzburg

We enjoy a simple breakfast at our hotel and take a quick walk back to the castle. The sun is out and it a beautiful morning – the streets are full of people and the castle is full of tour groups. It seems like a dream that we were up there alone just a few hours before. As we leave the castle, we find another little shop that sells those round pastries dipped in cinnamon and sugar. I don’t know what their called, but we only found them in the Czech Republic and they are wonderful.

As we leave Cesky Krumlov, our GPS routes us the Alpine Road into Austria – we are blindly trusting technology on a very picturesque journey. We follow the river and see groups of families vacationing – rafting, swimming, camping – enjoying the beauty of the area. As we go a little higher, we see beautiful A-framed homes with flowers flowing over from window boxes, picture perfect little Alpine meadows with cows wearing bells and farmers out on their tractors. Right before we pass into Austria, we fuel up and purchase the little vignette sticker which gives us permission to drive in Austria. We continue on the Alpine road until we get to Linz – where we jump on the autobahn, see our first glimpse of the Alps and drive right into Salzburg. What a beautiful drive!

With oodles of Holiday Inn points, I decide to use the points to secure the Crowne Plaza for two rooms in Salzburg. We are upgraded into suites and we have free wifi in the rooms. We find the hotel to be very comfortable, the staff to be enormously patient and helpful and the location is great. We all take a little time to settle in and relax then walk past the Mirabelle Gardens, cross the bridge and have our first spellbound view of Salzburg – it truly is just lovely in every way! We walk past Mozart’s birthplace to the oldest restaurant in Europe – St. Peter Stifkeller (www.stpeter-stiftskeller.at/index.php?id=7&L=1) where I had prearranged the Mozart dinner. We arrive as the doors open and get a great table. We enjoy the elegant meal, a glass of champagne in Austrian crystal seems appropriate and for the next few hours we are delighted by the music of Mozart. The musicians are excellent, and while the whole set up is a bit touristy – we are tourists and we find the experience enchanting. As we walk back toward the bridge, we pass very elegant couples dressed in evening dress – we walk in the shadows of the spires and look forward to thoroughly discovering Salzburg tomorrow!

Bookmarking your excellent trip report and hoping you return to finish it.
It takes a lot of time to write a trip report and I appreciate information. It sounds like you had a great trip.

Also bookmarking this wonderful TR. I really appreciate the details as well as the enthusiasm you convey.

KimiG, we are really enjoying your report. We're planning a trip to Germany and Austria for early September, 2013. After reading your report, we may extend our days and include Prague. We hope to catch some good weather in Austria to experience what we missed on a previous trip because of heavy rain. We'll stay tuned to more of your report. Thanks!

My sincere apologies. I really felt as if there was no interest in my little Trip Report, so I allowed myself to get busy with other things. Ausse_10, LouisaH and tomarkot, you have motivated me to finish. Thank you. Lunatic just walked in the room as I was typing this and he had a huge smile on his face thinking about our adventures of last summer.

Day Eight: Salzburg

Today proves to be one of the very best days of my life! Prior to departing on this trip, I asked my family to indulge me in watching “Sound of Music” which they reluctantly did and then confessed how much they enjoyed it and had forgotten what a great film it was. I told them that Mommy had planned a Mommy day – a SOM bike tour in Salzburg – they groaned a bit but agreed to be team players. We begin our day with a quick croissant and cappuccino at a quick restaurant across the street from our hotel. And then walk the few blocks to meet Frauline Maria’s Bike Tour in front of the Mirabelle Gardens. We meet our delightful guide and fellow bikers and for the next four hours bike along the beautiful streets and bike paths of Salzburg (www.mariasbicycletours.com). We stop at various SOM sites, take photos, sing every single song, laughed, teased and had a truly beautiful time! We loved touring the city and surrounding areas by bike – we saw so much more of the city than we could have on foot and so much more engaging than being in a van. Lunatic and I indulge in a Bavarian crème filled pretzel at one of our stops – OMG! And then a chocolate covered pretzel at another stop (thank goodness we’re exercising ever so slightly). The boys make a friend on the tour – a teenage boy from Vermont and we decided to spend the afternoon following the tour together. The boys are all sharing stories of their respective adventures and seem to have much in common.

As we conclude our glorious bike tour, we walk back across the bridge and stop for bite size chocolate torts from Café Sacher (www.sacher.com) on our way to get ice cream from the same shop where Mozart enjoyed ice cream with his friends. It is official – I have consumed more calories in this one day than I normally consume in a week (maybe a month) – and enjoyed every second of it! When in Rome – right? Along the way, we visit the Dom and St. Peter’s. The boys go up to a park to throw Frisbee above the area where the Von Trapp family performed their last concert and the 3 adults settle into a little outdoor table and enjoy an Austrian beer. The waiter is delighted that we are sharing our first Austrian beer with him. This is a very busy area – the Salzburg festival is going on and there are TV crews coming and going. It is the most splendid day!

