Destination Germany

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:15 Seite 1

GermaNy

REGIONS OF DELIGHT

ART & PLEASURE

Rhineland-Palatinate | Black Forest Lake Constance | Elbe and Shire region

Bremerhaven | Murnau | Düsseldorf North Rhine Westphalia | Aachen

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:15 Seite 2

© Bichler/Landkreis Waldshut

CONTENTS

Kiel

 

Hamburg

Bremen

t t

t

Holidays in Germany something for everyone Holiday magic from the coast to the Alps. For young or old…

Schwerin

t

Hannover

t

Magdeburg

t

t Berlin t Potsdam



t Düsseldorf 

Eisenach

t Erfurt

t

Dresden

t



Wiesbaden Mainz

tt t Frankfurt Nürnberg

t

t Stuttgart

Passau

t

 Freiburg

t

t München 



4

Following the pilgrim’s path St. James’ Pilgrimage Way

6

Bad Bramstedt beauty and balance

6

Bremerhaven A gem on the North Sea

7

Aachen a historic city bursting with life

9

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:15 Seite 3

More tha n 200 excit ing reports a nd features

Out and about in the Black Forest A bird’s eye view of the Blaues Land region Enjoying the good life on the North Sea and Baltic coast

Navigate easily with the innovative topics cloud and interactive map of Germany to holiday destinations of your choice

© TASH, I. Wandmacher

© © Tourist Info Murnau/Josef Beck

.

North Rhine-Westphalia a window into art

10

Rhineland-Palatinate beauty beyond words

12

The Black Forest at one with nature

13

Holidays in the heart of Europe The Lake Constance region

14

An insider tip for cycling in Bavaria 15 The Isar Cycle Route from the Alps to Munich

Jump directly from the site to the offers of your destination

.

Take advantage of current events and travel tips from insiders and other fans for your travel planning

.

www.destination-germany.co.uk

Destination Germany is published as a supplement to Lonely Planet Traveller April 2015 Publisher: Typeline Werbeagentur GmbH & Co.KG, Hanauer Landstraße 192 DE-60314 Frankfurt, Tel. +49 (0)69 95 14 49-0, hallo@typeline.de, www.typeline.de Cover picture: Zeche Zollverein, Essen © Frank Vinken, Zollverein Translation: LingServe Limited, www.lingserve.com.

Text reprints and picture reprints or copies only with prior permission.

3

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:15 Seite 4

Holidays in Germany something for everyone Holiday magic from the coast to the Alps. For young or old – for sports-mad travellers or inquiring minds. Offering rest, relaxation and adventure, Germany has the perfect holiday itinerary for the whole family.

4

For dipping your toes in the water and relaxing, look no further than the North Sea and Baltic coasts. For shopping and sightseeing, head to the towns and cities, from Aachen to Bremerhaven. Exercise and wellbeing are the focus in Bad Bramstedt. People who like getting active will love the pretty little towns of the Black Forest, as well as the Moselle, the Hunsrück hills and the Eifel.

North Rhine-Westphalia offers in 2015 a fabulous mix of cultural events. Walkers, meanwhile, can follow the trail of Romans, art and wine along the Lake Constance and in Murnau.

Mill Museum in Gifhorn Markersbach viaduct in the Erzgebirge mountains Mount Tegelberg in the Ammergau Alps

© www.muehlenmuseum.de, TV Erzgebirge, panthermedia Andy Nowack

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:15 Seite 5

5

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:15 Seite 6

Cheesemaker in Schleswig-Holstein

Flensburg: Schifffahrtsmuseum

What connects Flensburg on Germany’s Baltic coast with Hanseatic Bremen? Or North Rhine-Westphalia’s state capital Düsseldorf with the ancient imperial city of Aachen? The answer: St. James’ Pilgrimage Way.

Highlight From industry to culture The city of Münster is an example of how a region has made the transition from industry to culture. Its former docks are now a creative quarter. With offices, galleries, entertainment venues, restaurants and clubs, this is a lively area by day and by night. www.muenster.de

he far north of Germany, where the lifestyle and landscape are shaped by beer, handball and the bracing sea air, is where the north German section of St. James’ Pilgrimage Way starts – a route that eventually ends in Santiago de Compostela.

