The heavy-handed approach to cooking in France was given a makeover in the mid-1970s by native son Paul Bocuse, who changed the culinary tradition forever with his nouvelle cuisine. You’ll find a timeless menu featuring this lighter, fresher fare at his Restaurant Paul Bocuse on the outskirts of Lyon, still a point of pilgrimage for those happy to pay handsomely for a stroll down memory lane. Now in his 80s, the superstar chef remains at the heart of the local scene, having opened a number of casual eating spots in the city, including the Brasseries le Nord, le Sud, de l’Est, and de l’Ouest.
Stay within strolling distance of everything at the Cours des Loges hotel in the heart of Vieux Lyon, built around an elegantly restored traboule. Or save your euros for fabulous dining and unpack at the cleverly furnished College Hotel on the edge of the quarter. In the hills outside of town, the Villa Florentine promises romance and beautiful views of the city.
Lyon’s markets burst with fresh produce.
WHERE: 288 miles/463 km south of Paris. CAFÉ DES FEDERATIONS: Tel 33/4-78-282600; www.lesfedeslyon.com. Cost: dinner $25. BRASSERIE LÈON DE LYON: Tel 33/4-72-10-11-12; www.bistrotdescuisiniers.com. Cost: dinner $50. RESTAURANT PAUL BOCUSE: Tel 33/4-72-42-90-90; www.bocuse.fr. Cost: dinner $170. COURS DES LOGES: Tel 33/4-72-774444; www.courdesloges.com Cost: from $340. COLLEGE HOTEL: Tel 33/4-72-100505; www.college-hotel.com. Cost: from $175. VILLA FLORENTINE: Tel 33/4-72-565656; www.villaflorentine.com. Cost: from $365. BEST TIMES: Jun–Aug for the Nuits de Fourvière music festival; early Dec for the Festival of Lights.
A Belle Époque Spa and Picture-Book Woodland
BADEN-BADEN AND THE BLACK FOREST
Baden-Württemberg, Germany
“I fully believe I left my rheumatism in Baden-Baden,” wrote Mark Twain. I “Baden-Baden is welcome to it.” This town at the northern edge of the dense Black Forest has been the “summer capital of Europe” since the mid-19th century, when Queen Victoria and Napoleon III basked in its curative springs. Dignified old-world glory still abounds in the elegant gilt-and-stucco casino, in the pastel houses where high society resided, and in the shaded Lichtentaler Allee, a lushly landscaped promenade along the Oos River. An outstanding newcomer to the Allee is Museum Frieder Burda, a snow-white Richard Meier–designed showcase for modern and contemporary art. But “taking the waters” is still the primary draw, whether you soak in the palatial (suits-on) Caracalla baths or the unisex (suits-off) Friedrichsbad.
Overlooking the Oos River is one of Europe’s few remaining grand spa hotels, the storied Brenners Park, built in 1872. The columns and Pompeiian-style frescoed walls of its glass-enclosed Schwimmbad (swimming pool) call to mind the ancient Roman general Caracalla, whose legionnaires first discovered the thermal springs in the 3rd century. For an elegant, relaxed alternative, the family-run Der Kleine Prinz (The Little Prince) offers luxuriously appointed guest rooms in the heart of town.
Leaving your aches and pains behind, go deeper into this fabled corner of Germany along the classic Schwartzwald Hochstrasse (Black Forest Crest Road), a 40-mile meander through natural beauty from Baden-Baden southeast to Freudenstadt. Despite its dense, lofty fir trees, the nearly 3,000-square-mile Black Forest boasts sunny charm at every turn and more than 14,000 miles of posted hike-and-bike trails.
Beautifully situated in Baiersbronn, in a lush green valley 31 miles southeast of Baden-Baden, is the grand dame Hotel Traube Tonbach, featuring a first-class spa and sporting facilities. The French-influenced menu at its famous Die Schwarzwaldstube reflects the refined style of long-time head chef Harald Wohlfahrt. South of Titisee, in Häusern, the delightful Schwarzwald Adler, in the same family for six generations, offers bright, tasteful rooms and an excellent restaurant serving such delicious regional specialties as grilled Black Forest trout and homemade spätzle. In warm weather, dine in the charming garden.
WHERE: 112 miles/180 km south of Frankfurt. VISITOR INFO: www.baden-baden.de. MUSEUM FRIEDER BURDA: Tel 49/7221-398-980; www.museum-frieder-burda.de. BRENNERS PARK-HOTEL: Tel 49/7221-9000; in the U.S., 800-223-6800; www.brenners.com. Cost: from $480. DER KLEINE PRINZ: Tel 49/7221-346-600; www.derkleineprinz.de. Cost: from $280. HOTEL TRAUBE TONBACH: Tel 49/7442-4920; www.traube-tonbach.com. Cost: from $250; prix-fixe 5-course dinner at Die Schwarzwaldstube $174. SCHWARZWALD ADLER: Tel 49/7672-4170; www.adler-schwarzwald.de. Cost: from $175; dinner $60. BEST TIMES: Apr–Oct for fine weather; May–Jun for Whitsun Festival in Baden-Baden.
