9780679001379

The best guide to Germany, updated everyyear Country drives and city walks to churches and abbeys, museums and monuments, castles and gardens, east and west Great shopping -- dirndls, woodcarvings, antiques, and wine After dark -- concerts, opera, jazz, folk dances, bars, clubs Where to stay and eat, no matter what your budget Hotels, castles, spas, Gasthauser, inns, and pensions Restaurants, wine taverns, bistros, Kneipen, and beer halls Fresh, thorough, practical -- off and on the beaten path Costs, hours, descriptions, and tips by the thousands All reviews based on visits by savvy writer-residents 63 pages of maps, 46 vacation itineraries, and more Important contacts, smart travel tips Fodor's Choice What's Where Pleasures & Pastimes New & Noteworthy Festivals Historical chronology Further reading, videos to watch Comprehensive index

About Our Writers Each year the Gold Guides are written and updated by more than 500 resident writers
Connections Resources for travelers
How to Use This Book Describes organization, icons, and other key information
Don't Forget to Write Tells you how to get in touch with our editors
The Gold Guide: Smart Travel Tips A to Z An easy-to-use section divided alphabetically by topic
Under each listing you'll find tips and information that will help you accomplish what you need to in Germany
You'll also find addresses and telephone numbers of organizations and companies that offer destination-related services and detailed information and publications
Destination: Germany Helps get you in the mood for your trip
New and Noteworthy Cues you in on trends and happenings
What's Where Gets you oriented
Pleasures and Pastimes Describes the activities and sights that make Germany unique
Fodor's Choice Showcases our top picks from special restaurants and one-of-a-kind accommodations to out-of-the-ordinary sights and activities...
Let them inspire you! Festivals and Seasonal Events Alerts you to special events you'll want to seek out
Munich With Exploring Munich, Shopping, Dining, Lodging, Nightlife and the Arts, and Outdoor and Sports
The following destination chapters in Fodor's Germany '99 are arranged geographically, going roughly from south to north
Each city chapter begins with Exploring information, which is divided into neighborhood sections; each recommends a walking or driving tour and lists sights in alphabetical order
Each regional chapter is divided by geographical area; within each area, towns are covered in logical geographical order, and attractive stretches of road and minor points of interest are indicated
The Bavarian Alps The Bavarian Forest The Romantic Road Franconia The Bodensee The Black Forest Heidelberg and the Neckar Valley Frankfurt Rhineland Palatinate RThe Rhineland The Fairy-Tale Road Hamburg Berlin Thuringia and Saxony The Baltic Coast Portraits of Germany Germany at a Glance: A Chronology, Books and Videos
Index Maps
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

Pleasures and Pastimes

Beer

The Germans don't just produce a beverage called beer; they brew more than 5,000 varieties in a range of tastes and colors. Germany has about 1,300 breweries, 40% of the world's total. The hallmark of the country's dedication to beer is the purity law, das Reinheitsgebot, unchanged since Duke Wilhelm IV introduced it in Bavaria in 1516. The law decrees that only malted barley, hops, yeast, and water may be used to make beer, except for specialty wheat beers.

Asking for a beer in most German hostelries is like going into a cheese shop and asking for cheese. Even the simplest country inn will likely have a choice of beers, and in many pubs there may be several different draft beers in addition to the standard selection of bottled beers. The type available varies from one part of the country to another, and in areas of southern Germany the choice can also depend on the time of year.

In northern Germany the most popular standard beers are export lagers or the paler, more pungent Pilsners. The breweries of the Rhine cities Köln and Düsseldorf produce "old-fashioned" beers similar to English ales. Ultimately, all beer routes lead to the world's beer-drinking capital: Munich. This is where you'll find the biggest beer halls, the largest beer gardens, the most famous breweries, the biggest and most indulgent beer festival, and the widest selection of brews; even the beer glasses are bigger. It's a measure of how seriously the Germans take their beer that they see no conflict in the fact that one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the country -- a place with great art galleries and museums, an opulent opera house, and chic life-styles -- is internationally recognized as the most beer-drenched city on earth. Postcards are framed with the message "Munich, the Beer City."

Boat Trips

River and lake trips are among the greatest delights of a vacation in Germany, especially along the Rhine, Germany's longest river. The Rhine may be viewed in a variety of modes. For those in a hurry, there is a daily hydrofoil service from Düsseldorf right through to Mainz (book in advance). For gentler souls, there is a wide range of more leisurely cruises. German cruise ships also operate on the Upper Rhine as far as Basel, Switzerland; on the Main between Frankfurt and Mainz; on the Danube to Vienna and Budapest; on the Europe Canal joining the Main and the Danube; on the Elbe and Weser and their estuaries; on the Inn and Ilz; and on the Ammersee, Chiemsee, Königsee, Bodensee, and many other smaller German lakes.

History

Germany's past is glorious at times, horrifying at others. No matter what part of the country you visit, you'll be bombarded with it. In northern Germany the devastation of the Thirty Years' War is as visible as the riches brought by the Hanseatic League. Throughout the country are remainders of leading figures -- Charlemagne's throne in Aachen, Wittelsbach castles in Bavaria, Hitler's Alpine retreat. Many concentration camps, including Dachau, outside Munich, and Sachsenhausen, outside Berlin, have been reopened as education centers and memorials to their victims. In the former East Germany, many reminders of Communism -- such as statues of Marx -- were obliterated, but citizens fought to retain some, and won. Theme tours can help you focus on an area of specific interest. You can organize a trip by visiting the castles of Ludwig II, for example, or take a theme road, such as the tourist office's new Martin Luther route, to explore the country's past.

Outdoor Activities and Sports

The Germans are nothing if not sports-crazy, and practically every sport, however arcane, can be arranged almost anywhere in the country. A good number of sports packages -- for sailing, tennis, climbing, walking, and horseback riding, to name only a few -- are also available. Below, we give details of some of the more popular participant sports. Information about important sporting events is also published every month by regional and local tourist offices.

Scenery

Many of the tours in this book are designed to help you take in Germany's beauty. From the medieval brick buildings in the tiny towns on the Baltic Coast, to the spectacular castle- and vine-covered hills along the Rhine, to the densely wooded forests in the south, to the crystal-clear Alpine lakes, Germany's scenery is as diverse as it is breathtaking. Whether you're in the shadow of high-rises or driving past geranium-bedecked, half-timbered houses on a country road, be sure to appreciate what's around you.

Wine

More than 2,000 years ago, Romans saw the potential for grape growing in their newly conquered land, and vineyards have held their own in the beer-guzzling country ever since. Germany has nearly 240,000 acres of vineyards, about 87% of which are planted with white-wine grapes. Because it is so far north, the wines Germany produces are light and delicate; Riesling grapes and wines are the best known. The "Rivers of Wine" itinerary, below, and the Wine Road tour in Chapter 11 are good tours for connoisseurs.

Excerpted from Germany '99: The Complete Guide with the Best of the Cities, Medieval Villages and the Bavarian Alps by Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. Staff
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Fodor's 1999 Germany

Fodor's 1999 Germany

0679001379

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

Excerpts