Take a Vacation

[Bo Diddley]

And if he goes to Werfen, he should stop by Werfen Castle, better know to us Americans as the location for Where Eagles Dare, a favorite war movie from the '60s, and the adjacent hilltop from which Julie Andrews started singing in The Sound of Music.

Having lived near Berchtesgaden and then in Salzburg for a few months (tough duty, that mission), and after repeated follow-up visits, I still know the area very well including (and I blush to admit this) pretty much every Sound of Music location. But perhaps my favorite spot in the greater Salzburg area is the lakeside town of Hallstatt, including a great gasthaus where we enjoy staying.

Unfortunately, most of the WWII Nazi locations have been torn down. On P-Days we enjoyed rooting around the old SS barracks and other remnants of the war. It boggles my mind that the time between my mission and Hitler's death is much shorter than the time between my mission and now.

There's no shame here. There are two kinds of people in the world:

1)Those who love The Sound of Music

and

2) Those who are dead inside

I'd be interested to hear about some of the Sound of Music locations. My wife & I are planning a trip to the area sometime in the next few years. We haven't settled on whether or not we will include Salzburg.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I'd be interested to hear about some of the Sound of Music locations. My wife & I are planning a trip to the area sometime in the next few years. We haven't settled on whether or not we will include Salzburg.

I was going to write something up, but an online search revealed a number of fairly helpful lists. This one is by far the best and most accurate that I looked at. When my family came to pick me up at the end of my mission, the glass gazebo ("Sixteen Going on Seventeen") was still at the Leopoldskron palace, which served as the Von Trapp backyard and was within walking distance of my last mission residence. My goofy sisters reenacted the scene as one, guided by the other, leaped from bench to bench around the interior perimeter. As the article notes, the gazebo is now at Hellbrunn, the former residence of the Salzburg Archbishop that includes lots of pretty impressive fountains and water-driven displays and practical jokes.

And we hiked the path the Von Trapp family takes at the end of the movie to apparent freedom in Switzerland. That path actually leads into Germany, directly toward what was then the Eagle's Nest and a battalion of SS Troops. Tough break for the family.

I've loved taking friends and family on tours of the area; wish I could do the same for you...

[Copelius]

I was going to write something up, but an online search revealed a number of fairly helpful lists. This one is by far the best and most accurate that I looked at. When my family came to pick me up at the end of my mission, the glass gazebo ("Sixteen Going on Seventeen") was still at the Leopoldskron palace, which served as the Von Trapp backyard and was within walking distance of my last mission residence. My goofy sisters reenacted the scene as one, guided by the other, leaped from bench to bench around the interior perimeter. As the article notes, the gazebo is now at Hellbrunn, the former residence of the Salzburg Archbishop that includes lots of pretty impressive fountains and water-driven displays and practical jokes.

And we hiked the path the Von Trapp family takes at the end of the movie to apparent freedom in Switzerland. That path actually leads into Germany, directly toward what was then the Eagle's Nest and a battalion of SS Troops. Tough break for the family.

I've loved taking friends and family on tours of the area; wish I could do the same for you...

Well, he was a naval officer.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I was going to write something up, but an online search revealed a number of fairly helpful lists. This one is by far the best and most accurate that I looked at. When my family came to pick me up at the end of my mission, the glass gazebo ("Sixteen Going on Seventeen") was still at the Leopoldskron palace, which served as the Von Trapp backyard and was within walking distance of my last mission residence. My goofy sisters reenacted the scene as one, guided by the other, leaped from bench to bench around the interior perimeter. As the article notes, the gazebo is now at Hellbrunn, the former residence of the Salzburg Archbishop that includes lots of pretty impressive fountains and water-driven displays and practical jokes.

And we hiked the path the Von Trapp family takes at the end of the movie to apparent freedom in Switzerland. That path actually leads into Germany, directly toward what was then the Eagle's Nest and a battalion of SS Troops. Tough break for the family.

I've loved taking friends and family on tours of the area; wish I could do the same for you...

Dang it. That would have made for an interesting sequel.

[BigPiney]

How are you moving between cities? One of my favorite places ever was Cesky Krumlov which is roughly between Prague and Vienna/Salzburg. We stopped there once in our way driving from Prague to Vienna

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/czech-r.../cesky-krumlov

I second this. We went there a year ago based on creekster's recommendation and we loved it. Easy bus ride from Prague if you are not driving. No trains go there. The castle was very cool and little town was wonderful. Wife and I took a float down the river and really enjoyed that. It was in a rubberized canoe and they have a series of weirs that you have to navigate that made it really fun.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Dang it. That would have made for an interesting sequel.