When the boys walk down the very stairs where the Von Trapp’s fled, they are starving. We have yet to go to a beer garden and our tour guide earlier recommends the Augstinerkloster (www.visit-salzburg.net/sights/muellnerbraeu.htm) – we walk along the river for a good distance to get there (we are hoping it is good).. As we walk in, it seems deserted – there are people manning the food stands, but no one is sitting at the tables. It is a beautiful evening, I walk down a few stairs to see if there is any outdoor seating and I am convinced every human being in Salzburg must be there – it seemed like thousands of people are there in the garden. We load up on schnitzel, potato salad, brats, beer and soak up the evening. As we walk back along the river and across the bridge, we linger looking at the city in the shadows . Salzburg now seems like our city. We all talk about how as we approach each new city, it seems a bit cold and standoffish to us, then as we walk and discover the town, we become enchanted and hate to leave.

As we walk back through the Mirabelle Gardens, the boys set their sites on a little grassy hill - they decide to roll (sideways) down the hill - giggling the entire way over and over again - they are 17 and 14 and suddenly transformed to being 5 and 8. Today is a day I just don’t want to end. It is one of the best days of my life!

kimi- how did I miss your TR first time round?

i'm so glad that it's been resurrected so that you can finish it!

Terrific report. How long did it take you to drive from CK to Salzburg?

Great report! Thanks for sharing.

KimiG, I've checked regularly hoping you would come back. I"m so glad you have.

What a wonderful day to have had! I have just started humming various SOM tunes. My husband does not thank you for this

I honestly don't remember how long it took us to drive CK to Saltzburg - it was a lovely drive and we arrived in Saltburg relatively early in the day.

Day Nine: Salzburg and Fussen

Before leaving Salzburg, I insist on walking into the old city to say farewell. We walk back across the bridge and find a table at Café Mozartwinkel where the boys have ice cream filled crepes covered with Austrian crème for breakfast – only in Austria. We walk back to the open market – The Scholar and Mario load up on cheese, salami etc for our little trip and Lunatic Maximus and I load up on pretzels from the pretzel stand (you guessed it - creme filled, chocolate covered, etc.). Our entire family seems so carefree and enjoying this precious time together. I am loving and savoring every minute!

On our way to Fussen, I ask Mario is we can stop in Oberammergau for a few minutes. I have this incredible memory from my youth – I was about 20 when I was in this area of the world in December. My friends and I were driving at night in a snow storm when we saw the monastery near Oberammergau lit up in the snow. We stopped and walked in – no one else was there and we had the great honor of being in the pews as the monks filed in chanting their prayers in the most ethereal Gregorian chant style. We were so young, but I remember feeling connected to this place, saying prayers for my unknown future and at the same time, wondering about the prayers of many throughout the centuries in the same place. That night has an indelible imprint in my memory.

As we drive up to the monastery- Kloster Ettal – Benedictine Monastery (www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm4WP7aa-mI)
it seems unfamiliar to me – the surrounding hills are green and there are buses full of tour groups walking around the area, but as I walk into the monastery – it is so familiar that I go to the same pew I sat in that night. This is not the same experience, but it is amazing to walk back in 25 years late with my husband and two sons. I have new prayers – mostly for them and their unknown futures – I strain to hear the chants of the monks, but only hear them in my memory. I am thankful for this brief connection to a moment that I have reflected on so many times.

We get back in the wagon and the GPS takes us again on the road less traveled along a road that barely seems wide enough for two cars to be on at the same time. We go across a mountain pass, along a spectacular lake, enjoying our little treats from Salzburg along the way. We arrive in Fussen exactly at 6:00 p.m. when they allow cars in the historic city center. We drive up to Zum Hechten (www.hotel-hechten.com) – I jump out to check in and suddenly half the town is beeping at Mario to move the wagon. He drives away before I have time to tell him how to access the parking – he is aimlessly driving the cobbled stones streets of Fussen for the next 15 minutes and finds his way back. I don’t remember booking our family of four in a large room sleeping four from the states, but honestly, it is fine. We are at this hotel very briefly – the room is comfortable, clean and we don’t have to drag any luggage up the stairs. The staff of Zum Hechten are incredibly gracious and hospitable.

Fussen is a lovely little town. I feel almost guilty that we are here so briefly. We walk around the corner from the hotel and the boys are in the mood for pizza at San Marco. We find an outdoor table and enjoy the light beer and dark beer and enormous pizza. Then we walk back toward the hotel a few yards and get another outdoor table and have ice cream sundaes listening to a guitar player play “Georgia On My Mind”. We go back to the Zum Hechten – play a game of cards and call it an early night.

