Oktoberfest 2023
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September 19th -> October 4th 

British Airways 7:20PM (19:20)

Arrive in London 10:10AM Wednesday Sep.20

London to Munich Wednesday Sep.20 3:00PM  

Arrive in Munich 6:05PM (15:00 - 18:05) Wednesday Sep.20

Check into Courtyard Hotel. Head to hotel to drop off bags before heading out to explore.

Courtyard by Marriott Munich City Center
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MUNICH

Thursday September 21

Head out to purchase your lederhosen and dirndl! 

Dirndl Liebe
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Münchner Dirndl GmbH
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Trachten Rausch - Dirndl und Lederhosen
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Munich Residenz

Munich Residenz
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Hofgarten

Hofgarten
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The Hofgarten in Munich's Odeonsplatz links the inner city with the Englischer Garten. Learn all about the paradise of relaxation.
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Marienplatz

Marienplatz
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Munich's Marienplatz with the New City Hall is the world-famous center of the Bavarian capital. Here is what you can discover at Munichs central square: Glockenspiel, Old Town Hall, Mariensäule and much more.
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Mariensäule

Mariensäule
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Rathaus-Glockenspiel

Rathaus-Glockenspiel
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Wurmeck

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Fischbrunnen

Fischbrunnen
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Beer and Oktoberfest Museum

Beer and Oktoberfest Museum
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Bars To Check Out:

Salon Pitzelberger

Salon Pitzelberger
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The Gärtnerplatz theater and its recently-opened cellar bar, is located in the centre of the hip Glockenbachviertel. DJs play sets here and the theatre audience mixes with night owls. A bit sophisticated but still very cosy.
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Die Goldene Bar

A must-visit. Sit inside, among the gold and mahogany and the warm lighting or outside, on the spacious terrace. Either way you’ll love it. It's part of Haus der Kunst. After 8 pm, you must enter via the terrace at the back of the museum.

Die Goldene Bar
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Kongress Bar

Kongress Bar
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The 1950s are alive and kicking. Elegant wood panelling, perfectly designed fifties furniture and discreet jazz music in the background create a relaxed and stylish ambience. Once upon a time the bar was part of the city's convention centre. Today, this time capsule lives on.
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Havana Club

Havana Club
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The best way to describe this place is to say it's a Cuban speakeasy. You have good cocktails, a dimly lit venue, candles on the tables, jazz/bossonova/lounge music in the background, and knowledgeable bartenders.
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Zephyr Bar

Zephyr Bar
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Call Soul 

CALL SOUL - Breaking Bar
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A breaking bad themed bar.
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Bar Gabányi

Bar Gabányi
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The author of several whisky books, Stefan Gabányi’s stylish cocktail lounge gives place of pride to Ardbeg, the peaty Islay Scotch. Solid drinks are only half of what brings in the regulars, though. Set in an atmospheric, moody cellar not far from the Oktoberfest grounds, Bar Gabányi has a wildly varied entertainment schedule, with poetry, chamber music, jazz, and dance performances, resulting in an artsy, sophisticated clientele. With plenty of intimate corners, couches, and nooks for dates, Gabányi is a modern classic clearly inspired by Gabányi’s tenure at Schumann’s American Bar, the city’s old-school favorite.
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Forschungsbrauerei

Bräustüberl der Forschungsbrauerei
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After you visit touristy (but excellent) old beer halls like the Augustinerkeller, impress your beer-geek pals at home by visiting this obscure micro in the Perlach neighborhood to the city’s south. As the name implies, this is a former “research brewery” from 1930 that went legit, and serves some of the city’s best (and least-known) brews, including a remarkably hoppy Blonder Bock that kicks as hard as the goat it’s named after. Despite the arrival of a new owner, Manfred Silbernagl, two years back, fans say the beers are just as good as they were 80 years ago.
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Niederlassung

Niederlassung
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STUTTGART

Friday September 22

IC 1290 Intercity | Direct train | 2hr 4min | Get off at 4th stop 

Depart | 9:47AM MUENCHEN HBF (Germany)

Arrival | 11:59AM STUTTGART HBF (Germany)

ARCOTEL Camino Stuttgart
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In the morning after breakfast head to the Schillerplatz (main square) where the is beautiful architecture.

