<p>Anyone have any hints? What is the weather like in August? Anything a must do and a kind of avoid? We are thinking of a trip in early august for 7-9 days</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>August is the month off from school in Bavaria. (School schedule rotates among the states to ease congestion on the Autobahn.) Plane tickets are often more expensive then. We want to go in June, for D’s graduation. Tickets are already horrendous, so I don’t know if we will get to go or not.</p>
<p>Weather is pretty good in the summer. Plan on layers, including a light jacket. There is no A/C, so hot days are really hot. Usually hottest in late July. Southern Germany is colder due to higher elevation.</p>
<p>We lived there 3 years and still didn’t see everything we wanted to see, so plan to pick and choose. I expect you will pick a big city - maybe two - and spend your time there. The big cities are more international, and most places of business there will have English speakers. Here are some options:</p>
<ol>
<li> Munich: My favorite destination is the Residenz - was the king’s home up to the fall of the monarchy in 1911 or so. Gorgeous. So big, that only portions of the place are open at a time. I’ve been there probably 6 times, and saw new rooms each time. Right next door, and part of a combo ticket, is the treasury - jewels, crowns, etc. Stunning.</li>
</ol>
<p>Other places in Munich - center city (where Residenz is) is easily walkable. There are lots of churches, the famous glockenspiel (but underwhelming in this Disney era) in the town hall, etc. English Gardens are beautiful - a bit a hike from center city, but public transportation is excellent. Olympic stadium. BMW museum. Technical Museum. Outside the town is another palace. North of Munich is Dachau - the first concentration camp. Sobering.</p>
<p>A couple hours to the east is the famous Neuschwanstein Castle that Disney modeled Sleeping Beauty’s after. It’s a classic tourist place, but there are better castles IMO.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Berlin - one of my favorites, because I really like history. Ton of stuff to do. The wall is all but gone - marked by a brick line in the ground. But a truly fascinating city.</p></li>
<li><p>Heidelberg - Several military bases in the area make this city full of Americans. Plenty to see and do, including the huge old castle on the hill. Not enough for a whole week, IMO, but take the train an hour east and visit - </p></li>
<li><p>Rothenburg - the worlds largest tourist shop. 
The town is filled with little shops. Climb the town hall. Stop by the visitor’s bureau and pick up a walking tour, and go from one end of the city to the other. This is a walled city, with much history, and plenty to do besides shopping. We took visitors here regularly.</p></li>
<li><p>Another hour east of Rothenburg is Nuernberg (Nuremberg in English) - Hitler’s stomping grounds. If you go here, the English tour (at the visitor’s center) is well worth it. There is a neat castle here. Hitler’s arena. Lots more.</p></li>
<li><p>Leipzig - A couple hours south of Berlin. Great town for music lovers and history lovers. In the former East Germany, and gives a glimpse at some of the differences - has been “under construction” for awhile, as they seek to catch up with the modern world. Something in the water - this is the city of Bach, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Wagner, etc. It is also the seat of the revolution that resulted in the fall of the Iron Curtain. An hour north is Wittenburg, where Luther nailed his 99 theses to the door of the church. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>There are other nice places in Germany, but if I only had a week, I think I’d start with one of these.</p>
<p>Actually, another option might be to fly to Munich and spend a few days, then travel a couple hours south to Salzburg, Austria - Another of my favorite places. Huge castle/fortress, and lots of history (birthplace of Mozart, for example), and lots of “Sound of Music” sites - where it was filmed. Also has Salt Mines outside the city.</p>
<p>That’s a start. If you have more questions, I’d be glad to try to answer them.</p>
<p>I spent five years in Munich. I’m most familiar with that area, but did a fair amount of traveling in the rest of Germany as well. The weather could be anything from cold and rainy to nice and warm. I can’t remember ever being hot! A week isn’t a lot of time. You can probably do Munich in two or three days. You’ll want to go to a bier garden - the one in the English Garden is easy to get to and they play music on the weekends. As plus you can gawk at the nude sunbathers. I think the Hofbrauhaus is skippable, it’s very, very touristy - we usually went to the Augustinerhaus which is in the walking zone. Get to Marienplatz for the carillon (3 x a day). My absolute favorite don’t miss thing to do in Munich is the Assam Kirche - an improbable baroque church. <a href=“http://members.tripod.com/isabeau_munich/munich/churches/munich8-assamskirche.htm[/url]”>http://members.tripod.com/isabeau_munich/munich/churches/munich8-assamskirche.htm</a></p>
<p>Personally, I’m not that crazy about Salzburg - maybe because I’m probably the only person in the world who hasn’t seen The Sound of Music. It’s just soooo touristy. The Salt Mines are great fun. You get to slide down a great hill of salt at the end of the tour.</p>
<p>Neuschwannstein is very touristy too, but the setting is gorgeous and it’s so over the top, it’s fun to see. If you have extra time my favorite thing to do is to take a ski lift up to the top of a mountain and hike around the top - there are usually bier gardens up there too. </p>
<p>Be sure to stop in a cafe and have the best coffee and kuchen (cakes) you will ever have. </p>
<p>If I were going to go one other place in Germany I’d probably pick Berlin.</p>
<p>The BMW museum & factory tour is great. Oberammergau is beautiful. Definitely see one of crazy King Ludwig’s castles.</p>
<p>
The summer of 03, people were dying all over Europe because it was so hot. We got there just after the worst of it, so our hotel room was only in the 90s every day. No A/C, and no window screens, so lots of bugs. But two summers ago, I didn’t think we’d ever get to leave our jackets behind.</p>
<p>The Assam church is amazing. It was funny - I saw it on the map, but walked right past it on the street the first time we went. The victual market is kinda neat, too, and not too far from Assam.</p>
<p>CGM, it would be helpful to know what kinds of things you enjoy. As I said, I love history and music, so I’m drawn to those kinds of places. But there is plenty for everyone. If you decide to do Neuschwanstein, you might look for a day tour (plenty for sale around Munich) since it’s a several hour drive and will pretty much take a whole day.</p>
<p>I was actually in Scotland the summer of 03 and it’s the only time I’ve been to England and not needed to buy a sweater. </p>
<p>We left Germany in 89 - I guess global warming hadn’t really hit yet. Hard to believe it’s been so long - Mathson was 6 months old when we left. </p>
<p>The first time I went to Neuschwannstein I went with a tour that also stopped at Vierzehnheiligen another great baroque church. It’s an easy way to go.</p>
<p>I second the suggestion for the Victuelenmarkt. If the soup place is still there have some Maultaschen soup for me. :)</p>