Now that we’ve decided to follow the Romantic Road from beginning to end, we’re moving further north and staying for 4 nights in Dinkelsbühl. On the way, we stop off for lunch at Augsburg. We park outside the historical centre so we can cycle into the city which proves to be a good plan. We easily find free parking in Lützowstrasse on the other side of the Lech in the north east. That way we can follow the red dotted line on the map at the top and follow it south and then east.
Part of the old town walls
Our first stop, as always, is the tourist office to get a map and list of places of interest. We learn there are three fountains on Maximilian strees, also known as the Imperial Road, erected in about 1600. Unfortunately, the Rathaus (Town Hall) is being renovated but the sumptuous Gold Room, restored in 1985, is open and we are the only visitors.
Mercury FountainCeiling of the Golden Hall in AugsburgOne of the doors in the Golden HallThe cathedral and first impression of the historical centre of Augsburg
We have a picnic lunch in the cathedral square (it’s an intermittent fast day) and visit the Romanesque crypt and the oldest series of stained glass windows in the world.
Wall painting in the Cathedral in Augsburg
We have coffee just opposite the second fountain, that of Mercury.
Mercury Fountain
Next on our list is the beautiful Renaissance Damenhof, part of the Fugger family’s houses and business premises built from 1512 to 1515. The courtyard with its Tuscan columns supporting arcades and painted arches, was a family garden for the female members of the family. Today it contains a very romantic café. What a pity we didn’t know about it ten minutes earlier!
Italian Renaissance Dammenhof, now a café and restaurant
We then see the third fountain, that of Hercules.
Hercules Fountain
The two churches of St Ulrich and Saint Afra are built up against each other.
Churches of Saint Ulrich and Saint Afra
The late gothic Catholic basilica of St Ulrich is a combination of Renaissance and baroque.
The catholic church of Saint Ulrich
The protestant church of St Ulrich with its beautiful stucco ceilings, is most unusual.
The protestant church of Saint Ulrich
On the way out, we go by the Fuggerei, 67 houses built for the Catholic poor by Jacob Fugger. The annual rent is less than a euro.
The Fuggerei
Next stop: the beautifully preserved mediaeval village of Dinkelsbühl.
We set out early at 10.15 am on Sunday and see several locals in their Bavarian traditional clothing. We go to the front of the church hoping to see more of them but we’re too late! Today we are cycling to Diessen and coming back by train. It’s not exactly on the Romantic Road but it’s in the general area. Along the way, we notice several level crossings with no barriers whatsoever! It reminds me of a very scary experience a few years ago.
Andrea at the tourist office in Peiting suggested today’s route and said it was downhill all the way which is not quite true for the first 10 kilometers. We seem to do nothing but go up and down. We stop in Peissenburg at an Italian Eis Café for a cappuccino after riding for about 1 ½ hours.
Sunbathers on the Ammersee
After that, the descent begins and for the rest of the day, it really is mostly downhill. We start following the Ammer River and often see small groups of sunbathers in the most unlikely spots.
The baroque church in Wilheim
At Weilhelm, we visit another baroque church with a beautiful white stucco ceiling, much more sober than the recent churches we’ve been to.
The blue umbrellas on the left belong to the pizzeria
We have decided not to be too fussy about where to have lunch today and end up eating in a pizzeria at the bottom of a modern apartment building. At least I can read what is on the menu! These German words all stuck together are a bit of a problem. It is excessively hot , about 30°C, and the cold Lambrusco is very welcome. We order entrecôte which turns out to be fillet steak.
Storks along the train tracks
We are back on our bikes by 2.30 pm. Unfortunately we keep getting lost, not because of the lack of signposting, or the wine for that matter, but because there are so many different choices! We follow the train tracks for a while which is reassuring.
The telecommunications station in Raisting
We pass Raisting which has one of the largest telecommunication stations in the area.
The painted ceiling and organ in the pilgrimage church of Saint Johann in Wilheim
The village of Raisting also has a rococo church with sumptuous ceiling paintings.
On the edge of the Ammersee in Diessen
At Diessen am Ammersee, we find ourselves an Eis Café on the edge of the lake and have a welcome ice-cream. Note to self: I need to find out how to say “plain ice-cream with nothing on it”. Unless it’s in a cone, they seem to add nuts and syrup and all sorts of other things I don’t like.
Jean Michel examining the ticket machine in Diessen
We go past the train station and think it might be wise to buy our tickets ahead of time. We are told there is an automatic ticket machine in the train but we’re not taking any chances. There is only one train every hour.
One of the painted houses in Diessen – I wish I could read what is written!
We start cycling up a hill past a number of beautifully painted houses so I spare my knees and walk up so I can admire them better. Jean Michel rides up and misses the paintings.
The Marienmünster cathedral in Diessen
At the top is the beautiful Marienmünster cathedral with a large expanse of grass in front and no cars which makes it easy to photograph without too much distortion.
The beautiful painted ceiling of Marienmünster in Diessen
The inside is particularly beautiful and not as overdone as some of the rococo and baroque churches we have seen.