It initially follows the Historic Oxen Trail, which was the main land route between Denmark and northern Germany in the 19th century. Around 164 miles in length, this was used by farmers as a road for droving livestock and was also a direct route to the south for knights, soldiers, merchants, pilgrims and beggars. Today, it gives cyclists a fascinating insight into

T

the nature and cultural history of northern Germany and Denmark. Away from busy roads, the route follows the everchanging coastline, passing through the Holsteinische Schweiz region with its lakes and forests, areas of open moorland and marshland, and typical north German heathland.

Historic Oxen Trail The Historic Oxen Trail begins in Flensburg and from there continues to Schleswig. Shortly after Rendsburg, it divides into two. The eastern section crosses areas of forest and moorland, passing through the spa resort of Bad Bramstedt

© TASH, I. Wandmacher; Schifffahrtsmuseum Flensuburg, Herbert Gerisch-Stiftung, Marianne Obst;www.image-foto.de

Following the pilgrim’s path

Tourismusbüro Bad Bramstedt Tel. +49 (0)4192 506 27 | Fax 4192 506 80 touristinfo@bad-bramstedt.de www.bad-bramstedt.de

6

The spa town of Bad Bramstedt, famous for its Roland statue and its two 9- and 18-hole golf courses, is a place to relax and unwind amid the unspoilt countryside of the Holsteiner Auenland region. Conveniently located on the A7 autobahn, just half an hour’s drive from Hamburg, it is the ideal base for tours and day trips throughout Schleswig-Holstein.

All kinds of health-related activities can be undertaken in this historical town, most of which are designed to get you moving and restore balance. Further afield, the beautiful surrounding riverscapes are ideal for cycling, horse riding, walking and canoeing.

There’s also lots to discover at the Kneipp hydrotherapy facilities and the Garden of the Senses – perfect places to while away the hours.

TIP

Bad Bramstedt mud exercise pool: take a dip in a mud pool heated to around 40°C

© www.image-foto.de

Bad Bramstedt: beauty and balance

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:15 Seite 7

Neumünster Herbert Gerisch-Stiftung, Kissing Birds

and on to Nortorf. The western section takes you through broad expanses of marshland (Seestermüher Marsch), before arriving at Hohenwestedt via Elmshorn, Itzehoe and Stör. Historically, this trail led to the cattle market in Wedel, just outside Hamburg. The cattle market held there every spring celebrates this chapter in the town’s history.

Hamburg-Bremen From Hamburg, the pilgrimage trail continues along the Hamburg-Bremen longdistance cycle route. If you love the sea, you can alternatively follow the Elbe Cycle Route to Cuxhaven and then the Weser Cycle Route to Bremen via Bremerhaven.

It’s easy to see the sights of Bremen under your own steam.

Bad Bramstedt: Roland statue

One of the many advantages of the Free Hanseatic City is that a wide range of attractions are located within a small area. The main shopping street in the city centre has a wide range of international stores, while just around the corner, in Böttcherstrasse, you’ll find pretty little shops and beautiful handicrafts and the Paula Modersohn Becker Museum. >>

A gem on the North Sea Bremerhaven is an ideal destination for culture buffs, shopaholics and fans of all things maritime.

For those who like a touch of the nautical, Bremerhaven doesn’t disappoint: there are fascinating worlds of discovery to explore at the Harbour Worlds complex, including Klimahaus® Bremerhaven 8° Ost, the German Emigration Centre and the German Maritime Museum. Harbour Worlds is also home to a number of shopping centres, including the Mediterraneo with its high-end stores and inviting restaurants. The Columbus Center, meanwhile, has around 75 shops stocking everything you could wish for. The covered shopping precinct also makes a great place to browse and stroll. If all that leaves you feeling hungry, try Bremerhaven’s restaurants for a wide choice of fish dishes.

