Destination Germany

GermaNy

REGIONS OF DELIGHTRhineland-Palatinate | Black ForestLake Constance | Elbe and Shire region

ART & PLEASUREBremerhaven | Murnau | DüsseldorfNorth Rhine Westphalia | Aachen

Größen Anpassung_Layout 1 10.02.15 18:15 Seite 1

Holidays in Germanysomething for everyone 4Holiday magic from the coast to the

Alps. For young or old…

Following the pilgrim’s path 6St. James’ Pilgrimage Way

Bad Bramstedt 6beauty and balance

Bremerhaven 7A gem on the North Sea

Aachen 9a historic city bursting with life

CONTENTS

FreiburgMünchen

Hannover

Bremen

Magdeburg

Hamburg Schwerin

Kiel

DresdenErfurtEisenach

BerlinPotsdam

Düsseldorf

FrankfurtMainzWiesbaden

Stuttgart

Nürnberg

Passau

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North Rhine-Westphalia 10a window into art

Rhineland-Palatinate 12beauty beyond words

The Black Forest 13at one with nature

Holidays in the heart of Europe 14The Lake Constance region

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

to Munich

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, [email protected], 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.

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More than200 excitingreports and

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

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Holidays in Germanysomething for everyoneHoliday 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.


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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, mean -

while, can follow the trail of Romans, art and

wine along the Lake Constance and in Murnau.

Mill Museum in GifhornMarkersbach viaduct in the Erzgebirge mountainsMount Tegelberg in the Ammergau Alps

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Cheesemaker in Schleswig-Holstein

The 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

the nature and cultural history of north-

ern Germany and Denmark. Away from

busy roads, the route follows the ever-

changing coastline, passing through the

Holsteinische Schweiz region with its

lakes and forests, areas of open moor-

land and marshland, and typical north

German heathland.

Historic Oxen TrailThe Historic Oxen Trail begins in Flens-

burg and from there continues to Schles -

wig. Shortly after Rendsburg, it divides

into two. The eastern section crosses

areas of forest and moorland, passing

through the spa resort of Bad Bramstedt

Following the pilgrim’s pathWhat 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.

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Flensburg: Schifffahrtsmuseum

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From industry to cultureThe city of Münster is an example of how

a region has made the transition from in-

dustry 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

Tourismusbüro Bad BramstedtTel. +49 (0)4192 506 27 | Fax 4192 506 80

[email protected]

www.bad-bramstedt.de

Bad Bramstedt: beauty and balanceThe 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 Hol -

steiner 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.

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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.

Hamburg-BremenFrom Hamburg, the pilgrimage trail con-

tinues along the Hamburg-Bremen long-

distance 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.

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.

Neumünster Herbert Gerisch-Stiftung, Kissing Birds Bad Bramstedt: Roland statue

Bremerhaven TouristikTouristTel: +49 (0)471 - 809 36 100

[email protected]

www.bremerhaven-tourism.de

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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.

Always something going onA 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 magnificenthistorical vessel. Book at www.bremerhaven.de

>>


Stade at the Elbe

From Osnabrück, you follow the Route of

Peace to Münster with its Catholic cathe-

dral, 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

If you don’t fancy browsing fashion bouti -

ques, you might like to visit Beck’s Brew-

ery 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 BremerhavenBremerhaven, the sister city of Bremen,

has been shaped by its location on the sea

to an almost unparalleled extent. Bremer-

haven’s Harbour Worlds complex is the

perfect place for summer events. This is

where you’ll also find interactive exhibi -

tions and discovery centres such as the

Climate House Bremerhaven 8° East, with

the Information Centre for Offshore Wind

Energy, where visitors can sensually expe-

rience this new eco-friendly technology.

Between 1830 and 1974, more than seven

million people emigrated from Bremer-

haven, most of them to the USA. The Ger-

man Emigration Centre, Europe’s largest

interactive museum devoted to this sub-

ject, 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.

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Town Musicians of Bremen

Das MutterHaus Hotel und Tagungszentrum GmbHGeschwister-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

www.hotel-mutterhaus.de

A Düsseldorf hotel like no otherThis fabulous hotel, set in an idyllicpark, offers home comforts and luxury in a fine historical building.

There are 55 beautifully furnishedguest rooms and a range of functionrooms for all kinds of events.

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TIP From 31 May to 14 June 2015, Aachen playshost to the Fourth International Chorbiennale. Thefestival sees local, national and international choirsenchant audiences in concerts held throughout the citycentre, some of which are free to attend.www.chorbiennale.com

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

[email protected]

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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.

A backdrop of cultureDating 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 PrintengingerbreadWhether it’s a major sporting event such

as the World Equestrian Festival (CHIO),

an open-air festival like the International

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.

Aachen – a historic city bursting with lifeAachen 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.


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Welcome to a region of culture.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, Münster-

Osnabrück 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 MichelangeloThe 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.

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 idyllHaving presented numerous internationally

acclaimed exhibitions, Paderborn is build -

ing 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 ExpressionistMünster’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 No -

vember 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 artsWhat 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

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.

