Customer Stories / Healthcare Fachklinikum Mainschleife has become the first hospital in Germany to run all its infrastructure in the cloud by adopting AWS services When the hospital chose to end its contract with its IT provider and advised by consulting company Oberender Fachklinikum Mainschleife successfully migrated its infrastructure to the cloud in only 12 months With over 10 TB of patient and medical data digitized on the cloud doctors can access information in a central location faster Overview | Opportunity | Solution | Outcome | AWS Services Used Finding a new IT solution can be a daunting task for any organization, especially for a hospital that relies on its technology to deliver critical patient care. When Fachklinikum Mainschleife chose to end its contract with its IT provider the German hospital needed to find a cost-efficient replacement that met its strict data privacy requirements in only 18 months Working closely with consulting firm Oberender, Fachklinikum Mainschleife migrated its entire hospital infrastructure to Amazon Web Services (AWS). With help from Kite Consult, an AWS Partner the hospital completely rebuilt its applications and workflows to run on AWS in only 12 months Fachklinikum Mainschleife became the first hospital in Germany to migrate its infrastructure to the cloud all while adhering to the data protection requirements set forth by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Cost-Effective Replacement for Hospital Infrastructure Fachklinikum Mainschleife is a private hospital based in Volkach It both provides general medical care and specializes in several areas When the hospital needed a cost-effective replacement for its infrastructure “One of the main motivations for this project was economic,” says Rolf Grube “We calculated different models for Fachklinikum Mainschleife and the most cost-effective option was the cloud we discussed data security and privacy and how we can establish these guardrails in the cloud.” the stakes are high when it concerns technology Fachklinikum Mainschleife’s IT system plays a crucial role in patient care and any disruption or breach of privacy could have serious consequences The hospital chose to migrate all its infrastructure to AWS “The customer needs to configure only certain elements,” says Florian Wanner “This shared responsibility model removes a lot of the complexity regarding compliance.” we are raising the standard for a specialized hospital to meet the level of larger entities." Solution | Rebuilding Over 30 Applications on AWS in Only 12 Months Together, Fachklinikum Mainschleife, Oberender, and Kite Consult worked to migrate all of the hospital’s infrastructure to AWS. The teams completely rebuilt 30 applications and workloads to run on AWS powered by instances on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), which provides secure and resizable compute capacity for virtually any workload, and Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) a collection of managed services that makes it simple to set up and scale databases configured in the cloud they configured infrastructure elements to comply with region- and country-specific regulations The migration project was completed in 12 months As part of the migration, Fachklinikum Mainschleife adopted a new electronic health record (EHR) system called CLINIXX from software vendor AMC. The teams successfully migrated the historical patient data that was running on a third-party hospital information system into a data lake on Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) an object storage service offering industry-leading scalability “We used AWS serverless blueprints to create a solution to store the health information from the EHR and make that data accessible to clinics,” says Wanner “This project involved not only migrating applications to AWS but also changing how certain processes were digitized.” By adopting Amazon S3 Fachklinikum Mainschleife expects to reduce its storage costs by 10 times Amazon DynamoDB, a fully managed, serverless, key-value NoSQL database, serves as the database layer for the hospital’s infrastructure. To facilitate access to the data indexed on Amazon DynamoDB, Fachklinikum Mainschleife relies on Amazon OpenSearch Service which securely unlocks near-real-time search and analysis of business and operational data The hospital now hosts over 10 TB of patient and medical data on AWS which monitors and records account activity across AWS infrastructure to identify potential vulnerabilities and keep its IT estate secure Using AWS KMS rules with customer-managed keys, Fachklinikum Mainschleife can limit incoming decryption requests to authorized users in Germany, meeting data residency regulations. The landing zone is integrated with guardrails that help enforce the hospital’s security