Stuttgart Schillerplatz

The square is the site of a flower market on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings. 

Old Chancellery
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One side of the square is formed by the Alte Kanzlei (Old Chancellery), and on the southwest side is the old Fruchtkasten (Granary) dating from 1390, and adjoining it, the choir of the Stiftskirche. Right in the centre of it is a monument to Friedrich Schiller. He was a dramatist, historian, philosopher, poet and one of Germany’s most famous cultural giants. Flanking the Old Palace is Schillerplatz, an old town square with a monument to Friedrich Schiller, poet, philosopher, historian, and dramatist - one of Germany's most famous cultural giants.
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Stiftskirche

Stiftskirche, Stuttgart
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The collegiate church in Innenstadt mirrors a 900s church in outline, featuring a blend of Romanesque, Early Gothic (nave), and High Gothic (choir) styles. Constructed by Count Ulrich I in the 13th century, the church houses his tomb and that of his wife. The chancel served as a burial place for subsequent counts until 1677, adorned with Renaissance memorial statues. The Stiftskirche's unmatched spires dominate Stuttgart's Old Town, originating from a 12th-century church site and rebuilt in Late Gothic style in the 15th century. Damaged in World War II, it was reconstructed in 1958, featuring a collection of 16th-century Renaissance figures and 17th-century burial vaults.
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Altes Schloss and Landesmuseum

Old Castle
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Overlooking one side of Schlossplatz is the massive Altes Schloss or Old Castle. There is no trace of its 10th-century origins; the existing building with its beautiful courtyard surrounded by multiple arcades was built between 1553-78. The impressive structure now houses the Württemberg Landesmuseum, with its fascinating collections of medieval art, musical instruments, watches, and clocks, as well as the magnificent Württemberg royal crown and crown jewels.
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Markethalle

Markthalle Stuttgart
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Markethalle is where you can travel around the world without having to leave the building. As a gourmet destination the Markthalle has stalls selling specialty foods and exotic treats from all over. It’s best to come here with an empty stomach. During Christmas time stop by the front of Markthalle to find delicious Christmas treat food stalls here!
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Staatsgalerie Stuttgart

Staatsgalerie Stuttgart
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Started in 1843 within a Neoclassical building, Staatsgalerie is still alive to this day. Visiting is one of the best things to do in Stuttgart if you’re into your art as it houses thousands of pieces inside. Now, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart was made even bigger with a newer annexe (in the 1980s). Inside, it holds art from the 20th century, such as pieces by Picasso, Dali, Matisse, Salvador, Joan Miro and Franz Marc. It’s so impressive to see, even if you don’t consider yourself an art buff.
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Schlossplatz

Schlossplatz Stuttgart
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The expansive Schlossplatz is the focal point of the city. Surrounded by buildings dating from Stuttgart's past as a ducal and royal capital, this vast open space is well-used. Its green lawns and benches are popular places to catch some sun, and its gardens are pleasant places to stroll in good weather. The Jubilee Column, erected at its center in 1841, commemorates King William I's 25 years of rule. Here, too, you'll find a cast-iron bandstand (1871); a fountain; and pieces of modern sculpture by Calder, Hrdlicka, and Hajek. Dominating one side of the Schlossplatz is the massive Neues Schloss or New Palace. Built in late Baroque style and completed in 1807, the palace - once home to former kings - is now used by the state government. Forming the opposite side is Königstrasse the city's 1200-meter-long pedestrianized shopping street, one of Germany's longest and best shopping districts. It ends at the massive Hauptbahnhof, the city's main rail station and, until current renovations, a landmark of early German Modernism.
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Bars To Check Out: 

Jigger & Spoon

Jigger & Spoon
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The first speakeasy bar in Stuttgart. Between Berliner Platz, Börse and Rotebühlplatz the bar has made it its mission to allow its guests to enjoy a drink free of airs and graces undisturbed by the demands
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Le Petit Coq

Le petit Coq
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People born in the Year of the Rooster are, according to Chinese astrology, of a thoughtful and very capable nature. Should this also apply to their bars, we would have provided proof with this model. Here's to an "Empty Pockets" in Stuttgart's first speakeasy bar by Ferro F. Ceylan.
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Schwarz Weiss Bar