The scenery from the train on the way home
We wait for the train for 15 minutes in the hot sun and are glad when it arrives – it’s air-conditioned. We attach our bikes with the straps provided and enjoy the 45 minute journey back to Peiting. For once, the windows are clean enough to take photos!
An interesting group of statues in Peiting
We’ve clocked up 52 kilometers and 4 hours by the time we get back to our Alpenhotel in Peiting at 7 pm. Another excellent day of cycling. Tomorrow we’re moving further north along the Romantic Road to Dinkelbühl.
Our route from Peiting to Dissen (Bayerische Seen bike map adfc)The Romantic Road Map on the tourist brochure
We start off on our day’s cycling on the Romantic Road in Bavaria by driving 15 minutes to Lechbruck am See and the first views of a little turquoise lake are beautiful.
Starting out from Lechbruck
Our route then takes us along the Forggensee and past some of the most stunning scenery I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, the photos do not do it justice. The sky is slightly overcast so it’s not too hot which makes the many hills easier!
First views of Forggensee
At one stage we can see both the Illasbergsee and Forggensee at the same time.
And the pleasure continues
We stop for coffee along with many other cyclists on the rise of a hill.
The cycle path along the Forggansee
After a while we sadly quit the lake but it’s more restful for our knees. As usual the route is well signposted.
Well-signposted road for both cyclists and trekkers
The scenery then becomes meadows with the Bavarian Alps in the background as we approach Schwangau and Neuschwanstein Castle, the Romanesque Revival palace built by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and homage to Richard Wagner. Since his death in 1886, it has attracted more than 61 million, with 6,000 per day in summer every year.
Neuschwanstein castle barely visible in the background
The last time we were here, we didn’t visit it but have decided to do so today. However we are discouraged by the milling crowds and long queue at the ticket office. Also, it’s a long climb up to the castle and not really do-able by bike.
Histsorical building on the lake at Schwangau near Neuschwanstein Castle
Instead, we cycle along one side of the little lake up to the first viewing point, which is enough for me, then turn back and continue on to Fussen.
View of the lake at Schwangau
Last time we were in Fussen, we only saw the tourist office, but this time we discover a pretty little town with many beautifully decorated houses.
The main street in Fussen
It’s 2.30 pm and we think we should have some lunch but would like to find a place on the river. We have no luck so keep riding up the other side of the Forggensee in the direction of Lechbruck. The weather is distinctly improving. What a pity we didn’t have blue skies and sun in the morning!
The Lech in Fussen
There is a landing stage for cruise boats not far out of Fussen but we don’t like the look of the restaurants. Also we can’t take our bikes.
A cruise ship near Fussen
At Dietringen – it’s now 3.45 pm – we find an Eiscafe but all the tables are in the full sun, which is now very strong. There is also a lot of wind and the owner is afraid of opening the sunshades so we keep cycling.
A cyclist’s dream!
We push on towards Rosshaupten and on the way, I spy a sort of wooden armchair with a view so we have water and biscuits instead of lunch!
The sort of gasthaus we like with a shady biergarten
At 4.30 pm, we find a biergarten to our liking called Landgasthof Schwägele but it’s too late for lunch and too early for dinner, even if the Germans dine very early. We have a restorative glass of weiss wein instead. Fortunately there is only one steep hill during the remaining 7 kilometers.
The last few kilometers are much flatter
At 6 pm, after 5 hours of cycling and 52 kilometers, we are back in Lechbruck, just in time to go home, have a shower and go out to dinner. We are planning on going to nearby Schongau (not to be confused with Schwangau), which is too steep to visit by bike.
One of the gates in Schongau
What a disappointment! Apart from a promising gate in the old fortified wall and a square with a few historical houses around it, there are nothing but pizzerias and snack bars.
The main platz in Schongau
We drive a half an hour back to Landgasthof Schwägele and have a delicious wiener schnitzel instead. Yesterday, when we visited Wies, and today, with its magnificent scenery on the Forggensee, are among our best days of cycling ever, along with the S-bend in Austria.
Our cycle route from Lechbruck to Fussen (Bayerische Seen map by adfc)The Romantic Road Mp on the tourist brochure
With our new Bikeline maps, we are ready to start our cycling trip along the 350-kilometer Romantic Road which starts in Fussen in the south of Bavaria and ends in Würzburg in the central Germany. Although it more or less follows the old Roman road of Via Claudia Augusta, it was really only invented in 1950 to stimulate the local economy after World War II. The trail, with its many baroque churches and castles became very popular with the families of Americans who had been stationed in Germany.
Scenery as we leave Peiting
As soon as we are out in the countryside, we are delighted. The scenery is just as beautiful as I remember from our short visit in 1999: mountains of various heights in the background, rolling green hills in the foreground and an occasional house or tractor. The locals are bringing in the hay at the moment so it’s quite busy. Our itinerary is along small roads and is extremely well sign-posted. We won’t be getting lost today, unlike our recent experience in Italy.
Typical bike path, often closed to vehicles
The only disadvantage is the number of hills (and the occasional march fly). Jean Michel had forgotten the hills, but I hadn’t. However we mustn’t complain. We prefer hilly roads in Bavaria where everything is a delight to the eye to the flat plains around the Po River!
