Cruising Down the Neckar Valley at Heidelberg

When I asked my German coworker for her best recommendations for Western Germany, her first choice was the university town of Heidelberg.

Yes. This is the same Heidelberg that travel writers in English (eg. Rick Steves) have shunned for years, calling it too Disneyfied by the nearby American army base in its recent past. Yet domestic German tourists have always embraced the romance of this charming medieval town, built of uniformly ochre red bricks and overlooked by massive castle ruins. So why such polarized opinions?



I've got much more confidence in my German coworker's opinion of course, and booked ourselves into Heidelberg for 2 nights after Aachen and Cologne, before venturing south into the Black Forest. As the weather grew uncharacteristically wet for mid September, we started our morning seeking shelter from the relentless rain inside one of the ruined keeps of the castle. The panoramic view of the medieval town was simply breathtaking, good weather or not.



I can appreciate why certain travel writers mock Heidelberg for its immense popularity -- its crumbling castle for instance is perennially ranked among Germany's most visited landmarks. But despite daily invasions by multi-national (but mostly German it seemed!) tour groups, the castle grounds are vast enough not to feel overcrowded and the balcony still offers some of the best views of the university and the old town beneath.



The castle itself is best known for the world's largest wine barrel, though I found the Apotheken Museum to be much more interesting, especially after seeing an eerily similar exhibit halfway around the world last year at the historic town of Wuzhen. Apparently both the German and the Chinese herbalists treasured the medicinal qualities in such enchanting items as dried lizards and salamanders.



We took the little funicular back down to the old town. After passing through the university campus and checking out the open-air farmer's market on Markplatz, we arrived barely in time to claim one of the last remaining lunch tables at Hackteufel amidst a roomful of jovial older German visitors.



I've already heard good things about this place prior to our visit, but it turned out even better ... it's Porcini season AND Federweisser season at the same time! So that's exactly what we ordered ... a flask of sweet Federweisser (or Neuer Wein as it seemed to be called in this region) for my wife, and a Porcini soup to share between the two of us.



The Porcini soup came out amazing -- thick, meaty slices of wild Porcini simmering in a generous bowl of creamy goodness, fragrant and woody enough for me, yet not overly pungent for my wife's sensitive tastebuds. This was probably the best Porcini I've had outside of Italy, and definitely the best soup of our 24-day trip.



The main dishes however were less spectacular in comparison. My Schweinebraten tasted somewhat tough and bland even with the gravy, and I probably enjoyed the sides more than the main. Having a lighter lunch in mind my wife ordered the Wurstsalat with Bratkartoffeln, which turned out better than my pork roast. Though I have to say ... having lunches in Germany one can never complain about the portions.



So the best parts of the meal turned out to be the soup and the Neuer Wein, which by that time had become so complex and delicious that it was on the verge of becoming real wine (and possessing real kicks!).

Bill for Two Persons

Porcini Soup	6.9 Euros
Wurstsalat mit Bratkartoffeln	10 Euros
Schweinebraten	15 Euros
Neuer Wein x 2	5 Euros
TOTAL before tips	36.9 Euros (CAD$51.7)

Our favorite memory of Heidelberg was an after lunch stroll on the opposite bank of the Neckar, crossing the Alte Brücke, walking the shoreline along Neuenheimer Landstraße and returning via Theodor-Heuss-Brücke. It's a great alternative to the Philosophenweg -- similar fantastic view of the Alte Brücke and the castle, without having to hike up the narrow path in the rain. Being closer to the river had its advantages, as we got front row view of an episode of the police boat chasing down a stand-up paddleboarder.



Finally we boarded the mini cruise we've been looking forward to, a 90 minute journey up the Neckar Valley towards Neckarsteinach. Our boat actually came 40 minutes late, in a manner uncharacteristic of German punctuality, amidst jeers and frustration from a mostly German crowd. But once the cruise went underway and everyone had either a cold beer or a summer Radler in hand, the ambiance lightened and people seemed to even enjoy watching water levels rise while the boat passed through two locks.



The real attraction of course was the pastoral landscape along this picturesque stretch of the Neckar, from Heidelberg to Neckargemund to Neckarsteinach. It was through these waters that timber from the Black Forest has flowed downstream towards the Netherlands for centuries, and even today the river remains busy with cargo traffic.



Passing on both sides were quaint little towns with tall church steeples, lush greenery and forests, and then the occasional campsite full of recreational vehicles which has unfortunately become typical of rural Germany. But to the credit of nature conservation along the Neckar, we also spotted several grey herons waddling in the shallow water in search for dinner.