policies. If someone attempts to bypass or ignore the implemented security measures, the system will send an alert. The hospital also set up autoremediation functions on AWS Lambda—a serverless event-driven compute service—that automatically address and fix any bugs that might arise Not only was Fachklinikum Mainschleife able to meet its compliance requirements by adopting AWS services “We actually investigated how much it would cost to perform encryption on premises,” says Wanner If we had implemented the service on our own it would involve a €70,000–80,000 investment Because all patient records are digitized in the cloud hospital staff are no longer burdened with the task of consolidating or managing paper documents With centralized access to patient data in the cloud doctors can retrieve critical information on demand instead of searching for it manually better-informed decisions to support high-quality patient care we are raising the standard for a specialized hospital to meet the level of larger entities,” says Wanner “Fachklinikum Mainschleife can access a lot of the benefits that are normally only seen in larger hospitals and healthcare networks.” Outcome | Improving Access to Patient and Medical Data to Support Better Care Fachklinikum Mainschleife became the first hospital in Germany to run its infrastructure entirely in the cloud This initiative demonstrates the hospital’s commitment to innovation and enhanced patient care and serves as a model for other hospitals seeking to improve their IT infrastructure Fachklinikum Mainschleife is a private hospital located in Volkach It provides basic medical care and specializes in several areas AWS Key Management Service (AWS KMS) lets you create, manage, and control cryptographic keys across your applications and more than 100 AWS services. Learn more » AWS Lambda is a serverless, event-driven compute service that lets you run code for virtually any type of application or backend service without provisioning or managing servers. Learn more » Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) is an object storage service offering industry-leading scalability Learn more » Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) is a web service that provides secure, resizable compute capacity in the cloud. Access reliable, scalable infrastructure on demand. Scale capacity within minutes with SLA commitment of 99.99% availability. Learn more » Organizations of all sizes across all industries are transforming their businesses and delivering on their missions every day using AWS Contact our experts and start your own AWS journey today beer-guzzling folks celebrating Oktoberfest in perpetuity but one thing is right: The Germans do love their beer a culturally distinct region that historically resisted Bavaria's authority but reluctantly joined the state in the 1800s a millenia-old winemaking tradition means that instead of hops and malt The distinction is apparent when cheersing a tipple: Instead of saying "prost," Franconian wine drinkers clink glasses with a more formal "zum wohl" — to your health riesling owns the throne based on popularity and production Franconia's terroir has been producing some of the country's best Among the whites that make up 80 percent of total production a dry varietal that thrives in the area's limestone soil It's very friendly to the palate — not too aromatic not too acidic — a white that Goldilocks would keep in her cellar Another unmistakable indicator of a Franconian wine is the bottle in which its stored: the stout and curvaceous bocksbeutel which has been used since before the Middle Ages With wineries outnumbering breweries in and around Franconia's fairytale towns there's no better way to explore this part of Germany than with a glass in hand [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] Winemaker Daniel Sauer pouring a welcome glass of local sparkling silvaner the official capital of Lower Franconia and the unofficial capital of the region's winemaking industry is the ideal base for exploring (and drinking) Franconia's best Rebuilt to its former glory after being 90 percent destroyed after World War II Würzburg is an incredibly lively university town that's so charming it marks the beginning of Germany's famed Romantic Road Stay at the Best Western Premier Hotel Rebstock is an impressive bit of local history: One of the oldest hotels in all of Germany the Rococo building has been a guest house since 1408 The location couldn't be better: less than a ten-minute walk to Alte Mainbrücke the pedestrian Old Main Bridge that summons the whole town for an alfresco drink on warm afternoons This is happy hour at golden hour — and the perfect place to watch the sun go down with students Head to any bar that surrounds the bridge to borrow a glass that can be refilled and returned at your leisure [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo by Paul Jebara.