One other (and there are actually dozens) of historical inaccuracies about the film is the song Edelweiss, which many Americans believe is either the Austrian national anthem or at least one of Austria's most beloved songs. Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote the song in the '50s. While I was in Salzburg, the BYU Study Abroad group there put on a show, mainly about America, but closed with Edelweiss, with the apparent expectation that the locals would be moved to tears by the gesture. Instead, one of them leaned over to me, rolled his eyes, and said the equivalent of, "Geez, this is the part where we're supposed to get all choked up and shower you Americans with praise and gratitude. We'd never heard this song until you guys started coming over in the 60s."

[myboynoah]

One other (and there are actually dozens) of historical inaccuracies about the film is the song Edelweiss, which many Americans believe is either the Austrian national anthem or at least one of Austria's most beloved songs. Rodgers & Hammerstein wrote the song in the '50s. While I was in Salzburg, the BYU Study Abroad group there put on a show, mainly about America, but closed with Edelweiss, with the apparent expectation that the locals would be moved to tears by the gesture. Instead, one of them leaned over to me, rolled his eyes, and said the equivalent of, "Geez, this is the part where we're supposed to get all choked up and shower you Americans with praise and gratitude. We'd never heard this song until you guys started coming over in the 60s."

Ungrateful Austrians.

[Topper]

I second a visit to Dachau, and Fuessen, where Ludwig II's palaces, or at least two of them, are. We visited them both this past August. Whether you pay the obligatory visit to the Hofbraeuhaus or not is your decision. The food is okay but the atmosphere is fun.

You may also wish to visit Stuttgart and the Porsche HQ.

[Crockett]

So I am going to Germany for 2 weeks. I welcome any suggestions.

Plan:
Fly into Frankfurt
Rhine river cruise-1 day
Rothenburg-1 night
Munich - 2 nights
Salzburg - 1 night
Prague - 3 nights
Berlin - 4 nights

With some room to change.

Frankfurt -- A great place to get some classic German food is Frau Rauscher Apfelweinwirtschaft. It's the place that locals go before / after a soccer game to eat.
Rothenburg -- Make sure you go to the Criminal Museum. So good. Also, you have to go to the Käthe Wohlfahrt store. It's a store that sells Christmas decorations year round, but walking through it is absolutely incredible. If you have time, stop in Dinkelsbühl (and even Nördlingen) on your way to Munich.
Munich -- Dachau is really good. Make sure you spend some time walking through the old pedestrian zone here and see Marienplatz. Nymphenburg Schloss is a beautiful palace with massive gardens that are great for a walk. For food, I would walk through the Hofbräuhaus just to see it. It's fun. The place to eat close by is Ratskeller. It's tucked away in the basement and is easy to miss, but there is a big entrance and sign and you just descend the stairs. The wienerschnitzel is great and it appears to have other great options, too. The apfelstrüdel is awesome and so is the mousse. I've also heard good things about Schneider Bräuhaus München, but I haven't eaten there. And yes, go to Neuschwanstein and see the castle there. It's best to reserve your tickets in advance (check the website online) so that you don't have to wait when you arrive.
Berlin -- I really enjoyed the boat tour here. On the edge of the big central park, Tiergarten, there is a really nice Biergarten: Cafe am Neuen See. If the weather is nice, it's a great place to sit outside and enjoy the evening with pretty lights. The bratwurst and pizza are solid. Checkpoint Charlie is worth seeing. (I actually visited Berlin about six months after the fall of the Berlin wall when most of it was still up, including the guard towers. It's almost all gone now.) Be sure to see the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, and Alexanderplatz.

I like to drink the Apfelschorle (carbonated apple juice) when I'm in Germany. I love good Döner Kebabs. Those places are everywhere. Some are really good and some are weak, though. I guess check Google reviews to find a good place.

It's too bad you don't have time for Heidelberg. That is a really pretty town with a nice castle on the hill. The Kulturbrauerei is a great place to eat with a nice atmosphere that is tucked away and unknown by tourists. Sit outside if the weather is nice enough.

One more thing: DRINK SOME CHOCOLATE MUELLERMILCH. It's chocolate milk found in most grocery stores and some gas stations. It's divine.