© Erlebnis Bremerhaven, Buchholz

Always something going on A one-of-a-kind experience: the sea-fish cooking studio. Hour-long cookery lessons in this unique demonstration kitchen show how quick and easy it is to make delicious fish dishes. The tips and tricks come free of charge! For an authentic maritime experience, don’t miss the city’s two biggest highlights of 2015: the FischParty, taking place on 25 and 26 April, will delight seafood lovers with its ‘tasting mile’. And from 12 to 16 August 2015, masts and sails will dominate the horizon during the SAIL Bremerhaven tallship festival. Visitors can expect to see more than 200 traditional sailing ships, steamers and motor vessels, and every day there are opportunities to climb aboard and explore or take a tour out on the water. A varied festival programme rounds off the fun.

TIP

Even the biggest landlubbers will be won over by a North Sea sailing tour aboard a magnificent historical vessel. Book at www.bremerhaven.de

Bremerhaven Touristik TouristTel: +49 (0)471 - 809 36 100 touristikservice@erlebnis-bremerhaven.de www.bremerhaven-tourism.de www.facebook.com/erlebnisbremerhaven

7

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:15 Seite 8

If you don’t fancy browsing fashion boutiques, you might like to visit Beck’s Brewery instead and learn about the art of beer brewing and the Beck’s brands. The tour covers the museum, ingredients store and brewhouse, and takes you past huge malt silos and fermentation and storage tanks.

Seaside City Bremerhaven Bremerhaven, the sister city of Bremen, has been shaped by its location on the sea to an almost unparalleled extent. Bremerhaven’s Harbour Worlds complex is the perfect place for summer events. This is where you’ll also find interactive exhibitions and discovery centres such as the Climate House Bremerhaven 8° East, with the Information Centre for Offshore Wind Energy, where visitors can sensually experience this new eco-friendly technology.

Between 1830 and 1974, more than seven million people emigrated from Bremer-

Town Musicians of Bremen

haven, most of them to the USA. The German Emigration Centre, Europe’s largest interactive museum devoted to this subject, tells the emigrants’ stories, explains their motives, and explores the ins and outs of their journey across the Atlantic and arrival at Ellis Island in New York.

From Bremen, the route continues to Osnabrück on the Bridges Route.

Between these two Hanseatic cities, there are three nature parks boasting unspoilt moorland and forests, numerous towns with fascinating histories and, as the name would suggest, quite a few bridges. In Osnabrück you should visit the museum, dedicated to the artist Felix Nussbaum, who was born in Osnabrück in 1904 and murdered by the Nazis. This is designed by Daniel Liebeskind, and it’s design creates a spatial context in which everything in it is seen in the light of the tragic connection between Nussbaum’s life and work.

From Osnabrück, you follow the Route of Peace to Münster with its Catholic cathedral, before proceeding on the 100 Castles and Palaces Route and the Roman Route through the Münsterland region to the Rhinel. From here, the Rhine Cycle Route takes you upriver to Düsseldorf.

The next waypoints are Cologne and Bonn before the route continues south-west, passing more than 130 castles. It then follows mainly flat terrain along the edge of the Eifel, through the Cologne basin to a region that has more moated castles than anywhere in Europe, before arriving in Aachen

KLICKTIPPS

,

www.ochsenweg.de www.nationalpark-wattenmeer.de www.bremen.de www.bad-bramstedt.de

A Düsseldorf hotel like no other This fabulous hotel, set in an idyllic park, offers home comforts and luxury in a fine historical building.

There are 55 beautifully furnished guest rooms and a range of function rooms for all kinds of events.

www.hotel-mutterhaus.de

Das MutterHaus Hotel und Tagungszentrum GmbH Geschwister-Aufricht-Str. 1 (formerly: Alte Landstr. 179) DE-40489 Düsseldorf Phone: +49 211/6 17 27-0 Fax: +49 211/6 17 27-15 04

8

© TourismusMarketing Niedersachsen GmbH; BTZ Bremer Touristik-Zentrale/Ingrid Krause

Stade at the Elbe

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:15 Seite 9

Aachen – a historic city bursting with life Aachen is an international city with a cosmopolitan flair – hardly surprising given its location in a corner of Germany that borders Belgium and the Netherlands. Germany’s most westerly city is home to around 250,000 people, including more than 50,000 students from all over the world.