Day Ten: Fussen and Munich

We enjoy a lovely breakfast prepared by the older generation of family working the Zum Hechten which is a family operation – just lovely people. For anyone who has ever been there, you know that one of the smartest things you could ever do is purchase the prepaid voucher for Neuschwanstein from the hotel. Fortunately, we did so, the young man working the front desk, told us exactly where to go to redeem the voucher – it was so helpful and saved us so much time!

We drove the short 4 km to Neuschwanstein, parked, walked up to the desk, past all the lines and were informed that we would be on the English speaking tour in two hours. We meander a bit picking up post cards etc. and then decide to take our time walking up the mountain – it took about 30 minutes. Once at the top, we took tons of photos and then walked to the back of the castle following the signs to Marienbruke for the truly spectacular views of the castle! The bridge is definitely not for the faint of heart – it is crossing an enormous gorge and covered with people – Mario and I are on the bridge just long enough for a few photos. The front of the castle is covered by scaffolding, but it is spectacular from this view. Mad King Ludwig wasn’t too mad to build a castle in this spot. We walk back down toward the castle and have about 15 minutes to wait for our tour. The tour itself is only about 30 minutes long and we felt it was a bit of a let down – it seems to barely skim the surface of the castle, the king, etc. Before going up the mountain, we thought we might ride one of the wagon’s down, but they are very busy and there seems to be a long wait. We decide to walk back down, jump in the wagon for our last little drive to Munich.

We continue to enjoy our cheeses and salamis from Salzburg as we drive through the beautiful little gingerbread towns. Once again, the GPS does not disappoint us and take us straight to Le Meriden (www.lemeridienmunich.com) – heaven. The boys and I get out with the baggage and check in – Mario drives the short distance to drop off the rental car and takes a cab back. After getting settled in a bit, we walk a few blocks to the Augustiner Brau (www.augustiner-braeu.de) – established in 1368 and proceed to have one of my favorite meals of the trip. I loved the veal meatballs, Mario has the sausages and the boys have the venison (when the meal is delivered, the waiter asks who has whatever the German word is for venison – we all look confused – he says, “you know, from the forest” – oh yes, here we go) - we love the Augustiner beer. We sit outside in the garden – it has been a full day and we are glad to be in Munich!

KimiG, thank you for continuing your TR. Your writing is beautiful and so very helpful as I am in the very initial planning stages. My grandmother is from the CR, actually, then the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and although I've been to Europe several times, I've never made this journey. It's something I've wanted to do forever but for a variety of reasons, I have not. I have relatives there, including a cousin who stayed with me when he came to the US, and he speaks fluent English. I do not speak a word of Czech other than pivo and I don't even drink beer. Grandmother was not "allowed" to speak or teach her children to speak Czech, including my father, because her American husband would not allow her to do so.

Sorry for the hijack. It sounds like your hotel in Prague worked out perfectly!

KimiG,

I hope you continue your installments -- I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this. My husband and I are planning a trip and may retrace much of your itinerary. I will keep checking in for more! Thanks for taking the time to do this.

Wonderful report! Do keep going.

Thank you everyone for your kind words. I am hopeful that this is helpful to someone. In planning our trips, I pour over trip reports and find so many helpful hints in them - I sincerely hope this returns the favor.

LouisaH: I would recommend Prague and the CR a thousand times. No one in my family knew a single word of Czech (I'm ashamed to say) and we had no difficulty in the country at all. The people are incredibly gracious and seem to be thrilled to be able to share their treasures with the world!

Here it a bit more:

Day Eleven – Munich

Our boys have studied a lot of World War II history. They are fascinated and horrified by Hitler and the Nazi party. From the states, we have arranged today to go on a “Dark History Tour” with Taff Simon www.dark-history.eu of Munich. Taff meets us at our hotel and has a bag of artifacts with him. We are all genuinely very interested in all he has to say – we concentrate on the build up of the Third Reich as well as living in Munich under Hitler during WW II. Still so hard to believe that so much hate and death could stem from one human being.

As we begin our walk through the lovely streets of Munich, Taff stops us to view what are now hotels or McDonalds and he shows us photos of the same buildings draped in swastikas, with Hitler and Mussolini exiting the buildings to huge roaring crowds. In our young American’s minds, they cannot understand why people didn’t stand up for what is right and defend their neighbors …. Taff does an excellent job of explaining what is what like to live in Munich during that time and what happened to you if you tried to oppose the regime. It just wasn’t that long ago that Hitler terrorized the world from here.

Taff also shows us medals from German WW II heroes – one man gave him his medal and asked Taff to explain to people that he was a proud German, that he was proud of fighting for his country, but he was ashamed of the camps and knew nothing of them at the time.

