Germany: off the beaten path, a 2 week adventure, summary

April 2015

German Towns off the beaten track
that should NOT be missed:  
Munster, Koblenz, Oberwesel, Augsburg and more


Munster
Famous for bikes, great beer, churches and the woman in the tower, not the cheese.
A very friendly town with great walks and bike trails as well as a solar boat ride  Enjoy the lively farmers market in the church square, a cafe on the main pedestrian street or the great cakes in the oldest cafe in town.

Koblenz 
A compact town along the Rhine river you have train or boat access to more towns  where you can hike, bike visit castles and sample wines.   Traveling solo in Koblenz, take the cable car to explore the fortress, stroll the river walks and stop at a cafe.  Part of a designated region by the World  Heritage site, Koblenz has an amazing interactive museum located at the tourist office in town,   A visit to the Romanticum  museum will give you a great understanding of the history of this are and you can leave with an embedded 'card' that allows you to read the information you downloaded from the many displays in the museum.

Oberwesel  home of the wine witch, the Lorelei,  a walled city with towers, the commanding castle overlooking the town.     Do not be fooled by the river view of Oberwesel.  There is much to do, see and learn.   The perfect part of the Rhine river to explore the other river front towns via bike, train or boat.   The interactive Stadtmuseum is a great place to start your tour of Oberwesel and learn about all there is to see and do.   There is a great tourist office just off the market square and close to the boat dock.  Hop a train and arrive across from another must see stop,  the Church of Our Lady.  

Augsburg:   A short stop in Augsburg showed me there was a great deal more to see!   Visit the City Hall to see the golden ceiling, the Fuggerei, relax in the center square, stop in a cafe and do not miss visiting some of the amazing churches.

Heidelberg:   In the old town, I learned about brezels, visited the oldest candy store and a visit to the castle.   Some towns you may want to spend more time exploring.  Heidelberg offered so much to see and do.   This University town seems to be busy all day but there are many quiet spots to stop and have a coffee or brezel.

Wiesbaden  An easy solo travel destination where you can walk to most of the city sites and enjoy the long pedestrian shopping lanes.   Enjoy the hot springs fed spas and the great cafes and cake.  Don't miss visiting the Russian Church overlooking the city.

Regensburg   Many surprises and solo traveler tips.  Be sure to try the sausages, take a tour of St. Peters, cross the bridge, see one of the towers, take one of the tour boats and see the underground excavations.   A very easy solo city:  transportation, touring, eating and shopping.

Trier  The perfect size town, transportation, location, and  a wide range of great things to see and do. This University city has Roan ruins, UNESCO sites, the St Peter cathedral, river cruises, and lots of restaurants and shopping to keep you busy.   But don't forget the great museums.  My last stop on this magical trip.

Other Off the Beaten Track Stories you might enjoy:
Stumble Stones
Brezels
Billboard Artist
Munster:  The bike capital
Woman in the Tower
Castles, Cruises and Cake


Solo travel can teach you much.  Not just the history of a city but what makes a country original.
I learned about traveling via train in Germany
How to manage on Sunday when most businesses are closed

I shall return to Germany to finish research on river travel.   If you have traveled in Germany via river, share your experiences.


Thank you Historic Highlight of Germany for a well planned adventure and your hospitality.
The photos and opinions on each visit are my own opinions.

London Free Light Show in the Shoe Store

Next to the Apple store in Covent Gardens in London is an amazing light show

                                          
                                            Feels like a rock concert in a shoe store

           This is Galleria Melissa, a innovative shoe store. 
According to their web site:  founded in 1971 and has since collaborated with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Vivienne Westwood, Gareth Pugh, the Campana Brothers and Zaha Hadid

 

 

Thanks to Maggie Dobson Owner, At Home in London  for finding this store for me

a great booking agent for places to stay in London

www.athomeinlondon.co.uk

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43 KING STREET
COVENT GARDEN
LONDON 
WC2E 8JS 

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MON - SAT: 10AM - 8PM
SUN: 12NOON - 6PM

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Website:MELISSA.COM

Trier Germany, last stop on Off the Beaten Path solo trip

Trier, Germany 
A university town that is easy to navigate with 
so much to see and do.

The ancient Roman gate to the city, the Constantine Basilica and the Roman baths are reminders to the far reaching Roman empire and how much history I have viewed during my 2 weeks in Germany.   


Trier sits on the Moselle river on the western side of Germany. According to Wikipedia, Trier may be the oldest city in German.