Time Travel in the Neckar Valley
HEIDELBERG’S CASTLE
Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
In a glorious hilltop setting of woodland and terraced gardens stands Heidelberg’s magnificent, crumbling Schloss, possibly the country’s most famous castle. Built over three centuries beginning in 1400, the red sandstone castle was sacked by Louis XIV’s troops in 1689. Ever since, painters and poets have fallen under the romantic ruin’s spell.
For a vision of the castle to cherish, stroll along the Philosophenweg (Philosopher’s Walk), a hillside wooded path on the north bank of the Neckar River, where Goethe and Hegel wandered. Nestled on a historic side street off the Philosopher’s Walk is Die Hirschgasse. Dating back to 1472, the hotel originated as a tavern for local university students (a tipsy Otto von Bismarck carved his name into one of the tables). The elite University of Heidelberg was founded in 1386, making it Germany’s oldest, and since 1703 its students and many travelers have been lured to Zum Roten Ochsen tavern for beer, bratwurst, and singing. A fresh option for design-conscious travelers is the centrally located Heidelberg Suites, a 19th-century villa-residence reinterpreted as a Neoclassical-inspired sanctuary.
Heidelberg at Christmas is especially magical, when one of Germany’s best holiday markets enchants the old quarter. Aromas of almond and cinnamon waft around more than 100 stands.
East of Heidelberg, the Neckar River forms a scenic, steep-sided valley that meanders past some of Germany’s most famous vineyards. Follow the river upstream by bike or boat, or along the winding Castle Road, which unfolds for 620 miles from Mannheim to Prague.
WHERE: 55 miles/88 km south of Frankfurt. VISITOR INFO: www.heidelberg-marketing.de. SCHLOSS HEIDELBERG: Tel 49/6221-538-431; www.schloss-heidelberg.de. DIE HIRSCHGASSE: Tel 49/6221-4540; www.hirschgasse.de. Cost: from $230 (off-peak), from $295 (peak). HEIDELBERG SUITES: Tel 49/6221-655-650; www.heidelbergsuites.de. Cost: from $280. CASTLE ROAD: www.burgenstrasse.de. BEST TIMES: late Mar–Apr for Spring Festival; 1st Sat of Jun and Sep and 2nd Sat of Jul for fireworks during Castle Illuminations; late Jun–Aug for Castle Festival; late Nov–Dec for Christmas markets.
A Beer Drinkers’ Eden amid Architectural Treasures
BAMBERG
Bavaria, Germany
Set like Rome on seven hills and justly known as one of the most beautiful small towns in all of Europe, this Franconian jewel is inextricably linked to a rich history as capital of the Holy Roman Empire under Heinrich II, the town’s most famous son. More than 2,000 well-preserved buildings showcase architecture of all periods within a city that is by no means a static museum piece. Bamberg exudes a lively student vibe and is a joy to visit for its history, antiques stores, and breweries: Nine Brauereien produce close to 50 varieties of beer—even Munich can’t match that—and each has its own personality. Schlenkerla Tavern is a must for the famous smoky Rauchbier, which pairs perfectly with the regional classic dish, Schäufele (crispy pork shoulder with dumplings and sauerkraut).
The four-towered Kaiserdom cathedral, built under Heinrich II and the site of his coronation in 1012, bears testimony to Bamberg’s affluence and ecclesiastical power and is famous for its interior’s elaborate sculptural decoration. The wonderfully half-timbered, frescoed Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall), surely one of Europe’s most photographed, occupies its own little island in the middle of the Regnitz River. Across the river is picturesque Kleine Venedig (Little Venice), where red geraniums spill from flower boxes on half-timbered cottages.
The spacious, sloping Domplatz square is
a textbook illustration of the town’s architectural evolution from Romanesque to Gothic, and Renaissance to Baroque. For pure atmosphere and an unmatched location by the dam’s murmuring falls, the Hotel St. Nepomuk wins out. Built as a mill in 1410, it has cozy rooms overlooking the river and the Rathaus. The most romantic choice in the Old Town might be Hotel-Weinhaus Messerschmitt, dating from 1422 and owned by the same family since 1832. A charming restaurant serves regional specialties, and a recent addition complements the antiques-filled original with 50 modern guest rooms.
Altes Rathaus sits in the middle of the Regnitz River, between the city’s former religious and secular sections.