[/caption] a UNESCO World Heritage Site and true architectural masterpiece its exterior is a superior example of French chateau style but its interior mesmerizes with Baroque and Rococo elements its steps leading you towards the largest ceiling fresco in the world completed by Venetian master Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Each room inside the Residenz is overwhelmingly spectacular but it's underneath this opulent palace where you can find the wine [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] Wine barrels in Prince Bishop's Court Cellar illuminated by candlelight The Prince Bishop's Court Cellar is the world's largest Baroque cellar, built for exclusive use by the prince bishops of Würzburg. Today, winery Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg organizes tours of the candlelit tunnels that hold massive letting you sample a decent variety of local bottles Find out more about Würzburger wine history down the street at Juliusspital a working hospital and foundation whose operations have been financed by its eponymous winery — the second largest in Germany — since 1573 Tour the Baroque pavilion and gardens before stopping by the wine shop for a bottle or three Würzburg may be the wine capital of Franconia but the some of region's most excellent wines are found along the Main River to the east or join the hikers and cyclists in the warmer months who make multiple stops for a schoppen (a glass of wine) along their route [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] Some of Franconia's ultra-steep vineyards require harnesses to harvest the grapes Driving through the rolling hills of Franconian wine country, you'll pass vineyards so steep, they're almost pressed up against your car window. Near the town of Volkach is Rainer Sauer Weingut It's run by second-generation winemaker Daniel Sauer who declares that some parts of his vineyard are so steep that grape pickers must be harnessed in to do their job which stands for leidenshaft — "passion." With all this passion for the silvaner grape Daniel hopes that it one day will have the same reputation and global popularity as riesling [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] The terrace at Vogelsberg restaurant has a delightful panoramic view of the River Main [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] A sampling plate of regional foods at Vogelberg — sausages Just over a mile east from Rainer Sauer is Vogelberg The former monastery is now a stately hilltop hotel and restaurant and it's a perfect spot for a traditional lunch with views as spectacular as views get you'll have the ultimate vista of the Main River loop and the vineyards that swirl into its valley Many of the wines served at Vogelberg are from Würzburg's Juliusspital The restaurant's menu couldn't be more Franconian which overflows with house-made liverwurst and sausages [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] Dramatic lighting adds a modern touch to Winzer Sommerach's chilly ancient cellar Winzer Sommerach also offers cooking classes which emphasize seasonal local ingredients that pair well with their wines [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] Pastel colors and the sound of songbirds summarize Volkach's serene scene [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] Weingut Max Müller welcomes a new generation of winemakers End your wine trail in Volkach, where Gothic half-timbered and Baroque pastel buildings create a fairy tale scene with help from a soundtrack of chirping songbirds. Waltz down cobblestone Hauptstraße to Weingut Max Müller an award-winning winery and cellar built in 1692 to serve the bishops Now run by a fourth generation of Müller family "wine freaks," the winery's interior has been completely revamped into a modern tasting room This contemporary attitude is reflected in their product too: Many of their wines are sold in the common wine bottle instead of the bocksbeutal and are made using eco-friendly wine-growing practices or if you're with kids or friends who don't drink If by the time you return to Würzburg the sun is still out — and you have room for one more glass of silvaner — raise a final toast to the sunset on Alte Mainbrücke: zum wohl [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] Marienberg Fortress in Würzberg [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="620"] The view onto Würzberg from Marienberg Fortress. Photo by Paul Jebara.