Schwarz Weiß Bar
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They were missing, they were missed, they are back. Now you feel something like "Alice in the land of milk and honey", sitting on the terrace and smelling the wind from Wilhelmstraße carrying the aromas of pisco, mezcal, Medusa liqueur and pandan. Knud Scheibelt's living room beckons again with whisky tastings and drinks.
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Holzmaler Bar

In fact, the current speakeasy bar had functioned as a wooden painting at the beginning of the 19th century. How about a Razzoni made of raspberry spirit, vermouth and Campari bitters? Would at least fit in perfectly with the colourful mural, where Josephine Baker herself, and bananas, make an appearance.

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Hanky Panky

Hanky Panky
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Influenced by his year as a bartender in the U.S., Josef Rottenbücher founded an American bar in a former restaurant. The terrace is a small plus, but unique is the old vaulted cellar down the stairs. A good assortment with many classics, but also exciting signature drinks.
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EDUARD’S

Eduard's by Breuninger Stuttgart
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Fou Fou Bar

One of the Bean Quarter's stalwart establishments, this cocktail and Champagne bar should be on your list for a good drink - like the "Seaside Gin Tonic," with coastal herbs like ground elder, spoonwort, and brown and black seaweed. For the ears, there's funk, soul and cobblestone.

FOU FOU | Cocktail- und Champagnerbar
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WOLFRAM BAR & TERRACE IM JAZ STUTTGART

Wolfram Bar & Terrace
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On the sixth floor of the Jazz in the City hotel is the chic bar with a huge rooftop terrace, where you can enjoy a 360-degree view of the city, while standing, sitting or lying in Balinese beds. And all this with exquisite drinks. You can eat downstairs at Rhythms Bar & Kitchen.
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Saturday September 23

Sepulchral Chapel

You can catch the bus or S-Bahn to Untertürkheim in the east of Stuttgart, where there’s a solemn royal memorial standing over rows of vines above the Neckar Valley. The Württemberg Mausoleum was built by William I at the start of the 1820s following the death of his wife Catherine Pavlovna of Russia.The memorial is in the Palladian style and is the resting place of Catherine, William and their daughter Marie Friederike Charlotte von Württemberg. 

Sepulchral Chapel on Württemberg hill
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If you’re looking for one of the best places to visit in Stuttgart then head to the top of Württemberg hill. Perched high upon Württemberg hill overlooking Stuttgart and the Neckar valley is Sepulchral Chapel. This is the burial chapel erected by King Wilhelm I as a monument to his beloved wife after her premature death in 1819.
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Mercedes-Benz Museum

Mercedes-Benz Museum
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Wilhelma Zoological and Botanic Garden

Wilhelma
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Wilhelma Zoological and Botanic Garden is one of the most popular spots in Stuttgart to visit, especially on a warm sunny day. Now, the Neo-Moorish-styled buildings were initially made for King Wilhelm I, who is a Swabian King, for it to serve as a private royal retreat. Though nowadays, the buildings were then repurposed into a place for plants and animals. They specifically look after juvenile gorillas that were rejected by their mother. This way, the experts and zoologists can help rear the gorillas so they don’t starve.
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Cannstatter Volksfest

A cash only event - bring enough. 

For three weeks between September and October the Neckarpark Stuttgart puts on the second largest beer festival in the world, after Munich’s Oktoberfest. The Cannstatter Volksfest began as a harvest festival to revitalise the city following a disastrous crop failure in the Year Without a Summer in 1816. This has burgeoned into a large-scale beer festival and funfair. Seven huge tents seat thousands of revellers, and are named after the breweries that supply the beer. The Fruchtsäule, a 26-metre column adorned with fruit, is at the heart of the celebrations and harks back to the time of the Württemberg monarchy. And as for the funfair and market, you may never have seen something on this scale before. There are 60 or more stalls, dozens of amusement stands, up to 100 places serving food, and all manner of rides like rollercoasters, carousels and Ferris wheels.

Cannstatter Volksfest
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Schloss Solitude

It’s both beautiful inside and out. Perched on the outskirts of Stuttgart, you can find beautiful gardens you can stroll around before entering the palace itself. That being said, once inside, you can find several rooms to explore and art to see.  

