Oktoberfest–The Original and Still the Best

With a cry of “O’zapft is!” the festival known ’round the world begins and the sobriety of Munich ends. The exclamation is Bavarian for “It’s tapped” the exclaimer is the mayor of Munich in observance of his most joyous duty and the festival is Oktoberfest. “Ah,” you say, “I know Oktoberfest.” Let me assure you, gentle reader, that unless you have seen the tents filled with thousands of revelers, tasted the Oktoberfest draught unobtainable legally at any other place or any other time, unless you have been granted a smile by a dirndl wearing girl or washed down käsespätzle and roast ox tails with a liter tankard of lager–you, my kind friend, do not know Oktoberfest.

In the middle of the above rant you may have noticed an intriguing claim. You may have noticed I mentioned a beer that can not be found, barring larceny, outside of Munich during Oktoberfest. You did not misread, you do understand correctly. Oktoberfest beer is only sold within Oktoberfest tents. Darker, more flavorful and more potent than mere mortal beers, the Oktoberfest beer is a celebration of the celebration. If you are able to travel to Munich to be at Oktoberfest do us both a favor and make sure to have at least one draught of the stuff. Spread the legend.

Oktoberfest has been imitated around the world by other countries and regions of Germany looking to get in on the celebration or cash in on the popularity of the original, but none of the imitators can come close to matching the verve and spectacle of Munich’s pride and joy. The festival is held religiously, it literally takes a war or cholera epidemic to cancel the thing, and every consideration is made to adjust the celebrations and keep them modern and relevant without sacrificing tradition. The first such change was made by the Munich city founders who pushed the celebration forward from the middle of October to the end of September to take advantage of the weather. More recent innovations include lowered music volume until the afternoon and the 2008 ban on indoor smoking.

Get to Munich in time for the opening parade, firearms salute and the first keg being tapped and you might not make it home in time for November.

Bavarian Castles

Castle Road in Bavaria is not a misleading title. Named for the unusually large number of romantic castles in and around the thirteen historic cities along the route, Castle Road is definitely one of the more scenic paths a visitor to Bavaria can enjoy. The impressive, yet homey, castles lining Castle Road has made a trekking the winding road one of the more popular journeys for visitors.

Bavaria is just as well known for its well preserved historic heritage as the proverbial Bavarian pretzel. Green hills surrounding well maintained and immaculately groomed gingerbread villages make visitors feel as if they’ve been dropped into a storybook. For the visitor looking to enhance that sensation staying in a genuine royal castle is the ultimate experience.

Schloss Sommersdorf is one such castle offering accommodations to guests. All the rooms have been maintained in the original, old world style but the kitchenettes and bathrooms are completely modern. The family that built, and still inhabits, the castle would not have it any other way. After your first night enjoying the gothic hall, the view of the moat and the entrance hall’s fireplace you will feel just like the royal guest you are.

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Zaragossa–A Thousand Notable Things

Zaragossa, in Aragon, could be written about for dozens of pages without repeat and leaving much left unsaid. Zaragossa is generally known for its visual appeal, both architecturally and artistically. Zaragossa’s buildings mainly survived the war of independence and so some great enlightenment buildings stand to this day, much to the delight of visitors.

One such building is the Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar. The Basilica should be considered one of the wonders of the world. With its enormous domes, towers and bell-laden spires and multiple smaller bell towers the basilica looks like a Spanish Taj Majal. Another beautiful site, and one where you can do some shopping, is the art nouveau style Mercado de Lanuza. The Mercado is located beside actual ancient Roman walls. The history and beauty of the area makes separating yourself from your money a bit easier, as well.

Also waiting to be explored is the Goya filled art collection of an eclectic nobleman called the Museo Camón Aznar, housed in Pardos Palace. If you get tired of the town itself, seek diversion outside it. Zaragossa is situated in a valley with geography ranging from desert to forest to meadow to mountain and at a crossroads with Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao and Toulouse, France. Its location makes it a perfect place to base your vacation if you intend to explore.

Schwabing–Bohemian Bavaria

Admit it, there was a time in your life when you considered dropping out of school or quitting your job and moving to Greenwich Village, taking your painting or guitar playing more seriously and living la vie boheme. Don’t deny it, there’s an artist’s heart beating somewhere deep in your chest. There’s a free spirit longing to escape your office. Send it to Schwabing.

Schwabing used to be Munich’s bohemian quarter. It did not escape the gentrification common to such periodically hip areas, but thanks to the proximity of Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität and the Technical University of Munich, student activity and the rebellious, free spirit of youth has not fled.

Nowadays, Schwabing is the place to dine in Munich if you’re looking for either a classic beer and pretzels Bavarian pub or the cool, new and soon-to-be famous avant-cuisine of the month. Once you pass under the Siegestor you’ll know you’re in a unique neighborhood. As a bonus, if you’re not up for finding yourself you can always get lost in one of the largest public parks in the world. Now that’s wild.

Peacock Island

Every country, even most regions, have their quirky attractions that just don’t seem to fit in with the local atmosphere. America may be the king of the out-of-place. Every midwestern county with two acres of unoccupied interstate-side land seems to host the worlds tallest this or biggest that. What the world’s biggest twine ball is doing in Darwin, Minnesota is beyond me, but what Peacock Island is doing in the Havel River is no mystery.

Peacock Island is pretty much what it sounds like, an island with peacocks. Most people don’t imagine frivolous beauty when they think of Germany. The country has a reputation for austere design and imposing architecture dominated by even more imposing personalities. It may be for just those reasons that King Wilhelm Friedrich II designed a purpose built work-of-art landscape project so ambitious his successor had to help him complete it.

