Bavaria at Christmas
Bavaria, one of the Germany’s most Catholic states, is reknown for its embrace of Christmas, plus its location, nestled against the Alps, provides plenty of wintry visuals. Here is an overview from the German National Tourist Office of some of Bavaria’s top Christmas activities and sights from the spectacular mountains to castles and holy sites to storied walled cities.
Full body scanners rejected in the European Union
Full body scanners, which enable security personnel to see through clothes, have been rejected by the European Union at the member airports for now. Germany says it will not participate with “this nonsense.”
Germany’s castle resorts
After living in Germany for a half-dozen years I will never forget the dramatic castles rising on mountain tops, presiding over riverbends and tucked between majestic mountains. Many of these castles have been restored and turned into luxury hotels that can fill any medieval or royal fantasy.
Germany’s Castle Gardens
On a recent trip, I had a chance to wander through some of Germany’s castles and their gardens. The only problem was that I visited as snow was falling. Now spring has sprung and the gardens are coming to life again.
Europe at $8 a gallon? Not so bad
Newspapers and magazines are howling about how expensive travel in Europe is these days. However, driving — even with gasoline at $8 a gallon — can be a bargain. Charlie Leocha describes a recent driving trip in Germany and France.
Plane scrapes wing during landing
A Lufthansa Airlines Airbus A320 scraped its wing on the runway as it tried to land in blustery conditions in Hamburg, Germany. CNN reports that the plane recovered and landed safely the second time around.