© A. Herrmann, wesentlich, Joerg Hempel

It was the water that first put Aachen on the map, however – water heated to 74°C by the volcanoes of the Eifel region, and thereby the hottest waters in northern mainland Europe. Ever since Celtic and Roman times, when the settlement was named Aquae Grani after a Celtic god of healing, people have been using these thermal springs to relieve their ailments.

Centuries later, Charlemagne made Aachen his residence because of its therapeutic springs, building the imperial palace with its ornate interior. At the heart of the palace grounds lies Aachen Cathedral, now considered one of Germany’s most important sights. In 1978 it became the first building in Germany to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Every seven years, the cathedral displays the four sacred relics of Aachen as part of a pilgrimage that attracts people from all over the world. It also holds the finest collection of treasure north of the Alps, which can be seen in the nearby cathedral treasury.

TIP

From 31 May to 14 June 2015, Aachen plays host to the Fourth International Chorbiennale. The festival sees local, national and international choirs enchant audiences in concerts held throughout the city centre, some of which are free to attend. www.chorbiennale.com

A backdrop of culture Dating back over 2,000 years, the centre of Aachen is dominated by Charlemagne’s former palace and features an abundance of monuments and beautiful fountains. But with a wide range of cultural attractions on offer, there’s more to this former imperial seat than just its historical charm. One of the oldest houses in Aachen is now home to the International Newspaper Museum, where you can see a unique collection of historical first editions, anniversary editions and closing editions from around the world.

On Aachen’s Katschhof square, between the cathedral and town hall, you’ll find Centre Charlemagne, the city’s new municipal museum. Its exhibition brings to life the history of Charlemagne and explores how his city has developed. For art lovers there is the Suermondt-Ludwig Museum with its period collections or the Ludwig Forum for International Art with its works of the modern age. The Couven Museum, set within a former 18th century apothecary, shows how the city’s middle classes decorated and furnished their homes after the great fire of 1656.

Equestrian tournaments and Printen gingerbread Whether it’s a major sporting event such as the World Equestrian Festival (CHIO), an open-air festival like the International

Chorbiennale, or the traditional Christmas market, Aachen’s year-round calendar of events has something for everyone.

You can’t visit Aachen without making a stop at the cafés and bakeries, where the city’s beloved Printen gingerbread are baked all year round and in lots of different varieties.

aachen tourist service e.v.

Tourist Info Elisenbrunnen Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz | DE-52062 Aachen Tel.: +49 (0)241 18029-60 Fax: +49 (0)241 18029-30 info@aachen-tourist.de www.aachen-tourist.de

9

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:15 Seite 10

Münster: OttoPiene

Münster: LWL Museum of Art and Culture

North Rhine-Westphalia – a window into art 2015 is the year of major international names in North Rhine-Westphalia. Between Bonn and Paderborn you’ll discover a new museum, forgotten masters and many other stars of the art world.

North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s biggest state by population, is home to around 900 museums and galleries offering a diverse range of exhibitions.

What’s more, it’s only a short hop from the UK, with direct flights available to five of the region’s airports: Düsseldorf, Cologne Bonn, Dortmund, MünsterOsnabrück and Weeze. To make choosing where to go a little easier, some of the best exhibitions for 2015 are detailed below – taking you on a journey through the history of art, starting at the time of the Renaissance.

Homage to Michelangelo The Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn is devoting a major exhibition – or rather paying homage – to the Italian painter and sculptor Michelangelo. It focuses on the impact that Michelangelo had on the art of his time and has had on artists ever since. For the past five centuries artists have been judging themselves against his ideal. His representations of the human body, for instance, were hugely influential.

Those who came after him strived to replicate the potency of Michelangelo’s work in a wide variety of art forms.

10

In Bonn, his influence can be seen in the works of Caravaggio, Rodin, Rubens and Cézanne and in the photography of Robert Mapplethorpe and Thomas Struth (until 25 May).