3 hours to explore 

Castle Solitude
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Located on a scenic vantage point a few miles outside of Stuttgart's city center, Schloss Solitude (Solitude Palace) was built for Duke Karl Eugen in 1763 as a hunting lodge and summer residence. Designed in the late Rococo and early Neoclassical styles, the most sumptuously decorated rooms are in the central pavilion. Its highlight is the radiant Weisse Saal (White Hall) with its lovely domed roof, intricate decorative goldwork, and frescoed ceiling.Outside, you can stroll through the manicured grounds and along the Solitude Allee, a broad tree-lined avenue commissioned by Duke Carl Eugen, which extends for more than 13 kilometers between Solitude Palace and the Palace at Ludwigsburg.
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Sunday September 24 

Hohenzollern Castle

€22 | Be sure to have 2-3 Hours to explore

The best way to get from Stuttgart to Burg Hohenzollern without a car is to train which takes 2h 33m and costs €13 - €18. How long does it take to get from Stuttgart to Burg Hohenzollern? It takes approximately 2h 33m to get from Stuttgart to Burg Hohenzollern, including transfers.

The online ticket must be booked for a specific day with a specific one-hour admission window. The admission time window is only the period during which the online ticket must be scanned at the admission control. The length of stay, on the other hand, is unlimited during regular opening hours. 

Hohenzollern Castle
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Fancy a day trip from Stuttgart? Well, hop in the car and head over to the medieval city of Esslingen. Now, if you’re visiting in Winter, be sure to head across and explore the Christmas Market that uses fire to light the streets and feels like heading back to the 1600s.
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Maybe 

Fernsehturm Stuttgart

9€

Stuttgart TV Tower
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The Fernsehturm Stuttgart was the world’s first ever television tower built in 1956. How about that as a pub quiz fact!? Standing at 217 metres-tall, you can see the TV tower from all over the city. However, it’s only when you stand underneath and crane your neck up that you appreciate how big it is. There’s also a restaurant at the Stuttgart TV Tower so I really recommend grabbing coffee or a bite to eat and drinking in the views. The tower stays open until 23:00 in summer, and the sunset and Stuttgart’s lights are well worth the entry fee if you pick a clear day.
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Climb to Eugensplatz

Eugensplatz
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It's a long climb up the Eugenstaffel, the broad flight of steps that begins beside the State Art Museum and leads to the lovely park and scenic overlooks of Eugensplatz. Or you can save the climb by taking bus #42 up Alexanderstrasse from Charlottenplatz. Below are wide walkways leading down through a hillside of greenery and across the center of a stair-stepped waterfall that splashes its way through the park. At the top stands a statue of Galatea, a figure from Greek mythology, dating from 1890. The park is one of the locals' favorite places to visit in the summer for its cool breezes, its views of the city, and the ice-cream shop, Pinguin, just across the street.
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Ludwigsburg Residential Palace

Ludwigsburg Residential Palace
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Said to be one of Europe’s largest Baroque buildings, Ludwigsburg Residential Palace is a must-see and one of the best things to do in Stuttgart. Once here, make sure to check out the lavish interiors and enjoy the many rooms that are so beautiful to see.
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Monrepos Palace

A 30-minute drive or train ride from Stuttgart, Monrepos Palace (Seeschloss Monrepos) is well worth the trip.

Although no tours are offered of the interior, the grounds and lakeside park surrounding the palace are open to the public and free of charge. To fully enjoy the experience, rent a rowboat and admire the grandeur of this beautiful spot, then enjoy a picnic in the park's gardens.If you are up for a stroll, you can walk the 1.6-mile Seeschlossallee to visit the estate's second "lodge," Schloss Favorite (Favorite Palace). Although much smaller than its sibling, this lovely Baroque palace is open for tours. While you're in the area, you can easily walk to the nearby Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg (Residential Palace), for a tour of its grant halls and theater. While you can enjoy the property's general ambience as a day guest, an overnight or two at Schlosshotel Monrepos gives you the chance to really live like royalty. 

