Germany, in the middle of Europe, is a large relatively new country known to many only as the country that started two world wars. For us it is the first developed country we visited and lived in with castles, historic towns, scenic rivers and hills. And of course what most people know unlimited speed limit (not true in most cases) and beer everywhere (true in most cases).
We have visited Germany a few times, especially the Western states. We lived in Trier for a year and in a couple other cities for a few months so we had a lot of opportunities to travel and explore with the Hanseatic cities in the north certainly worth the visit but even Trier itself being quite spectacular. Munchen in the southeast is also worth a visit with daytrips to Neuschwanstein being recommended.
Driving around is easy but you can also use the great rail system to explore and most cities and historical towns have very walkable downtowns, many of which were reconstructed after being destroyed in World War 2.
Map of Travels
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Trips
- Returning from Frankfurt to Phoenix
Returning to Phoenix we enjoy our lounge benefits to the max and a special phone exhibit in San Francisco while seeing glaciers over Greenland - The Unesco WHS Mathildenhöhe
The last place we visit in Darmstadt is the Unesco WHS site of Mathildenhöhe a compact example to the emergence of 20th century modernist architecture - Exploring Darmstadt downtown area
We spend the early morning exploring downtown Darmstadt after eating breakfast at the only open cafe this Sunday - Staying two nights at Kranichstein Castle
We spend two night at the Kranichstein Castle hotel a beautiful location but a horrible hotel with no air conditioning and virtually no restaurant - The literarily famous Frankenstein Castle
Last stop today before Darmstadt in the Frankenstein Castle the castle that arguably inspired Mary Shelley to write her famous horror novel - The fairy tale Auerbach Castle
We stop at the Auerbach Castle exploring the fairy tale ruined castle while hiding from the heat and finding a cache also on the way - Stop for caching in Baden-Württemberg
On the way we stopped for half an hour near Mannheim to find a geocache in Baden-Württemberg and buy some provisions - Looking from above at Trier from Mariensäule
Before leaving Trier we drive up to the Mariensäule and after a short walk we enjoy the great views of the city from above - Exploring the Trier University
First thing today we revisit Trier University where we spent some time years back exploring the space age buildings and interesting campus - The expansive and interesting Rhineland State Museum
We spend most of the time in the unexpectedly comprehensive Rhineland State Museum with a huge collection of Roman tombs - The crown jewel of Trier baths, the Emperor Baths
The most impressive of the Roman Baths in Trier are the Emperor Baths especially due to the underground corridors that you can explore - Exploring the free Barbara Baths
We start the day exploring the free but interesting Barbara Baths near our AirBnB and walking across on the suspended walkway - Roman Amphitheater and back to the AirBnB
The last major attraction for today is the impressive Roman Amphitheater located up a hill and difficult to access during the heat of the day - Impressive Basilica and the Palace of the Prince Elector
We pass a few times next to Basilica and the Palace of the Prince Elector through the beautiful park while entering the basilica for a quick visit - The expansive Trier Cathedral Museum
We spend a couple hours exploring the surprisingly expansive and interesting Trier Cathedral Museum - Liebfrauenkirche, the other WHS church in Trier
We spend some time exploring the Liebfrauenkirche the other Unesco WHS church in Trier and one of the earliest Gothic churches in Germany - Huge Trier Dom and the Dom Treasury Museum
One of the other major attractions in Trier that we are visiting today is the famous old Trier Dom including the Treasury chamber - Walking onto the Moselle river bank
We start the day with a walk along the Moselle passing the Roman bridge and ancient cranes before arriving at Porta Nigra - Passing by the Dom and an early dinner
Returning we pass by the Dom that we plan to visit tomorrow and then stop to eat at a traditional restaurant some good food - On top of the famous Porta Nigra
Our major stop today is Porta Nigra the former gate to the Roman walls and the former church of Medieval times now being a gate again and a museum - Surprisingly interesting Trier City Museum
We spend an hour in the surprisingly interesting Simeonstift City Museum with exhibits focused on city history and fashion - First time in the Central Square and St Gangolf
We stop for the first time in the central plaza we are going to visit again and again to enjoy the beautiful historic houses and St Gangolf nearby - New Roman baths at the Cattle Market
The first Roman ruin we visit in Trier is the Thermen am Viehmarkt a new ruin for us that was discovered in 1987 and opened to the public in 1998 - From AirBnB to St Antonius
First stop on our exploration of Trier is the peaceful St Antonius church mostly destroyed during World War 2 and since reconstructed - A few days in an impressive and hot AirBnB in Trier
We spend a few nights close to Trier downtown in a one bedroom apartment with an impressive jacuzzi in the middle of the living room - Angerplatz and the other side of the Gera River
