The Upper Bavarian town of Unterföhring got me to thinking about international travel. I started to reminisce about my very first trip to London, where I tried to figure out which Underground Line would take me to all the great sites from Heathrow Airport.

What’s this got to do with Unterföhring?

The method to my madness is simple. Unterföhring is literally right next to Munich on the River Isar; so, I figured I’d tell you how to get here first. This way if you choose to come, you won’t be like me — bumbling around looking for the right route.

Unterföhring is connected to Munich along the S-8 Railway, which also has a stop at the Munich Airport. Oh, look at that — you just landed at this international airport and already you know how to partially make your way.

At the train station there is all sorts of artwork. Unterföhring, I think, believes presentation is important.

Aren’t you glad I’m here to help? You can thank me later. ;-)

There are four regional bus lines that also lead right to Unterföhring, the 188; 231; 232; and 233. However, if you want to visit the Local History Museum you can take all of these bus routes, except the 233. They’ll drop you off about a five minute walk away, so they get you pretty close.

Just so you know, the Heimatmuseum (the local history museum) is located at München Straße 74.

At Kirchenweg 3 is the Baroque church of St. Valentine. Unterföhring is very proud of this striking church, so come inside and look around. Right next door at Kirchenweg 3a is the old cemetery. I know, I know, a bit morbid curiosity never hurt anyone. ;-)

Also on Kirchenweg is Unterföhring’s Franco-German War Memorial; and on Kanalstr. 7 is a former 19th century farmhouse.

There’s not much else within Unterföhring, unless you’re into insurance and television; as many of Germany’s companies have offices here. However, if you stay here (instead of Munich itself) then you’re close to many hiking trails, bicycle paths, stockcar racing, and cross-country skiing (seasonal, of course) in the Upper Bavarian countryside.

At least you’ll know what bus or railway line to make your way back, right? ;-)

Bordering gorgeous Bamberg in Upper Franconia is Hallstadt. Not a lot happens here by way of too many museums or castles, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be scratchin’ your head wondering why you ever chose it in the first place.

There’s just enough around to keep everyone engaged for the better part of a few days. That’s fair enough, right?

As with any overnight stay some place you need a place to sleep. And as this is Franconia you might as well kill two birds with one stone — beer and a bed, so the Zum Goldenen Löwen (right at Marktplatz 1 and right next to the Rathaus at Marktplatz 2 and near the Marktplatz Bridge) is both an inn & a brewery. Sweet!

Don’t drink too much your first day… you’ll miss all the timber framed houses. ;-)

In my opinion brewery/inn should be the town’s landmark, but that’s the church of St. Killian, an institution around here since 800 A.D. Throughout its 1200 year history it has collected some pretty amazing pieces of religious history including silver, a baptismal font, and even a mid-17th century commode (how interesting).

The other religious churches in Hallstadt are the Chapel of St. Anna (built 1580) and the St. Ursula Chapel (this one’s from 1712, but the original was built 1451).

Walking around Hallstadt seems like it should be enough, but it’s not. All of Franconia is great for beautiful hiking trails; and Hallstadt proves it. It’s part of the Jakobsweg, or the Way of St. James leading towards Santiago de Compostella in Spain; and there are lots of bicycle trails if you want some cardio with your sightseeing.

Not me, I’ll take the shopping at the Child’s Bazaar in March, swimming in the outdoor pool (open May to September), or checking out the Obere Schlösschen (the Upper Castle).

No, I won’t… I’ll take the brewery.

I couldn’t wait to write about the town of Heilsbronn in the middle of Middle Franconia. So, without further ado (and silly quips) I give you all the info I can on this marvelous piece of country.

One of the biggest names in Germany is Hohenzollern; and over at the Monastery Heilsbronn more than 40 members of this noble family are buried in this 12th century building. The Cathedral is particularly striking, so you’d be crazy to miss it. A lot of spiritual music concerts are held within the cathedral, so use that as an excuse to come.

You might have noticed the Catherine Tower by now, which houses a museum of musical instruments. A Heimatmuseum (that would be a local history museum) is located within the old convent.

It’s not just a museum about the long history of Heilsbronn, though. The Heimatmuseum gives real insight into architecture and what it took to live a monastic life. It’s open to visitors Wednesday to Sunday (2pm-4pm) except January and February when it only opens on Sundays.

A guided tour of the museum is a few extra Euro above the admission fee, but a good idea to fully understand almost a thousand years of history. I think that’s a small price to pay for all that knowledge.

You know what else you can get at the monastery besides an education? Wine. That’s right, really good wine, which is served in many local restaurants in town. Try it at one, this way you can sample it before you buy yourself a few bottles (on sale at the Rathaus & City Museum) to take home with you.