Monrepos Lakeside Palace
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When you see this stunning Rococo building, it may be difficult to remember that it was built as a hunting lodge. Completed in 1768 for Duke Carl Eugen, it sits overlooking a small lake with two tiny wooded islands, and is surrounded by a walking path.
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Birkenkopf

Birkenkopf
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The highest hill in Stuttgart is partly man-made. Birkenkopf is a literal mountain of rubble cleared from the ruins of the city following Allied bombing in the Second World War. That masonry added an extra 40 metres to a hill that now crests at 511 metres above sea level and has a prominence of around 300 metres over the Neckar River. A walk to the top is an opportunity to reflect on the war, and a large piece of rubble beside at the summit has a plaque stating that the hill is a memorial to the dead and a warning to the living. At the top you can see as far as the Black Forest and the Swabian Jura.
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Standseilbahn Stuttgart

Standseilbahn
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In Heslach to the southwest of Stuttgart there’s an elegant funicular railway shuttling up the slope from the Südheimer Platz U-Bahn station to the Stuttgart Degerloch cemetery. The railway line is part of the public transport network, has heritage protection, and its cars are made from dark teakwood. When it was complete in 1929 the Standseilbahn was the first semi-automatic cable railway in Europe. Those two handsome cars are originals, even if one had to be restored after being hit by a tree in 1999. The trip to the top takes four minutes, and drops you off at a graveyard in the forest.
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ROTHENBURG, GERMANY

Monday Sep. 25

Take train from Stuttgart to Rothenburg, Germany — hrs

RE 52369 Regional | 14 stops

Depart | 8:57AM STUTTGART HBF (Germany)

Arrival | 10:49AM ANSBACH (Germany)

22 minutes to change trains 

RE 76902 Regional | get off at the third stop

Depart | 11:11AM ANSBACH (Germany)

Arrival | 11:32AM STEINACH(B ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER) (Germany)

4 minutes to change trains

RB58899 Regionalbahn | get off at the third stop

Depart | 11:36AM STEINACH(B ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER) (Germany)

Arrival | 11:51AM OTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER (Germany)

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Drop bags at hotel 

TOP Hotel Goldenes Fass
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Grab lunch after dropping your bags then take a stroll out to Toppler Castle. 

Toppler Castle

Toppler Castle
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Toppler Castle was built in 1388 and is even open for tours. Walk through the gate, ring the bell, and for 5€ a person the owner (who lives in the house next door) and her cat will take you on a private tour of this historical little building. One random site listed the hours as Fri-Sun from 1-4pm. There will be a sign on the gate that says either “heute geöffnet” (open today) or “heute geschlossen” (closed today). There is a phone number listed on the closed sign though – so you can call and ask when she will be available, if you speak German. If not, ask someone at your hotel if they would be willing to call for you.
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Then walk down to Double Bridge. It's an 11 minute walk along the river. 

Double Bridge - Tauberbrücke

Double Bridge
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The troll bridge, is actually Rothenburg’s Dopplebrücke (double bridge). This bridge dates back to the 14th century but actually resembles a Roman aqueduct. Next to it you’ll find a picturesque little cottage along the Tauber River.
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After grabbing some dinner join in Rothenburg's Night Watchman tour. It's pretty causal so join in and if you're not enjoying it wander off. 

Rothenburg’s Night Watchman tour

8:00pm-9PM | 9€

To join the tour, meet in the Market Square and look for the crowd of people surrounding a tall medieval guy. You’ll know it when you see it. The tour is super casual – no reservations required – join or leave as you please. Pay the Night Watchman directly, in cash, at the end of the tour. Hans Georg Baumgartner is the famous Night Watchman, but he takes the night off on Thursdays and Sundays. So, if that’s when you’ll be around, you’ll have a substitute Night Watchman.

