So, I got a last minute from call from my boss this past Friday, “asking” could I be in Germany on Sunday. So instead of Valentine’s Day, I flew to Frankfurt, hopped the train to Stuttgart, took the rental car to Kirchheim and, well, here I am. It’s cold, but not unbearable. But Kirchheim u/Teck is tiny, and I’m already half stir crazy. I was just here a couple of weeks ago, and really, REALLY need to find something to do. I have a car, so can get around, and know Germany somewhat.
So, suggestions? And not just “Go to Munich”, but some ideas of what to do, given the weather, once I get there.
Are you aware that this one will be the final weekend in Carnival/Fastnacht? Whether that is a big deal differs from town to town but if you want to go out this weekend keep that in mind.
If you like the idea of putting on a funny hat and getting drunker than you should, then you will find ample opportunity.
Apart from that, can you give us a very general idea what would interest you or how far you would be willing to drive?
Kirchheim is home to Schempp-Hirth, the largest sailplane manufacturer in the world (which means they employ about 40). Visiting the factory would probably be of interest only to a glider pilot, but (weather permitting) you could head to the local airfield (called Hahnweide, a few km south of town) where (again, weather permitting) you could take a ride in a sailplane.
Somewhat further afield, how about a tour of the Mercedes-Benz factory? I haven’t done it, but it’s said to be very good.
I just got back from Hannover. We went to Amsterdam for the weekend part of the trip. Hannover seemed overcast and dreary.
Amsterdam was fun enough that I would go back for a trip, but I don’t think I would go back to Germany without a reason. And Hollanders, on the whole, spoke better english than the Germans.
Also, there ARE speed limits on the autobahn, I got flashed twice in less than ten minutes. Then I figured out what those damn round signs meant. It also didn’t help that it was dark and snowy. I have no idea if I will get a ticket or a fine now that I’m back in the states.
Yes, I know about Fastnet (I think that’s what it’s called here in Schwabia). I’ve been to a couple of Rosenmontag celebrations before. I also have, somewhere, a German driver’s license.
I think that the sailplane glider referenced is right near where I am working in Nabern. There is an airstrip you can see from outside of the window, but it is currently covered in a snow ice mix.
I’d be willing to drive an hour or two for the weekend. So Amsterdam and Berlin are out, Zurich, Stuttgart, Munich, Regensburg, etc are all in scope. I think the Black Forest is probably within my radius. I used to live in Bad Soden and Wiesbaden, so I know the extended Frankfurt area fairly well, but would prefer to find something else.
Mercedes factory might be interesting if they’re still running on the weekends. The complex that I’m working at has a Daimler component, but does not make cars. I’m not working there so not sure what they do at this location.
If it comes to it I can live with drinking on the weekend, but then that means staying in Kirchheim since I’m not keen on driving somewhere else, drinking, then driving back.
Yes, there are speed limits on parts of the Autobahn and suggested speed limits even when there aren’t actual hard limits (unless this has changed recently). Sometimes you get flashed by other motorists if they want to pass you, so hopefully that was it. If it was a speed camera then you will likely get billed by the rental car company. They also have cameras for running stoplights, but you don’t have stoplights on the AB, so that probably wasn’t it.
Heidelberg is cool and close (though if you lived in Frankfurt you may have been already). It offers your standard old world charm: castles, outdoor markets, stone bridges spanning lazy rivers. I don’t think you really need a plan to go there. The town is small enough that you can walk the whole place in a few hours. It’s a better summer destination admittedly.
Keep in mind that pretty much nothing’s open in this damn country on Sundays except for the bars. If you figure out something good to do on a Sunday, let me know
Some attractions rather nearer than Amsterdam to Kirchheim unter Teck:
[ul]
[li]if you are into walking, the Lenninger Tal (down the B465 from Kirchheim) is nice even now in winter (but a lot nicer in two months at apple blossom time). You could drive into Owen and hike up to Burg Teck (there is also parking halfway up). Good view from there (sits on a Jurassic sponge reef IIRRC) (on preview: if you work in Nabern you can just walk up from there)[/li][li]nice spa (bathing in two kinds of mineral water, plus sauna) at Panoramatherme Beuren, 12 km from Kirchheim/Teck[/li][li]adjacent to there but up on the Swabian Jura escarpment: ruin of the Hohenneuffen fortress, also a popular destination for walks.[/li][li]impressive fossil museum at Urweltmuseum Hauff in Holzmaden, 6 km from Kirchheim[/li][li]Nice city 60 km distant: Ulm. You can climb the world’s highest church steeple there.[/li][li]35 km to the Laichinger Tiefenhöhle - deep-ish cave with a small interesting museum (say hi to the cave bear)[/li][li]for car lovers: Mercedes Benz Museum and Porsche Museum in Stuttgart[/li][li]if you are into clothes shopping and don’t mind the crowds on a Saturday: Factory outlet city in Metzingen - 30 km[/li][li]Interesting old towns, among others, in Esslingen (30 km) and Tübingen (60 km)[/li][li]also a nice old town: Nördlingen (130 km) - interesting for being in a large 15 million year old impact crater of 24 km diameter. Crater museum at Eugene-Shoemaker-Platz. Good view of the town on climbing the church steeple.[/li][li]halfway to Munich on the A8: Augsburg (old town; Fuggerei)[/li][/ul]
‘nach’, if you’re not just advertising the quality of the local prostitutes.
Somewhat more seriously, I’d second the recommendation for visiting Heidelberg, it’s just a beautiful city (be sure not to miss the castle); though, if you’re the sciency type, you might rather want to go for Ulm, Einstein’s birthplace (though I don’t know that there’s more to commemorate that fact than a plaque somewhere in the Bahnhofstraße).
Deutsche Museum in Munich is very, very interesting! I am not a huge fan of museums, but this one is definitely worth the trip - especially in weather that is not great, it would be a good way to spend a day - easily.
And as long as you are in Munich, there are some beer halls worth visiting.
I prefer Berlin to Munich, but Munich is certainly pretty and has enough things to do to keep you busy while you are there.
Thanks for the suggestions. I’ll discuss with my colleague today and see which, if any, we choose to do. He may not be interested, but he’s seems adventurous enough. They’re currently setting up a little carnival type deal in the public parking lot across from our hotel, so maybe it will get kind of wacky here this weekend. If nothing else I might make the trek to the Teck castle, since I just like to go for walks, if the weather is not too forbidding.
Damn my schlechtdeutsch! I turd Heidelberg. A lovely town with nice architecture, some funky bars and a really nice bar/restaurant called Brauhaus Vetter.
More Museum suggestions (even if I would also recommend the car museums in Stuttgart or the Deutsches Museum in Munich first):
The two Technik Museums in the vicinity of Heidelberg, with a lot of cars, planes, tanks, an IMAX theatre, etc
Sinsheim (Tu144, Concorde) Speyer (B747, Buran, a submarine)
You’re not far from Ulm. There’s a beautiful cathedral there; the tallest church in the world. For a couple euros, you can climb almost to the top. It’s a great view on a nice day, but not for the faint of heart.
If you are afraid of heights, you can skip the tower; the rest of the cathedral is magnificent, too.