[Maximus]

Frankfurt -- A great place to get some classic German food is Frau Rauscher Apfelweinwirtschaft. It's the place that locals go before / after a soccer game to eat.
Rothenburg -- Make sure you go to the Criminal Museum. So good. Also, you have to go to the Käthe Wohlfahrt store. It's a store that sells Christmas decorations year round, but walking through it is absolutely incredible. If you have time, stop in Dinkelsbühl (and even Nördlingen) on your way to Munich.
Munich -- Dachau is really good. Make sure you spend some time walking through the old pedestrian zone here and see Marienplatz. Nymphenburg Schloss is a beautiful palace with massive gardens that are great for a walk. For food, I would walk through the Hofbräuhaus just to see it. It's fun. The place to eat close by is Ratskeller. It's tucked away in the basement and is easy to miss, but there is a big entrance and sign and you just descend the stairs. The wienerschnitzel is great and it appears to have other great options, too. The apfelstrüdel is awesome and so is the mousse. I've also heard good things about Schneider Bräuhaus München, but I haven't eaten there. And yes, go to Neuschwanstein and see the castle there. It's best to reserve your tickets in advance (check the website online) so that you don't have to wait when you arrive.
Berlin -- I really enjoyed the boat tour here. On the edge of the big central park, Tiergarten, there is a really nice Biergarten: Cafe am Neuen See. If the weather is nice, it's a great place to sit outside and enjoy the evening with pretty lights. The bratwurst and pizza are solid. Checkpoint Charlie is worth seeing. (I actually visited Berlin about six months after the fall of the Berlin wall when most of it was still up, including the guard towers. It's almost all gone now.) Be sure to see the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, and Alexanderplatz.

I like to drink the Apfelschorle (carbonated apple juice) when I'm in Germany. I love good Döner Kebabs. Those places are everywhere. Some are really good and some are weak, though. I guess check Google reviews to find a good place.

It's too bad you don't have time for Heidelberg. That is a really pretty town with a nice castle on the hill. The Kulturbrauerei is a great place to eat with a nice atmosphere that is tucked away and unknown by tourists. Sit outside if the weather is nice enough.

One more thing: DRINK SOME CHOCOLATE MUELLERMILCH. It's chocolate milk found in most grocery stores and some gas stations. It's divine.

I forgot about Heidelberg, we are spending a night there after frankfurt.

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Crockett]

I forgot about Heidelberg, we are spending a night there after frankfurt.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Oh, then for Heidelberg, my favorite place for Döner Kebabs is Yufkas Kebap. Right by the main old church. Really good. There is a cool all-Muesli store in the pedestrian zone ("mymuesli") that is great if you are into that sort of thing. Some of the best chocolate ice cream I have had ever (and I've had a lot) is in this hidden little gem called Chocolaterie St.Anna No.1.

Have fun!

[Topper]

Oh, then for Heidelberg, my favorite place for Döner Kebabs is Yufkas Kebap. Right by the main old church. Really good. There is a cool all-Muesli store in the pedestrian zone ("mymuesli") that is great if you are into that sort of thing. Some of the best chocolate ice cream I have had ever (and I've had a lot) is in this hidden little gem called Chocolaterie St.Anna No.1.

Have fun!

If he can make it over to Trier, that is the oldest city in Germany.

[happyone]

And if he goes to Werfen, he should stop by Werfen Castle, better know to us Americans as the location for Where Eagles Dare, a favorite war movie from the '60s, and the adjacent hilltop from which Julie Andrews started singing in The Sound of Music.

Having lived near Berchtesgaden and then in Salzburg for a few months (tough duty, that mission), and after repeated follow-up visits, I still know the area very well including (and I blush to admit this) pretty much every Sound of Music location. But perhaps my favorite spot in the greater Salzburg area is the lakeside town of Hallstatt, including a great gasthaus where we enjoy staying.

Unfortunately, most of the WWII Nazi locations have been torn down. On P-Days we enjoyed rooting around the old SS barracks and other remnants of the war. It boggles my mind that the time between my mission and Hitler's death is much shorter than the time between my mission and now.

Do they still do the "Sound of Music" Tours in Salzburg?

[Color Me Badd Fan]

I forgot about Heidelberg, we are spending a night there after frankfurt.

Thanks for the suggestions!

I spent quite a bit of time on my mission in Heidelberg. The castle is kind of boring. I've also heard that Neuschwanstein is pretty lame. It was build after the civil war.

My parents went on a trip to Germany last year and have a few tourist books hanging around. There's a place called Eltz Castle that I didn't even know was in my mission. It's around the Koblenz area where I never spent any significant amount of time. Unlike Heidelberg, it will be off the beaten path.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Do they still do the "Sound of Music" Tours in Salzburg?

If pretty much any else on this board had asked me that, I'd dismiss the snark and go Julie Andrews (see below) on them. But you are a man among boys and without guile, so I can simply answer, "Yes." More than fifty years after the movie, it's still a booming business in Salzburg.