Germany, Switzerland, does this exist?

[teaandakitkat]

Dh and I heading off on holiday in July. Just the 2 of us, our first holiday without kids in years. They're grown and doing their own thing now.

Dh wants to go to ideally a German, Swiss, European (?) city or large town with some sort of links to maybe some composers or classical music, culture, famous art. I don't really know. Somewhere we can see an opera or some serious theatre or orchestras.

I have fibromyalgia and have had a huge flare up over the winter so I want the option to lie around in the sunshine if I need to.

We're happy to split up during the day if I don't feel like walking. I'd be happy on a sun lounger with a book while dh gets his culture fix.

Does some sort of hotel with swimming pool and sun loungers in a city exist anywhere in mainland Central Europe? Ideally somewhere German speaking? We both understand a fair amount of German and we'd enjoy trying to speak more.

A cross between cultural city break and Canaries beach holiday in a German city really. I guess that's going to be hard to find.

We're not millionaires but it is our first holiday since the kids moved on so we're happy to spend more than we usually would.

Any suggestions welcome. I'm overwhelmed with research.

Thanks

Salzburg. Find a nice hotel on the outskirts so you can enjoy blissful mountain views while your family runs around Salzburg to learn all about Mozart & co.

Salzburg

I'd start by looking at Austria- Vienna or Salzburg spring to mind.
I've only spent a day in Vienna, but there was definitely classical music options.

Many city centre hotels in Germany and Austria have pools, but some are smaller than others.

We are all thinking the same with Salzburg!

Something like this? https://www.gmachl.at/en/

Or check the Falstaff site for very nice hotel recommendations in Austria - they are always spot on.

Looks like Salzburg maybe? I want to be able to lie on a sun lounger with a book and nod off while dh explores the city.

It's so overwhelming trying to choose a place online. My brain is not working very fast right now so it's hard work.

I was sort of assuming we'd want somewhere in a city so dh could go in and out but maybe the countryside would be better and he can travel in for the day by bus or something? In my ideal world he'd be able to go out in the mornings, maybe come back late afternoon, then we could head out for a meal. Or we could go out together but I could easily come back earlier if I need to and he can catch me up. But that's like an impossible dream.

Or maybe we should do some nights in a city then some nights in a countryside place?

It's bloody typical that we're finally kid-free and my health is so shit that sightseeing is not appealing to me right now. But dh loves his culture. So do I usually

Konstanz on the Bodensee would be perfect. In Germany, but close to Switzerland and Austria. Gorgeous small city, with lots of fascinating architecture.
Usually lovely weather, and not just the lake but plenty of warm, thermal pools - all beautifully maintained, with excellent facilities.

Fly to Zurich, then continue by train. Public transport is excellent, and free as part of your city tax. Stay at the Riva or the Inselhotel. The Riva has a fabulous rooftop pool, with views over the lake.

There is open air opera at Bregenz, on the Austrian side of the lake, which is spectacular and worth a night's stay, or a late night boat trip back to Konstanz.

Garmisch/Bayreuth

I know its spain rather than Germany but Barcelona would fit the rest of your brief, lots of culture, good city to explore but loads of hotels with pools and a good beach

How about Weimar? I was there in February. Lots of museums, theatre, culture (Goethe & Schiller, Bach, the first Bauhaus school). There are spa hotels in the area where you could have a lovely time while DH does his thing. It’s a nice and very compact city, also very close by train to Erfurt. Getting there: fly either to Frankfurt, Nürnberg or Berlin, train to Erfurt, change for Weimar.

Sorry you’ve not been well op. I hope you are better soon.

I was also going to suggest Vienna. One of my favourite European cities.

If you’re not completely stuck on German speaking, how about Milan?

Salzburg or Vienna come to mind.

Would your budget stretch to this place? Luxury Hotel Vienna | Sans Souci for your stay de luxe

Salzburg is the obvious destination and is easily reached from the UK. Hotels tend to be in the city centre, but there are a number in the outskirts as well - many with spa areas, relaxation areas, pools etc. Alternatively, Bad Reichenhall (just a few km over the border in Germany) has many hotels and is an old-fashioned spa town.

I would go to garmisch and stay at the Dorint -

I also immediately thought of Salzburg, but it's quite a small city, potentially not really enough to keep his attention that long. BUT trains are excellent, so he could also get the train to Vienna and Munich?

We stayed in a lovely small hotel in Salzburg (I seem to recall the prices when we stayed were mental, might just have been that particular weekend), so our hotel didn't have a pool, but there was an awesome outdoor municipal pool virtually opposite that we used:

https://castellani.arcotel.com/en/rooms/
https://www.salzburg.info/en/travel-info/infos/outdoor-pool-indoor-pool-alpenstrasse-aya-bad_az_11544

I was also going to suggest Salzburg but it IS a very small city so it's less varied in terms of hotels and accomodation but quite good if your mobility is limited. I think you would be able to find a lovely hotel with a spa and a pool however. Or, stay on one of the lakes which are truly beautiful and just take a train into Salzburg for day trips - it's really quite easy to get around. Or even hire a car.

Vienna might be a bit more cosmopolitan, with more opportunities for luxury and hotel variety.

Yup - lived there and worked at The Dorint years ago !

if you have the funds though I’d stay at the Eibsee - www.eibsee-hotel.de/en?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAApXEneiFKluFvwbM1NwzUG9_KVW5g&gclid=Cj0KCQjwy46_BhDOARIsAIvmcwOlrbC7kuhd6fDT6zE4FkMq_BwAjn5Oq8neUUYyfGXc_ABV9s_woSgaApwEEALw_wcB

Definitely Salzburg. It’s small city so you can potter around slowly if you feel up to it. It’s easy to take the bus or a taxi if you want to go to one of the palaces or larger gardens. There’s lots of museums.

There are several nice spa hotels around Salzburg.

Open air museum is about 15mins bus ride outside and really interesting

You could also do a day trip to somewhere like bad gastein to take goldola up mountain to have lunch ( no need to hike), and they have a lovely thermal spa. It’s about 1hr on train.

or Do a few days in Salzburg, hire car to drive down to the Carinthian lakes a few days

@ghostyslovesheets one of my favourite holidays done with son and H when son was 6 - we were on a tight budget and when we got our room ( totally beautiful -2 bedrooms , balcony, incredibly tasteful) I had to go down to reception to check it was the price we thought- I was convinced they had got it wrong and I would be cash embarrased when we came to pay ( you didn’t then pay till checkout and they hadn’t swiped my card either) oh and that indoor pool-!! Amazing. Loved Garmisch - proper nice alpine resort

It’s beautiful isn’t it - such a lovely place. I lived in the hotel initially then moved to the staff house down the road, eventually lived on top of the Zugespitz for a while .

@teaandakitkat lots of spa hotels in Germany/Austria and other European countries. Salzburg or Vienna for example (plenty of cultural opportunities too in both).