Germany: The Complete Guide With the Best of the Cities, Medieval Villages and the Bavarian Alps

The best guide to Germany, updated everyyear Country drives and city walks to churches and abbeys, museums and monuments, castles and gardens, east and west Great shopping -- dirndls, woodcarvings, antiques, and wine After dark -- concerts, opera, jazz, folk dances, bars, clubs Where to stay and eat, no matter what your budget Hotels, castles, spas, Gasthäuser, inns, and pensions Restaurants, wine taverns, bistros, Kneipen, and beer halls Fresh, thorough, practical -- off and on the beaten path Costs, hours, descriptions, and tips by the thousands All reviews based on visits by savvy writer-residents 63 pages of maps, 46 vacation itineraries, and more Important contacts, smart travel tips Fodor's Choice What's Where Pleasures & Pastimes New & Noteworthy Festivals Historical chronology Further reading, videos to watch Comprehensive index

Pleasures and Pastimes


Beer

The Germans don't just produce a beverage called beer; they brew more than 5,000 varieties in a range of tastes and colors. Germany has about 1,300 breweries, 40% of the world's total. The hallmark of the country's dedication to beer is the purity law, das Reinheitsgebot, unchanged since Duke Wilhelm IV introduced it in Bavaria in 1516. The law decrees that only malted barley, hops, yeast, and water may be used to make beer, except for specialty wheat beers.

Asking for a beer in most German hostelries is like going into a cheese shop and asking for cheese. Even the simplest country inn will likely have a choice of beers, and in many pubs there may be several different draft beers in addition to the standard selection of bottled beers. The type available varies from one part of the country to another, and in areas of southern Germany the choice can also depend on the time of year.

In northern Germany the most popular standard beers are export lagers or the paler, more pungent Pilsners. The breweries of the Rhine cities Köln and Düsseldorf produce "old-fashioned" beers similar to English ales. Ultimately, all beer routes lead to the world's beer-drinking capital: Munich. This is where you'll find the biggest beer halls, the largest beer gardens, the most famous breweries, the biggest and most indulgent beer festival, and the widest selection of brews; even the beer glasses are bigger. It's a measure of how seriously the Germans take their beer that they see no conflict in the fact that one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the country -- a place with great art galleries and museums, an opulent opera house, and chic life-styles -- is internationally recognized as the most beer-drenched city on earth. Postcards are framed with the message "Munich, the Beer City."


Boat Trips

River and lake trips are among the greatest delights of a vacation in Germany, especially along the Rhine, Germany's longest river. The Rhine may be viewed in a variety of modes. For those in a hurry, there is a daily hydrofoil service from Düsseldorf right through to Mainz (book in advance). For gentler souls, there is a wide range of more leisurely cruises. German cruise ships also operate on the Upper Rhine as far as Basel, Switzerland; on the Main between Frankfurt and Mainz; on the Danube to Vienna and Budapest; on the Europe Canal joining the Main and the Danube; on the Elbe and Weser and their estuaries; on the Inn and Ilz; and on the Ammersee, Chiemsee, Königsee, Bodensee, and many other smaller German lakes.


History

Germany's past is glorious at times, horrifying at others. No matter what part of the country you visit, you'll be bombarded with it. In northern Germany the devastation of the Thirty Years' War is as visible as the riches brought by the Hanseatic League. Throughout the country are remainders of leading figures -- Charlemagne's throne in Aachen, Wittelsbach castles in Bavaria, Hitler's Alpine retreat. Many concentration camps, including Dachau, outside Munich, and Sachsenhausen, outside Berlin, have been reopened as education centers and memorials to their victims. In the former East Germany, many reminders of Communism -- such as statues of Marx -- were obliterated, but citizens fought to retain some, and won. Theme tours can help you focus on an area of specific interest. You can organize a trip by visiting the castles of Ludwig II, for example, or take a theme road, such as the tourist office's new Martin Luther route, to explore the country's past.


Outdoor Activities and Sports

The Germans are nothing if not sports-crazy, and practically every sport, however arcane, can be arranged almost anywhere in the country. A good number of sports packages -- for sailing, tennis, climbing, walking, and horseback riding, to name only a few -- are also available. Below, we give details of some of the more popular participant sports. Information about important sporting events is also published every month by regional and local tourist offices.


Scenery

Many of the tours in this book are designed to help you take in Germany's beauty. From the medieval brick buildings in the tiny towns on the Baltic Coast, to the spectacular castle- and vine-covered hills along the Rhine, to the densely wooded forests in the south, to the crystal-clear Alpine lakes, Germany's scenery is as diverse as it is breathtaking. Whether you're in the shadow of high-rises or driving past geranium-bedecked, half-timbered houses on a country road, be sure to appreciate what's around you.


Wine

More than 2,000 years ago, Romans saw the potential for grape growing in their newly conquered land, and vineyards have held their own in the beer-guzzling country ever since. Germany has nearly 240,000 acres of vineyards, about 87% of which are planted with white-wine grapes. Because it is so far north, the wines Germany produces are light and delicate; Riesling grapes and wines are the best known. The "Rivers of Wine" itinerary, below, and the Wine Road tour in Chapter 11 are good tours for connoisseurs.