Gasthof Graf in Steingaden
Our first stop is Gasthof Graaf in Steingaden. It’s nearly midday which is lunch time for most people in Germany. When we ask for a cappuccino, the waiter suggests “home made strawberry cake” to go with it! As I don’t really like strawberries, I decline so he suggests red currant cake instead. What can I say? Before we leave, the chef comes out and asks in very basic English if we are French. Since France has just beaten Germany in the European Soccer Cup semi-finals, we immediately apologize.
Coffee and cake!
“No, no,” he says, “you don’t have to worry. It was a good game. Fair play is more important than anything else.” Then he and the waiter say they hope France will beat Portugal in the finals on Sunday.
Andrea, our very helpful contact at the tourist office in Peiting phones to say she’s found us an apartment in the village of Wildsteig that has V-lan. It sounds good so I tell her to book for us.
The outside of Steingaden Abbey
We then visit the 12th century abbey of Steingaden with its beautiful baroque ceiling paintings and rococo puttis
The beautiful baroque and rococo interior of Steingaden Abbey
The next stop is the stunning rococo church of Wies which I wrote about a couple of days ago but which we approach from a different side. this time We park our bikes next to the sundial (it’s actually 1.15 and not 12.15) and follow the other pilgrims into the church.
The sundial on the side of Wies Church
It obviously does not have the same surprise effect as it did the first time, but we still love it! Designed in the late 1740s, the pilgrimage church of Wies is one of the finest examples of German rococo and understandably on the Unesco World Heritage list.
The left gallery of the church inside
It is said that tears were seen in 1738 on a dilapidated wooden sculpture of the Scourged Saviour. Pilgrims flocked to the site as a result and a small chapel was soon built to house the statue. However, it was not big enough to accommodate the crowds so Steingaden Abbey commissioned a separate site and chose Dominikus Zimmermann as the architect.
Just as we are about to leave, we hear music. A man is playing the harmonica and the result is very moving in this grandiose setting.
The organ in Wies
Before we leave the site, we walk down the hill a little way so we can relive our first view of the outside of the church in 1999.
Wies from the path we originally took in 1999
We’re starting to get hungry despite the cake (it’s nearly 2 pm) but don’t want to eat in any of the restaurants immediately surrounding Wies. The next village is Wildsteig which is at the top of a steep hill. The only place we can find is Café Peramarta where we order a large salad each.
Peramata Café in Wildsteig
While we are there we check out the apartment that Andrea has found us but we do not find either the village or the environment of the apartment very appealing so we decide to simply extend our hotel stay in Peiting for two more nights. It is perfectly located and we appreciate the room and balcony. I send an email to the owner when we get back to the hotel explaining that we have had to leave the area.
Hay making
More beautiful scenery takes us down past the Kase-Alm cheese factory that Andrea has told us about. It is obviously very touristy but we appreciate the view and buy some cheese.
The view from the cheese factory
Rottenbuch with its typical maypole is next.
A typical maypole, this one in Rottenbuch
It, too, has a high baroque abbey church, called Mariae Geburt, on a smaller scale than Wies, but still very lovely. There is a priest training two giggly altar girls.
The altar girls in training in Rottenbuch church
After 44 km and 5 hours of hills and dales we arrive back in Peiting, very satisfied with our return to the mythical Wies after 17 years. Despite our wobbly knees, we can still make it to the Eiscafé!
Our route from Peiting to Wies (Bayerische Seen bike map adfc)The Romantic Road Map on the tourist brochure
After our disappointing cycling experience in the Po Valley in Italy, where we were based in Crema for two nights, ,Jean Michel suggests we go back to Wies in Bavaria. I agree but insist on getting a proper cycling map first.
The view in Gudon
First we schedule an over-night stopover in Innsbruck in the south of Austria, with an abortive lunch stop at Bolzano which turns out to be nothing but new buildings. We leave town and get back on the motorway, then follow a sign saying Gudon. The only two restaurants in this pretty little mountain village which is more Austrian than Italian are closed but I find a bench in the shade near the church and we have a picnic. We love the beauty of the site, the panoramic view and the lovely cemetery.
The view from our balcony in Innsbruck
After another 1 ½ hours, we arrive in Innsbruck. going back to the same hotel we stayed in 5 years ago, Gastof Koreth. It’s been renovated, the rooms seem to have shrunk, the balcony still has the same great view of Innsbruck and the surrounding mountains, the wooden floor creaks badly and breakfast is hardly any better than in Italy.
The golden roof in Innsbruck
After a short rest, we ride into the Old Town to see the Golden Roof again but there are so many tourists that we decide to cycle along the river for a few kilometers. This is the sort of holiday we like! We have our aperitif at the same café, Dom Café, as last time opposite the Cathedral and dinner in the same beer garden, Löwen Haus, as we did five years ago. We are creatures of habit if nothing else. Actually, it’s easier than searching for new places! The dinner’s a bit disappointing though – we should have taken the day’s special.