[/caption] An education on Richard Wagner, Germany's most famous opera composer who based himself in Bayreuth, would also be helpful. Though block off your calendar in advance, most of his operas last over five hours. Copyright © 2025 Salon.com, LLC. Reproduction of material from any Salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited. SALON ® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark of Salon.com, LLC. Associated Press articles: Copyright © 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Emerald StarEmerald StarEmerald StarEmerald StarEmerald Star9 Nights 9 Nights  Europe - AllDanube Explorer & Highlights Of BudapestLeaving from: Budapest →+6 ports 10 Nights  Europe - AllDanube Delights & Classic PragueLeaving from: Budapest →+6 ports 2025(3)Emerald River CruisesCruise Critic FavoriteEmerald StarEmerald StarEmerald StarEmerald StarEmerald Star10 Nights 2026(3)Emerald River CruisesAmaReina (APT)7 Nights 7 Nights  Europe - AllBest Of The DanubeLeaving from: Budapest →+5 ports Emerald SkyEmerald SkyEmerald SkyEmerald Sky10 Nights 10 Nights  Europe - AllClassic Prague & Danube DelightsLeaving from: Prague →+6 ports 2026(4)Emerald River CruisesRiver PrincessRiver PrincessRiver PrincessRiver Princess14 Nights 14 Nights  Europe - AllEuropean JewelsLeaving from: Amsterdam →+13 ports 2025(5)Uniworld Boutique River Cruise CollectionCruise Critic FavoriteViking AtlaViking AtlaViking AtlaViking Atla7 Nights 7 Nights  Europe - AllRomantic DanubeLeaving from: Budapest →+6 ports 2026(25)Viking River CruisesAvalon Impression9 Nights 9 Nights  Europe - AllDanube Dreams With 2 Nights In PragueLeaving from: Prague →+6 ports 7 Nights  Europe - AllMagna On The DanubeLeaving from: Budapest →+5 ports 2025AmaWaterways.css-ad1o0y{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;height:-webkit-max-content;height:-moz-max-content;height:max-content;margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-6);}William Wordsworth7 Nights 7 Nights  Europe - AllArt & Music Of The Blue Danube - Ms William Wordsw...Leaving from: Esztergom →+5 ports 2026(2)Riviera TravelAmaReina (APT)7 Nights 7 Nights  Europe - AllBest Of The DanubeLeaving from: Budapest →+4 ports 7 Nights  Europe - AllDanube DreamsLeaving from: Vilshofen an der Donau →+5 ports 2026(14)Avalon WaterwaysWilliam Wordsworth7 Nights 7 Nights  Europe - AllMusic Of The Blue Danube - Ms William WordsworthLeaving from: Budapest →+6 ports 2025Riviera TravelWilliam Wordsworth7 Nights 7 Nights  Europe - AllArt And History On The Danube - Ms William Wordswo...Leaving from: Budapest →+6 ports 14 Nights  Europe - AllChristmas & New YearLeaving from: Amsterdam →+10 ports Some shops and attractions are closed on Sundays; others close for lunch daily Most points of interest are found in or around Ringstrasse The big attractions are all in the city center so there's not much to see around the Reichsbrucke area The Prater amusement park is about seven blocks from the river 21-kilometer strip of land running along the center of the river The island serves as the city's recreational area in summer cycling and roller-blading and is lined with bars Pay attention to good manners; it's customary to greet shopkeepers when you walk in and to say goodbye when you leave and coffee drinking is considered sacrosanct Public transport is so easy to master in Vienna there's barely any need to take taxis If you're planning to use public transport for more than a couple of journeys Tickets need to be validated in the machine onboard the trams or at the gate into the underground stations By Subway: There are five underground lines (the U-Bahn) which takes you straight into Stephansplatz and St the trams are fun and offer the best views; tram line No 1 goes right round the Ringstrasse for a bargain-priced sightseeing tour of all the main Baroque buildings Or for a circuit of the Ring by tram with commentary and a multimedia presentation for tourists yellow Vienna Ring Tram departs every half hour from Schwedenplatz (although you can get on or off at any of the stops around the Ring) Always check whether a credit card will be accepted when you visit a smaller shop or restaurant; some places are cash only German is the official language of Austria although Austrians speak with a particular accent (This will not be distinguishable to a non-German speaker.) In tourist areas but it's polite to say guten Morgen (good morning) or guten Tag (good day) when you walk into a shop or restaurant and auf Wiedersehen (goodbye) when you leave Most river cruise ships tie up on the Danube at the Reichsbrucke terminal on Handelskai a seven-minute ride by U-Bahn (underground railway) into the center There is no actual city center mooring because the Danube was diverted years ago to the east of the city to avoid flooding a pretty wine-growing village to the north It's easy to travel into town by tram from there although it's a longer ride than from the Reichsbrucke dock Danube Waltz September 2024 with Storm Boris 1fr));}@media screen and (min-width: 576px){.css-vz9jrm{grid-template-columns:repeat(1 1fr));}}@media