WHERE: 143 miles/230 km northwest of Munich. VISITOR INFO: www.bamberg.info. SCHLENKERLA TAVERN: 49/951-56050; www.schlenkerla.de. HOTEL ST. NEPOMUK: Tel 49/951-98420; www.hotel-nepomuk.de. Cost: from $200. HOTEL-WEINHAUS MESSERSCHMITT: Tel 49/951-297-800; www.hotel-messerschmitt.de. Cost: from $225. BEST TIMES: May–Sep for beer cellars; late Nov–Dec for Christmas markets and the Nativity Trail.
A Charmed Time of Year
CHRISTKINDLMARKT
Bavaria, Germany
During Advent season, towns all over Germany turn into three-dimensional Christmas cards evoking the spirit of Christmas past. Originating at least 600 years ago in Germany and Austria, Christmas markets today are most prevalent in Bavaria and number more than 2,500 around the country, each showcasing regional specialties and traditions. With carolers and revelers strolling around snow-dusted squares, the scent of glühwein (hot mulled wine; literally, “glow wine”) and baked apples fortifying crisp air, even the coldest Scrooge’s heart would melt. The best markets feature the mouth-blown glass ornaments, hand-carved crèche figures, painted wooden nutcrackers, and candle-powered merry-go-rounds called Weihnachtspyramiden (Christmas pyramids) found in every German home. The challenge is deciding which will come home with you.
Perhaps most famous of all is Nuremberg’s picturesque market (which competes with Dresden’s for status as Germany’s oldest), where 180 candlelit wooden stalls clustered around the Hauptmarkt (Central Market) vie for the gold Plum Person, first prize for most gorgeous display. Look for gingerbread houses, spice-infused ornaments, and Zwetschgenmännle, figurines made from dried plums, for which Nuremberg is justly famed. Convenient to the market and always decked out for the holidays is Hotel Elch, the oldest hotel in the city.
The Christkindlmarkt on Marienplatz in Munich is one of Germany’s largest and most enjoyable, with hundreds of brightly garlanded stalls sprawled across the central square in the Old Town. Decked with twinkling lights, an enormous fir tree stands proudly before the Rathaus, the neo-Gothic town hall with a 43-bell carillon. Board the Christkindl Tram for a tour of some of the city’s highlights. A short walk from Marienplatz is the historic, four-star Hotel Torbräu, which has been graciously run by the Kirchlechner family for more than a century.
VISITOR INFO: Nuremberg: www.christkindlesmarkt.de; Munich: www.christkindlmarkt-muenchen.de. WHEN: late Nov–Dec 24 for Christmas markets throughout Germany. HOTEL ELCH: Tel 49/911-249-2980; www.hotel-elch.com. Cost: from $135. HOTEL TORBRÄU: Tel 49/89-24-2340; www.torbraeu.de. Cost: from $270.
Where Oktoberfest Happens All Year Long
GERMANY’S BEER CULTURE
Bavaria, Germany
To many, Germany plus beer equals Oktoberfest. But that’s only part of the equation, and those who arrive outside of festival time won’t go thirsty or bored. Bavaria boasts more than one-sixth of the world’s breweries, including Erdinger (in Erding) and Paulaner (in Munich), where you can tour the facilities and sample wheat beers at the source. Festivals, such as Fasching (Germany’s version of Carnival) and Starkbierzeit (celebrating Bavarian culture and the potent doppelbock brew), warm up the winter months. Come April, brew flows at Munich’s Volksfest, a mini-carnival, and the city’s outdoor beer gardens spring to life. Since 1589, the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl has been Munich’s biggest and most beloved beerhouse—a tourist destination that is eternal Oktoberfest.
The real Oktoberfest is Munich’s annual last hurrah to biergarten season—a 16-day, quintessentially Bavarian festival celebrated in the company of boisterous hard-partying strangers from around the world. Oktoberfest central is the Theresienwiese (the meadow named after Princess Theresa, whose betrothal to Crown Prince Ludwig in 1810 provided the reason for the first-ever October celebration), where 12 massive tents—some holding up to 6,000 stein-hoisting drinkers—are erected months in advance. The 2-week festival opens with a colorful, 7,000-strong parade of steed-drawn beer wagons followed by 13 big brass bands and hundreds of Oktoberfest waitresses in traditional dirndls. The fairgrounds are so huge they become a city of their own, filled with refreshment stands, sideshows, gut-churning thrill rides, and merry-go-rounds. To the sound of unending oompah music, some 6 million people consume 5 million liters of “Wies’n” beer brewed especially for the annual festival, along with 400,000 sausages and 600,000 chickens.