Cycling along the Inn in Innsbruck
After cycling back up the hill to our hotel, we start the next accommodation search on booking.com. This is not a task that either of us likes. We have a lot of difficulty finding anything as we’d like an apartment for a few days and nothing seems to be available even on German websites which have the added complication of being in German. We settle for the Alpen Hotel in Peiting, about 30 km north of Fussen, for two nights. We are tempted by Sonnenbichl where we stayed in 1999, but would like a little more comfort. I suggest we stop off at Garmich-Partenkirche on the way and pick up some tourist information.
Just one of the beautifully decorated buildings in Garmish
When we get there, we park and walk into the centre. Every single building is decorated with beautiful murals. There is no tourist information about the area we are going to (Pfaffenwinkel – priests’ corner) but we are able to buy a couple of bike maps at a bookshop. Even in German, they are still useful.
Ettal Monastery
On the way to Peiting, I see an interesting-looking dome off to the right in a place called Ettal. I ask Jean Michel who has had enough driving on winding roads if we can stop. We’re glad we did. Ettal has a stunningly beautiful baroque Benedictine monastery built in the eighteenth century according to the plans of a Swiss-Italian architect. However we don’t anywhere we would like to have lunch.
The farm house across the road from the restaurant in Altenau
A bit further on, our GPS sends us on a most unlikely road to the villag e of Altenau. We see some people having lunch under blue and white umbrellas at the Altenauer Dorfwirt which according to my iPhone German dictionary means something like the village host. We order Viener Schnitzel (what else?) and some cold white wine. The centre of the village is very lively and we watched school children and tractors file past. Jean Michel has perked up by now.
Our hotel in Peiting – one front balcony is on the first floor on the left. There is another one round the corner.
We arrive in Peiting mid-afternoon and are relieved to discover that the hotel room is spacious with French windows on two sides, each with a balcony, and that the floor doesn’t creak. We venture out and discover we are in a pretty little village. Andrea at the tourist office speaks good English and gives us the local maps and information as well as a list of holiday flats. She shows us several bike itineraries including Wies and it looks as though we have enough information not to get lost. She also directs us to the local organic supermarket.
The view from one of our balconies in Peiting
In the evening, after a picnic dinner on the balcony (now why can’t I grow geraniums like that?) and an ice-cream at the Eis Cafe down the road, we try to no avail to find an apartment for a few days. All the websites are in German and they don’t have calendars to indicate availability. I decide to go back and see Andrea next day which we do, after a disappointing breakfast. Are we getting harder to please?
Peiting Church
She is very helpful and tries several places. V-lan (wifi) seems to be the main problem, which is surprising. One apartment seems promising and she says she’ll have the answer in an hour. I leave her my cell number and off we go. Our cycling holiday in Germany seems to be off to a good start!
It’s 1999 and we are on our first road trip to Germany. We get to Fussen, at the bottom of the Romantic Road in Bavaria and go to the tourist office to find a place to stay. We don’t have wifi or iPhones or anything like that. There are zillions of people milling around and not a room to be had in the entire town, so we leave. It is now early evening.
The tourist office in Fussen
As we are driving along wondering how far we might have to go to get a bed, I see a sign saying “Sport Hotel Sonnenbichl”. We turn off and arrive in front of a very long hotel (it turns out to have an indoor swimming pool) and get the last room available for two nights. It’s rather Spartan and the beds are hard but it has a balcony with an incredible view of the mountains, the staff are friendly and helpful and the breakfast is excellent. I learn to say spiegelei which means fried egg.
Typical scenery near Wies
Next day we put on our walking shoes and set off for a place called Wies. We climb up and up through stunning scenery. I have terrible blisters and have to keep stopping to pierce them. Cyclists and other hikers walk past us from time to time and call out Grüss Got. We soon start saying it too. At the end of a painful 10 kilometers, I am feeling very frazzled.
The outside of Wieskirche
Just in front of us, on top of a hill, is a white church that doesn’t look anything special.
Inside of Wies church
I limp through the door and nearly cry out in amazement. It is our first taste of rococo and baroque churches and it quite astounding. Every moment of pain seems worth it and the return journey doesn’t seem nearly as bad. Every church we have seen since has been compared with Wieskirche!
My Australian friend Jane first told me about Bamberg a couple of years ago but although it’s still in Bavaria, it’s a lot further north than the Danube. However, my iPhone says that the shortest route from Melk to Blois is via Nuremberg and Bamberg is only 40 minutes further north which makes it a good stopover on our way home. The weather forecast is also reasonable for visiting although it is not warm enough for cycling especially now that Jean Michel has a sinus infection.
The Altes Rathaus, Bamberg’s most well-known building
I find an apartment through booking.com that’s close to the historical centre and appears to be spacious. We haven’t been doing so well with out accommodation recently so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. As soon as we arrive in Bamsberg, we know we’re going to love it. The check-in for the apartment is at the Weierich Hotel. We can park in front of the apartment which is just opposite the hotel to drop off our luggage then park in a public car park about 10 minutes on foot for 8 euro per 24 hours which is very reasonable, especially after Hungary.