screen and (min-width: 768px){.css-vz9jrm{grid-template-columns:repeat(2 1fr));}}@media screen and (min-width: 1024px){.css-vz9jrm{grid-template-columns:repeat(3 1fr));}}@media screen and (min-width: 1284px){.css-vz9jrm{grid-template-columns:repeat(4 Cinema software specialists EIKONA Cinema Solutions GmbH, one of the Europe’s leading cinema software solutions developers, has relocated its headquarters to a larger office to handle growth, as the company enters more international markets. The company, whose Theater Management System (TMS) is the preferred solution for cinemas in German speaking territories has been focusing on expanding its global profile in the past year The move will enable EIKONA Cinema to expand its staff to sustain future demand including global and multi-language support for its products EIKONA Cinema’s move from its present location in Volkach to Schwarzach am Main located 10 kilometers further south in Bavaria will see it more than triple its office space While all of the new space will not be needed initially it is seen as a prudent future proofing for further growth The space will be used for software development help desk and support as well as administrative functions EIKONA Cinema is currently hiring staff in development and support functions EIKONA Cinema recognised last year that its current offices were too small for the additional staff and on-site requirements given its present growth trajectory As nothing suitable was found in its home town of Volkach the decision was made to make a shift to nearby Schwarzach While the region is known for being the picturesque home of great white wines northern Bavaria is also home to several leading technology and software companies “We see tremendous opportunities for cinema operators to upgrade and choose their own TMS solutions in the post-VPF world,” says Andreas Stier we needed offices that would accommodate us for at least the next five years as a global company.” While EIKONA Cinema has its grounding in the German market it has evolved to support both English-language and French-language operations through its customer base in Germany EIKONA Cinema Solutions GmbH was founded in 2012 as a spin-off of the EIKONA Group which has been developing software since 2001 EIKONA Cinema’s software modules automate and secure cinema operations to the highest possible degree Celluloid Junkie is the leading online resource dedicated to the global film and cinema business Join a growing community of film and cinema industry professionals from around the world who rely on CJ to provide the latest news and research on the motion picture industry Written By: The Planet D Germany These are the most amazing things to do in Bavaria that will inspire you to visit Germany Germany doesn’t have that romanticized reputation that other European destinations have but when you step foot in Bavaria you’ll be transformed to a fairytale destination that will stay with you for years to come The best way to get around Bavaria is by car, you can compare rental car prices at CarRentals.com We only had one day in Munich and it definitely wasn’t enough. But the best way to make the most of it is to take a cycling tour with Radius Tours. We highly recommend this tour as we managed to see most of the things to do in Munich that you see on all the lists and we only had 24 hours in the city at least make your way to Marienplatz to see the magnificent main square including the New Town Hall and Old Town Hall The Neo-Gothic New Town Hall features a stunning facade and the famous glockenspiel while the Old Town Hall marks one end of the square and is close to many cultural activities and tourist attractions It’s Munich’s largest beer hall it’s a must-stop for first-time visitors We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn at Munich City West It is close to the metro and is just two stops from the main square It’s the fairytale castle you’ve always dreamed about Located on a hill overlooking the stunning landscapes an hour and forty-five minutes from Munich Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Bavaria But we suggest staying overnight in the area to get an early start We arrived for sunrise and had the place all to ourselves This is pretty rare for one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area we drove right up to the restaurant at the top of the mountain and had a short walk to the castle and you either have to hike or take a horse carriage to the castle We managed to get a fantastic drone shot but had to go off the property and fly from a field No drones are allowed on the premises of Neuschwanstein Castle The nearby village of Hopfensee was a beautiful and peaceful stop after the chaos of Neuschwanstein Hopfensee is a lovely place for lunch overlooking the warmest lake in the upper Bavarian