But, before you’ve had one glass too many, follow any one of the many hiking and bicycling trails. One is the Potato Cycling Trail that follows along the monastery and potato farms.

As great as that sounds it’s not a good idea to do one of them during one of Heilsbronn’s festivals. Like the Festival of Nations in June, a Summer Festival in July, an Autumn Bazaar in September, an Autumn Fair in October, the St. Martin’s Lantern Festival in November, and a Christmas Market in early December.

You didn’t think a town this great wouldn’t have some awesome festivals, did you? I think the only thing missing is a castle — but, there’s so much to do that you won’t even notice. ;-)

Wandering around a foreign country where you don’t speak the language can seem a bit daunting; especially when the language is German where even the sweetest of sentiments can sound a bit harsh. OK, a lot harsh — but let’s not split hairs here. ;-)

So, don’t let a little fear of the unknown (or in this case, a language barrier) stop you from taking the S-Bahn from Munich to the Upper Bavarian town of Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn.

And you might as well do it on the Sunday after July 8th, when the village of Siegertsbrunn holds a three-day festival in honor of St. Leonard.

Wait, it’s a three-day festival — so better come on Friday when it kicks off with a church service followed by beer. The rest of the festival has cultural events, dancing, singing, and of course more beer.

No, I swear I’m not just mentioning beer because this is Upper Bavaria — this is fact. ;-)

The other church to see in Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn is the Parish Church of St. Peter. This wonderfully looking Catholic church was built at the end of the 17th century, with an altar that may or may not have come from the older St. Leonard’s church.

Whatever, doesn’t matter, because the church’s altar was done sometime in the 1600’s. So, either way, it’s an old (and pretty) piece of art.

There’s more art to see at the Parish Church of St. Mary on Rosenheimerstraße 9 in the village of Höhenkirchen that’s been here since the 11th century.

A modern piece of art in Höhenkirchen-Siegertsbrunn is the HöSi. I know, art is one of those things that’s subjective. You know, you like what you like and that’s it. But, this seven foot bronze statue has had its fair share of both criticism and regard.

I’m not sure if you could consider the War Memorial (also on Rosenheimerstraße and built in 1922) as art, but it’s still worth seeing.

It is what it is, I guess — art is subjective, right? And that can overcome any language barrier you might encounter.

In society today, could you imagine having to build a castle to protect hunting grounds? Yeah, it’s not exactly something that would come up in modern day conversation. However, when Emperor Otto III did it, it wasn’t present day; it was the late 10th century in what is now the town of Ilsenburg (Harz).

Otto’s castle is gone in a sense, but the area where it was built is now what attracts many visitors. Why? Thanks for asking, but I was gonna tell you anyway. The castle Otto built (sounds like the name of a book) is now where you’ll find the Ilsenburg Monastery.

This Kloster (so called in German) was established back in 1003 by King Henry II. Abbey Ilsenburg might not be as active as it once was; and it has certainly seen a good deal of war (during the Peasants’ War the abbey was totally plundered).

Its Romanesque Abbey Church is really beautiful. I’m glad it’s still standing like a thousand years later.

The castle that was here, however, was destroyed in 1107; and there is a memorial stone (called the Ilsestein) indicating there was a 10th century Burg on the spot.

Just so you know, there is a memorial by the order of some Ilsenburg Count who commissioned it in honor of his friends who died during the Napoleonic Wars; and one to the soldiers of World War I (at the St. Mary’s Church), and one more at the cemetery for the forced laborers of the Dora-Mittelbau sub-camp that was here.

One set of stones isn’t because of any medieval, 19th or 20th century history. It’s called the Froschfelsen, or Frog Stones, because the granite rock formation looks like…. Wait for it. Wait for it. A frog!

Tell me you didn’t see that coming. ;-)

The Froschfelsen is within the Harz National Park. There are many other hiking trails within this park, so find one you like & have at it. Ilsenburg is surrounded by forested mountains on three sides, so rest assured the view is wonderful.

When a museum is what you’re after, the Museum Ilsenburg is just the thing. It’s all about four centuries of iron production; open Wednesdays to Sundays from 1pm-4pm. The gift shop, however, is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm. Don’t you just love shopping?

Just as I think you’ll love the medieval sites and natural beauty of the area. Let’s thank Otto, this all started with him — even if it was just to protect his hunt.

Oststeinbek, which borders the city of Hamburg, isn’t very big. Literally not very big, encompassing an area just a tad over 11 square kilometers.

Its size doesn’t make too much of a difference. We know good things come in small packages, right? Hey, at least you won’t have to take a bazillion buses, taxis, or trains to make your way around town.

