Christkindlesmarkt villages in Germany via British Airways and Lufthansa First Class
Apr 1, 2019, 7:09 pm
#46
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
Gedenkstätte Bergen-Bilsen Concentration Camp,
Lohheide, Germany
I went to pick up the rental car today. I had pre-arranged with Sixt; my choice when in Europe. The website usually works great and it even allows you to pre-select a diesel model for a small upcharge. Unfortunately, the promised 500 AAdvantage miles for the rental have yet to post despite several attempts and Sixt have been difficult to chase after for the credit. Today’s rental pickup was from the Hannover Hautbahnhoff and the car was all ready to go on arrival. I had a beautiful black Audi A4 Avant 3.5 TDI. It's a dream for a car aficionado to walk down the aisles to be assigned a rental car from the lot.
There was a kind reminder on the inside not to exceed 240 km/h due to the winter tires speed rating.
Thankfully, the car had GPS programed in, although it couldn’t be switched into English. I headed on our first drive out into the country to the Bergen Bilsen Concentration Camp. The concentration camp was located quite close to the city of Hannover at less than one hour’s drive away.
It was a pleasant drive with a short 10 minutes on the Autobahn through winter forests up to Bergen-Bilsen. There was nobody around in the parking lot today, making a car photo and silly selfie all that more photogenic.
The Gedenkstätte Bergen-Bilsen memorial is the past site of a concentration camp that was heavily used in Northern Germany. It is most famous for being the location of where Anne Frank, author of the book "Diaries of Anne Frank", passed away along with her sister.
The memorial is well done and consists of a detailed museum and self guided tour of the grounds. The memorial contained detailed records of the history of the site. The site started off as a prisoner of war camp in 1940 and eventually became a concentration camp when it was taken over by the German SS in 1943. The museum takes you through a detailed chronological history.
There were even sample record cards where marked with a cyrcillic “X” when the inmate was terminated. The pictures of the atrocities include vast mass graves of deceased prisoners and other oddities such as women peeling potatoes within mere feet of piles of corpses several dozen deep.
Ultimately, about 70,000 perished at the site. The most famous prisoner to die here was Anne Frank.
At the conclusion of the museum visit, I wandered through the past sites of the concentration camps. Unlike some of the other concentration camps like Dachau, all the buildings here are gone and demolished. Instead, the camp visit is through pristine fields.
As the snow and rain started to fall, and I walked along, I gradually got to see the macabre part of this visit. Each of the mounds of earth were labelled, in German, as the resting place of 1000, 2500, 5000 people. It was certainly somber to walk through such a mass grave site.
Some small memorials have been set up for some of the people that have passed. Despite the memorials, the graves do not represent the actual locations of where these people past. There was a marked stone for Anne Frank and her sister Margot Frank.
Ultimately, it was a super interesting and moving experience to have visited the Gedenkstätte Bergen-Bilsen memorial. The piles of earth consisting of corpses and human remains added to the ominous feel to the visit.
Lohheide, Germany
I went to pick up the rental car today. I had pre-arranged with Sixt; my choice when in Europe. The website usually works great and it even allows you to pre-select a diesel model for a small upcharge. Unfortunately, the promised 500 AAdvantage miles for the rental have yet to post despite several attempts and Sixt have been difficult to chase after for the credit. Today’s rental pickup was from the Hannover Hautbahnhoff and the car was all ready to go on arrival. I had a beautiful black Audi A4 Avant 3.5 TDI. It's a dream for a car aficionado to walk down the aisles to be assigned a rental car from the lot.
There was a kind reminder on the inside not to exceed 240 km/h due to the winter tires speed rating.
Thankfully, the car had GPS programed in, although it couldn’t be switched into English. I headed on our first drive out into the country to the Bergen Bilsen Concentration Camp. The concentration camp was located quite close to the city of Hannover at less than one hour’s drive away.
It was a pleasant drive with a short 10 minutes on the Autobahn through winter forests up to Bergen-Bilsen. There was nobody around in the parking lot today, making a car photo and silly selfie all that more photogenic.
The Gedenkstätte Bergen-Bilsen memorial is the past site of a concentration camp that was heavily used in Northern Germany. It is most famous for being the location of where Anne Frank, author of the book "Diaries of Anne Frank", passed away along with her sister.
The memorial is well done and consists of a detailed museum and self guided tour of the grounds. The memorial contained detailed records of the history of the site. The site started off as a prisoner of war camp in 1940 and eventually became a concentration camp when it was taken over by the German SS in 1943. The museum takes you through a detailed chronological history.
