Germany Travel Guide

Bavaria
This is the region in Germany most visit by tourists. We plan to go back in the summer when it's not so cold.

Attractions

• Schloss Neuschwanstein, Mad King Ludwig's storybook castle. Fascinating story. English tours available. Entrance fee, €9.00. Visitors can also purchase a combo ticket for €17.00 to see Hohenschwangau, Ludwig's childhood home. Wear your walking shoes because there is a steep hill to climb. There are also horse-drawn carriages that go to the tops but honestly, the people in who took them looked miserable.

Accommodations

• See Reutte, Austria
  

Bonn

Attractions

• Rhine Cruses. Most boats run March through October. Prices vary depending on the company, season, and length of your trip. (Bonner Personen Schiffahrt offers a good deal.) Many companies offer cruses along the Rhine. Though the portion of the Rhine between Cologne and Linz am Rhine is not the most scenic part o the river. It is certainly worth it if you will not be traveling farther up river. (See Rhineland Highs and Lows.)
  
• Drachenfels Bahn. €9.00 for train ticket, €10.00 for train plus entrance to the Schloss Drachenburg, Siebenbirgs Museum, and the Nature Museum. (Museum tickets can be used at any time, not only on the date of purchase.) The oldest cog railway in Germany, the Drachenfels Bahn travels from Köenigswinter up a steep portion of the Siebengebirge (literally Seven Mountains). From the top you can visit the ruins of the Drachenfels castle, which dominates the highest peak in the area and can be seen from many places in the Bonn area. There are great views and a nice cafe. Halfway down the hill the train stops at the Drachenfels Schloss, a residential castle, or visit the reptile zoo.
  

Restaurants

• Kratz, Lennéstraße 61, Südstadt. Mostly Italian food with Indian influences. Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. (See A Local Place.)
• Eiscafé Capri, Theaterplatz 2, 53177 Bonn. Open daily from 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM, March through October. Phone: 0228-353681 Fax.: 0228-353847. Good gelato in Bad Godesberg. (See A Lot o' Gelato.)
  

Entertainment

• Jazz Keller, Burbacher Str.2/Ecke Reuterstr, 53129 Bonn. Jazz club featuring local acts. No cover. Visit their Web site for weekly schedule.
  

Cologne (Köln)

• The Kölner Dom, Dompropstei Margarethenkloster 5, 50667. Free admission every day except during services. English tours daily at 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM for €6. Meet inside, at the front. This is the attraction in Cologne. You don't really need a map to find it. If you arrive my train, exit the main train station (Hauptbahnhof, or HBF as you will see it posted) and look up. If you are driving into Cologne, the spires dominate the skyline. Following road signs to "Zentrum" will get you there. (Also see Kölner Dom or visit the cathedral’s Web site.)