However, you could take a bus to get here; as there is frequent bus service to Oststeinbek (or as it’s called in Low German, Ooststeenbeek) from Hamburg, Glinde, Reinbek, and Barsbüttel.

The town’s name isn’t all that’s spoken in Low German. Oststeinbek has a local theater that performs plays twice a year in Low German. Even if you don’t understand a word, you’ll enjoy it anyway. Trust me.

Even though the theater’s “season” is technically in the Spring and Fall; come Christmas time when the theater has all sorts of children’s programs. You got to do something inside, it gets cold up here in the winter.

I would also suggest going to see Oststeinbek’s Catholic Church, which is the church for some nine towns in the area. It’s a charming white building with an ivy covered roof, so even if you don’t go in for services in Portuguese (yes, there’s a large Portuguese population here) or German, it’ll make for a nice picture.

The warmer weather brings everyone outside to enjoy the air. Families can take walks along the Glinder Au (a tributary of the Bille River) looking for everything from butterflies to birds. With a 9-hole golf course up this way, you’ll really enjoy hitting the links in an area that was once part of Prussia.

Warmer temperatures also gives everyone a chance to enjoy a few festivals. The Maypole Festival is on the first Sunday in May, the Summer Festival is mid-June, and the Market Festival is every August.

I think I better go brush up on some Low German so I can tell everyone how great I think Oststeinbek is. ;-)

Saxony-Anhalt is one of those places where you fall in love with it the more you get to know it. Why? It’s more than just the federal state where you’ll travel on the Lutherweg, it’s because of towns like Osterburg (Altmark).

There is a long grocery list of things to do in Osterburg. And why shouldn’t there be, the town is almost 900 years old.

You know what that means, castles. The Castle Krumke isn’t too old (built in the 1850’s) and is more reminiscent of a neo-Gothic English estate, than a medieval edifice. Who cares, its park is just lovely.

Castle Calberwisch is four decades younger, but this one has a game park (called a Tierpark) right next to it.

Before I forget, you’ll find the Biesebad near Castle Krumke. This is more than just a swimming area; there are camping facilities and biking trails where you’ll see thousands of fruit trees and more than a hundred species of birds within the Altmark region.

Not everyone likes to experience nature close up, so I’ll tell you about the Nikolai Church, a real life medieval church from the 1180s.

Another medieval site isn’t a church, or even a building at all. It’s its medieval Stadtmauer, or city wall back from the days when Osterburg was a member of the Hanseatic League.

I like the Cemetery Chapel, personally. Not because I have a morbid fascination with cemeteries, it’s because the Chapel of St. Martin has been here since the 9th or 10th century. No one is quite sure, but the current building from the 12th century replaced the original.

Osterburg’s many half-timbered buildings aren’t from the Middle Ages, but that’s all right. The town suffered a horrible fire in the 1760’s, so many of the framework structures date after that.

One particular building (built 1761) is now the Kreisheimatmuseum. It’s a museum with both permanent and special historical exhibits. It’s open Tuesday to Friday from 9am-4pm, and Sundays 2pm-5pm.

There you have it, many of the reasons you’ll love Saxony-Anhalt; better yet, why you’ll love Osterburg (Altmark). ;-)

I can’t pretend that I’ve been in every German city or town out there. Please, there are over ten thousand of them; and I just don’t have had that kind of time just yet. I wish, though.

One town I do wish I had seen is Frohburg in Saxony. I should add this place to my list, just as I think you should too. I know I’m going to sooner rather than later.

Frohburg is an old town, a true medieval town that just about equal distance to both Leipzig and Chemnitz (approx. 35km). It also borders the federal state of Thuringia, as well as the Saxon Heathland.

No, that’s not the reason you’ll want to be here — that’s only its geographic location, Silly.

Frohburg is made up of 18 small villages, one with not even 20 residents. What that means is there are many churches to see, a lot of them medieval — since most of these shires have been around since then.

Let’s see, there’s the Church of St. Michael (built 1233), and three Romanesque churches (one’s from around 1187) that I can think of off the top of my head. The village of Elbisbach has a Baroque church, if you like that sort of thing.

As you’re making your way around from church to church, look for the Centaur Fountain from the very late 19th century and the Pottery Girl postal column from the 1930’s. You’ll even find a World War I memorial, a memorial to those who suffered at the hands of the Fascists, and a Jewish cemetery, the final resting place for 150 victims from a sub camp of Buchenwald in Flößberg.

In the village of Prießnitz there’s a beautiful castle (called Castle Prießnitz), built in the first years of the 17th century.