Everything about Peacock Island was planned with typical German precision and attention to detail, but extraordinary aesthetic ingenuity. The paths were planned with line of sight in mind and each turn presents an architectural treat or stunning panorama. The island is a work of art in flora and fauna, and each structure is similarly special. From the artificial gothic ruin, the diary, to the palace which was designed as a ruined Roman country mansion, every inch of Peacock Island begs exploration.

Family Activity in Wales That’ll Leave the Kids Screaming for Joy

The problem with family activities is that they seldom satisfy anyone. In the interest of compromising between the parents’ desire for safety and wholesome values and the kids’ yearning for adventure everyone is left with a bland, unexciting experience. This isn’t always the case, after all, but how many times can you swing on a tire from the backyard tree or watch giant foam-rubber mascots dance before you want to run screaming to the next stop on your itinerary? For me, once. I am pleased to announce that I’ve discovered where I’ll be spending at least one weekend on my next trip to the UK.

Clyne Farm in Wales boasts the world’s muddiest assault course, abseiling (in the state we call it rappelling), horseback riding, gadget racing… the list goes on and on. Now, not everything there is suitable for kids. I would not recommend letting anyone under 15 scale down a wall with only a rope between themselves and disaster, but having done so myself at fourteen I am not really in a position to tell anyone how to behave.

I haven’t gotten through reading all about what Clyne Farm has to offer but as far as I’m concerned, from their customer testimonials photographs and proffered activities they are a top notch british attraction.

Travel to Dublin

With its rich heritage, attractive architecture and famously good atmosphere, Dublin never fails to disappoint. One of Europe’s top tourist destinations, it is bustling with a wealth of activities. Catering to varied tastes and budgets, Dublin also offers its visitors the chance to see breathtaking countryside a stone’s throw from the city.

Renowned for inspiring some of the world’s most feted wordsmiths, no trip to Dublin would be complete without a little celebration of James Joyce and George Bernard Shaw. The Dublin Writers Museum should be the first port of call for anyone wishing to explore Ireland’s literary heritage, as it brings 300 years of history to life. The James Joyce Museum and the simple Victorian home commemorating the birthplace of Shaw are also must-sees.

But the best thing about Dublin are the people. Ireland was recently voted as one of the top 20 places to live, rated on such factors as gender equality and sense of community among many others. You can expect friendly faces and warm conversation at any of the local pubs, and neighborly good will just walking down the street.

Day Trip From Freiburg

Along the southern edge of the western Black Forest, Stuttgart and the surrounding area lend themselves to day trips and meandering excursions. Taking a road trip from Freiburg to Stuttgart could take as little as two hours, but that would be missing the point of slow travel. Slow travel caters to both of the explorer’s true desires; to know one place in detail, and to never stop moving. To meet those seemingly contradictory impulses one can turn a Sunday drive into a Sunday–and–night drive.

Leaving Freiburg and heading north along the river valleys affords amazing views that will have your shutter finger itching. Trace the river valleys from the road and let yourself pull over whenever you wish. It may not be a bad idea to bring a picnic basket. Other sights worth checking out are the Uhrenmuseum (clock museum) and the world’s biggest cuckoo clock. The actual cuckoo is over one meter long. Perhaps the reason the black forest inhabitants became so proficient at creating ornate time pieces is so they can remind themselves of the passage of time, Time that seems at a standstill in a place where the serene spirits of long gone trees can yet be felt, towering tall.

Despite the classic style and medieval sentiment of much of the black forest, Stuttgart is a cosmopolitan city in every sense. Of course, there aren’t many modern cities around with castles from the year 950, but that’s what makes it Germany. Stop at the Triberger Wasserfälle–the highest waterfalls in Germany–before making your way into town and enjoying a haute cuisine dinner in the fourth largest city in Germany.

Gelnhausen - Germany’s dark secret

This charming little village nurses a dark secret upon its quaint half-timber breast. The historic and picturesque old town’s cobble stone streets seem to echo with the clop of long gone horse shoes, or it could be the sighs of women being escorted off the mortal coil.

While some towns strive to hide their dirty laundry, Gelnhausen will not let itself forget. The Hexenturm, a tower used to imprison suspected witches during a 16th century, still stands dark and foreboding–and full of the implements of inspired confession. Many adjectives can be used to describe the collection but I will use just one: impressive. Impressive in scope and magnitude, impressive how inventive people have been in creating instruments intended to separate their fellows from their inhibitions or very sanity. Just as impressive are the results of the torture. Dozens of suspected witches were mutilated, burned and drowned in the slow and lazy Kinzig River.

If you don’t mind having the tour in German, you can get a tour on Sunday afternoons from May to October. You can also arrange a tour in English for 60 Euros if you have a group of 30 or more. Sweet dreams.

Franconia–Unique Within Bavaria

Every city in Franconia is a bit of a curiosity. Originally a duchy of the Holy Roman Empire and now officially part of Bavaria, and the area immediately west, Franconia holds on to its own traditions. One of the best preserved Franconian cities is Würzburg. Established as a bishopic, Würzburg’s fortress was built above the city and across water to seclude itself from the populace and inspire authority. This location gave it the perfect vantage from which to observe the unfolding epoch.

Würzburg has seen plenty of violence come and go but much of the old city remains, shielded from the troubles by the river. Several very impressive artifacts remain. The Würzburg cathedral is not to be missed. An affair of rolling rooftops, ornate windows and spire-topped towers, the cathedral will never fail to impress. Take in the view from the Old Main Bridge and you can feel immersed in antiquity.

Dozens of noteworthy and famous artists have emerged from Würzburg to take the wow the world stage. With such inspiring scenery, turbulent history and dramatic architecture it’s no real wonder that Würzburg has been home to creative souls. Several festivals take place year round and, coupled with the host of interesting museums and gallery collections, these make Würzburg an excellent town to visit or stay in in any weather.

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