There were even sample record cards where marked with a cyrcillic “X” when the inmate was terminated. The pictures of the atrocities include vast mass graves of deceased prisoners and other oddities such as women peeling potatoes within mere feet of piles of corpses several dozen deep.
Ultimately, about 70,000 perished at the site. The most famous prisoner to die here was Anne Frank.
At the conclusion of the museum visit, I wandered through the past sites of the concentration camps. Unlike some of the other concentration camps like Dachau, all the buildings here are gone and demolished. Instead, the camp visit is through pristine fields.
As the snow and rain started to fall, and I walked along, I gradually got to see the macabre part of this visit. Each of the mounds of earth were labelled, in German, as the resting place of 1000, 2500, 5000 people. It was certainly somber to walk through such a mass grave site.
Some small memorials have been set up for some of the people that have passed. Despite the memorials, the graves do not represent the actual locations of where these people past. There was a marked stone for Anne Frank and her sister Margot Frank.
Ultimately, it was a super interesting and moving experience to have visited the Gedenkstätte Bergen-Bilsen memorial. The piles of earth consisting of corpses and human remains added to the ominous feel to the visit.
Apr 1, 2019, 7:17 pm
#47
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
Celle, Germany
From the memorial, I headed down to Celle. Celle was recommended as a place to visit by several of MrsWT73’s Hannover colleagues. Celle has a storybook pedestrian village that allows for some great exploring.
When I arrived in the late afternoon, Christmas Market #4 was in full swing. Although the market was a bit smaller than the Hanover version, it had many more younger families. I found a place to park the Audi and went for a walk through town. Celle was a pleasant town center at dusk, which came to be even more attractive as the sun went down and the Christmas lights came on.
Celle really came alive in a magical way as the lights went down. It was such a storybook town and everything you’d imagine about visiting a Christmas village in Europe. Adding to the fact that there were no cars near the town centre, made it for an extra special experience.
As the day fell to dark and I had walked around enough to get my fill, I had a bratwurst and Glühwein for a snack.. MrsWT73 had also mandated me to pick up some Christmas cards so that she could write them on the plane on the way back. Needless to say, it’s almost impossible to pick up a stack of 30 Christmas cards in Germany. They seem to sell more of the premium varieties on an individual basis.
I left Celle and drove back the 30 minutes back to Hanover. The bratwurst street food from Celle didn’t exactly fill me up so a quick walk from the Novotel to the local Listerplatz Christmas market down the road was in order. A quick meal of snack perogies and a slice of pizza closed out the evening.
All in all, a successful day of touring around the sights and attractions that Hanover and it’s surrounding area has to offer. Surprisingly there was quite a bit more to see in this part of less visited Germany than I originally expected. It was back to the room to pack up for the next days of travel.
From the memorial, I headed down to Celle. Celle was recommended as a place to visit by several of MrsWT73’s Hannover colleagues. Celle has a storybook pedestrian village that allows for some great exploring.
When I arrived in the late afternoon, Christmas Market #4 was in full swing. Although the market was a bit smaller than the Hanover version, it had many more younger families. I found a place to park the Audi and went for a walk through town. Celle was a pleasant town center at dusk, which came to be even more attractive as the sun went down and the Christmas lights came on.
Celle really came alive in a magical way as the lights went down. It was such a storybook town and everything you’d imagine about visiting a Christmas village in Europe. Adding to the fact that there were no cars near the town centre, made it for an extra special experience.
As the day fell to dark and I had walked around enough to get my fill, I had a bratwurst and Glühwein for a snack.. MrsWT73 had also mandated me to pick up some Christmas cards so that she could write them on the plane on the way back. Needless to say, it’s almost impossible to pick up a stack of 30 Christmas cards in Germany. They seem to sell more of the premium varieties on an individual basis.
I left Celle and drove back the 30 minutes back to Hanover. The bratwurst street food from Celle didn’t exactly fill me up so a quick walk from the Novotel to the local Listerplatz Christmas market down the road was in order. A quick meal of snack perogies and a slice of pizza closed out the evening.
All in all, a successful day of touring around the sights and attractions that Hanover and it’s surrounding area has to offer. Surprisingly there was quite a bit more to see in this part of less visited Germany than I originally expected. It was back to the room to pack up for the next days of travel.
Apr 2, 2019, 1:13 pm
#49
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Germany
Posts: 3,780
Apr 5, 2019, 9:04 am
#50
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
Apr 5, 2019, 9:17 am
#51
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
“To Bremen for Lunch”.