Don’t go confusing this castle with Schloss Frohburg. Frohburg Castle was here back in the 10th century (with improvements made through the years). It’s open to visitors from May to October (not on Mondays, however), but call ahead because you can get a guided tour if it’s not open.

This castle is also where the Castle Park Festival takes place every July. But, this isn’t a one festival town. The Sports Festival takes place in August, the Fisherman Festival is held in October and the Advent Market comes at the end of November.

Add in a round or two of golf at the nearby golf course, and you’ve got the best vacation spot.

Now, don’t you think you should make Frohburg your next destination? I think I do. Excuse me, I think I want to go right now! ;-)

It’s trivia time! If I asked you to name Germany’s four largest towns do you think you could do it? Um, let’s try…

Berlin? Munich? Stuttgart? Düsseldorf? One out of three ain’t bad — Berlin is on the list. So are Hamburg and Gardelegen, and the town of Möckern.

I wasn’t talking about population, though; I was talking about land area. Sorry, I guess I should have been more specific right off the bat.

It’s not surprising you’ll find Möckern on this Top list; its sixty-five (!) villages encompass more than 500 square kilometers, with a population of less than 13,000 people — it’s not all that crowded.

I like that in a place, room to stretch out.

Regardless if Möckern was crowded or not, there’s a lot of history spread throughout all these villages. A large battle (the Battle of Möckern) of the Napoleonic War in 1813 took place here.

The outcome? Prussia beat Napoleon’s French troops.

To see another side of Möckern’s history look no further than Palace Möckern. You might not guess from its present state that is was once a medieval castle. No, I’m not saying its in ruins or anything; it’s just that the castle has gotten some major overhauls over the centuries — the last one being in 1840.

No, I’m sorry, the castle was originally a moated Slavic castle.

If you think that’s old, the Heimchensteine would be downright ancient. And I don’t mean ancient as in Roman or Bronze Age. I mean Ice Age ancient. These humongous boulders came from as far as Scandinavia around 20,000 years ago. Some historians believe the stones might have once been an altar or gravesite.

Wandering around the countryside pondering this question might be a good idea. However, there are other ways to engage yourself. Möckern has quite a few bicycle routes, including one called the Lord Day Tour; which is a 30km route that’ll take you to or from the nearby city of Magdeburg.

Wish to stay a bit more local? Go see the steel of the City Goddess, which you’ll find right outside the Rathaus. It’s not old or anything, it’s just pretty.

The designation of “old” falls to the St. Lawrence Church (that’s also near the Rathaus). Its tower of stone can be dated back to the 9th century, though the church has seen improvements in the 13th, 15th, and 16th centuries. Hey, if I was that old I’d have gotten a few facelifts too. ;-)

St. Lawrence might be the oldest church in town, but by no means is it the only beautiful one. Again, there are sixty-five villages, so you’re bound to find more that strike your fancy. I like the ones in the villages of Stresow, Rietzel, Zeddenick, Ziepeh, and Drewitz.

You’ll probably have to send me an email, because Möckern’s so large — we might never run into each other. LOL

It won’t take too long via tram (bus, car, whatever) to get to the town of Leuna from Leipzig (25km away) or Halle (Saale), that’s only half the distance away.

So, why would you take the tram to this former industrial town? I guess for a multitude of reasons. Don’t look at me like that, of course I’ll tell you some of them.

One reason to come to Leuna is its Artists Colony. Sorry, it’s a Craftsman Settlement. It’s located near the former oil plant (it was one of the largest oil plants in production for the Nazis). Anyway, it’s now a large co-op of farms and artists plying their wares.

Leuna has an OK share of a historical side. Bronze Age grave hills where found within the area that included Roman glass and coins. Within the City Cemetery are the graves of 141 POWs that used to work in the Leuna Werke (the oil plant).

One of the best sites within Leuna is the Friedenskirche or Church of Peace (located in the village of Ockendorf), a Baroque church built in the early 1700s.

To blow off a little bit of steam the Waldbad is a good spot. This outdoor pool complex has a 100 meter waterslide and three springboards (at various heights, depending on how fearless you are) to jump right in. And it doesn’t cost all that much to enjoy a day of splashing around fun from May to September.

For more refined tastes, might I suggest a choir, dance, or theater performance at the appropriately named Culture House? It was built in the 1920s; and has been entertaining townsfolk for decades.

As nice as Leuna is most of the year, when there’s a festival or something going on its better. Let’s see, there is a Mill Day (held at the windmill) and a City Festival (in the village Kötzschau) in June; followed by the Bike Festival in July.

August kicks off with another City Festival and a Summer Nights Ball. And there’s also an Advent Festival and Christmas Festival at the end of November going into December.

They certainly are a fine way to end the year, or your trip to Leuna.