Porta Nigra

Renovation and preservation work allows visitors to walk in the interior rooms of the Roman Gate.   Patrolling soldiers had a view of all points.

  .

 
You will find the tourist office just behind the Roman arch.   Here is your source for maps, tour information and souvenirs all in one place.  There is a WC in the courtyard in back of the TI, nominal fee.

My guide  Ms Berens started our adventure at the black gate, Porta Nigra,  the Roman entrance to the city.

Old and new is well mixed throughout the city.    Large avenues and many pedestrian friendly street take you to all the major sites in the city with open plaza, fountains and city benches.

The main pedestrian street begins at the Roman gate and will keep a traveler occupied.  My orientation tour began in the fortress and continued through the streets of Trier. The main pedestrian street is wide and lined with shops and restaurants. This is where you can catch the tourist train (bus) and meet for city and theme tours.   

Our first stop is the Cathedral of St Peter

There was a special event during my stay that brought hundreds of young people to the cathedral. As usual, I found something that I thought was unusual and stopped for a mini video.  Again I thank the patience guides during this adventure in Germany,  trying to understand some of the strange questions I asked as a solo traveler.

The colorful ribbons each held an intention or a wish or perhaps a thank full prayer.  Each ribbon was tied to the metal frame and the total impact was mesmerizing as the breeze made them flutter.

Trier Cathedral, Dom St Peter

The Cathedral complex includes the Gothic  Church of Our Lady to the right of the cathedral.
The cathedral is massive but when you enter the church your focus is on the elevated sanctuary that holds the Holy Robe.   It is only on display on rare occasions.

No photos were allowed and the robe said to be worn by Jesus, kept in this special room, was not on view.   There was a quiet reverence in this room.

The gates leading to the Jesuit church where priests were removed during the Nazi occupation.   You find 'stumble stones' out front, listing the seven priests who were sent to the concentration camps.

  

This Moroccan style tower house has a second floor door that.  Originally a removal staircase was used for security.

The main market square, Hauptmarkt, on the pedestrian route had a market on two of the days I was in Trier.  Also, another public WC.

I have never seen Woolworth outside of the USA and took a quick look.    It was similar to a Euro store (our dollar stores).  Gone were the tables of everyday items I remember in our local Woolworth's: cosmetics, toys, household supplies.

Everywhere you look in Trier there are great opportunities for a snack!

  Dinner with my host Trier Marketing.

My Extra Day in Trier:

The tourist office brochure listed a wide assortment of things to do in  Trier.  Actually far more than I have ever seen at other tourist offices.   English language  tours are offered during the 'high' tourist season.    

Trier has a short river sightseeing cruise.  If you are visiting one of the other rivers with castles and medieval villages, I suggest you wait.   Today the small boat was full of school children who were bored for the short hour long trip.   

The river this day was 'quiet' and on the short trip I took there were no castles or ruins.

Another  Galeria Kaufhor (see post under Regensburg)  offers a large restaurant where you can choose a vegetarian meal, hot or cold dishes and an amazing desert selection.  Solo diners have no pressure to 'turn a table' and the sun filled room is most pleasant.
If you are not a shy solo traveler there are wonderful restaurants all over Trier.   

Of course you could select desert first!

Note:  my hotel tried hard to find me a laundromat within walking distance.  Only one near the University was  in business.   It was an easy walk just past the Karl Marx house however, my host offered to go with me  (when the wifi did not work, trains went on strike and I had no arrangements to leave town precipitated my first and only meltdown  after 25+ years of travel).

The hour spent doing laundry in a foreign country can be interesting.  First you must understand the instructions in a language you may not speak.    Manage the correct change and wait.  Often you can find someone for a pleasant chat.

Now I have a mini video for reference on how to do laundry in Trier.

Trier has a convenient train station within walking distance of the center of town.  There is a shopping center near the train station where you can stock up for travel supplies or snacks for the trip.
(facing the station the entrance to the mall is to the right about  1/2 block)

I missed several other  parts of Trier when I spent too many hours trying to find the river boat:
The Constantine Basilica
The Elector's Palace
The archaeological museum
Imperial baths
Karl-Marx museum

I did walk through the extensive Palace Garden, a perfect place for a picnic.

Trier has a young population due to the University and the plaza in front of the  Roman gate is a popular gather spot.   However, I have no idea what game they were playing, do you?

I was the guest of Trier marketing and appreciate their expert planning of my entire adventure as well as additional help during a train strike.     I had a lovely stay at Hotel Casa Chiara.  
Photos are the property of www.maturesolotravel.com.

*The German Way & More:  Trier