Welocome to Hilzhofen..a small dot in the whole of Deutschland but for me a "had to see" as my maiden name is Hilz..so, apparently Hilzhofen is a golfer's paradise here..home to the Jura Golf area, a Master's level 18 hole course. Hilzhofen also is home to the Landgasthof Meier..this quaint, sleepy local is located in Neumarkt in the Oberpfalz region of Bayern.
Hallo..today we are reliving my trip to Regensburg, Germany- located in the southeast part of the country on the northen most area od the Danube River. Regensburg is the 4th largest city in Bayern (Bavaria) and approximately 140,000 people are lucky enough to call this beautiful, historical city home. It is known as the political, cultural, and ecomonic center of eastern Bayern and plays host to not only 2 Universities but also companies such as Siemens, Toshiba, GE, and BMW--and for the numerous students, residents, and tourists ..has over 500 restaurants, nightclubs, and bars..along with museums and parks.
There are 2 architectural higlights in the city..one being the Stone Bridge (which, unfortunantly was under construction during my visit) and the Dom (Cathedral)...The Stone bridge was constructed between the years of 1135-1146 and spans acroos the Danube River- this structure opened up the international trade routes between northern Europe and Venice, making way for Regensburg to become a major financial influence. The building of the Dom was begun in 1275 and the main structure was completed in 1634-with the towers being completed in 1869. This breathtaking structure is the primary work of Gothic architecture in Bayern.
The history of the city is long and rich ...the very first settlemnets in Regensburg date as far back as the Stone Age, in 1245 it became a Free Imperial City..skipping ahead several hundred years to after WWII- between the years of 1945-1949 Regensburg was home to the largest displaced persons camp inn all of Germany, and in the 1960's underwent a technical and social infrastructure overhaul to become the city that it is today.
Regensburg is a must see when in this part of Germany, breathtaking views, gorgeous buildings, lots of history...
Hallo!! It has been a while since I last posted..life keeps geting in the way!! But I seem to have found myself in Bayern once more and visited the small city of Sulzbach-Rosenberg a couple of days ago..with approximately 20,000 residents this location offers everything you could need..from a castle that was founded during the early 8th century to a rich history in the iron trade..
Sulzbach-Rosenberg is located in the Oberpfalz region of Bayern, about 14 kilometers NW of Amberg and 50 kilometers E of Nürnberg (Nuremberg-english spelling). I was here in the middle of the week and enjoyed strolling through the cobblestone streets, sampling food out of the local cafes' and just soaking in the atmosphere...not to mention spending some time in the beautiful church pictured below..the Pfarrei St. Marien.
Enjoy the tour!!
Hi there..long time no see I know..my traveling flip flops had not ventured out to any place that I had not previously introduced for a while but last week I had a few adventures which I wll be sharing with y'all over the next several days!! Today we are in Grafenwöhr, Germany..located in eastern Bavaria (Bayern) in the Upper Palatinate (Oberpfalz) region. Grafenwöhr is one of the largest military training locations Europe (Truppenübungsplätze). Was established in its current location by Prince Luitpold in 1907 for the training location of the Bavarian Army, utilized in both WW1 and WW2 for the training of German troops, with the training grounds being expanded in size during the 2nd World War. In 1945 the military training camp along with the town of Grafenwöhr were bombed by Allied troops and in April of 1945 the last German Commander turned the military grounds over the the US Army..as a result "Graf" as it is referred to by the soldiers continues to be used as a training site for not only US and German soldiers and other service members but also soldiers from various other Allied Forces.
Grafenwöhr is found between low hills, has mild temperatures in the summer months and can get pretty cold during the winter. The land surrounding the town, which is built pretty much around the base is generally agricultural.
I was lucky enough to book a room at Hotel Böhm where the service and staff were fantastic, rooms comfortable, and the prices very reasonable. (see pic below) Parking and breakfast were included in the room price which is not always a given here in Germany or Europe in general.
Grafenwöhr is home to several suprisingly good restaurants ranging from tasty Tex Mex, Greek, and specialities from Italy and
Asia. The town is small enough that in the warmer months you do not even really need a car to get around the town, all is pretty much in walking distance. I found the people to be for the most part super friendly and that they were glad to stop what they were doing to have a conversation and provide quality customer service. Of course there is a large American influence here due to the military presence but the town is still rich in Süd Deutschland culture..a very pleasant place to spend a few days and located within driving distance of several larger cities.
There are 2 architectural higlights in the city..one being the Stone Bridge (which, unfortunantly was under construction during my visit) and the Dom (Cathedral)...The Stone bridge was constructed between the years of 1135-1146 and spans acroos the Danube River- this structure opened up the international trade routes between northern Europe and Venice, making way for Regensburg to become a major financial influence. The building of the Dom was begun in 1275 and the main structure was completed in 1634-with the towers being completed in 1869. This breathtaking structure is the primary work of Gothic architecture in Bayern.
Hallo!! It has been a while since I last posted..life keeps geting in the way!! But I seem to have found myself in Bayern once more and visited the small city of Sulzbach-Rosenberg a couple of days ago..with approximately 20,000 residents this location offers everything you could need..from a castle that was founded during the early 8th century to a rich history in the iron trade..
