Markets and Castles in the southern Germany

Christmas markets and Castles in the area of Stuttgart
We start at 5 am from Varese. Following the signs, more or less reliable in our navigator, we reach Germany through the tunnel of S. Gottardo, having to face a route, however, not entirely motorway that will slow down a little 'our road map.

To the customs of Chiasso buy the sticker for the Swiss motorways at a price of around € 30.00 for as next year 2009.

We do breakfast at a McDonald Swiss as abroad, for me Daniela McDonald (Burger King or similar) are the best way to eat something decent. But the coffee is terrible.

 

STUTTGART and ESSLINGEN

Around 11 arrivamo in downtown Stuttgart. We try to find a car park near the center and is found. Left the parking lot we discover that we are just a few steps from the Christmas markets which are developed in more places and ways: from Schloss Platz Markt Platz and paths of connection are included.
The marketplace is very beautiful and wonderful, as expected from a German flea market (the best Christmas markets in Europe). The thing that fascinates us most are the houses of the marketplace: all wood on the roof but all have a rich scene Christmas theme (ex. roof angels, dolls, or snow or penguins and various animals or scenes from fairy tales). Beautiful! We start taking pictures of the roofs of all the stands!
The marketplace is rich and varied with too many goloserie to eat fresh or salted. Lunch in this way and then, Max, culminating in the classic cup of hot wine, Gluwein, collectible as beautiful thing of the marketplace.
Stuttgart instead, a marketplace, it is a gray, modern city. It was not a surprise for us that we had already documented on this and, for this reason, we decided to visit it only in passing, without sleep.
Stuttgart was bombed during the war and then later completely rebuilt in a modern losing almost all historic buildings and the charm of the past.
In the afternoon we visit the castle SOLITUDE on the outskirts of Stuttgart. This is a well-preserved castle consists of many richly decorated rooms while the poor furnishings.
The visit is quick and fast so we can head towards Esslingen, a few km. from Stuttgart, where we chose to stay overnight, book your hotel via the internet since the previous July.
Esslingen is a city beautiful, colorful, with lots of Christmas lights that Bordano the outlines and roofs of the houses. We have chosen the right place for our stage. We are just happy, after all was there much documented on this and all information on Stuttgart advised to make a stop in Esslingen.
Here the historical center is very nice but, in addition to this, we find a good Christmas market in different places and, to follow, surprise surprise, a medieval marketplace.
There are no words to describe the marketplace Medieval seemed to have been catapulted into DiagonAlley (via the shops of Harry Potter). Reconstructions of medieval benches were very faithful, and merchandise (both food items) was very original with clear historical references. There was even the "medieval games with reconstructions (real or fantasy ... do not know) games of the past: eg. a wheel in wood medievale bowling, shooting with the egg and other things that I do not remember.
But the thing that struck us most were the sellers medieval people were not just in medieval clothes but just seemed to "men and women medieval" philosophy of life (would not otherwise justify certain look and hair cut).
Struggling a little 'to find a place to dine. In this part of Germany, the English is very little used. There are no signs in English and the menus of the restaurants are all in German. In order not to err, pizza in an Italian restaurant that, like other restaurants here, do not accept credit cards. We find quite difficult, in our journey, to use a credit card. Not all accept it. Fortunately it is accepted by hotels and petrol stations. For the rest, nothing.
Our hotel, Schillerpark Am, brand new, modern and equipped with all comforts, is at 5 / 10 minutes walk from the city center. Moreover, we have not noticed other hotel in the central area, so we think we have chosen for the best.
The evening ends early: no life for us! Being woken up to 4:30 am in the morning and having traveled for hours, can not wait to get to sleep.
Witnessing a choral concert with the main church. However, after a few pieces, fatigue has the upper hand and decide to return to hotel.

