We decided this time instead of driving south, we would drive northeast to the THUERINGER FOREST. There you'll find allot of glass Christmas Ornaments and we wanted to see some pretty ones.
So we took the 293 from Karlsruhe to Heilbronn, then the E50 Autobahn also called the 6, toward Nuernberg, but only as far as the E43 also called 7, where we turned north until we hit the 470 that took us northeast. After Hoechstadt we turned north on the 505 toward Bamberg. The 173 took us almost to Kronach, but before that we took the 89 north to Sonnenberg and right past it to Steinach, our Thueringer destination.
It is a small town with a big heart and just 4 km south of Lauscha, the Ornament Capitol of the Thueringer Forest.
We picked Steinach to stay, since it is not as crowded with tourists as Lauscha.
The place we've found is a wonderful small Hotel Restaurant with beautiful Rooms and excellent Food. All home cooked.
We have all informations for you. Here is the address: Kirchstrasse 36, 96523 Steinach/Thueringen, Tel: 011 49 36762/32612 or Fax: 011 49 36762/31498
E-mail address: gasthof.klug@t-online.de and I was even able to get a website for you so you may be able to look at the way it looks yourself
http://home.t-online.de/home/gasthof.klug
From here you can be in Lauscha in 5 minutes.
YOU'LL ENCOUNTER WONDERFUL THINGS ON A QUIET WALK THROUGH THE "THUERINGER FOREST!"
NEXT DESTINATION:
ERZGEBIRGE
This should sound familier to you since it is the toy-capitol of Germany. That is where under many other toys the famous Nutcrackers are made.
Leaving the Thuringer Forest the way we came in
over Sonnenberg onto the 173 at Kronach going northeast. Onto the 72 Autobahn at Selbitz and off the Autobahn at Chemnitz onto the 174 southeast.
Now you will really have to watch the signs.
At Gornau you turn east to Waldkirchen, to Gruenhainichen, to Borstendorf, where we found the nicest people with a small Bed and Breakfast place and even a small Mom & Pop Grocery Store and Restaurant. You could not find better people to stay with during your time in the Erzgebirge.
e-mail address: PensionOehme@freenet.de
If you want to take a peek and see what a typical Erzgebirge town looks like
Click here
This is not Borstendorf, Borstendorf is very small, but
we found it was the perfect base to use, because it is so centrally located in the Erzgebirg Mountains. Perfect for a short side excursion to the World Famous Barock City of Dresden. You just have to go there. We parked our car near the
Zwinger and boarded a bus for one of the most beautiful City tours. It is handled so great. You were able to get off (your choice) at 13 different stops. You could explore and take one of the next busses to go on. About half way through the tour we stopped for lunch at Dresdens most beautiful Brauhaus (brewery), am WALDSCHLOESSCHEN. An experience we will never forget. After lunch we boarded one of the next busses again and went on with our tour.
There is allot to see, but the most impressive was deffinately the rebuilding of the FRAUENKIRCHE.
The Church, destroyed in 1945 is being rebuild litterally from the debris and rubbish. All stones and debris pieces have been numbered. The most mindblowing undertaking we have ever seen.
They are planing to have it completed by the year 2006 and all with donations from the public.
A visit in the Erzgebirge without visiting SEIFFEN, the toy capitol would not be thinkable. But before this we also visited Freiberg, a wonderful city of the Erzgebirg Mountains.
After spending a whole day in Seiffen (you need at least a day) we decided to see the rest of the Erzgebirge driving out toward the west.
GASTSTUEB'L ZUM TORFSTICH IN HUNDSHUEBEL IM ERZGEBIRGE
So after a four night stay we headed south to Marienberg. We had to explore there a little too.
Annaberg-Buchholz is just southwest from there. A beautiful City. Going West we drove through Schwarzenberg and since the Czech Border is right there to the south, we were heading northwest toward Schneeberg and than Zwickau.
The last little place before we left the Erzgebirg Mountains was "Hundshuebel". We will not forget it because we stopped for lunch in a little forest cottage called: Raststueb'l zum Torfstich.
It was the nicest little Restaurant and Pension you can think of. The whole Cottage had been importet from Finland. The rooms they rent out are so spacious and wonderful, that we almost stayed there. If we did not have to be the next day at the Wolfgangsee, we would have remained. You can bet, we made note for another time, but it was still a long way down to Austria.
WONDERFUL PLACES EVERYWHERE !
Sometimes majestic and mysterious
NOW WE DROVE ALMOST STRAIGHT SOUTH!
Plauen, Rehau, Marktredwitz, Weiden were some of the small Cities we liked. This is the Porcelain and Crystal region.
From Weiden we still headded south to Cham, but it was getting late. We were already eight hours on the road, of course with short stops in between.
We were both very tired.
We know this place just south of Cham on highway 85. The town is called Chamerau and the Restaurant-Hotel is right on the highway 85. It is called: Landgasthof-Pension-Schwalbenhof!
Over the years we have stopped here many a times on our trips from south to north or north to south. It is like many of the places we go to family-owned and operated. The best of the best.
A wonderful place with Garden Terrace.
LANDGASTHAUS - PENSION - CAFE' - SCHWALBENHOF
Unfortunately with not much time we had to leave for the Wolfgangsee in the morning. We knew it would be approx. anther 4 to 5 hours getting there.
So, we took the 85 down to Passau. From there we headed for Gmunden at the Traunsee and drove along this beautiful lake to Bad Ischl and from there to St.Wolfgang am Wolfgangsee.
We like this place! We stay at various pensions. There is a great big choice. But all we had this time was four nights and we made the best of it.
A walk to the "Hupfmuehle" for some of the famous smoked Forellen (Trout), was however an absolut must. Besides, we like the walk along the mountain overlooking St. Wolfgang and the lake.
LOVELY ST. WOLFGANG AM WOLFGANGSEE !
OUR NEXT DESTINATION: BAYRISCHZELL AM WENDELSTEIN
The place where we have met 52 years ago. Of course it was winter at that time (February 1948)
and we attended a ski-school on the Wendelstein for downhill and slalom and stayed at the Tanner Alm.
At that time we had to climb it all, with skies and 14 day food supplies and blankets. I don't know how we made it. There were no lifts. Today there are 17 lifts.
But our route coming here today took as around the Wolfgangsee to St. Gilgen, from there on the 158 to Salzburg. If you have never been in Salzburg You'd just have to spend some time. It is a lovely City, The birthplace of Mozart and you'll feel and see his presents everywhere.
Today we just sort of past through. We took the Autobahn 8, (highway 52) toward Rosenheim, and
turned straight south right after Rosenheim toward the Wendelstein Mountain Range. On the turnoff Sudelfeld we started climbing up serpentines toward west and toward the Tatzelwurm and ending up in Bayrisch Zell.
Naturely we love this place. Our most favorite pension: Hotel-Cafe' - Restaurant KOENIGSLINDE
where the "Engl-Family" takes really good care of us. You cannot miss this place. It is the center of town.
Actual address: Schlierseer Str. 2, Bayrischzell/Germany 83735
Tel: 011 49 8023 619
Fax: 011 49 8023 1514
We stayed here another three days, taking wonderful naturewalks in the area, but no climbing this time. Afterall counting our age we total together 150 years.
If you click here,
you'll have a wonderful view of the "Obere Sudelfeld!"
It is just above Bayrischzell and beneath the Wendelstein Mountain.
Here my husband and I met skiing, in February of 1948. It seems a long time ago, but every time I look over the meadows there, it feels like yesterday!