Brueghel in rural idyll Having presented numerous internationally acclaimed exhibitions, Paderborn is building a reputation among art enthusiasts.

In summer 2015 this cathedral city in the eastern part of the region will be hosting an entire dynasty of master painters.

At Paderborn’s Neuhaus Palace, an exhibition devoted to the Brueghel painters of the 16th and 17th century features more than 140 masterpieces on loan from museums around the world.

Running until 21 June, it provides a unique overview of the creative output of this Flemish family, which has had a lasting influence on European art. A visit to Paderborn can easily be combined with a cultural experience in the open air: on 13 and 14 June, over 100 parks and gardens in the Westphalia-Lippe region will be opening to the public for special events and tours.

From medieval cloisters and modern gardens to baroque parks and idealised landscapes – Westphalia has no shortage of beautiful and culturally significant spaces.

Picasso and a forgotten Expressionist Münster’s LWL Museum of Art and Culture, which has recently reopened in a new building, is shining a light on an all but forgotten Expressionist – Wilhelm Morgner. The exhibition, on from 14 November 2015 to 6 March 2016, features works by Vincent van Gogh, Franz Marc and Wassily Kandinsky that illustrate the influence these Expressionists had on each other. In the heart of Münster’s beautiful old quarter, surrounded by restaurants and attractive shops, lies the Pablo Picasso Art Museum. This year it is focusing on Picasso’s relationship with Paris. The works on display are complemented by an exhibition of photographs depicting the city on the Seine (9 May - 12 July 2015).

Karl Lagerfeld: a fusion of the arts What we look upon as fashion, he looks upon as his livelihood. For 60 years Karl Lagerfeld has demonstrated an unparalleled flair for the zeitgeist, incorporating it into his designs and projects and developing it further. Today, Lagerfeld is the icon of an entire industry.

The Modemethode (‘method of fashion’) exhibition, on at the Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn until 13 September 2015, is now shedding light on the life’s work of this design perfectionist. Lagerfeld famously

© LWL/Hanna Neander © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2015; LWL/Hanna Neander

Welcome to a region of culture.

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:15 Seite 11

© Stiftung Museum Kunstpalast, Horst Kolberg/ARTOTHEK; Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. Foto: Elke Estel/Hans-Peter Klut; Karl Lagerfeld VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2014; Foto: Peter Cox

Düsseldorf: Francisco de Zurbarán

takes charge of everything from initial sketch to finished garment, from photography to window dressing, from accessories to fashion-show music.

Zero hour for art After the Second World War, art in Germany was focused on coming to terms with tragedy and atrocity. It seemed impossible to produce an artwork that did not make reference to the Nazi terror. A few artists saw no future in this, and in 1958 Heinz Mack and Otto Piene called for a new beginning and formed a Düsseldorfbased artist group called Zero, which subsequently welcomed Günther Uecker into its fold. They created a new aesthetic that looked ahead with optimism, and they made significant advances in light art, kinetic art and object art.

Their avant garde oeuvre is now being rediscovered, with a major overview exhibition that opened in autumn 2014 having visited the Guggenheim Museum in New York as well as Berlin and Amsterdam. On their home turf in North Rhine-Westphalia, however, these three artists have never been cast out of the spotlight.

Until 10 May 2015, the Kunstsammlung NRW gallery in Düsseldorf is mounting a retrospective of Günther Uecker’s extensive artistic output. An exhibition at the LWL Museum for Art and Culture in Münster, meanwhile, is dedicated to the light art of Otto Piene (13 June - 20 September).

Cologne: Godefridus Schalcken

Godefridus Schalcken: elegance by candlelight His contemporaries regarded his work on canvas as the very essence of modern art. In the late 17th century, Godefridus Schalcken succeeded, with incredible finesse, in lending expression, elegance and sensuality to his portraits. All he needed was a candle in front of his subject to provide the light. This made the Dutch fine art painter one of the bestpaid artists around, and yet he has never made it into the spotlight in modern times. The Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne presents the first overview exhibition of this technically brilliant painter from 25 September 2015 to 24 January 2016.