We also explore the other side of the Gera River where the newer section of the old town is located concentrated along the beautiful Anger Square - The famous medieval bridge, Krämerbrücke
The most famous of the sights in Erfurt is the Krämerbrücke one of the few remaining bridges in the world that has inhabited buildings - Beautiful Old Town Erfurt
We spend some time exploring the beautiful Erfurt downtown area before settling for lunch eating some traditional Thuringian dishes - The twin landmarks of Erfurt Cathedral Hill
Our main stop today is Erfurt and we start our visit with the impressive Cathedral Hill topped by the Erfurt Dom and Severikirche - Mädler-Passage and the famous Auerbachs Keller
We eat lunch at the famous Auerbachs Keller in the Madler Passage which appears in Goethe’s play Faust and still has some great food - Nikolaikirche and the eastern downtown area
From the Central Square we make our way to Nikolaikirche, famous as the starting point of the anticommunist protests, and the surrounding area - Central square in Leipzig and around it
We spend a lot of time in and passing through the beautiful Leipzig Central Square as most roads and paths downtown lead to it - The church of Bach, Thomaskirche
We continue to Thomaskirche the famous church in Leipzing where Bach was its music director for over 25 years - Famous “Zum Coffe Baum” cafe
First stop in downtown Leipzig is the famous cafe Zum Coffe Baum which even has a small museum about the history of coffee in Germany - Two nights in an AirBnB in Leipzig
We spend two night in Leipzig in a relatively cramped and noisy AirBnB close to the downtown area - Halle Art Museum, a worthwhile visit
We spend the majority of our time in Halle hiding from a thunderstorm inside the quite expansive and interesting Art Museum - Halle (Salle) historical city short exploration
We spend some time in the historical town of Halle (Salle) exploring the surprisingly beautiful streets that are hauntingly empty after a strong rain - Abandoned Beelitz Heilstätten sanatorium
First stop after getting our car is the Beelitz Heilstätten a former sanatorium since abandoned and now a major attraction - Into the Tiergarten, the huge park in Berlin
We end the day and our visit to Berlin with a walk through the huge Tiergarten park enjoying the cooler temperatures and finding interesting birds - Long planned visit to the Reichstag building
In the afternoon the major stop is a visit we reserved online some time ago to the Reichstag building to see the famous cupola and enjoy the views - Hackesche Höfe area exploration
From Alexanderplatz we move to the Hackesche Höfe a historic area with interesting architecture and lots of shops - Short visit to Alexanderplatz
Back to exploring downtown Berlin we start with Alexanderplatz and the famous TV Tower as well as the Marienkirche and the Rotes Rathaus - The sobering Stasi Museum
We spend the morning exploring the Stasi Museum to better understand one of the most infamous secret police units from the Eastern Block - The haunting Topography of Terror exhibit
One last stop before our hotel is at the Topography of Terror exhibit built on the former location of the Gestapo building - Visiting Checkpoint Charlie along the way from the Dom
From the Dom we return via a different route to the hotel in order to reach the famous Checkpoint Charlie on the border between East and West Berlin - Famous and impressive Berliner Dom
The major visit today is the Berliner Dom a huge Protestant Church that was built early 20th century to counterbalance the Vatican basilica - Unter den Linden from Brandenburger Tor to the Dom
We stroll on the impressive Under den Linden boulevard today from Brandenburger Tor to the Dom taking in the many imposing buildings on the way - Potsdamer Platz to Brandenburger Tor
We walk a few times from Potsdamer Platz to Brandenburger Tor to explore Berlin and also visit the Memorial to the killed Jews on the way - Two special nights at the Ritz Carlton in Potsdamer Platz
Using some rewards we score a two night stay at the Ritz Carlton relatively cheap and enjoy the stay in luxury and good food while exploring Berlin - Short expedition into Kreuzberg
Our last outing near the Ostbahnhof takes us to Kreuzberg for about half an hour exploring the historical area and finding a cache - East Side Gallery, longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall
First stop today is the East Side Gallery which is the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall and was transformed into a free air art gallery - Two nights near the Ostbahnhof in Berlin
For the first two nights in Berlin we stay near the Ostbahnhof for better access to trains for our day trip to Poland and to visit some nearby attractions - Kongresshalle a relic from the past
Nuremberg was known as the City of Nazi Party rallies and there are a few well known buildings remaining from that era - Impressive Imperial Castle in Nuremburg
During the stay in Nuremberg the Imperial Castle is a must see due to its historical importance and great views - Fürth, the birthplace of our friend
We visit Fürth with the best guide possible a person born and raised here - Exploring Nuremberg for two days
Nuremberg is where our friend was raised and we visit it for two days exploring the many interesting and historical sites - Starting the trip with the Bavaria Filmcity/Filmstadt
The first morning in Germany is spent exploring the large Bavaria Filmstadt studios and walking through movie sets that we recognize at least partially