My wife and I will be leaving for Germany on June 5th 2009 and staying in Germany (and Switzerland for a few days) until June 19th, 2009. I%26#39;d like to get a little information from my friends at Trip Advisor...
We will be staying in the town of Queidersbach with some friends of ours. I%26#39;m looking for things to do in and around this town and Kaiserslautern (closest big city).
We%26#39;re interested in experiencing German life in the country side and seeing sights the picturesque countryside so I%26#39;m open to any and all suggestions regarding points of interest in this area.
My wife and I would like to travel to Berlin for a day or two but do not know how far a trip, by train, that is.
Also, if are there any concentration camps in the area we would like to visit those.
Since neither of us are familiar with traditional German meals we%26#39;d be interested in knowing what is considered popular German cuisine. (especially popular beers:)).
Csastles! We hear there are many that are worth visiting in and near the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz. We only have enough time to see the best so those who have visited castles please offer your opinions.
We%26#39;ll be travelling to Switzerland for 3-4 days and would also like suggestions on places to stay in Grindlewald. Preferably a small B%26amp;B with a mountain view.
I realize I%26#39;m asking alot but my wife and I are completely unfamiliar with Germany and German culture. Any hints, tips, and suggestions are welcome! Thanks to all!!
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I lived in Queidersbach for 3 months - it is a very quaint German town. It is also very %26quot;American-friendly%26quot; due to its proximity to the air bases. The local bakery is a nice place for breakfast - all the locals come in with their baskets to buy their daily bread. The B3 hotel has an EXCELLENT restaurant, moderately priced with excellent food and service. They also have English menus and are very American-friendly.
Berlin is about a 6 hour drive - there are also many local train stations in both Kaiserslautern and Ramstein that have the high-speed trains - you can look at their website: db.de the earlier you book trains, the better!
Paris if you%26#39;re interested is only about a 4 hour drive - it%26#39;s a beautiful drive through the French countryside! There are several tolls to pay though (probably around 80eur roundtrip). You can rent a car pretty inexpensively from AVIS or Sixt. If you%26#39;re considering renting a car, you can get an international drivers license from AAA for around $25 before you leave the states.
The Germans are very friendly - they are very used to Americans and tourists. The Americans out number the Germans almost 2:1 in this area because of the military. Almost everyone speaks english in the area. Queidersbach is also online! They have an events calendar and if you are around for Chickenfest, I highly recommend it! Lots of local culture. . . I hope this has helped you a little and I hope you enjoy your trip!
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I lived in Queidersbach for about 18 months in the 1970%26#39;s. It is not a hot tourist center but a very pleasant place. My best memories were of the extensive woods that bordered the town and the local Gasthaus that filled up every Sunday after church. Other than walks around the village, I suppose that finding good area country inns was the most pleasant pastime. The Pflaz was fairly rural, hilly and green.
Castles. You are a very short drive from either the Rhein or Mosel Rivers. I spent less time in the castles than sampling the wine. Schloss Vollrads was my favorite vineyard.
www.welterbe-mittelrheintal.de/index.php…
Nearby Trier on the Mosel is know for the remains of the Roman Colony that once stood there.
http://cms.trier.de/frontend/resource/
You will not lack for things to do.
Regards, Gary
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I live in Bann which is right next to Queiderbach, and we have always said it is like living in a Disney set. the little German houses, with the Church in the middle. Rolling hills and interesting weather. The nearest larger town to you would be Landsthul, which has a small Wegplatz, but very nice. Kaiserslautern is ok, but really not much to see there, again a larger WegPlatz, so you can see how German shop and socialize.
Landsthul has the Nuenstein Castle, which was built in the 1100%26#39;s, very interesting history, one of the important landmarks in the 30 year War.
As far as Concentration camps, not really in this area. Kaiserslautern was the home of the famous Panzer Divisions, which are now our US Military bases. I think the nearest would be Auschwitz, which is a good 200 miles?? Could be wrong.
Food in this part of Germany is very different from were my family is from up north. It is a lot of Schnitzel, game meats, things like that. All very good, with all the red cabbage and potato dumplings. The bear in Germany is like nothing you have ever tasted in the United States. There are not preservatives and so it tastes wonderful, does not loose it fizz and has a head like a milkshake. You will never look a bear the same. To get a good idea of German beers you should go to what they call a Getrank Markt, which is a sort of liquor store, you can get a bottle of each kind of beer for about 69 Euro Cents, or about a buck.
I hope you enjoy your time in Rhineland-Phaltz. Gutes Flug und shone besuchen!
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Dumb but curious question from a German - what do you mean by a Wegplatz?
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That is what Americans call the Pedestrian Walk in Kaiserslautern. Should it just be the Pedestrian Platz?
Are you from K-town, we speak Germlish like not other town in Germany, 30,000 Americans here.
Tchuse
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Fußgängerzone :-)
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Alles Klar!
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