Talk to me about Germany please.

Jo001 · 2026-02-26T10:04:28+0000

Our plan is to sail into Amsterdam, but probably come home via Calais-Dover for easier flexibility. We have already visited the Romantische Strasse, the Mosel and Rhine, and the Fairytale Route from Bremen to Hannoversch Munden along with a few other places; these are the sort of areas we like to visit.

We love the Ardennes region of Belgium and Northern France. We don't really like huge cities, we prefer pretty villages, quirky places, and with an elderly dog who uses a buggy when necessary, no mountaineering.

We don't really know much about the area around Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Köln. Are there any must-see places that the hive collective can recommend?

alcam · 2026-02-26T10:31:39+0000

They started it

barryd · 2026-02-26T10:45:04+0000

The only part I have extensively done is the south, Black Forest and Bavaria. Did the Romantic road but IMO the only bit worth seeing is the bottom end of it in Bavaria as you get towards Fussen, (Chitty Chitty bang bang castle). My preference is stunning scenery, lakes and mountains though and that bottom and of Germany is stunning.

mark61 · 2026-02-26T12:30:55+0000

Have you considered the east of the country? Driven straight through it a a number of times but only explored a bit on one trip, but can't wait to tour it a lot more.

Jo001 · 2026-02-26T12:44:20+0000

mark61 said:
Have you considered the east of the country? Driven straight through it a a number of times but only explored a bit on one trip, but can't wait to tour it a lot more.

We hadn't given it much thought, but if there's anywhere you recommend I'd be happy to look more closely.

HurricaneSmith · 2026-02-26T12:46:42+0000

I love motoring all over Germany, and try not to limit the possibilities.

I had wanted to go inside U995 for donkeys years, and admitted it to a German couple on the stroll downhill from the carpark. She smiled, looked at her husband, shrugged, and said "Him too".

On the road to it I nipped into Keil, only to find the whole place was buzzing, celebrating a passenger liners maiden voyage. Every nearby ship was visting and pumping their compressed air horns for good luck in a cacophany of sound.

Everywhere has something brilliant to offer.

trevskoda · 2026-02-26T13:20:21+0000

HurricaneSmith said:
I love motoring all over Germany, and try not to limit the possibilities.

I had wanted to go inside U995 for donkeys years, and admitted it to a German couple on the stroll downhill from the carpark. She smiled, looked at her husband, shrugged, and said "Him too".

On the road to it I nipped into Keil, only to find the whole place was buzzing, celebrating a passenger liners maiden voyage. Every nearby ship was visting and pumping their compressed air horns for good luck in a cacophany of sound.

Everywhere has something brilliant to offer.

Yep hamburg reperbahn.

Drover · 2026-02-26T14:39:37+0000

Got stuck in a traffic jam years ago in Dortmund,,,the police were marching all the convicted football hooligans around the city with their heads bowed down...there were a few hundred of them

HurricaneSmith · 2026-02-26T15:30:51+0000

trevskoda said:
Yep hamburg reperbahn.

Errr, no Trev.

When I visited Hamburg I accept that I was aiming for the docks ........ but only to visit Miatur Wunderland.

I managed to park the camper in its tiny car park, but it took three attempts driving around the town. The attendant treated me like an old friend, and leapt out to show me he'd saved me a suitable space.

Morphology · 2026-02-26T16:46:36+0000

Winterberg - due East of Dusseldorf is the closest ski resort to the South East of England.

The Messel Pit bit further south - South East of Frankfurt am Main.

The Aire in Cologne is ideally placed close to the river and a short walk from the Metro, however it is worth booking in advance as it gets busy.

trevskoda · 2026-02-26T17:45:02+0000

HurricaneSmith said:
Errr, no Trev.

When I visited Hamburg I accept that I was aiming for the docks ........ but only to visit Miatur Wunderland.View attachment 150191I managed to park the camper in its tiny car park, but it took three attempts driving around the town. The attendant treated me like an old friend, and leapt out to show me he'd saved me a suitable space.

All i got was girls saying anything you want for £20, not sure i needed anything in the shops mind you.

barryd · 2026-02-26T18:15:26+0000

Morphology said:
Winterberg - due East of Dusseldorf is the closest ski resort to the South East of England.

The Messel Pit bit further south - South East of Frankfurt am Main.

The Aire in Cologne is ideally placed close to the river and a short walk from the Metro, however it is worth booking in advance as it gets busy.

Nonsense! We have our own Ski resort just 25 miles up the road from here in the Dales

Weardale Ski Club - Welcome

www.skiweardale.com

Morphology · 2026-02-26T19:20:49+0000

I stand corrected! Canterbury to Weardale is 321 miles whereas Canterbury to Winterberg is around 380.

How about "Winterberg is the quickest ski resort to drive to from Southern England"?

Then of course there's the Milton Keynes & Tamworth snow domes to consider, plus I've ski'd the North Downs near Maidstone a couple of times.

Note to self: check yer facts!!

mark61 · 2026-02-26T19:37:29+0000

Jo001 said:
We hadn't given it much thought, but if there's anywhere you recommend I'd be happy to look more closely.

Saxony is well worth a visit, with I suppose the Saxon Switzerland national park being the highlight which does get busy in holiday season.
Still the rest of the old east Germany I have visited all seems a lot quite than the rest of Germany, almost like it still hasn't quite "caught up", and in many ways that makes it far nicer for touring. Plenty of typical German villages etc.

https://www.saechsische-schweiz.de/en/

trevskoda · 2026-02-26T19:42:58+0000

Strange things in hamburg shop windows.

Jo001 · 2026-02-26T19:54:31+0000

trevskoda said:
Strange things in hamburg shop windows

I might pass on that Trev, but thanks anyway ...

Jo001 · 2026-02-26T19:56:38+0000

mark61 said:
Saxony is well worth a visit, with I suppose the Saxon Switzerland national park being the highlight which does get busy in holiday season.
Still the rest of the old east Germany I have visited all seems a lot quite than the rest of Germany, almost like it still hasn't quite "caught up", and in many ways that makes it far nicer for touring. Plenty of typical German villages etc.

https://www.saechsische-schweiz.de/en/

I like the look of that!

trevskoda · 2026-02-26T20:45:26+0000

Jo001 said:
I might pass on that Trev, but thanks anyway ...

I passed a lot of them, eye sight has never been the same.

Jo001 · 2026-02-26T20:59:46+0000

I'm not sure that's what would have affected your eyesight, but if you say so ...

Boris7 · 2026-02-26T21:14:32+0000

I worked in Koln a lot over the years, the Old Town and the Cathedral are well worth a visit Museum-Ludwig not so much. Surprisingly there’s plenty of places for MH parking.
Dortmund is nice enough as towns go. Düsseldorf - I wouldn’t bother

Talk to me about Germany please.

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