Hans Georg Baumgartner, The Night Watchman
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Tuesday Sep.26

Klingentor

Blade Gate
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Constructed between 1395 and 1400, the imposing Klingentor is one of the most architecturally interesting of all Rothenburg's towers. Sitting alongside St. Wolfgang's church, it forms a gate in the town walls that's just begging to be explored. It also served another purpose as well: as a water tower. It contains a huge copper tank that feeds the town's fountains. You can climb it for a small fee to see views across the town and Tauber Valley.
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RothenburgMuseum

9:30 am – 5:30 pm | €5

Rothenburg Museum
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Located in the former Dominican convent, The Rothenburg Museum should definitely be on your list of things to do in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This museum covers eight centuries of Rothenburg’s history and features paintings, antique weaponry, home decor, and more. But one of the biggest attractions that this museum has to offer, has to be the preserved Dominican monastery kitchen. The oldest of its kind in Germany, the kitchen once used by Dominican nuns actually dates back to 1260!
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Rathaus

Town Hall
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Rothenburg’s town hall is split into two parts: Fronting the market square is the main Renaissance building finished in 1578, and with a Baroque arcade at its base, a three-storey oriel on its corner and a winding staircase tower above the arcade. You’re looking at one of the best expressions of Renaissance architecture in the German-speaking world. It was built to replace the east wing of the original 13th-century Gothic town hall that burnt down in 1501. The white west wing is still standing and sports the imperial and city coat of arms on its triangular gable. Every day in summer and on weekends in winter, you can climb the watchtower for a couple of Euros to gaze over Rothenburg’s rooftops.
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The Historical Vault Museum

Mon-Sun: 10 am – 5 pm | €4

The Historical Vault Museum
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Located under the Rathaus (Town Hall), the Historical Vault Museum features 12 ancient dungeons that give you a peek into what life was really like during the Thirty Year War. The museum showcases military equipment like ancient weapons, uniforms, flags and other artifacts. You will even learn about where one of Rothenburg’s mayors died. You will also be given the opportunity to see the Imperial Dungeon, which is one of the twelve and is considered Rothenburg’s oldest prison. The Imperial Dungeon houses a guardhouse, a torture room and three jail cells.
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Town Hall tower

9:30am – 12:30pm and 1pm – 5pm. | 2.5€ and you pay at the top

To get to the Spital Bastion, veer left at the Plönlein and walk straight until you dead-end at a medieval tower. There’s a staircase there that leads into the structure. Now, just follow all the random paths and get lost. 

Town Hall Tower
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While you’re in the Marktplatz, head across to the town hall and climb to the top of the tower for the best views in Rothenburg. As with all super old towers in Europe, you’ll have to climb 220+ steps up a tight corkscrew staircase not suitable for the claustrophobic. At the top, you ascend a short ladder then have to pull yourself up through a small opening to exit onto the little platform that circles the top of the tower. To enter, go through the grand arches in the main market square (the brown part of the building on the right), not through the white part of the building (on the left) under the tower where it would make the most sense.
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Christmas Museum

German Christmas Museum
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The Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas museum and shop actually is one of the most popular things to do in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. If you’re a Christmas geek, that is. Rub elbows with all the traveling grandmas at Rothenburg’s Christmas Museum that features unique and historical Christmas ornaments and decorations from Germany’s Christmas culture. The accompanying shop is the perfect place to pick up some traditional German Christmas ornaments and decorations of your own. It’s open year-round (Code of the Elves #1: Treat every day like Christmas!) and even offers guided tours. Might as well get your holly jolly’s in the town that literally looks like the miniature Christmas village from your aunt’s foyer come to life.
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Plönlein

Plönlein
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The word Plönlein translates to “small square with a fountain” which is exactly what it is. There’s a crooked yellow house with teal shutters, medieval towers on either side, and about 1,000 tourists all trying to take pictures of it at the same time. It’s a real Instagram vs Reality situation.
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Spital Bastion

Spitalgasse 55, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany

Spitalgasse
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Of all the towers and hidden spots inside the city’s medieval wall you can explore, one of the coolest things to do in Rothenburg ob der Tauber is to go inside the Spital Bastion. The Spital Bastion is one of medieval Rothenburg’s most important defensive fortifications along the wall. It was constructed in the 1580s and is considerably well-preserved and open to the public. The Spital Bastion surrounds a beautiful courtyard and features a number of windows for cool wall views. You can explore the dimly-lit, multi-leveled structure where you’ll even find some old cannons. There is no hint of modern life in here and you’ll feel like you’ve got back in time.
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Walk the fortified city walls