LUDWIGSBURG and TUBINGA

Colazione buonissima ed abbondantissima al buffet dell’hotel , dolce e salata, anche con prodotti tipici tipo brezel e dolci locali. Peccato: un pullman di italiani dell’est in gita di massa.
Retrieve your car in the garage and starting direction Ludwigsburg.
After about 45 minutes of travel we reach the town of Ludwigsburg, where we intend to visit the huge building in addition to the Christmas market. We find a large car park in a strategic position between the palace and the marketplace.
Ticket to the palace (Schloss) we study the type of ticket that we intend to buy. There are different solutions: we choose one of the most complete solution that allows us to visit the palace, the museums and another castle a few meters from the main castle.
The building opens at 10.30. We await the opening hours and effettuamo a guided tour of the well 70 rooms, all visited the castle. Fortunately, the guide is sent (in German tour for our choice as we go to mix with the many groups agé Italians on holiday). Even if we do not understand anything to us just watch and see what we like. The building is really splendid, magnificent, all I want. After an hour of abundant tour, visit their own apartments, which are an integral part of percoso museum. The museum of ceramics (or "pieces" as Max says) we are not interested
Then we go through a bridge that crosses the street to visit the nearby Castle FAVORITE located a few hundred meters from the main castle. Here also a guided tour in German. The castle is nice but does not stand comparison with the huge building that we just visited.
It 'time for lunch so we head to the Christmas market in the central square of Ludwigsburg. Once again, the marketplace is very nice and big. We can not even visit it all! There are many people and so now we go looking for something to eat for lunch. We opt for a baguette with a long sausage (about 30 cm.) And French fries. Max does not forget the third cup of hot wine of the trip and so we bring home 3 cups memory, and all different and all beautiful, in addition to our collection of cups of all Christmas markets that we visited over the years. We believe that we must, sooner or later, return all'Ikea to buy another shelf because now there is no more space.
The collection of houses in northern Europe is still growing. We also bought a blue (approximately 15 cm.) During our trip.
After lunch we give a break in a beautiful patisserie / bakery (German Bäckerei / Konditorei) under the arcades, on the corner of the square of the marketplace. The shop is called: LUCKY LUTZ well and contains all of God: slices of cake 12 cm high and every kind of cake or bread. You can buy take-away food or, as in our case, we can sit down to tables and order something hot to drink.
We conclude the tour at Market Ludwigsburg and we are approaching the city where staying: Tubingen (or Tübingen). The reach after about 1 hour. We find our hotel, located just off the main square of the city: Hotel Hospitz. This is a hotel in a big pink house in the typical local architectural style, but the interior is brand new. Must have been renovated recently. As for parking, the hotel has private places on board a side street that can be accessed by paying a supplement to (7 euros).
A Tubingen no Christmas Market (which, unlike other German cities, is limited to one weekend in mid-December), however, there is the Chocolate Fair, with several stands dedicated to chocolate and sweets and lots of different visitors perhaps too many.
The city is still beautiful, even if it is Sunday and shops, despite the Christmas period and the fair chocolate, are closed. The central square, where dominates the town hall (Rathaus) with its colorful facade throughout, is a gem to photograph. Sin is spoiled by the presence of white tents of the fair. The case colored trellis bring only joy to see them. The city, in places, is also criss-crossed by canals interspersed with some lovely jumpers. At the top of the city is a castle, used in part to universities and partly a museum, reachable by a beautiful gateway, visible even from the windows of our hotel, situated, as already said, in an excellent position.
We do buy some chocolate at the fair, including an original Gauffre (or Waffel) as they can on a stick and then try the restaurant for a German dinner.
We find a room fairly typical and rustic dishes, and eat meat (steak).

ROTTWEIL

Breakfast at the Tubingen is still better than the other hotel. Truly complete!

We retrieve our car and we head towards the town of Rottweil. Unfortunately, when we arrive in the center, it is still early. The small market Natalizione along Hauptstrasse, the main street is still closed. Then we walk into town. We visit the beautiful church and admire the typical colored houses, all with richly decorated bow to shoot plenty.
The visit of Rottweil is extremely short. Then we decide to make one last stop at the nearby Villingen, lovely town, surrounded by walls, with many doors to the city. We make a lap in the main street with shops. We buy in a bakery for something salty and something sweet from "away" for lunch. We visit the beautiful church, situated in a lovely square with a beautiful body where an organist was conducting trials and then we head home.
Ignoring the advice of the navigator, this time we decide to return to Italy through the tunnel of S. Bernardino. Do not know to say which of the two solutions (round-trip St. Gotthard San Bernardino) is better. We say that the way back through the tunnel of S. Bernardino, perhaps slightly faster than the other.

We arrive home at 17.30 after a while 'tail to the customs of Gaggiolo.

DANI AND MAX
for links to the places mentioned, please visit our website: http://digilander.iol.it/danidisa