Bonn: Karl Lagerfeld

They depict peace and tranquillity, making a stand against man’s restless existence through astoundingly realistic portrayals that sometimes verge on the mystical (10 October 2015 - 31 January 2016)

TIP

The Ruhrtriennale, an international festival of arts, brings together music, the visual arts, theatre, dance and performance inside industrial halls from the Ruhr valley’s heyday (14 August to 26 September)

A painter of tranquillity: Zurbarán For many years Francisco de Zurbarán has stood in the shadows of Velázquez and Murillo. That is all about to change, thanks to an exhibition at Düsseldorf’s Kunstpalast Museum. Over 70 works of art that testify to the skill and influence of this 17th century master are being brought together from museums around the world. In his day Zurbarán was in higher demand than any other painter, and he even had commissions from the Spanish colonies. Some of these works will also be on display in Düsseldorf.

Zurbarán often depicts a single subject, at rest and yet full of life, almost as if you could lift it out of the frame. Because of this, his paintings never appear busy.

Düsseldorf: Uecker

Tourismus NRW e.V. Völklinger Straße 4 DE-40219 Düsseldorf Tel.: +49 (0)211 913 20 500 info@nrw-tourismus.de www.tourism-nrw.com

11

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:15 Seite 12

Rhineland-Palatinate – beauty beyond words Discover historical castles and palaces, romantic river scenery and sun-kissed vineyards.The romantic region around Rhine and Moselle offers enchanting opportunities for hiking tours and bike holidays.

Rheinland-Pfalz Tourismus GmbH Löhrstraße 103–105 | DE-56068 Koblenz www.romantic-germany.info info@romantic-germany.info Tel.: +49 (0)1805 7574636 (€ 0.14/min. from German landlines, max. € 0.42 per min. from German mobiles)

12

There’s something for everyone, from wine and culture to active pursuits.

Getting out and about amid richly varied scenery

the range of walks are numerous short tours and circular routes, such as the ‘dream loops’ around the SaarHunsrück-Steig.

The quality-certified cycling trails in Rhineland-Palatinate cover around 12,000 kilometres and are a great way to discover the region’s magnificent scenery and rich cultural heritage.

The riverside trails are ideal for leisurely bike rides, the mainly flat trails along disused railways are particularly suitable for children, and there are seven longdistance routes for touring cyclists.

Sportier cyclists, meanwhile, will find all manner of testing climbs and steep descents in the Eifel, Westerwald and Hunsrück hills.

Legendary wines

Top Trails for long distance hiking

Legendary cultural attractions

If you prefer walking, there are twelve long-distance hiking trails to choose from, offering magnificent views as well as some challenging sections. The Rheinsteig, Eifelsteig, Saar-HunsrückSteig and Westerwald-Steig, as ‘Top Trails of Germany’, are officially ranked among the most beautiful walking routes in the country. The Moselsteig, another premium long-distance trail promising unforgettable hikes, opened last year. And from spring 2015, you can look forward to walking the new section of the SaarHunsrück-Steig. The trail has been extended by 195km from Idar-Oberstein to Boppard on the Rhine. Rounding off

For a taste of culture, there are many places of interest and historical significance to visit, including the four UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, home to the fabled Loreley rock and picturesque castles and palaces, the Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes, Speyer Cathedral, and the city of Trier with its Roman monuments, cathedral and Church of Our Lady.

Culture buffs and wine lovers are also well catered for in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Did you know that 70 per cent of Germany’s wines and sparkling wines are produced here? The grapes flourish beside the Romantic Rhine and in the Ahr, Moselle-Saar, Nahe, Palatinate and Rheinhessen regions. Each region has a charm if its own and a winemaking tradition dating back thousands of years.

All year round you can sample fine wines and local food at vineyards, wine festivals and countless culinary events.

TIP

Discover a world of colourful flowers at the Fourth Rhineland-Palatinate Regional Garden Show, which is being held in Landau from 17 April to 18 October 2015

© Rheinland-Pfalz Tourismus GmbH, Dominik Ketz

Rhineland-Palatinate, the region around the Rhine and Moselle, is the perfect travel destination at any time of year.