Our living room in Bamberg Apartments on the second floor, Lugbank 5
Jean Michel loves the apartment which is in a building constructed in 1510 (even older than our house in Blois) and has a bedroom, a large living room with 5 windows and a properly equipped kitchen at one end, a sort of sitting room and a bathroom, not to mention a small terrace with two gnomes. I’m relieved since I’m the one who chose it!
The frescoes on the wall of the Altes Rathaus. Have a close look on the right bottom.
The historical centre of Bamberg was added to the Unesco World Heritage list in 1993 because of its beautifully preserved mediaeval architectural ensemble. The first thing we see is the Altes Rathaus, or old town hall, Bamberg’s most emblematic construction built in the 14th century and rebuilt by the people of Bamburg after a fire in 1440. It is just a stone’s throw from our apartment. It was given a Baroque and Rococco conversion in the mid-18th century and frescoes were added on both sides. We photograph it from every possible angle.
The Cathedral, showing two of its four steeples
We then walk up to the Imperial Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint George on one of Bamberg’s seven hills. The second and present-day building was completed in 1237 and combines both late Romanesque and Gothic elements.
The new residence
It fronts onto a large square with the turn of the 18th century New Residence on one side and the Old Court on the other.
The lovely inner courtyard of the Old Court
We walk through to the splendid inner courtyard of the Old Court with its half-timbered buildings decorated with red geraniums. Now why can’t I grow geraniums like that?
The fishermens’ quarter with its quaint houses
We walk back down to Bamberg’s Little Venice with its quaint fishermen’s houses along the towpath of the Regnitz River.
Front façade of the Altes Rathaus
From there, we go back to the Altes Rathaus and walk through the arch and over the bridge from which we can see the frescoes on the other side.
Wild mushrooms in the green market – the ones we don’t know are on the bottom right in the top corner of the box
The Green Market is next with its many fruit and vegetable stalls, including wild mushrooms we’ve never seen before.
Maximilienplatz
From there we go to Maximiliansplatz, the largest square in the town centre, dominated by the present-day town hall with its Baroque façade built from 1732 to 1737.
The café opposite Harmony Garden
We work our way back to the apartment via Harmony Garden where we stop for a drink. My feet are starting to burn – we’ve walked 10 kilometers in about 2 ½ hours, mostly on paving stones, but every corner reveals another beautiful or quaint building and we want to make the most of the sun. We know that it’s going to be partly overcast next day.
Hotel Weierich
Back in our apartment, we have dinner (it’s an intermittent fast day) and I discover there is no hot water to wash up. Jean Michel checks the radiators and tells me two of them are not working, including the one in the bedroom. We go across to the hotel and explain the problem to the night watchman who only has very basic English but is very helpful. He finds the solution to the hot water (it has to be turned on under the sink) but it’s too late to do anything about the heating. He offers us a room in the hotel instead so at bedtime, we take what we need for the night across the street to the hotel.
Breakfast at Hotel Weierich – best yet!
Next morning the girl at the desk tells us someone will look after our heating during the day. She asks if we’d like to have breakfast in the hotel (no extra charge). We accept and have the best breakfast we’ve had since we left home nearly a month ago! The brioche loaf is exceptionally delicious.
Back in the apartment we find the heating is working again and wonder whether the renovation work next door has anything to do with the problem. As we leave the apartment, the sun comes out and we cross a different bridge over the river and get another superb view of the very photogenic Altes Rathaus.
The broom and brush vendor on Maximilienplatz
We head for Maximiliansplatz to find a bookshop to buy a guidebook in French as our tourist brochure isn’t very adequate. On the way, we come across a brush and broom vendor, very similar to the one we found in Dresden last year. We buy a new broom for our hearth in Blois and put it in Jean Michel’s backpack.
The building we used to find the gardens
The sky clouds over and we decide to head for Bamberg’s market garden district owned by a dozen or so families on the other side of the river and which was responsible for Bamberg’s considerable commercial development in the middle ages. However, we have trouble finding it because of the poor indications but by studying one of the photos in the guide book, we are finally able to locate it. We climb up a leaning metal platform to get a bird’s eye view.
The view of Saint Otto’s and the surrounding gardens from the viewing platform
Unfortunately the little market gardeners’ museum is not open on Tuesdays so we eventually work our way back to the island in the middle of the city, having a cappuccino on the way to give my feet a rest.
The market garden museum closed on Tuesdays
We follow the suggested itinerary in the guide book which includes several of the places we visited yesterday, but only from the outside. Near a lock and an old watermill, we come across a little ferry and cross the river . We are reminded of all the little ferries along the Danube and Rhine. Throughout the day we see lots of local cyclists and regret that the weather is not warmer.
The ferry crossing the river from the old watermill
Our path takes us to the Imperial Cathedral and this time we go inside. Jean Michel starts reading the guidebook out loud but it is so detailed that I can’t take in any more. I gather there are three main things to see : a statue of an unknown horseman, circa 1250, the tomb of the imperial couple, Heinrich II and Kunigunde (1513), and the Marienaltar (1523).
The incredibly detailed and finely sculptured bas reliefs depicting Kunegonde
The Bamberg horseman is a little high up to appreciate the details but the Kunigunde carvings are quite fascinating. I consult the guidebook to find out more.
