Augsburg, Germany

Hi all! Sorry for the long delay in posts! I actually did write two last week, then my laptop froze on me and when I rebooted it, they weren’t saved!! Clearly, it was such a traumatic experience that I couldn’t face it for a week. So, I apologize if this isn’t as fantastic as the one I wrote previously.

I wasn’t actually planning to go to Augsburg, but two events coincided, leading me there.

The first of which is that I was reading this one website about different Christmas markets in Germany (and Europe in general, but we all know that Germany has the best ones around!). I read there (I wish I remember which site, but I have looked through so many posts on Christmas markets in the last month or two so I have no idea, but it was a good list) about how the one in Augsburg is lovely and it has this performance of musical angels every night on weekends. I became intrigued, looked Augsburg up on a map, and saw that it is located very close to Munich.

The second of which was when I went to book my hostel to stay in Munich for the weekend, only to find out that every. single. hostel. was booked on Saturday.

I got to thinking, and then I looked up hostels in Augsburg and saw that they had one available on Saturday night. It was a little inconvenient, considering that would mean me staying in three different hostels over three nights, but I managed. Especially considering I was wearing all the clothes I had with me, so my backpack was pretty light.

Actually, I’m sure that it was quite comical. I felt (and probably looked) like a marshmallow. I wore: tights, 2 leggings, jeans, 3 shirts, 3 cardigans, my Northface sweatshirt, my winter jacket, and 2 pairs of thick and 1 pair of thin socks (I tried a third thick pair, but my foot wouldn’t fit into my boots!).

And I was still frozen after a couple of hours out in the cold.

One last tangent before getting on with Augsburg! Augsburg is only 45 minutes away from Munich by train. If you are with a group and split the Bayern Ticket, you might just manage yourself a cheap(er) place to stay during Oktoberfest! I don’t know if the prices rise in Augsburg as much as they do in Munich during Oktoberfest, but it would be at least worth looking into around that time.

I actually  ended up liking Augsburg more than I thought that I would. It’s a cute OLD town. As in the oldest in Bavaria and one of the oldest in Germany as a whole. I read 15BC somewhere, but don’t quote me on that. Granted, much of the old town was destroyed during bombings in WWII, but most of it has been restored to its former glory.

The cathedral (Dom Unserer Lieben Frau) is an obvious point of interest. It sits at one end of the main street and is both Roman Catholic and Protestant. So, the main cathedral (the back tower) is Catholic and then this “side-but-connected-church” (with the tower up front) is Protestant. Both of which are fantastic to peak inside, but the main cathedral is obviously more impressive, especially because it is home to some of the oldest stained glass windows in the world.

Another major site is the Town Hall (Rathaus). It’s built in a Renaissance style, and is one of the most important Renaissance buildings in Europe. Inside (which I didn’t get to go into because it closed early to set up for the musical angel performance but still got to see lit up from the outside), there is this room called the Goldener Saal which – even if you don’t speak German, you can probably guess – means “Golden Hall.” It looked spectacular from the outside, so I can only imagine that it would be more so from the inside.

I also had the chance to visit the projects. Called the Fuggerei, it is the oldest social settlement still in use. Built in the 1500’s, it became a city within a city with their own walls and church. You pay a small entrance fee which covers the renovations necessary to maintain the housing complex, because the poor, Catholic residents pay 88 cents/year (plus the cost of heating) and pray 3 times/day for the Fuggers. Is it worth the entrance fee? Honestly, probably not (although you can think of it as helping the poor of Augsburg, which is better), but they do have a museum and an apartment maintained in its original form.

To top off my day in Augsburg, I visited the Christmas Market (Christkindlesmarkt) in the evening. The setting was perfect in the huge plaza in front of the Rathaus with stalls selling foods and goods lined up around you and a huge Christmas tree and Christmas pyramid lit.

Then, at 6pm, the Rathaus waits for the clock’s chiming to stop before it has angels “step out” from the windows into their spotlights. Some of them are just for looks, but the center ones each have instruments that they begin to “play” Christmas tunes.

Was it cheesy?

A little bit, but I didn’t care.

They play for 10 minutes and then recede to their previous dwellings in the dark Golden Hall. Then everyone claps and goes back to their glühwein and shopping for Christmas decor.

It wasn’t my favorite Christmas market…I just didn’t love their shops compared to others that I have been to, but I would say that it’s certainly worth a visit. Plus they had some great food!!

Lindau, Germany

The day after coming back to Munich from Rothenburg ob der Tauber, I decided to take the train to Lindau to meet up with another au pair in the area and explore the town.

A train.

To Lindau.

Again?

I was not about to relive another Neuschwantein fiasco, so I was particularly careful when it came to picking the car I was to sit in for the journey.

I got to thinking after Neuschwanstein, and my troubles were probably because I got into a car right in the middle of the train where it split. If I got into a car door labeled to Lindau but actually sat in a different car, that could explain it all, right?

I get in the back of the train thinking, the front of the train went to Lindau before and the back went to Oberstdorf, maybe this time will be the opposite.

I was super careful to remain in the same car of the door I entered through labeled to Lindau.

The lady who sat across from me even asked if it was going to Lindau, I said yes. I hear other people in the train car saying Lindau. Not a sign of Oberstdorf.