Alps which has gorgeous views of the Bavarian Alps in the background I could have spent another full day exploring and checking out the castles near Hopfensee and Neuschwanstein Think the village of Hohenschwangau located below the castle of Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau Castle would make for a great base. Check out the new Ameron Alpsee Neuschwanstein Resort and Spa located at the foot of both castles we drove directly to Garmisch Partenkirchen where we made our base for a couple of days There are so many things to do here that it warrants its own post but here are some of the very best highlights from our time there Read our full post: Things to do in Garmisch Partenkirchen The town was home to the 1936 Winter Olympics and there are still relics of the Olympic village But people come to this town for hiking or skiing and with good reason: the Alps here are stunning There are many gondolas that will take you into the mountains The viewing platform consists of two dizzying curved walkways leading out over a 1000-meter drop (3000 feet) It offers staggering views of the surrounding mountains and an overhead view of Garmisch If you buy a ticket for the Garmisch Classic you can decide how you want to get back down Be sure to take the first gondola up to beat the tour buses we had the place to ourselves because we were willing to get up at the crack of dawn to beat the crowds The Alpspix was a highlight of our time in Bavaria and gave us some of the best views Take the Cogwheel train up to Germany’s Highest Peak so you can make a day of it and go hiking high in the Alps all around the area There is even a trail that connects the Alspix to Zugzpitze You can also take another gondola to Hochalmbahn on a different part of the mountain to enjoy a leisurely downhill walk for 30 minutes before you hop on the last gondola that takes you back to the parking lot We had seen many people recommend the Partnach Gorge when in Garmisch but we didn’t know how truly magnificent it was until we saw it with our own eyes This gorge is a powerful display of water crashing through deep caverns The narrow walkway is an adventure along the rushing water with only a couple of metal cables between you and the gorge I am so glad that we made the time to take this hike continue on and do a round trip to explore more of the trails Gastehaus Maria is conveniently located in the old city It is family-run and has the most extraordinary views marveling at Germany’s highest peak while sipping a beer bought from their honor bar for a very reasonable 2 Euro Gastehaus Maria: Zoeppritzstrasse 2082467 Garmisch Partenkirchen Read our full guide to Garmisch at 14 Amazing Things to do in Garmisch-Partenkirchen If you are a fan of the Palace of Versailles you are going to love Castle Herrenchiemsee King Ludwig II was a fan of Versailles and modeled his dream castle after it We caught the first boat out at 6:40 am and explored the grounds in complete privacy Nobody else was on that boat save for a few staff and we wished we had brought our bug spray with us you won’t have anything to do but marvel at the statues and fountains Make a day of it and explore the nearby islands It’s worth making a day of it and taking the ferry over to the neighboring island of Fraueninsel to see the monastery that is still inhabited by Benedictine nuns Hotel Bayerischer was one of the more chic hotels we stayed in during our time in Bavaria It’s located right downtown and has two fabulous restaurants Berchtesgaden is another popular destination in Bavaria that makes for a great home base The spectacular mountain peaks in Berchtesgaden National Park offer stunning views of the Bavarian Alps We took a reprieve from our road trip and enjoyed our time here at the Alpenhotel where we took advantage of the spa and a tasty restaurant But there are a few things to do in the area as well including hiking Hintersee is a picturesque lake located just 20 minutes from Berchtesgaden It’s also one of the most photographed places in Bavaria We had a lot of early mornings in the region to Eagle’s Nest is famous because it was the headquarters of Nazi meetings between Hitler and his top brass It was designed to instill fear and show power with an impressive copper elevator cut through the mountain to take people to the top and even the stones from the fireplace (a gift from Mussolini to Hitler) were taken by Allied forces People are intrigued to go because it is said that Hitler spent a lot of time there but he avoided the place due to his fear of heights This is a major stop on all the tour bus routes you will be stuck waiting for up to two hours to get a spot on the shuttle that takes you to the elevator you’ll be treated to panoramic views but you can have those views anywhere in the Alps of Germany but today it