Scheiners Gastuben
We’re now ready for lunch so walk down a flight of steps to the centre and find ourselves in a street with several possibilities. We choose Scheiner’s Gaststuben with its typical wooden benches and find ourselves a seat next to a German couple. We have a mixed sausage grill (gemischter bratwurstteller), sauerkraut and fried potatoes for 8.90 euro, very good value for money, and have a glass of local white wine to go with it.
The state room in the new residence
Back up the stairs to the cathedral square after lunch to visit the New Residence whose Baroque wings were built under Prince Lothar Franz von Schönborn at the end of the 17th century. Unfortunately, we have to follow a guided tour in German and it is not until the second half that our tour guide realises that we need the brief guides in French!
The white room with its beautiful stucco work and white enamel stove
We are able to admire the beautiful painted ceilings and ceramic stoves though – there isn’t much furniture.
The rose garden
The rose garden behind the New Residence offers a wonderful view of the city but, more especially, takes us down a tree-lined path that gives us a superb view of the cathedral. with its four spires.
You can see the four spires on the cathedral
We follow our guidebook itinerary until we reach the 12th century Carmelite monastery converted, like everything else it seems, to the Baroque style at the end of the 17th century. Its late Romanesque cloisters from the 13th century remain unchanged.
The cloisters of the Carmelite Monastery with their finely carved capitals and painted sundial
The Upper Parish church (Obere Pfarre) with its Tintoretti painting and white Baroque interior is the only purely Gothic church in Bamberg. The high chancel is supported with flying buttresses which make it very impressive from the outside.
The interior of the Obere Pfarre
We debate about whether to climb another hill to see Saint Michael’s Monastery founded in 1015. The photos in the guidebook showing the painted ceiling with its 578 flowers and medicinal herbs convince us and we make a final effort. It’s closed for renovation. Sigh.
Saint Michael’s Monastery
The view as we go down the hill along a small pathway to the historical centre makes up for the disappointment.
The view pf Saint Michael’s Monastry and vineyard from the path
An ice-cream in front of the Altes Rathaus gives us enough stamina to call in at Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas decoration store where we buy a little set of bells for the Christmas tree. We usually buy something for the tree in each new country we visit but we totally forgot to do so when we were in Serbia and Romania.What a pity!
An inviting cafe along the canal in Bamberg
Back at our apartment, after having walked 15 kilometers (according to the health app on my iPhone), we check the weather and the map for a last one-night stopover on the way hope. We decide on Colmar, another Little Venice with its pretty canals and Alsatian decor. Maybe we’ll be lucky enough to find some vin nouveau and harvest bread like we did last time !
Sunday is cool and rainy so we have reserved our weekly cycling excursion for Monday which dawns bright and sunny. We are off by 10.30 am to Montrichard on the Cher River, about a half an hour’s drive from Blois, via Chaumont. We are going to get cycle maps at the tourist office.
Montrichard castle from the main street leading to the tourist office
They don’t have any. That’s a disappointment but we have seen on the Internet that there is a cycle path to Thésée about halfway along the 20 K route. We find a parking lot near the river and set out.
The Cher along the bike path leaving Montrichard
Initially the path is promising and we’re happy to be on our bikes again. The lack of maintenance, however, soon becomes obvious (read : the path is often rutted and you have to keep your eyes on the ground all the time). When you glance at the scenery, it’s quite bucolic, marred only by the smell of pollution caused by ever-increasing green algae.
One of the many locks along the bike path
We go past several locks, all of which seem to be functioning and automatic. Most of the lock houses seem to be converted into holiday rentals. From time to time, I get off my bike and walk over a rough patch, rather than find myself face down on the gravel in front of me. “Don’t worry”, Jean Michel consoles me, “after we get to Thésée, there’s a real bike path.”
Troglodyte houses in the limestone cliffs
Well, yes, there is a sort of a bike path between the river and the railway line but the maintenance isn’t any better. On the other side, we can see many troglodyte houses built into the limestone cliffs, but it’s not really scenic.
An enormous grain silo with a vineyard in front
Nor is the modern version of a cathedral, aka a grain silo. It even has a pseudo bell tower.
The approach to Saint Aignan with its château and collegiate church
The approach to Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, however, which we’ve never visited, more than makes up for the mediocre ride. The château stands on the hill just opposite the bridge with the collegiate church to the left.
The sign on the bridge at Saint-Aignan showing the demarkation line
Jean Michel points out a sign on the bridge that says “1940-1944 Here was the line of demarcation. We will remember them.”
One of the many luxuriant flower pots in Saint Aignan
Now comes the important bit. Lunch. It’s 1.15 pm and it’s Monday (read : most restaurants in France, particularly in the provinces, are closed). Now my idea of a restaurant when we’re cycling is a pleasant, inexpensive, non-touristy-looking place, with shady trees over the outside tables and a direct view of the river. The sort they have in Germany all along the Danube.