No visit to Munich is complete without a stop at two gastronomic institutions for provisions to go with all that brew: Dallmayr, the seriously grand purveyor of gourmet food since 1700, and 200-year-old Viktualienmarkt, the Old Town’s 150-stall farmers market and beer garden. Overlooking the bustling open-air market is the new Louis Hotel, where 72 alpine-chic guest rooms are cozy but cool.
Small accordions called melodeons help keep the spirits high.
VISITOR INFO: www.muenchen-tourist.de. ERDINGER BREWERY: Tel 49/81-224-09421; www.erdinger.de. PAULANER BREWERY: Tel 49/89-480-05871; www.paulaner.de. HOFBRÄUHAUS AM PLATZL: Tel 49/89-2901-3610; www.hofbraeuhaus.de. LOUIS HOTEL: Tel 49/89-411-19080; www.louis-hotel.com. Cost: from $280 (off-peak), from $400 (peak). BEST TIMES: late Feb or early Mar for Fasching; mid-Mar for Starkbierzeit; late Apr for Volksfest; mid-Sep–early Oct for Oktoberfest.
Bavarian Beauties
LAKE CONSTANCE AND THE ALPINE ROAD
Bavaria, Germany
The northern shore of the Bodensee (Lake Constance), Bavaria’s largest lake, is lined with a string of pretty resorts. But to truly appreciate the lake’s beauty, board any of the countless ferries that crisscross the waters to Austria and Switzerland on the opposite shore and to islands in between. The belle of the Bodensee is tiny Mainau, an island paradise of riotous flowers (including more than 1,000 varieties of roses) and exotic vegetation that evoke balmy images of the Mediterranean. The island’s Baroque castle was taken over in 1853 by the Grand Duke of Baden, who began introducing rare plants from his travels abroad.
The medieval core of Konstanz, the lake’s largest and liveliest town, is a sheer delight. A 13th-century cloistered monastery is now the Steigenberger Inselhotel, set on its own island tethered to town by a causeway.
From the eastern shore, the ancient Alpenstrasse (Alpine Road) winds for 300 view-filled miles along the Bavarian Alps, a spectacular natural border between Germany and Austria. It meanders past ancient castles, quaint chalet-inns, and mountaintop villages with houses painted in a decorative style the Bavarians call Lüftlmalerei.
The Alpenstrasse leads to the peaceful town of Oberammergau, which comes alive every 10 years to honor a vow made in 1633. After the townspeople were spared from a plague that devastated much of Europe, they promised to reenact the life of Christ once every decade, forever. (Start planning now for the 2020 performance.) Bavaria’s other major cultural event, the Wagner Festival, is yearly (and some of the principal performances have years-long waiting lists). It’s held every summer in Bayreuth, the composer’s hometown.
The Alpine Road continues south through Garmisch, host of the 1936 Winter Olympics and home to the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain at 9,731 feet.
Bavaria has no shortage of castles, and fairy tales come to life in King Ludwig II’s spectacular creations. His sumptuous Schloss Herrenchiemsee stands fantastically on its own island, one of three in the middle of the beautiful Chiemsee. After a trip to France, the young king created the castle in 1885 to mimic Versailles,
and its Hall of Mirrors is reproduced to scale here, overlooking Ludwig’s gardens. There’s magic of another kind in nearby Aschau, an hour southeast of Munich, where one of Germany’s finest chefs presides in his namesake restaurant, Residenz Heinz Winkler, housed in a charming 600-year-old coach inn.
There could be no greater finale at the end of the Alpine Road than the beautiful Königssee (King’s Lake) at the Austrian border—and the best way to see it is by quiet electric boat. Don’t miss the pint-size pilgrimage church of St. Bartholomä, which is wedged into a small cove. It was originally constructed in the 11th century and rebuilt some 600 years later. This gorgeous little corner of Germany is also the centerpiece of the stunning Berchtesgaden National Park, site of Hitler’s infamous Eagle’s Nest lodge.
The church of St. Barthohma can only be reached by sailing Lake Konigssee or by trekking the surrounding Watzmann Mountain.
WHERE: Konstanz is 141 miles/227 km southwest of Munich. STEIGENBERGER INSELHOTEL: Tel 49/7531-1250; www.konstanz.steigenberger.de. Cost: from $250 (off-peak), from $350 (peak). WAGNER FESTIVAL: Tel 49/921-78780; www.bayreuther-festspiele.de. When: 4 weeks in late Jul–Aug. RESIDENZ HEINZ WINKLER: Tel 49/8052-17990; www.residenz-heinz-winkler.de. Cost: from $340; prix-fixe dinner $130. BEST TIMES: late Apr–Jun for Konstanz’s flower displays; May–Jun or Sep for hiking.
Treasures Abound, Innovations Astound
1,000 Places to See Before You Die Page 24