You should have spent some time in Stuttgart.
Located in German Wine country, lots of students, a very diverse populace, lots of greenery (vineyards on slopes in the city itself), mineral baths, nice museums, and a very welcoming local culture.
The city has a very large contingent of foreign born residents and is commonly overlooked by Americans except the motor-heads that come to visit Porsche and Daimler museums. In my 20's I was lucky enough to call it home for a couple of years and suggest all take a visit.
The downtown rail station area is a mess as they build a multi-billion dollar underground through station underneath the historic terminal station, but the rest more than makes up for it. The Canstatter Volksfest (Sept 28- October 14) is second in size only to the Oktoberfest in Munich.
https://www.cannstatter-volksfest.de/en/landing-page/
The welcome website for people new to the city is a nice touch and shows the spirit of the city.
https://welcome.stuttgart.de/welcomecenter/en/
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Your note on covering your glass to avoid the bees in the German beer gardens is a reminder that those cardboard discs passed out with the beers are not coasters, as most Americans think. They are called “bierdeckel,” which means “beer cover” (from German “Dach” or roof). They are supposed to be placed on top of the glass to block the bees, rather than under the glass!
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Petrol Station schnitzel can be an amazing meal!!
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We visited our son living in Essen and did a day trip from Koblenz on the Rhine with his girlfriend and her entire family back at the end of May. Stopped and had wine along the way and a wonderful dinner in one of the most charming towns. What a fabulous trip- so worth it!!!
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Jada and John should have a travel show together. This was delightful. What a fun pair.
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I suspect the culinary scene in Germany has improved significantly, much like in England. The options 30 years ago seemed to be nothing but sausage mit mustard everywhere. Or lousy pizza places which were tourist traps. The exception was . . .
Tubingen. A girlfriend from Columbia spent the summer as an exchange student perfecting her German. There I got to experience the most authentic German cuisine, beyond the stereotypical schnitzel. Simply a lovely university town. Rowing down the river, slowly taking in the unfolding views. Delicious microbrews before the term became a thing in the states. A Weissbier served with lemon, far tastier than the poor Corona imitation. A dark beer served in a glass with an inch of fruit cocktail that had been soaked in vodka on the bottom. The sweetness perfectly complimenting the strong hoppy flavor, the vodka giving it just a little extra kick. Nothing like learning from college students how to enjoy the unique pleasures of a foreign country.
And indeed, all the smallish towns in Germany are peculiarly alluring. No hordes of tourists checking boxes off a list. More laid back, more authentic. You really do feel like you've stepped back in time into a Grimms' fairy tale. The larger towns just weren't as enjoyable, and from what I've read the crowds at the "must see" destinations have only gotten worse.
Off the beaten path, best way to travel. There must be some German word with eight syllables to express that sentiment.
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Having lived in Rheinhessen and made multiple visits across the river to the Rheingau....Many wineries in the Rheingau and other wine districts do have their own tasting rooms. You will need to call ahead and check their opening hours.
Sitting with the vintner in the tasting rooms is a great way to learn about the local wines, how they are made and the history behind these wineries.
Because these tasting rooms at the smaller family run wineries are one of the wineries prime sales outlets, buying a bottle of wine to take with is the polite thing to do.
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It's always funny to hear that Americans think that Riesling is a sweet wine.
The Rheingau (just northwest of Frankfurt) is a smallish wine region which produces the Riesling. Probably the best wine you can get in Germany. Since the production is not that high, almost none of the good stuff makes it to the US.
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We just returned from a bike trip around the Bodensee/Lake Constance and got to see the Rhine falls and more of the river from the train going and coming. It's a magical area Germany and Europe. And I do hope you had some Black Forest Cake while you were in the Black Forest!
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Hey, can you take me on your next trip?
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Jada and John must have been driving a Porsche 911. If you drive south for 30 minutes from Frankfurt you might end up at Frankenstein Castle, but not in the Black Forest. But as someone who lives in the heart of Germany, I really enjoyed reading about their journey.
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Jada and John, thank you for this wonderful trip.
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Not sure if I care for the scatter-shot format of this review, but there are some good tips and links.
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Lovely write-up. Please be advised those buzzing creatures that go for your drinks and food are wasps, aka yellow jackets, not bees. They're a plague on the summer here.
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First of all, thanks for sharing; I happen to be from Essen, not far from your current reporting. It must be nice, even if tiring, to explore this wonderful Earth of ours, with the means and time available for some comfort and local translators accompanying you in your reporting. Keep doing your 'thing' and report to us, hopefully an enticement to do likewise before our time comes...to bite the dust.
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This "four-day loop through the German states of Baden-Württemberg, Rheinland-Pfalz and Hessen" looks wonderful, exciting and exhilarating. That photo of the chocolate cake convinced me that one day my husband and I need to visit Bitter & Zart Salon in Frankfurt. Vienna isn't the only city where folks go for the cake.
My only question/concern is the car rental. In some countries like Ireland, there is an age restriction. A person who is 65 or older (we are both in the age camp) cannot rent a car. Does that age restriction apply in Germany?
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@Marge Keller Public transportation in Germany is inexpensive, reliable, and goes everywhere. You don’t need a car if you can plan your journey.
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My 65 yr old husband just rented a car in Ireland a month ago. We had reserved it but when we showed up they wanted a printed out letter from our credit card company saying we were covered for CDW before letting us waive that portion of the contract ( which would have added $20 /day ... but no “age” issues ...
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@Marge Keller
You do not need a car in Germany.
The rail is excellent, cities all have excellent public transit from buses to light rail to subways. Bikes are easy to rent most public transit is bike friendly.
Even the most car centric German cities are quite walkable.
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I remember visiting Luxembourg when stationed in Germany. I dropped by a gasthaus for lunch and struck up a conversation with an elderly gentleman. At the time I spoke fairly decent German. I then got a very personalized tour of Luxembourg and Belgium during WWII. I shall never forget. Every weekend, unless I was required to be on Warner Barracks, I would leave and explore. What great memories. Tours are great starting points, but just walking out of your hotel and walking around is great way to explore.
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@Chuckw
I was an Army Signal Corps Photographer (MOS 84B back then) during the 1980s and we travelled around to do our work- I was stationed at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart's Möhringen district, but work sent us to various places in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
After hours I was out the gate and on the economy. It was a great time.
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"West" Germany does not exist any more. That was a cold-war term, back in the day.
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@barney ruble Unless her trip predates the fall of East Germany (GDR) west denotes a region, not part of the name. However NYT may adhere to their own style rules?
It says “western” as in geographical terms. Pretty sure that’s how it’s meant.
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@barney ruble .. "west germany" is something different than western germany. To refer to the regions as western or southwestern germany is correct.
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