The scenery became even prettier as we arrived at our destination of Neckarsteinach, a lovely town crowned with four little castles on its surrounding hilltops. The medieval core of this small town remains well-preserved with 500-year-old half-timber houses and twisting alleyways, all leading to its two churches, one Evangelical and one Catholic.



By this time the earlier drizzle had grown into a torrential downpour. We would have loved to hike up to a couple of the castles in better weather, without the delay in the boat arrival, and with a reliable train schedule to guarantee our return to Heidelberg. But on this day none of that worked out ... the local S-Bahn service was cancelled due to scheduled track maintenance, and we had to figure out where to catch the elusive Train Replacement Bus.



That's when we were greeted by a little angel at the bus stop, a young girl of perhaps 9 or 10 years old asking, "Hi, do you know where you're going?" in perfect English. She turned out to be our lifesaver as we've been waiting at the wrong bus stop! Soon we were able to locate the train station, and the temporary bus stop for the Train Replacement Bus. We arrived back at Heidelberg on schedule, which was nothing short of miraculous.



Being still full from lunch we decided to skip proper dinner, and spent our evening wandering around the old town and munching on street snacks such as this crusty marzipan Schneeball, grilled Bratwurst from a Kebaphaus and Eis from a typical Italian-owned ice cream parlour. In typical tourist town fashion though, a 2-scoop Eis cost 2 Euros instead of our familiar price of 1.6 Euros in most other towns. But that's just an fact of Heidelberg's popularity, especially to domestic tourists.

Bill for Two Persons

Schneeball	2.9 Euros
Bratwurst mit Brötchen	2.9 Euros
Eis	2 Euros
TOTAL before tips	7.8 Euros (CAD$10.9)

We took the last scheduled bus from Universitatsplatz back to our hotel. Booking Ibis Heidelberg next to the train station was definitely the right move, especially considering our late arrival at 22:00 the previous night and our early departure at 08:30 the next morning. We certainly can't complain about 62 Euros in high season for reliably clean rooms, just 50m from the Hauptbahnhof. The next morning we would hop on an early train and start our 4 day journey into the depths of the Black Forest.

Two World-Famous Cathedrals in One Day - Aachen and Cologne

This was one of the longest days of our journey, moving 600 km by train from the Belgian coast to Southwest Germany and making intermediate stops at two of Europe’s great cathedrals. Both Aachen and Cologne appeared interesting in their own ways, though not enough for me to justify staying overnight with limited time. So we started out from Bruges in the morning, arrived at Aachen in the late morning for lunch and a tour of the cathedral, moved to Cologne mid-afternoon for its cathedral and an early dinner, then onward to Heidelberg for the night.



We arrived to catch Aachen in a festive mood -- the open-air music festival (Aachen September Special) was on, the sausage stands started sizzling and amusement rides were in full swing in front of the Rathaus. It’s a pleasant day for a stroll past the charmingly neo-classical Elisenbrunnen, through the mainly baroque city centre en route to the city’s grand 1200-year-old cathedral.



But first, a quick, cheap and deliciously local meal of Wurst and Kartoffelspalten. Hanswurst on Muensterplatz has a take-out window literally in the shadow of the majestic cathedral, and a few shaded picnic tables to enjoy your Bratwurst and beer with a view. Prices were very reasonable for its prime location -- 3.6 Euros for a wurst on bread and 2.5 Euros for the local brew.



My favorite item was their excellent Currywurst -- fresh local sausages, a dollop of the thick and tangy sauce, and of course, extra heavy on the curry powder. This may be fastfood, but we have absolutely no complaints for such a tasty and quick lunch for two, at the heart of the tourist district, for 11 Euros.

Bill for Two Persons

Currywurst + Kartoffelspalten	4.9 Euros
Bratwurst with Bread	3.6 Euros
Beer on Tap	2.5 Euros
TOTAL before tips	11 Euros (CAD$15.4)

Walking through the midsized city one may not immediately recognize its influence in the Middle Ages, when the Kaiserdom effectively served as Germany's imperial cathedral for 600 years, crowning Emperors and Queens and sporting all kinds of mystical relics. Today it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, though arguably one of the lesser-known in Germany among foreigner visitors.



