We spent Christmas in Germany, and what an amazing trip it was. It easily ranks as our best vacation—the memories, the sights, the food, the wine, and the snow… so much snow! We were in Germany for eleven days, not counting the two travel days.
We took trains from city to city and enjoyed looking out the window to spot a hare leaping through a snowy field, a brown-and-black deer stripping bark from a snow-mantled tree, or a white-winged hawk sailing along ten feet from the train (and keeping up). The trains were easy to figure out and prevented us from having to drive on icy roads.
Our first stop after getting off the plane in Frankfurt was to Würzburg. Würzburg is a city in the northern tip of Bavaria with main draws including the medieval Fortress Marienberg towering above the town and the sculpture-adorned Old Main Bridge. Unfortunately, Marienberg is closed October through March, so we only saw it from afar.
After settling into our hotel, Würzburger Hof, we made for the Prince Bishop’s Residence and enjoyed a tour of the palace, built in 1744. Although much of it was destroyed during WWII, it was completely rebuilt as it was before the war. No photos were allowed inside.
Afterward, we went to the Würzburg Christmas market. In Germany, each city erects small wooden buildings in town squares during Christmas where vendors can sell sausages, glühwein (a fantastic mulled wine which I have since made at home with great success), and other yummy treats; homemade goods; jewelry and clothing; decorations; and Christmas gifts of all colors and sizes.
We had dinner at Ratskeller, a historic Franconian wine restaurant with a long tradition. Michael ordered bratwurst with sauerkraut, and I ordered the lamb medallions with ratatouille. Everything was fantastic.
We made our way to a second Christmas market and enjoyed the contrasting architecture of a cathedral and a Christmas-light-adorned obelisk.
Jet lag was settling in, so we went back to the hotel and crashed after a brief walk through the stalls and a glühwein.
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