I try to relax. If I mess up, at least I won’t be the only one!

Then we get to Immenstadt, where the train split before.

My stress levels are a little high. I know that we sit here for a couple of minutes.

Something doesn’t feel right.

It’s too much déjà vu.

I don’t care if the car was labeled to Lindau, I want to see the platform signs to see that the section I am in is going to Lindau.

I stick my head out the door.

Nope!

The back half was labeled to go to Oberstdorf.

I get out and run to the very very very front of the train (only behind the locomotive) and then the doors close and we are off.

Whew!! I made it.

No glitches, but they really need to find a better method to label the cars. I am sure other people made the same mistake!! (I felt bad, but the lady who sat across from me went to the bathroom during the stop, so I could never tell her that she needed to switch trains!)

Except that I had to ride the train backwards because the car was so full. (Not a major problem for most, but if you get easily motion sick like I do, it can pose a serious problem.)

Anyways, I make it to Lindau right about the same time as the other au pair I was meeting there and we spent the afternoon into the evening exploring the nooks and crannies of Lindau and walking along the Bodensee/Lake Constance.

The old town of Lindau is actually an island, so it’s very easy to walk around its circumference (or at least part of it). Unfortunately, the clouds obscured the mountains (this seems to be the norm in the fall/winter), but it was still a lovely, albeit cold, walk around and along the lake.

We also took the time to explore their Christmas market which was super cute and right on the water. I enjoyed an *unburnt* flammkuchen, some candied nuts, and a taste of kinderpunsch. All of which are staples at the markets around here.

Lindau is definitely worth a visit, and I can only imagine how nice it is in the summer when you can swim in the lake or ride your bike along the lakeshore.

Colmar

If you have ever been on Pinterest, you have seen a picture of Colmar, France.

I am not exaggerating. Pinteresters LOVE this colorful town full of half-timbered houses.

Heck, I may not have even known about this gorgeous place without Pinterest.

But I’m so glad that I did see pictures and decide to go there!

This was in the middle of October, so about a month late, but I’ll catch this blog up shortly.

I PROMISE!!

I was in Freiburg, Germany for the weekend, but I wanted to take a day trip to Colmar, as it was only about an hour or two away by public transportation.

Easier said than done.

What I’ve come to learn is that train work is done in the fall like you wouldn’t believe here in Europe, so there are a lot of “replacement buses.”

However, it isn’t always clear that a certain line is closed.

The departure board at the train station in Freiburg told me that this train would take me to Breisach, where I would catch a bus to Colmar.

So, I get on this train headed for Breisach (right on the border of France and Germany). So far, so good, right?

Well, we get to this town called Gottenheim which was the stop before Breisach.

And EVERYONE in my train car gets out.

I’m thinking, must be a big/interesting town? Maybe I’ll stop there on my way back this evening (?).

Then new people come in.

Maybe I’m supposed to switch trains here?

But the train schedule labeled this one to go to Breisach.

Well, a lot of university-aged people, so I think, must be a university town or something?

Please keep going in the same direction… Please tell me I’m on the right train…

Nope.

The train goes backwards.

Back to Freiburg.

This is only something that would happen to me…

If only I spoke German!! Maybe they said something over the loud speaker?

THANKFULLY, it’s not like the train is long. (20 minutes back)

I then find the information desk and the nicest older man tells me exactly what to do. I was supposed to get off in Gottenheim (because of work on the tracks) where I would take this one bus to Breisach where I would then take another bus to Colmar.

Okay, now that I have the right bus numbers, it’ll be easy.

Except that it left me with only 4 hours in Colmar to make it back on the last bus of the night…

So, I FINALLY make it to Colmar and it is just as picture-perfect as Pinterest makes it out to be.

And it’s not like it’s just the one “famous” row of houses that’s gorgeous.

EVERYWHERE you look in the city center (which is actually fairly large for such a small town) was stunning.

The famous Colmar shot is in their Petit Venice region, where a canal runs through (yes, they had little boat rides going through, but no gondolas and no singing!). The houses running along the canal are particularly colorful, making it all the more picturesque.

Colmar is such a small town with few “attractions,” but that didn’t stop me from EASILY filling my short time there. What you really just want to do there is stroll through all the side streets and try to get lost (which is quite difficult because it’s so small).

I was also really excited to try some of the Alsatian foods, but particularly Tarte Flambée and Kugelhopf. 

Even though my Tarte Flambée was very heavy on the flambée (hence no photo), it was still tastey! It’s like an extra crispy pizza crust topped with a cream sauce, onions, and pork (and whatever other variations that you can find, but that’s the traditional way).

And another unfortunate fact, I could not find anything other than a huge Kugelhopf (looks something like a bundt cake) for the life of me, so I will just have to keep on looking for it when I return to the Alsatian region (I’m hoping to visit Strasbourg one of these weekends once the Christmas markets start!!)

I really could have spent another few hours just wandering around the old town, maybe taking a look at their replica of the Statue of Liberty, and popping into their museum, about which I’ve heard great things.

But, I still loved the time that I spent there and would highly recommend it to ANYONE in the region. Just maybe longer than 4 hours!