Hall, Austria is overlooked medieval jewel

We stopped for lunch in the pretty little town of Hall, Austria the other day. This much smaller version of Innsbruck has attention from Austrian and German tourists who know about it, but it’s virtually overlooked by Americans who are drawn to the larger and more well-known Innsbruck. What I like about Hall is that […]

European Focus Private Tours Benefit #384

Spontaneous sightseeing is what we’re all about. When we drive along Europe’s back roads with our guests, and when we see something interesting, we check it out. Big Bus Companies are all about staying on a schedule. They have to, with 40 people, even a potty stop has to be coordinated. The other day, Jim […]

Erfurt is Germany's Hidden Jewel

Americans don’t visit Erfurt but they should. The city is more than 1250 years old and is jammed with fantastic buildings remaining from the period of building from the late 1400s to the early 1600s, at the height of the German Renaissance. One of those buildings, the 16the century “Breiten Herd” was severely damaged by […]

Eppingen, Germany is a Half-timbered Town with "Pfiff!"

We spent a couple of nights in Paula’s ancestral town of Eppingen, not far from Heilbronn and Sinsheim in Baden-Wuerttemberg. Eppingen is well-known in this area for its wealth of beautifully-preserved half-timbered houses. Some are huge, such as the “Baummisches Haus,” dating from 1562 and now a lovely small hotel and cellar restaurant with extensive […]

Runkel Castle on the Lahn River

We stopped to visit Runkel Castle on the 31st of July on our way between the Rhein Valley and Hameln. This fascinating castle is one of our favorites in Germany, because it is relatively unknown and fun for all ages to explore. A historical timeline follows, with thanks to the official town web site. (Not […]

Hotel Raumland a Great Home Away from Home

We’ve stayed two wonderful nights at the peaceful Hotel Raumland just outside of Bad Berleburg, in the Siegen-Wittgenstein area of central Germany. The hospitality here has been fantastic. We’ve eaten all of our meals here and each has been more special than the last. Starting with fresh asparagus with a schnitzel on our day of […]