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North Rhine-Westphalia – a window into art

Münster: LWL Museum of Art and CultureMünster: OttoPiene


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Tourismus NRW e.V.Völklinger Straße 4

DE-40219 Düsseldorf

Tel.: +49 (0)211 913 20 500

[email protected]

www.tourism-nrw.com

Godefridus Schalcken: elegance bycandlelightHis 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 best-

paid 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.

A painter of tranquillity: ZurbaránFor 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.

takes charge of everything from initial

sketch to finished garment, from

photography to window dressing, from

accessories to fashion-show music.

Zero hour for artAfter 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 Düsseldorf-

based 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).

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 festivalof arts, brings together music, the visual arts, theatre,dance and performance inside industrial halls from theRuhr valley’s heyday (14 August to 26 September)

Düsseldorf: Francisco de Zurbarán Bonn: Karl Lagerfeld

Düsseldorf: Uecker

Cologne: Godefridus Schalcken


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TIP Discover a world of colourful flowers at theFourth Rhineland-Palatinate Regional Garden Show,which is being held in Landau from 17 April to18 October 2015

Rheinland-Pfalz Tourismus GmbHLöhrstraße 103–105 | DE-56068 Koblenz

www.romantic-germany.info

[email protected]

Tel.: +49 (0)1805 7574636

(€ 0.14/min. from German landlines,

max. € 0.42 per min. from German mobiles) © R

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the range of walks are numerous short

tours and circular routes, such as the

‘dream loops’ around the Saar-

Hunsrück-Steig.

Legendary winesCulture 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.

Legendary cultural attractionsFor 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.

There’s something for everyone, from

wine and culture to active pursuits.

Getting out and about amid richlyvaried sceneryThe 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 long-

distance routes for touring cyclists.

Sportier cyclists, meanwhile, will find all

manner of testing climbs and steep

descents in the Eifel, Westerwald and

Hunsrück hills.

Top Trails for long distance hikingIf 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-Hunsrück-

Steig 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 Saar-

Hunsrück-Steig. The trail has been

extended by 195km from Idar-Oberstein

to Boppard on the Rhine. Rounding off

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, Rhineland-

Palatinate is an ideal choice for a

weekend break or a longer holiday.

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.


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Badener Höhe, Hochkopf, Hornisgrinde,

Schliffkopf, Brend, Kesslerhöhe, Feldberg,

Belchen and Blauen are all higher than

1,000 metres. Towering peaks and thun-

dering waterfalls. It’s a scenic trail that

will take you to new heights.

Close to natureThe 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

The 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 val-

leys. 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, cross -

ing moors and meadows along the way

but also featuring some steep climbs.

There are several mountains to negotiate:

The Black Forest: at one with natureWalkers 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.

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+++WALKERS’ PARADISE IN THE HEART OF THE SOUTHERN BLACK FOREST+++WALKERS PARADISE IN

black forest100 km network of walking trailspilgrimage church, local history museum,visistor minefantastic range of dining an spa facilities

Black Forest ham tasting an Black Forest gateaucookery coursesNew Lebküchlerweg gingerbread trailGorges Trail, Wehra Valley and Westweg walking trails

Snowshoe tours, winter walking,cross-country skiing...International sled dog racing on the last weekend in January

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Lots of savings with the

all-inclusive

Todtmoos visitor card

Todtmoos Tourist Information � 0049-7674-9060-0 [email protected] .www.todtmoos.de

landscape a wild and rugged feel. The Ice

Age left behind a series of cirque lakes in

the Black Forest. Glaciers formed bowl-

shaped hollows in the mountains.

The round lakes that remained after they

melted now shimmer like dark eyes look -

ing out from the forest. It feels a world

away from everyday life. Stage nine cros-

ses Mount Feldberg, the highest peak in

the Black Forest. Stages ten and eleven

follow a route to Todtmoos and take wal-

kers 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 Ober-

land of Switzerland


Lake Constance Mainau Island

Mainau is one of the most popular tourist

attrac tions on Lake Constance, and fea -

tures a floral array following the seasons

as well as one of the largest butterfly

houses in Germany.

Medieval CastlesMeersburg Fortress with its unique sil hou -

ette 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

UNESCO World HeritageThe 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 featur -

ing 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 com -

plex and church as well as the mediterra -

nean character – this is Mainau, the

Flower Island in Lake Constance!

The Lake Constance holiday region

featur ing the four nations Germany,

Switzerland, the Principality of Liechten-

stein 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 won-

derful parks.

Holidays in the heart of EuropePalms 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.

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Meersburg – a magical, small medieval town with half-timbered buildings, an imposing castle and the baroque New Palace. Plus eight fascinating museums, outstanding wines and superb dining. at Lake Constance

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A world city with a big heartThanks 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 lakesFor 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 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.

An insider tip for cycling in BavariaIf 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.

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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 unforgett -

able experience

The river Isar nearby Bad Tölz

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

Experience nature, art and culture


www.tourism-nrw.comwww.aachen.dewww.romantic-germany.infowww.bremerhaven.dewww.bad-bramstedt.de

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


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Destination Germany