But this is much more than just a cathedral -- this was once the palace of the legendary Charlemagne, and the only section of the medieval palace to survive 12 centuries of warfare at this crossroad of Western Europe, just 5 kilometres from the modern Dutch-Belgian-German border. The octagonal dome is a 6th Century Byzantine design based upon the San Vitale of Ravenna (I'd love to visit that in a future trip!), and much of the marble arches apparently came from recycled ancient buildings in the former Roman Empire. The history here is just mind boggling, especially considering how far north of Rome this is.



Charlemagne's shadow still looms large wherever you look. His casket of gold has been enshrined at a dedicated corner, his royal throne in the gallery, and his skull and forearm inside reliquaries at the Schatzkammer adjoining the cathedral. There are other important relics such as two pieces of clothing purported belonging to Christ, though for me the tranquility and sanctity of cathedral itself was the most enjoyable part of our visit.



Not sure how accurately Charlemagne's reliquary bust represents his actual appearances, but scientists did take his shin bone and measured him half a head taller than his peers in the Middle Ages. Coming face to face with Charles certainly put a face to one of the greatest names in Western history for me. With one cathedral down, we took the local bus back to the train station, retrieved our luggages from the coin locker and took the mid-afternoon train towards Köln Hauptbahnhof ...



... which is practically located about 100m from Germany's most visited landmark, the great Cathedral of Cologne. No visitor could ask for a higher degree of convenience -- I cannot think of any other major train station in the world that is built closer to its city's top tourist attraction. And coupled with the automated luggage deposit machines inside the Hauptbahnhof, it's perfect for a day trip.



Frankly I had two main reasons to visit Cologne: Kölner Dom and Kölsch, both world-famous in their own unique ways. The Cologne Cathedral is of course celebrated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a symbol of German resilience. We're talking about a storied building that founded in the 13th Century, before money ran out and construction was largely abandoned for centuries, leaving an eyesore of a medieval crane perched at the top of its unfinished Gothic towers. Even it's eventual completion, some 600 years after the laying of its foundation, didn't prevent it from being bombed a dozen times during WWII. Just the fact that it survived to this day is nothing short of miraculous.



The magnificent cathedral of Aachen would be a mere midget compared to the enormity of the Kölner Dom, a cavernous worshiping space for a congregation of 20,000 and one of the tallest Gothic architectures in the world. I grossly underestimated the time we needed to explore this ginormous cathedral, in particular the time and thigh-burning effort (not to mention willpower!) it took to climb some 500 steps to its very top.



But it's all worth it for this view, a 360-degree panorama of central Cologne and the Hohenzollern Bridge across the Rhine, albeit through a wire fence. I didn't realize it at the time, but my photo timestamps indicated that it took about 30 minutes to climb up and another 15 to walk down, not to mention sightseeing time. It was already 18:00 when we made it back down, with merely 2 hours left to find a good place for Kölsch and dinner and to make it back to the Hauptbahnhof for our ICE train reservation.



We walked by the extremely packed Peters and Früh am Dom, and decided to try our luck further away in the direction of Heumarkt. At the end we settled in a little brauhaus packed with locals, inside a little alley just steps from the Rhine, known as as Sünner im Walfisch.



Our main focus wasn't the food of course, but to enjoy a couple of Kölsch in the local tradition. The Sünner served here was a little light-tasting for my tastebuds, though I understand that's probably representative of the genre. As far as food went, my wife was smart enough to stop me from ordering another main dish after the Pork Knuckle, which certainly kept both of us well fed. Sadly this might have been the worst pork knuckle I've ever had in Europe -- the crackling was so tough that my steak knife couldn't cut through half of it. We probably finished only about three quarters of the knuckle, as the rest was simply too charred and dry.



Our only non-Kölner item of the night actually turned out to be the best dish. The flavors of this rich and creamy Krabbensuppe was robust enough to satisfy even the picky seafood bisque lover in my wife. I don't think we can complain about 25 Euros for a dinner for two in central Cologne, though next time we'll probably stick with Peters Brauhaus or perhaps Päffgen.

Bill for Two Persons

Krabbensuppe	5.8 Euros
Pork Knuckle	16.3 Euros
Koelsch x 2	3.5 Euros
TOTAL before tips	25.6 Euros (CAD$35.8)

After some post-dinner window shopping on Hohe Straße, we walked back to Hauptbahnhof to retrieve our luggages from the automatic luggage storage. Our 19:57 ICE train would take us to Mannheim, before transferring to the local S-Bahn to our final destination of Heidelberg. It would be nearly 22:15 when we finally checked into our hotel. This was one long day.