is a restaurant and beer garden and any relic that dates back to the days of Hitler were either destroyed or looted Bavaria has approximately 1500 breweries, so choosing a brewery tour can be daunting. But if you are looking for something unique, the Kuchlsbauer Brewery in the town of Abensbert is definitely one of the more unusual things to do in Bavaria It is located between Munich and Nuremberg and makes a good day trip from either This place reminded us of something Antonio Gaudi would have designed a display dedicated to the works of Friedensreich Hundertwasser one of the most important Austrian artists of his time Kunst Haus is a unique design by Peter Pelikan a Viennese architect who worked with Hundertwasser and kept the buildings around the brewery in the vein of Hundertwasser’s style The other highlight of the tour is the Kuchlbauer tower that was designed by Hundertwasser himself It was originally going to be 70-metres high but was not allowed to be higher than the church steeple Peter Pelikan forged on with his wishes and built the tower that today sits at about 35 meters high While the brewery tour itself is interesting it’s the gallery and the tower that are truly impressive This is certainly one of the most unique places to visit in Bavaria be sure to stick around the beer garden for a bratwurst and beer A strange stop on our Bavarian tour was Liberation Hall This monument was commissioned by King Ludwig I to commemorate the victory over Napoleon It is a solitary monument sitting high on a hill filled with striking winged statues representing the Goddesses of victory We continued on through our Bavaria tour to Weltenburg Abbey The monastery boasts the claim to fame of being the oldest monastery in the world this made it one of the oldest Bavaria points of interest on our trip If you are looking for something unique, you can stay at Saint George’s monastery right in the Weltenburg Abbey so it will feel a little strange to be in the square with nobody around But there is an honor bar for food and drink It also houses the world’s oldest brewery in the main square Be sure to go for a tour and grab a beer while you are visiting the Abbey You can sit in the square and order a traditional Bavarian meal of schnitzel or bratwurst with your beer It’s busy during the day and the main draw is the boat tours along the river to explore the Danube Gorge You can catch boats directly at Weltenburg Abbey The Danube Gorge is a designated nature reserve that is considered one of the most impressive portions of the Danube River When planning what to see in Bavaria, be sure to add Nuremberg to your list. This fascinating ancient walled city, with its well-preserved Old Town, packs a punch, and there are many things to see and do. The Imperial Castle, a crucial historic structure within the Old Town, was once the residence of Germany’s Kaiser and kings. Read more: Fantastic Things to do in Nuremberg Germany A highlight for us was taking the underground tour to explore the cellars of the city This underground maze of tunnels once housed the city’s beer the cellars were used for safety during the air raids as Nuremberg was heavily hit during the conflict Nuremberg also played a significant role during the time of the Holy Roman Empire adding to its rich medieval heritage and historical charm Nuremberg was hit so heavily because it was here that Nazi Rallies attracted up to 1 million people at a time The city played a huge part in helping Hitler rise to power as he used it for his base of Nazi propaganda We didn’t think we’d spend much time at the Documentation Centre but it ended up being a gripping display honoring those who were victimized and murdered by the Nazi regime It also demonstrates how Hitler rose to power and discusses what happened to the Nazis after the fall of the party It is difficult to experience these types of museums but it is also important to remind us all how fragile freedom is and to never forget how quickly civilized societies can become tyrants If you want to learn more about this part of Germany’s history make sure to take a trip to the Dachau Concentration Camp near Munich when you are traveling to Bavaria The Adina Apartment Hotel was a great location in Nuremberg located right beside Germanic National Museum the City Wall and just a short walk to the old town The lovely medieval town of Volkach is worth staying a night or two Franconia is Bavaria’s wine country, located just a couple of hours outside Nuremberg. Located in Northern Bavaria, it is a picturesque destination that promotes quiet and romantic getaways for couples searching for delicious food and peaceful retreats and it is a lovely place that has escaped allied bombings this was definitely a highlight of our time in Franconia It was the easiest paddling we’ve ever done with the