24/7 | FREE

Rothenburg ob der Tauber
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Rothenburg ob der Tauber is one of only three cities in Germany with intact medieval walls surrounding the town. But the coolest part is that they are completely walkable, by anyone, for free! For these reasons, exploring the town via its medieval wall is definitely one of the best things to do in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Rothenburg’s defensive wall circles the town and is dotted by 42 towers and six awesome city gates. Walk this “Tower Trail” and see this beautiful city from up above. There are numerous places where you can get on/off the wall and you can even go inside some of the towers.
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Rödertor

Open weekend afternoons | €1.50

Rödertor
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One worthwhile stop on the wall walk is this gate with its own defensive complex at the southeastern entrance to the old town. In peaceful times a traveller would be greeted by the two customs huts with pointed roofs. After that there’s a walkway leading into the half-timbered outer bailey, which was used for storage and stables. From there you’ll cross the moat to approach the main tower, the oldest part of the complex dating to the early 13th century. This tower was also signalling post in Medieval times and along with the town hall is one of only two towers in Rothenburg that you can climb.
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Gerlachschmiede

Gerlachschmiede
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After passing under the Rödertor, you’ll come face-to-face with this quaint old house first built on Wenggasse in 1469. The Gerlachschmiede is an old forge with a cute triangular gable on a porch held up by wooden beams. This was one of many buildings in the southeastern part of Rothenburg to be lost in a bombing raid in March 1945, but was faithfully rebuilt by 1948. A blacksmith continued to work here, making horseshoes, until 1967. On the street sign you can see the hammer and tongs of the locksmith and blacksmith guild, while the eye-catching coat of arms on the gable is a new design from 1950.
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Wednesday Sep.27 

Take an uber or bus to get to Colmberg Castle Hotel 

COLMBERG, GERMANY

Colmberg Castle
@kelsienaugler
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Thursday Sep. 28 

Just walk around the beautiful town of Colmberg! Relax, enjoy the town. 

Nuremberg, Germany

Friday Sep. 29 

Uber from Colmberg to Rothenburg 

Train from Rothenburg to Nuremberg. 1 hr 15min | 2 stops

RB58896 Regionalbahn | Get off at 3rd stop

Depart | 10:05AM ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER (Germany)

Arrival | 10:20AM STEINACH(B ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER) (Germany)

4 minutes to change trains (most likely the train directly across the platform)

RE 76873 Regional | Get off at 2nd stop

Depart | 10:24AM STEINACH(B ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER) (Germany)

Arrival | 10:45AM ANSBACH (Germany) 

5 minutes to change trains (most likely the train directly across the platform)

RE 52369 Regional | Get off at 4th stop

Depart | 10:50AM ANSBACH (Germany)

Arrival | 11:20AM NUERNBERG HBF (Germany)

Check into hotel 

Hotel Drei Raben Nürnberg
@kelsienaugler
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Historic Rock Cut Cellars 

€11 Tickets can also be purchased in advance at the Tourist Information Hauptmarkt 18 (prices: 9,90 € / 8,80 € incl.pre-sales fee) or from the guide (prices: 9 € / 8 €) shortly before the tour.

Förderverein Nürnberger Felsengänge e.V.
@kelsienaugler
The history of Nuremberg is inseparable from the history of beer. At the end of a tour of the historic underground rock-cut cellars and the Hausbrauerei Altstadthof, you can try a traditional Nuremberg red beer. You would never know it, but Nuremberg has a man-made underground tunnel and cellar system covering over six acres. This is how beer was stored before refrigeration—with tons of underground cellars that kept it cool. During World War II, some of Germany’s greatest works of art survived in these bunkers 25 meters below the ground. This wasn’t an approved use of war funds, but it was deemed necessary at the time. The bunkers were also used for protection from bombs during the war. Today, tours are led through the tunnels, including ones that show where beer was and is kept, and where artwork was protected.
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Medieval Dungeons of Nuremberg

Medieval Dungeons
@kelsienaugler
Located beneath city hall, these 14th century dungeons held prisoners, many of whom were tortured. It’s one of the largest city medieval dungeons in the world still preserved, and the site gives visitors a glimpse into how justice (or lack thereof) was meted out during the time period. Visitors can only tour the dungeon as part of a guided tour, and be aware that tours are in German with a supplied English pamphlet.
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Saturday Sep. 30

