Encircled by the River Eltz, this has been the family home of Lords and Counts of Eltz for more than 30 generations! The epitome of a German medieval stronghold, and Europe's longest inhabited castle, Burg Eltz makes you feel like you've stumbled into a fairy tale.
BTW, a little vocab pro-tip: A "BURG" (Burg Eltz) is a Castle that is fortified and used for defensive purposes, while a "SCHLOSS" is a Palace.
BTW, a little vocab pro-tip: A "BURG" (Burg Eltz) is a Castle that is fortified and used for defensive purposes, while a "SCHLOSS" is a Palace.
DAY 1: Welcome to Trier! Willkommen in Trier
Just the facts Ma'am
How long we stayed: 2 nights Where we stayed: Hotel Residenz am Zuckerberg, Trier (interestingly, the hotel is part of a seniors residence). Where we ate: Zum Domstein , Hotel Haus Lipmann Highlights: Konstantin Basilika, Dom, Church of Our Lady, Porta Nigra, Wine lunch at Beilstein on the Mosel, the fairy-tale-esque Burg Eltz. The Verdict: Trier was a surprise! Starting here provided a great historical backdrop for the rest of the Tour. Who knew? Trier is Germany's oldest city and the first Roman Town - and site of the first Christian Church - in Europe! |
Meet Holger
Holger Zimmer our Rick Steves Tour Guide was absolutely superb! Born in Berlin, Holger works part of the year as an Arts and Culture correspondent for a Berlin Radio Station. For the other weeks, he's a first-rate tour guide for Rick Steves. (He helped design one of Rick Steves' newest Tours: Best of Germany in 13 Days.) Holger's love of music, arts and culture definitely enriched our tour experience. He was an extremely instructive guide. Especially enlightening was his take on German history, and his own experiences growing up post-WWII (more on this in the Austria tab), and post-fall of the Berlin Wall. We had quite a few conversations about European's perspectives on the current political climate in the US. He was knowledgeable, personable, and caring. We give Holger an A++!! Left: "Do as I say, not as I do!" Frank looks on in disbelief! We cracked up because despite all the proverbial wisdom about packing light Holger says that even after all these years of leading tours? He still can't get the hang of it! Holger's suitcase is a teensy bit bigger than Rick recommends, but we'll give him a pass: it's chock full of all kinds of wonderful tour information. |
Girlfriend Go-To | three is actually a magic number
At first we were anxious. Three girlfriends? Most rooms sleep two. How would we handle the odd-woman-out? Rather than attempt to book "triples", we decided to take the plunge and shared the cost of a single supplement between us. In hindsight, this turned out to be a stroke of pure genius! Rotating who got the single room gave us the perfect balance of togetherness and personal space (especially since two of us are introverts)! I learned I love traveling with dear girlfriends and that my introverted self could handle a Rick Steves Tour just fine--especially since we had that single room every few days." - Kim |
DAY 2: Trier and Burg Eltz
I loved the Rick Steves approach because it captured the highlights and depths of places and their history while still allowing room for improvisation, personal interests and space to discover and explore on one's own. I also dearly loved having the details of travel taken care of (i.e. transportation/lodging/logistics) and the skilled and personable guide (yay, Holger!) who was available to answer questions, make recommendations and even use his contacts and language skills to set things up for us on our own (yay, paragliding!!)." - Kim |
Day 3: Baden-Baden Beckons
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Girlfriend Go-To(s)
Take a schedule selfie. Every day we find an itinerary posted in the lobby of our hotel. It lists what we're doing and when and often includes instructions about what to bring. Additionally, there are ideas for free-time activities. It's easy to snap a picture on your smart phone, and reference the day at-a-glance at-your-fingertips anytime! Don't Stick Together. Embrace the freedom to not have to do everything together all of the time! Kristi's not the shopper that Kim and Katy are; they shopped while Kristi napped. Katy couldn't do the stairs and strenuous steeple climbs with Kristi and Kim; she journaled at a coffee shop instead, and her time of reflection turned out to be a highlight of her trip. (See Katy's #YES2JOY for more on this!) Kim wanted time to sketch things that moved her soul, while Katy and Kristi explored Murren. We gave each other permission to not have to always be all together - it made for a nice balance, and special memories for each of us. |
After ten minutes I forgot time; after 20 minutes, the world." |
#YES2JOY Kristi
S.P.A. Short for Sanus Per Aquam Latin for Health Through Water What's all the fuss about? Only a 17-station thermal paradise! Begin with dry heat, toss in a vigorous brush/soap massage, increase the body temperature slowly with steam rooms and pools, culminating in a surreal float under the magnificent rotunda. Final stages gradually cool you down, including an invigorating cold plunge after which you're wrapped in a heated towel, given a creme massage and cocooned on a comfy bed for a nap. Please. Be brave and don't let the naked-thing deter you. This is truly a splendidly relaxing way to spend the better part of an afternoon. #YES2JOY! |
DAY 4: Black Forest and Beyond
Just the facts Ma'am
How long we stayed: a few hours en route to Switzerland! All the essentials of that stop are on the next tab. Highlights: Vogtsbauerernhof Black Forest Open-Air Museum, Black Forest Cake and Schnapps in Situ, the wonders of the AutoGrille, our first glimpse of the Alps! The Verdict: The Black Forest Open-Air museum captivated, especially seeing first-hand how Bavarians lived hundreds of years ago. The Black Forest Cake we had here motivated Katy to use her culinary acumen to re-create it at home (at left) when we made a "Tour Inspired Dinner" for our families and friends. (See the P.S. Tab for more.) |