Gasthof Berzl in Kelheim – the sort of place where I like to have lunch when cycling
The only problem is that it seems to be a rare commodity in France. We cycle through the village and only discover a kebab place near the church and an indoor crêperie. We ride along the river in both directions and finally have to resign ourselves to coming back to L’Embarcadère which fronts onto the main road and doesn’t have a terrace. However, with a four-course menu for 13 euro, it’s definitely inexpensive.
L’Embarcadère where we finally eat
I have stuffed tomatoes, steak (small piece) and chips, cheese and ice-cream. It’s all palatable though nothing special. Jean Michel has the same thing except he has beef flank (hampe) instead of steak. Just in case you’ve never discovered this, the piece of meat that’s called steak (often written steack) in France is not what Australians call steak. It’s a specific cheap cut of grilling beef. It is NOT fillet or entrecôte.
The château up on the hill seen from a house near the tourist office
We’ve finished our coffee so we set off to visit the town, starting with the tourist office because we’d like to find a better route to cycle back to Montrichard. Disappointment once again. They don’t have any cycle maps either. They give us a map of the town indicating 20 places to visit, but with explanations for only two of them : the castle and the collegiate church.
The entrance to the château
We’re just next to the road leading up to the château and we debate whether it’s worth it. We decide to make the effort. Halfway up, we talk to a man with a truck sweeping up dead leaves. I can’t believe there are already autumn leaves in August but the man tells us the trees have a disease. That’s a relief (not for the trees of course). Needless to say, the chestnut trees are already shedding their leaves everywhere. Sigh.
The Renaissance wing of the château
The château is privately owned, but visitors have free access to the courtyard. What a discovery! We’re so glad we made the decision to go to the top of the hill.
The 9th century tower
The château with its 9th century tower, Renaissance château with its scallop shells and François I salamanders, was once the home of several generations of Duc de Beauvilliers.
The blue flowers inside the courtyard
It has a wonderful view and lovely proportions. I particularly like the large stone urns with their blue flowers and immediately decide to plant them at home next year. I just have to find out what they are …
The collegiate church with its Republican inscription
We ride back down into the town and visit the 11th century Collegiate Church which has two interesting features. On the front there is an inscription that says « République française Liberté Egalité Fraternité ». Now, you must admit it’s original! The church was auctioned off during the French Revolution and given back to the Catholic Church in 1800.
The recumbent statue of Jeanne de Perellos can be seen on the right
The other attraction is the tomb of Jeanne de Perellos, with its recumbent statue. She was banished from the church for seducing Louis II of Chalon, Count of Saint-Aignan from his legitimate spouse in 1420. What a claim to fame!
The monumental staircase opposite the collegiate church leading up to the château
Opposite is a monumental staircase leading up to the château.
We cycle back through the little town with cobbled streets and several very old houses and down to the river. I have checked the map and found a little white road that runs roughly parallel to the main road and will take us back to Montrichard. Jean Michel has approved it.
The church with its unusual archway in Pouillé
Well, it might run parallel to a main road, but it’s still a 90 kph road and we have to ride one behind the other which isn’t much fun. At Pouillé, which is roughly opposite Thésée, we see an interesting church with an archway on the right. Initially built in the 11th and 12th centuries, it was bombarded in 1940 but has since been restored. There are no cafés.
A shady terrace in Angé, very welcome after riding for 15 K under a 30°C sun
We continue on our way until Angé which has a few historical houses but more importantly, a café with a shady terrace out the back. By now it’s 30°C and we’ve been riding in the full sun since leaving Saint-Aignan. A cold drink is most welcome.
Montrichard taken from the beach side
Jean Michel studies the map again and tells me we’ll be able to leave the main road soon and take a smaller road. It does not happen. The smaller road is now part of an industrial estate. However, we are nearly at Montrichard which has a beach on the Cher and, best of all, ice-cream.
La Plage restaurant & bar at the beach in Montrichard
It’s like being at the seaside ! We go to a restaurant bar appropriately called La Plage which even has a live band playing old time songs – not particularly melodious but it all adds to the ambiance. We have an excellent ice-cream from a smiling waitress before mounting our bikes and riding back to the car: a round trip of 46 K and 3 ½ hours in the saddle.
Venice, Germany and Lisbon, in that order, outside France, and Turquant near Chinon, closer to home.
Saying “spaghetti” at the end of our wonderful gondola ride
Venice comes first because of our wonderful gondola experience (which sounds very touristy I know) and all our other less touristy visits as it was our second time in the Floating City. Strange as it may seem, it was not until I had read my way through Donna Leon’s 23 Commissioner Brunetti crime novels a few months later that it became really apparent to me that there are no cars in Venice.
I see Venice as being full of canals and bridges and boats and alleyways rather than being without cars. I was fascinated by all the different types of boats and activities on the canal. Last time we were there, I had a foot problem and we spent a lot of time on the vaporettos. This time, we did a lot more walking.
The Elbe from Bastei Rocks
Next, Germany, where we cycled for a month, first along the Moselle River, then the Rhine, followed by the Elbe, which took as into the former East Germany then up to the North Sea and Friesland, chasing the sun and windmills.