We stroll by the glockenspiel at noon (www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH6pwKdw9CI) and pay a visit to King Ludwig’s grave (www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7CUinfUxFg) . At lunch time, we find ourselves at the famed Hofbrau Haus www.hofbraeuhaus.de/en – Taff leads us to the very table upstairs where Hitler created the Nazi party. Oddly enough, we order our abundant lunch and eat there discussing a different world and yet the signs that are still evident.

From there, we walk past a location where there was a failed attempt on Hitler’s life during the war to the Deutsches Museum www.deutsches-museum.de/index.php?id=1&L=1 which is beyond amazing. We spend quite a bit of time in here and yet know we only scratch the surface.

As we finish our time at the museum, we say farewell to Taff. Today has been an intense day and a tiring day – the subjects are almost too heavy for the human mind to comprehend. I will forever be grateful that we spent this time with Taff – our boys still refer to him and things that he said and I know they always will.

We walk back through the beautiful Marienplatz, past the glockenspiel and little stores. We have a quiet evening back at our hotel with a few little appetizers in the garden. It is not a frivolous night, we all seem to be weighted by the topics of the day with good reason.

Day Twelve Munich

This is the last day of our wonderful adventure and we have enjoyed every moment! Originally, we had planned to visit Dachau today, but last night as we sat in the garden of the Le Meridien, we decide to change up our plans. Yesterday was very informative and educational, but also heavy and disturbing. Today, we decide to laugh and enjoy this gorgeous day in Munich.

We sleep in a bit and then walk to the Marienplatz to meet up with Mike’s Bikes www.mikesbiketours.com at the old town hall. Elliott, our guide is fun and full of knowledge and ready to have a great time! I really cannot express what a delightful way this is to see a city – up close and personal, the guides are enthusiastic and very informative – the weather is spectacular and it is a great way to spend our last day in Munich! We bike past all the great sites of Munich and stop and take pictures at several. At lunch time, we stop at the English garden near the pagoda in the beer garden – it is a gorgeous Sunday and seems like all of Munich is here enjoying the oompah band, beer, pretzels and assorted yummy foods. We are astounded as we bike through the park to see the nudist – seriously? And the surfers – creative! What a glorious day. We stop in at St. Peters and then walk back to the hotel to change for dinner.

We have our last Bavarian meal at the Ratskeller www.ratskeller.com - it is very good and a nice ending to our trip, but I still think my favorite meal in Munich was at the Augustiner. We stroll back through the Marienplatz and listen to the bells from the Dom. We will miss the sounds of the bells of all these great cities. We stop for crepes and ice cream and are all recalling our favorite aspects of the trip!

As I mentioned in the beginning of this trip report, this was an extraordinary trip. Perhaps because this trip did not include a much anticipated location like Rome, Paris or London, I’m not sure that I was as excited about this trip as I have been on previous trips. And yet cities like Rothenburg, Prague, Saltzburg and Munich were so very magical! We were blessed with great weather, perfectly located hotels, great food and guides. As a family, we disconnected from the world and enjoyed each other so very much. We laughed, explored and played together. As I write this, months later, our oldest son will graduate from high school in just a few months …. I know that I will always reflect on this trip as a special time. I am grateful for this family adventure, for the closeness we share and the European pixie dust that seems to hover over us for the 2 weeks trip. It was a magical place in time.

"Thank you everyone for your kind words. I am hopeful that this is helpful to someone. In planning our trips, I pour over trip reports and find so many helpful hints in them - I sincerely hope this returns the favor."
Yes so many helpful hints..........


So glad I found this tr, I've just spent the morning, copying, pasting and google mapping so many of your suggestions in, Rothenburg, Prague & Vienna and I've also emailed the hotel in Fussen. We leave in 4 weeks, this is just what I needed.

sorry not Vienna..........Fussen

Bookmarking for tonights read <3

Glad this resurfaced! Lovely writing, and I enjoy reading other family perspectives of places that we, too, have been as a family. I especially liked the Dark History Tour information; DH and I are planning a weekend to Munich in the spring and this will be on the itinerary. Thank you for taking the time to write!

Glad you liked it. Happy traveling everyone!

Bookmarking. Thanks for the trip report!

Loved your report.Thanks so much for writing it! We are making a similar trip this spring with our 2 teenage boys and I really enjoyed reading about your adventure!

Thanks for your trip report! We are traveling to Europe this summer with our 3 older kids and hitting a couple of the same places. The 13 yo son is planning on picking out a sword in Rothenburg as well. Where did you ship it home from? I am hoping to do the same.

I enjoyed your report. i've been to prague twice & love it! My youngest daughter studied there for a semester & it is still one of her favorite places! And she has traveled to many places, including living in Barcelona & Shanghai! We also spent 2 nights in Cesky Krumlov (another favorite), & were in Munich & Salzburg in the 90's, so it was nice reliving our experiences through your trip. You have a great way with words!