Memorium Nuremberg Trials

6€

Memorium Nuremberg Trials
@kelsienaugler
World history was written in the courtroom of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice. This is where leaders of the Nazi regime had to answer for their crimes before an International Military Tribunal between November 20, 1945 and October 1, 1946. You have to purchase tickets to the Memorium Nuremberg Trials to see the infamous courtroom. But it’s worth it. There’s a lot of film footage.
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Handwerkerhof Nuremberg

Handwerkerhof Nuremberg
@kelsienaugler
Tucked inside of the old city, is the handcrafter’s village. Making you feel like you’ve stepped back in time the shops here include all manner of handworked crafts from glass blowing to wood carving to cobbling.
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Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds

Tram 6, 8: Doku-Zentrum stopBus 36, 45, 55, 65: Doku-Zentrum stopS-Bahn S2: Dutzendteich Bahnhof stop

6€

Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds
@kelsienaugler
The Nazi party rallies were carefully choreographed propaganda events used to forge and reinforce party enthusiasm. Using stagecraft, the rallies promoted the personality cult of Hitler as the “Fuhrer.”
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Kongresshalle

Kongresshalle
@kelsienaugler
Congress Hall is a disturbingly overbearing and banal semi-circular building, twice as large as the Colosseum in Rome Italy. At the center of the hall was a speaker’s podium for Hitler.
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Zeppelin Tribune

Zeppelinfeld
@kelsienaugler
The Zeppelin grandstand was an open air altar for Hitler. In this fortified arena, the evil demagogue gave anti-Semitic stump speeches from his own personal rostrum. Here, pomp and circumstance hypnotized crowds and fueled a deadly ideology. The Zeppelin is a 300 foot long tribune. There was seating for 60,000 in the rampart-like grandstands. The Zeppelin Field had a capacity of 200,000.
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Kunstbunker

Tickets: Ticket machine at the entrance to the Historic Art Bunker, Obere Schmiedgasse 52Advance

Ticket Sales: Tourist information counter at the Main Market Square, Hauptmarkt 18or online at www.felsengaenge-nuernberg.de 

https://museums.nuernberg.de/world-war-art-bunker/

Historischer Kunstbunker
@kelsienaugler
Shortly after World War II began, a unique art depot was established in the ancient bedrock cellars directly under Nuremberg Castle. Sheltered as much as 24 meters underground, there the city’s most important art treasures survived the heavy air raids intact.
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MUNICH, GERMANY

Sunday October 1

Take train from Nuremberg to Munich, Germany on Oct.1

1 hr 8min  - Direct Train

ICE 525

Depart | 10:02AM NUERNBERG HBF (Germany)

Arrival | 11:10AM MUENCHEN HBF (Germany)

Boutique Hotel Atrium München
@kelsienaugler
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Drop your bags at the hotel and head out to find lunch and walk around some of the historic areas. 

Karlsplatz (Stachus)

Karlsplatz (Stachus)
@kelsienaugler
Known locally as Stachus, Karlsplatz is a square located in the heart of Munich built in the 18th century after the Medieval city wall was demolished.
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Monday October 2 

Munich Oktoberfest 

Be sure to have cash on hand before heading to the festival grounds. 

Oktoberfest
@kelsienaugler
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Tuesday October 3

Take a local train or an uber out to the spa to enjoy the day relaxing. 

Therme Erding

10:00 am - 11:00 pm | €64.00

1 Day Spa World - Included in this voucher:

1x day admission voucher for the areas Spa Area & Saunas* (textile-free, from 16 y.)incl.

VitalityOasis (textile, from 16 y.), incl.

Tropical Spa & Water Park (textile, from 0 y.), with Wave Pool & Galaxy Slide World (textile, from 0 y.) 

Therme Erding
@kelsienaugler
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Wednesday October 4

Munich, Germany —----- Fly out on Oct. 4

British Airways Flight #: BA0949

Depart | 10:55AM Munich Arrival | 12:00PM London Heathrow Airport (Terminal 5) 

British Airways Flight #: BA0171

Depart | 4:55PM (16:55) London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5

Arrival | 7:55PM (19:55) Pittsburgh International Airport 

* * *
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