September found us in Lisbon which we loved when the sun come out but found somewhat seedy when it rained, which was more often than not. The best surprise was the marvellous monastery of Jeronimos in Belem, which is among the five places in the world that have left an indelible mark on me. The others are Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, Tasman National Park in Australia and Rila Monastery in Bulgaria.
Beautiful lacework on the arcades at Jeronimos Monastery
Lisbon is a city of vistas and tiles and we even bought some 18th century azulejos to incorporate into our future kitchen. The other place we really enjoyed was Sintra with its beautiful palace and hilltop castles.
We didn’t go very far afield in France this year, because we spent a lot of time cycling along the many paths around Blois and the neighbouring châteaux of Chambord, Chaumont and Cheverny, but we did go to Turquant on the Loire not far from Saumur for a surprisingly early cycling weekend in March.
The famous kitchen at Fontevraud l’Abbaye
We went back to visit the austere and beautiful 12th century abbey of Fontevraud with its extraordinary kitchens.
However the real find was the restored troglodyte village of Souzay Champigny which we literally stumbled upon on the bike path between Saumur and Turquant.
An 18th century pigeon house in the troglodyte village of Souzay Champigny
Our first trip in 2015 will be to Granada for a week at the end of January to soak up the Spanish atmosphere of Andalucia, which we discovered (and loved) in Seville a few years ago and get some much-needed sun.
We have a home-exchange in Istanbul to redeem, but haven’t fixed the dates yet.
With Black Cat now living in New York I would like to visit the city through her eyes and take in Boston as well.
With Black Cat on the opening day of the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris
I’m still hoping to go to Australia before the end of the year but don’t know yet whether that will eventuate.
This summer may be a series of short cycling trips, along the lines of Turquant, as we plan to renovate the kitchen and add at least one large and several small windows to bring in more light. And, as everyone knows, renovation always takes far longer than expected!
When we discovered Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon recently, I added it to the list of places that have left an indelible mark on me because they were totally unexpected and totally overwhelming. At the same time, I was asked to participate in the Booked.net – Top Destinations to Go challenge by Anda from Travel Notes and Beyond. Choosing just five places was a hard task so Jean Michel and I pooled our favourites, which include both man-made and natural wonders.
The Sagrada Familia in Barcelona
The interior of Gaudi’s Basilica of the Holy Family is absolutely dazzling, breathtaking, overwhelming. There are no words to describe it and no photo to do it justice. It is the most amazing well of light imaginable. The brightly coloured stained glass windows that would be gaudy anywhere else are quite superb.
Gaudi was only 31 when he began working on the cathedral in 1883. It evolved considerably during his lifetime, becoming more and more audacious. Sadly, he was run over by a tram at the age of 73 and nearly all the plans destroyed by fire during the Civil War in 1936.
The pillars, which split into two halfway up to remove the need for flying buttresses, represent trees in a forest with leaves at the top. The pillars themselves have a special spiral design with fluting that increases in number as it gets higher and take us soaring up to the highest point, 45 metres above the ground. An unforgettable moment.
Plitvice Falls in Croatia
And to think that I nearly missed Plitvice Lakes National Park as a result of eating tainted prawns in Dubrovnik!
Never had I seen colours like those in the Plitvice Lakes. Each view was more marvellous than the one before!
At 10 am, before the floods of tourists arrive, the upper path is simply an hour of magic to remember forever.
Tasman National Park in Australia
Our trip to Tasmania was somewhat disappointing, due to cold rainy weather. But the sun came out at last and we set off for Port Arthur. On the way, we followed a sign saying Blow Hole, Devil’s Kitchen and Tasman Arch.
Tasman Arch
And what we saw was mind-blowing.
These natural formations along the rugged coastline about an hour and a half south of Hobart are dramatic and grandiose, leaving a impression of immensity that you will never forget.
Rila Monastery in Bulgaria
The initial impression of Rila Monastery built halfway up a mountain and surrounded by forest is quite fabulous.
View of Rila Monastery as you walk in
Founded in the 10th century by the hermit St John of Rila, it was destroyed by fire in the 19th century and rebuilt between 1834 and 1862. Although characteristic of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th-19th centuries), which symbolises the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation, it is quite unique.
The monastery museum contains the most fabulous carved cross I’ve ever seen produced painstakingly by a monk called Rafail, with 104 religious scenes and 650 miniature figures and 12 years in the making. It was hardly surprising that Rafail lost his sight in the process. Just one more reason to remember Rila.
The S-Bend in Austria
Cycling along the Danube from its source in Donau-Eschingen to Budapest was a magical experience in itself. One areas stands out in particular, the Wachau world heritage site in Austria between Linz in Austria and Passau in Germany and the S-Bend in particular.
The S-bend in the Wachau in Austria
The single most remarkable moment of the trip was the view of the S-bend from Schlogen blick.
We had spent the day cycling along tranquil car-free paths, going back and forth across the Danube on a series of little ferries, and now we could see our day’s journey spread out in majesty before us. A truly unforgettable moment.
So tell me, if you were asked to name your five most unforgettable places, what would you choose?
And if you’re a blogger, why don’t you join the To Destinations to Go challenge (and the chance to win an iPhone 6)? Click here for more information.
