to be surprised that so few British people would consider Germany a good holiday destination?

[emkana]

We've just come back from Bavaria and it was amazing. Lakes, the Alps, beautiful houses, good food, lots of culture, historic sites...

I highly recommend it!

I think Germany is beautiful and under-rated! Loved Heidelberg in particular, well worth a visit. And I would love to see Neuschwanstein.

my sister went to heidelberg. Very nice but could've done better

Umgebung

Umgebung?
(vielleicht?)

ooh spooky x post emkana!

i love germany. i went in 1984 on an exchange it was fun. twix were raiders

I love Germany and Austria. Berlin's a great city, and Austria's fantastic even if you're not skiing - it's actually really cheap in the summer, and the scenery is gorjuss.

sorry posted return too soon

i stayed in the black forest, offenburg, was fab

remember my penfriends mum showing an egg to me saying 'offf'

Neuschwanstein is stunning, inside and out. King Ludwig was completely obsessed with swans, they are everywhere.
He even had a sink shaped like a swan. Laurence Llewelyn Bowen would approve.

It'd be even nicer if it had been finished, but that wasn't possible due to his death.
Even so it's certainly worth seeing, though the hills are so incredibly steep that they almost killed me.

If you get a horse and cart up to the castle you feel as though you're in a fairy tale.

We went to Austria (I know, not Germany, but close to the border!). I hadn't ever really considered it before - we only went because it was so cheap - but it was great! It was beautiful, and civilised, and the food was lovely! We went to the Eagle's Nest which is in Germany and stopped off at nearby towns on the way back. I would definitely consider Austria again or Germany in future for holidays.

ah, Umgebung, dAnke.

German food is great. I thought it'd be bad but everything was delicious and I had the best chicken ever there.

"It'd be even nicer if it had been finished, but that wasn't possible due to his death."

lol - what are you? A talking historical documentary?

food in austria was nice but rather heavy at times. Those nudeln things var tasty.

LOL Sorry. DP says I should work for the German tourist board as I love Bavaria so much.

drove through austria they cut the fields with nail scissors
got laughed at in my mini kilt outfit in uberly fashionable Wien
but love the art and the angst
and language is superb to the ear

Actually, however nice Germany is (which I don't doubt) YABU to be surprised at how few British people would want to go there for a holiday.

German people are stereo-typed as bossy and controlling. Germany is not publicised or perceived as having things that other holiday destinations might have - gourmet food (France), hot sun (Spain), porn & dope (Holland) etc etc.

lol heidelberg
it's pretty but shite had relatives there
dh got followed to mens loo in karlsrue and had to visit german dentist
he wont talk abut it

I might go back to germany if I've exhausted every other place I'd really liek to visit.

We stayed near freiburg which was stunning

pointydog, what on earth do you have against germany?? you wet blanket you.

Re the swimming, you don't have to miss the sea. In Bavaria, most towns of any size have a Freibad (open air swimming pool), with water slides, and/or baby pools. There are even wet areas with about an inch of running water, for really tiny members of the family to sit in, and splash with their hands. Our Freibad is surrounded by lawns, with trees, so that you can sit there all day if you want.

There are also lakes and rivers. Some of the lakes have small beaches around them. Others are high in the mountains, accessible only on foot. Small children can play in mountain streams for hours and hours (take towels/change of clothes when you go hiking!)
I find the clean mountain water nicer to swim in than sea water, actually.

There are a lot of things for families to do near us in Bavaria, eg

• summer rodelbahn (a big slide all the way down the mountain)
• Hexenwasser - an area of the mountain that's laid out and themed for children.
• farm zoos, where you can stroke or feed animals.
• small country museums - fossils, history of mining, that sort of thing.
• Volksfests/Musikfests etc - look for the big painted signs by the A roads, at the entrances to the towns.
• open farms, eg cheese-making, where you can look round
• You can go into the salt mines near Salzburg, they are fascinating

I think people imagine it will be too much like the UK. Northern European. Not very good weather and so on.

The Bavarian Alps are certainly not like the UK...

Gruss Got!

bavaria is lovely. i suppose is always associate german with expense due to having been there in teh 90's.

dh wants to go to the blackforest. is it worth a visit?

I have only ever been once but we spent a new year in Erfurt visiting a friend. I was surprised by how pretty it was and we had our best new years eve there. It was also our last new year before ds so I'm glad we made the best of it!