Finding My Favorite Beer in Bruges

As the climax and finale of the Benelux portion of our journey, we arrived at one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe, or anywhere in the world for that matter. Bruges certainly needs no introduction -- its jaw-dropping beauty has long attained legendary status among tour groups and independent travelers alike.



We didn't choose to visit Bruges because we're in Belgium ... we visited Belgium because of Bruges. Our expectations were understandably high, yet Bruges rose above all and delivered the most romantic scenery, our best meal AND my favorite beer in Belgium and the Netherlands. This was one of those rare destinations that live up to all its hype.



We afforded only 2 nights in this beautiful city, but with such world-class scenery we could have easily stayed for a week without getting bored. The egg-shaped medieval core remains well-preserved enough to serve as an open-air museum, and it's easy to forget that 20,000 of its residents still breaths life into this vibrant town every day.



Yes, Bruges is commercialized ... and why would anyone expect otherwise when it's been a major centre for commerce and capitalism for most of its past 800 years? Today's shopkeepers must still carry the entrepreneural genes of ancestors who created the world's first stock exchange more than 7 centuries ago, though tourism has replaced wool and shipping as the major industry in town.


The most recognizable part the landscape is of course the extensive network of canals. While "Venice of the North" may be a slight exaggeration, this is probably one of the few places in the world where cramming inside a small vessel with a boatload of strangers can be considered romantic.



Most visitors to Bruges probably don't realize how exceptionally large the medieval centre is ... I found it even larger than the Old Town of Vienna in comparison, and probably only slightly smaller than Florence's. Perhaps even more remarkable is the existence of three separate UNESCO World Heritage Sites within such a small geographic area, starting with the Flemish architecture of the historic centre.



Achieving World Heritage status separately is the 700-year-old Belfry of Bruges, majestically soaring above the city's mostly medieval skyline and providing visitors with the absolute best panorama in town. While slightly shorter than the Belfry of Ghent at 83m (20+ storeys!), there is no elevator here. Luckily there are a couple of viewing platforms on the way up, affording some gorgeous views of the townsquare through the protective wires while we caught our breath.



But this made it all worthwhile -- a 360-degree panoramic view of Bruges, still through protective wires but stunning nonetheless. Keep in mind that it takes a grueling 366 steps up followed by a knee-joint-busting descent of the same height, so it does require a modest degree of physical fitness.



Covering one's ears while the 47-bell carillon played its centuries-old melody was great fun. Prior to Ghent and Bruges I had absolutely no idea how these intricate instruments worked. Now I've got a much greater appreciation for the remarkable ingenuity of the 16th Century engineers.



Around the corner from the Belfry stands the spectacular Basilica of the Holy Blood. Treasured inside is Belgium's most famous religious relic, a legendary vial purported to contain the coagulated blood from Jesus Christ. Every year on Ascension Day the relic is still paraded through tens of thousands of spectators in silent reverence, just as it was for centuries. In this town, medieval traditions still runs strong.



My favorite piece of architecture in town though was the Church of Our Lady, famous for a Michelangelo sculpture best known as the Madonna of Bruges. Dark, airy and serene, this was exactly the kind of church building I love ... Michelangelo or not.



The 600-year-old spire of the church is actually much taller than the Belfry of Bruges. I would have loved to climb to the top and get a different panorama with the Belfry in the background, but it wasn't open to visitors.



Further towards the southern edge of the medieval town stands its third UNESCO World Heritage Site. Even though the Beguinage now operates as a Benedictine monastery rather than a community for lay sisterhood, it remains an oasis of tranquility among the bustling tourist streets just two blocks away.



Our most memorable place in Bruges wasn't any major tourist attraction, but a locally famed yet nearly unmarked drinking establishment known as Staminee De Garre. There was no signage on the street ... you simply have to follow your gut and venture down this dark alley lodged between two gourmet food shops, around the corner from Town Hall.



Halfway down the alley stood a heavy wooden door on the right, and pushing it open revealed a packed room of patrons blissfully indulging in the house special ...



The Tripel De Garre. I don't say this lightly, but this was simply the best beer I've ever had in my life -- unbelievably smooth, rich and dangerously potent. In fact it's strong enough that each client is allowed to order a maximum of three, by which point some would be either on the table or in the bathroom. I would have ordered the second round, but ...



My wife started feeling a little dizzy after her first, a local Tripel recommended by our waiter when she asked for a dark beer. Now my wife doesn't drink a lot, but she can drink, and I've never seen her drunk. Perhaps it's the way she knocked it down with the alcohol content so well-masked behind the rich flavors, but I took a sip and it certainly didn't taste like 11% to me! It was a amusing evening to say the least as I had to help her stumble back to our hotel.