Picturesque riverscapes, vineyards as far as the eye can see, romantic castles and palaces, and towns and villages steeped in history – few other regions of Germany offer so much variety. Situated in the western part of the country, RhinelandPalatinate is an ideal choice for a weekend break or a longer holiday.

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:15 Seite 13

The Black Forest: at one with nature Walkers can experience all the magic and romance of the Black Forest on the Westweg Trail. It takes at least eleven days to complete all 285 kilometres – a true challenge but one with rich rewards. he mountain ridges are silhouetted against the sky, their rounded peaks shimmering on the horizon, almost lost in the white mist that rises up from the valleys. The Westweg is one of Germany’s oldest long-distance walking routes.

Modernised in 2007, it is now ranked among the Top Trails of Germany.

Divided into eleven stages, the route starts beside the Rhine in Basel, which is easy to get to by plane, and ends in the ‘gold town’ of Pforzheim on the northern edge of the Black Forest. On its 285km journey, the Westweg passes only twelve towns, crossing moors and meadows along the way but also featuring some steep climbs.

There are several mountains to negotiate:

T

Badener Höhe, Hochkopf, Hornisgrinde, Schliffkopf, Brend, Kesslerhöhe, Feldberg, Belchen and Blauen are all higher than 1,000 metres. Towering peaks and thundering waterfalls. It’s a scenic trail that will take you to new heights.

Close to nature The views are spectacular and on many sections you won’t see another soul: only forest as far as the eye can see. No roads, no houses, no electricity. The sounds of civilisation are gone; no cars can be heard, only the whistling of the wind through the trees. Though the Westweg paints a romantic picture, the sheer power of the wind and weather give the

landscape a wild and rugged feel. The Ice Age left behind a series of cirque lakes in the Black Forest. Glaciers formed bowlshaped hollows in the mountains.

The round lakes that remained after they melted now shimmer like dark eyes looking out from the forest. It feels a world away from everyday life. Stage nine crosses Mount Feldberg, the highest peak in the Black Forest. Stages ten and eleven follow a route to Todtmoos and take walkers to the Westweg gate, passing Mount Hochkopf. The next challenge is Mount Belchen at 1,414 metres. From the level summit, you can look across the glistening snow-capped peaks of the Bernese Oberland of Switzerland

ith the avings w Lots of s -inclusive +++ WA L K E R S ’ PA R A D I S E I N T H E H E A RT O F T H E S O U T H E R N B L A C K F O R E S T +++ WA L K E R SallPA RAD orI ScaErd I N oos visit tm d o T ● © Achim Mende/STG

● 100

km network of walking trails church, local history museum, visistor mine ● fantastic range of dining an spa facilities ● pilgrimage

Black Forest ham tasting an Black Forest gateau cookery courses ● New Lebküchlerweg gingerbread trail ● Gorges Trail, Wehra Valley and Westweg walking trails ●

Snowshoe tours, winter walking, cross-country skiing...

International sled dog racing on the last weekend in January

black forest ●

Todtmoos Tourist Information 콯 0049-7674-9060-0 info@todtmoos.net .www.todtmoos.de

13

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:16 Seite 14

Lake Constance Mainau Island

Holidays in the heart of Europe Palms along the lakeside promenades, vineyards, rambling meadows and apple trees in the lakeside region, alpine peaks characterise the multifaceted image of the Lake Constance region.

UNESCO World Heritage The fertile soil and the many sunny days provide optimal conditions for growing delicious fruit and vegetables from Lake Constance, particularly Reichenau Island.

The island and the abbey library in Sankt Gallen, Switzerland, are UNESCO World Heritage sites and are popular excursion destinations. The Bregenz Festival featuring the famous floating stage is held every year on the Austrian side.

Luxuriant blooms all year round, a park with a tree population over 150 years old, the baroque splendour of the castle complex and church as well as the mediterranean character – this is Mainau, the Flower Island in Lake Constance!