canoe trip being downstream all the way you will see charming half-timbered houses that add to the picturesque scenery Waterwalker Canoe Center offers rentals that you can take out for the day to float down the River Main The best part is they offer regular pickups along the route Pack a picnic and a bottle of wine and make a day of it on the water It’s one of the most romantic things you will do in Bavaria Romantikhotel Zur Schwane was a great historic hotel in the town centre that had a chic and modern design It felt exactly what things should feel like in wine country They can arrange tours and there’s a fantastic restaurant attached to the hotel Romantikhotel Zur Schwane Hauptstraße 12 97332 Volkach We flew with Condor Air to Frankfurt and found it to be an amazing budget alternative to the large airlines Business class was a reasonable upgrade and they even offered people in coach upgrades on the day of the flight for 250 Euro The service was excellent and with 170 degrees (“nearly”) lay flat seats Condor offered us the same first class service at a fraction the price the pasta was the best I’ve had on a long haul flight We’ll definitely be looking into Condor for our future flights to Europe Click here for a link to our Bavaria Attractions on Google Maps making for an interesting historic tour of the country It’s also the largest state housing the jaw-dropping German Alps If you are looking for something different for your vacation this summer in Bavaria is something you’ll never forget Our trip to Bavaria was sponsored by the Germany Tourism Board, for more information on Travel to Germany visit their website for travel ideas.  Why not use these resources that are tried and tested by yours truly Book Your Flights: Start planning your trip by finding the best flight deals on Skyscanner. We have used them for years and have found that they have the best flight deals Book your Hotel: Find the best prices on hotels with these two providers. If you are located in Europe use Booking.com and if you are anywhere else use TripAdvisor. Find Apartment Rentals: You will find the cheapest prices on apartment rentals with VRBO Learn a Language: We recommend and love both Rosetta Stone and Babbel Travel Insurance: Don't leave home without it Book Your Activities: Looking for walking tours, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more? Then we recommend Get Your Guide. Need more help planning your trip? Make sure to check out our Resources Page where we highlight all the great companies that we trust when we are traveling Where To Stay in Berlin In 2024: Best Areas And Places 17 Best Day Trips from Munich in 2024 37 Of The Best Things to Do in Munich, Germany Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a12c88df582b5cfe70afb31a1b87681b" );document.getElementById("bb6e812255").setAttribute( "id" and website in this browser for the next time I comment I loved ‘The Medieval City of Volkach’ Bavaria is one of the most popular and most scenic travel destinations in Germany Thanks for sharing your experience in Bavaria thank you for sharing this information .it is very good blog.and it is very helpful for me I was a little less excited to see other parts of Germany It is now in my soul and I’m eager to get back Great opening to this post as I am sure many people feel the same I loved Munich and can’t wait to see more of that area The first two paragraphs of this post is exactly what I thought about traveling to Germany…until I was there I was fortunate enough to visit my cousin and his wife while he was stationed in Ramstein Air Base It is a place I highly recommend people add to their travel list and a place I hope to return to your blog is very informative.thanks for your great post Garmisch-Partenkirchen is my home-town and your post is just the best ad for Bavarian tourism After reading your Article I will definitely plan my next holiday to go there This is a part of the world that I would love to visit Neuschwanstein Castle is an obvious draw card but I would love to get up into the mountains and to visit some of the small historic villages of the area I look forward to doing some traveling in the near future as arbiters the keys a few good things recently I need to get away and set my mind free because things are going through now is virtually running my mind up wall but I may make a second round back to Santa Barbara California in the near future just to enjoy a weekend all to myself The architecture is nothing short of fantastic The castles and that view at Hopfensee are glorious I’m sure you enjoyed yourselves a lot I’m adding Bavaria to my bucket list About Dave and Deb Contact Us Privacy Policy Work With Us Press and Media Best Travel Tips How to Save Money for Travel The Ultimate Travel Packing List Travel Safety Tips How to Travel on a Budget