Bill for Two Persons

Tripel De Garre	4 Euros
Gulden Draak	4 Euros
Cheese and Meat Platter	13 Euros
TOTAL before tips	21 Euros (CAD$29.4)

The next day we had one of the best meals of our 24-day trip, at a little cozy restaurant on the south side of the Dijver Canal known as Le Chef et Moi. If you're planning a trip to Bruges and are concerned about inflated restaurant prices, here’s my recommendation for some spectacular food at reasonable prices. We would have returned for lunch had we stayed for a third day ... it was that good.



How reasonable were the prices? 15 Euros for a 2-course seasonal lunch with a plat principal and a dessert, and 22 Euros for a 3-course with an entrée. We’re not talking about cheap peasant dishes such as Stoemp with sausage or Stoverij stews -- on this day the 3-courses consisted of salmon gravlax, an excellent sautéed codfish and finishing with a mousse cake. The quality was clearly top notch starting with these generous slices of fresh salmon in a lightly peppered dressing.



Things got even better with our other entrée. While 18 Euros for an appetizer wasn't the cheapest, combining it with the 2-course lunch making it 3-course for 33 Euros was still affordable by Bruges standards. The mussels were tender, the shrimps were flavorsome, the saffron broth almost had me lick the bowl, AND the raw sweetness of the sautéed scallops was simply to die for.



In case anyone remains unconvinced of how reasonable prices were, this fantastic piece of codfish alone was definitely worth more than 15 Euros. It was in fact one of the best sautéed fish in memory for me, so perfectly tender that it would have been undercooked had it left the pan 15 seconds early. Simple dish, the freshest ingredient and flawless execution ... now I really wish this restaurant were in Canada. I would come at least once a month for lunch.



The main course preoccupied my mind so much that I don’t even remember what’s in the mousse cake, only that it tasted as good as the other dishes. While I couldn't quite understand why this place wasn't more popular, we were surely glad to have half of the restaurant to ourselves on a weekday. And did I mention that we had a table facing the medieval canal across the street?

Bill for Two Persons

22 Euros Lunch (entrée, plat principal, déssert)	22 Euros
15 Euros Lunch (plat principal, déssert)	15 Euros
Mussels, Shrimps and Scallops with Saffron	18 Euros
Beer	3 Euros
Iced Tea	2 Euros
TOTAL before tips	60 Euros (CAD$84)

Finding a restaurant for the evening proved to be a bigger challenge -- Den Huzaar turned out to be closed on a Thursday night. So was Curiosa. Cambrinus was fully booked. And we didn't like the advertised dishes of the day at Sint-Barbe. Searching for a better deal we purposely veered away from the centre and wandered into a little restaurant called Bistro De Schilder, just off Jan van Eyck Plein.


Featured prominently on the menu were two of Bruges' best-known peasant dishes, both made with, AND served with, the town's famous local beers. That's right ... you get the beer inside the preparation of the dish, as well as on tap in a glass.



The Stoverij came robustly flavored with an amber beer, and arrived with a huge portion on the side for seconds and thirds. While I found it a bit on the salty side, the rich stew was perfect as a dipping sauce for the accompanying frites. This was a green salad, a huge Flemish beef stew and a glass of local beer, all for 18.5 Euros for dinner. The quality here wasn't quite as top notch as Le Chef et Moi, though one can argue that it's just as good a deal.



My wife's Rabbit in Bruges Style was the better dish on this night, and the tenderness of the rabbit was actually overshadowed by the excellent poached pear and the hand-made croquettes on the side. Plus, there's also a larger portion of the rabbit on the side in a pot, which I barely helped finish. Overall, unpretentious local dishes at great prices.

Bill for Two Persons

Stoverij + Glass of Beer	18.5 Euros
Rabbit in Bruges Style + Glass of Beer	22 Euros
TOTAL before tips	40.5 Euros (CAD$57)

We booked a great little hotel on the side of the canal (building on the right side of the picture), just 5 minutes walk from the Markt, the Belfry, and De Garre for the evening we had to stumble home. It's also conveniently within walking distance to a Match supermarket and a coin laundry shop (at 151 Langestraat, a real lifesaver). And it's just a short bus ride from the train station on Bus #6.



The hotel was called Ter Reien. The room might be a little small, but it was clean and full of character with dark medieval wooden beams framing the ceiling. At less than 70 Euros per night I doubt that a better deal could be found in high season, this close to the true heart of the town.