Meersbur g – a magical, small medieval medieval town town with half ed Meersburg half-timbered f-timber buildings oque Ne wP alace. Plus buildings,, an imposing castle and the bar baroque New Palace. eigh ascinating museums eightt ffascinating museums,, outstanding wines and superb dining dining..

14

Mainau is one of the most popular tourist attractions on Lake Constance, and features a floral array following the seasons as well as one of the largest butterfly houses in Germany.

Medieval Castles Meersburg Fortress with its unique silhouette is located further eastward and also promises excitement. The fortress, towers majestically above the rooftops and is visible from far across the water.

In the nearby Lake Dwelling Museum in Unteruhldingen you can can journey back in time to the Stone Age and Bronze Age. With 23 reconstructed houses, this is one of Europe’s largest open-air museums

at at Lak Lakee C Constance o onstance

© Internationale Bodensee Tourismus GmbH

he Lake Constance holiday region featuring the four nations Germany, Switzerland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and Austria and extends over 209 square miles.

The holiday paradise is just as diverse.

Experience charming medieval towns and baroque cultural sites, and discover the modern architecture: the historic city of Constance, Friedrichshafen where the Zeppelin airship was invented, Meersburg situated on idyllic vineyards, the protected heritage of the Wasserburg Peninsula or the impressive harbour facility in Lindau. Überlingen offers pure relaxation with a charming lakeside promenade and wonderful parks.

T

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:16 Seite 15

The river Isar nearby Bad Tölz

An insider tip for cycling in Bavaria If you are cycling on holiday, you often want to see the sights but without the punishing climbs. The Isar Cycle Route from the Alps to Munich offers just that. he Isar Cycle Route is a lesser known trail that runs for 185 scenic miles from the region around Mount Zugspitze to the Danube. Ending in an area famous for its thermal spas, it passes through the Tölzer Land region, Munich and its surrounding area, Landshut and the Königsauer Moos – one of the last low moorlands of such size in Bavaria. The route passes through seven districts of Bavaria and eleven towns and cities. It crosses the rolling foothills of the Alps before following the flat meadows beside the Isar, passing all manner of historical towns and villages, castles, abbeys and stately homes on its journey along the riverbanks.

T

A world city with a big heart Thanks to the relatively level profile of the route, recreational cyclists, families and older visitors can enjoy the unspoilt scenery and cultural attractions to the full. In Munich, the world city with a big heart, it always pays to tack on an extra day as there is so much to see and do. It’s the best way to combine the buzz of the big city with the charms of rural Bavaria.

Blue skies and crystal-clear lakes For a variation of the tour, you can follow an optional loop just outside Munich that incorporates Lake Starnberg, Lake Staffelsee and the Murnauer Moos. The most important and unspoilt moorland in

the northern foothills of the Alps, the Murnauer Moos offers a safe habitat for many different species of plants and rare animals.

The tour goes around the little town of Murnau with its lovely old quarter and through the Blue Land region, so called because of the dominant colour of the landscape. It was here that Wassily Kandinsky, Gabriele Münter, Paul Klee and Franz Marc – the founders of the Blue Rider Expressionist art group – drew inspiration for their masterpieces.

Following in the painters’ footsteps and plotting the shifting relationship between landscape and art make for an unforgettable experience

Experience nature, art and culture

© PantherMedia / foottoo

Vassily Kandinsky was one of the first to find inspiration in Murnau and its picturesque landscape at the foothills of the Bavarian Alps.

• • • • •

EuroArt artists’ colony between Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen Swimming, cycling and walking in the mountains and lakes ‘Blue Rider’ Expressionist heritage in the Schlossmuseum and Münter House Murnauer Moos: the largest alpine moor in central Europe King Ludwig’s castles and other famous sights and attractions within easy reach

Tourist-Information Murnau • DE-82418 Murnau • www.murnau.de

15

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:16 Seite 16

www.tourism-nrw.com www.aachen.de www.romantic-germany.info www.bremerhaven.de www.bad-bramstedt.de

www.meersburg.de www.murnau.de www.hotel-mutterhaus.de www.todtmoos.de