Bremen, Germany
After a few days in Hannover, it was time for something different. After MrsWT73’s late wake up after a lengthy work dinner and evening socializing / networking, we hit the road at a leisurely noon. We checked out of the Novotel and put all the bags in the trunk of the Audi. We headed north on the A7 towards Bremen. Thanks to the German GPS in the Audi, we had no issues finding our way.
Bremen is a northern German town that is most famous for the Grimm’s folk tale of 4 animals that were about to be put out to pasture. The four decide to run away and head for Bremen to make music for the rest of their lives. On their way, they decide to stay the night at a farm house where they are confronted by robbers. They make collective animal noises and scare off the robbers. They end up staying at the farm for the rest of their lives “where you’ll probably find them to this day”.
We settled into the Autobahn at a comfortable 145 – 150 km/h.
After about 90 minutes, we pulled into Bremen eventually parking downtown at a garage in the Alstat. We were immediately out of the garage into a pedestrian market.
Our first sight was our 4th Christmas market in the Alstat of Bremen. It was in the streets surrounding the square.
The Markt is Bremen’s UNESCO Work heritage protected square. The square was full of Christmas market vendors. It was well done, quaint and authentic.
We were feeling a little snacky so we had a Leibstracter pork sandwich that was barbequed over open flame.
There was a very popular statute of the Town Musicians of Bremen with the rooster on top of the cat, on top of the dog on the shoudlers of the donkey. This required the obligatory self portrait.
I took a look at Dom St Peitre, which is Bremen’s protestant church with origins in the 8thCentury. The church is in the middle of the square and has an imposing look to it thanks to it’s massive size and scale compared to the other buildings near the Markt.
From the market, we happened onto the Böttcherstrasse. The Böttcherstrasse is an alley of red brick artisanal shops. The entry has a golden Lichtbringer (bringer of light) designed by Bernhard Hoetger.
We then wandered up towards the Schlachte, which was a waterfront walkway. Today’s visit seemed to coincide with a medieval festival turned Christmas village #5. It was a somewhat strange setting, but otherwise an entertaining diversion from the old school Christmas Market.
We took a wander through the shops and MrsWT73 settled on a Glühwein in the shape of a ski boot. The sun started to set as always, making for a more intimate setting. Even the Glühwein stalls are themed; this one had polar bears looking over top.
There were even barrel rooms for those that weren’t into the cooler outdoor temperatures.
After the festivus at Schlachte, we headed back to the Markt area. The Christmas Market was in full swing and we took a last look at the lights before we left to head home
We walked the market past the 4 animals towards our car. Christmas markets are pretty spectacular at night. It would be hard not to be excited for Christmas after visiting a market such as this.
Bremen was an absolutely enjoyable day visit. The Christmas market made the visit even more special.
We hopped in the Audi and headed back towards Hannover. MrsWT73 hadn’t seen Celle thanks to her work commitments, so we took a little detour by the city on the way back so that she could see it. It was about zero degrees when we were out and about in Celle; very cold.
I had a terrific pork roast with coleslaw and baguette for dinner, as served from one of the stalls.
All in, it was a terrific day of Christmas markets along with a spin along the autobahn in a beautiful car. It was an opportunity to see areas that we wouldn't normally have traveled through in our exploration of Germany.
Bremen, Germany
After a few days in Hannover, it was time for something different. After MrsWT73’s late wake up after a lengthy work dinner and evening socializing / networking, we hit the road at a leisurely noon. We checked out of the Novotel and put all the bags in the trunk of the Audi. We headed north on the A7 towards Bremen. Thanks to the German GPS in the Audi, we had no issues finding our way.
Bremen is a northern German town that is most famous for the Grimm’s folk tale of 4 animals that were about to be put out to pasture. The four decide to run away and head for Bremen to make music for the rest of their lives. On their way, they decide to stay the night at a farm house where they are confronted by robbers. They make collective animal noises and scare off the robbers. They end up staying at the farm for the rest of their lives “where you’ll probably find them to this day”.
We settled into the Autobahn at a comfortable 145 – 150 km/h.
After about 90 minutes, we pulled into Bremen eventually parking downtown at a garage in the Alstat. We were immediately out of the garage into a pedestrian market.
Our first sight was our 4th Christmas market in the Alstat of Bremen. It was in the streets surrounding the square.
The Markt is Bremen’s UNESCO Work heritage protected square. The square was full of Christmas market vendors. It was well done, quaint and authentic.
We were feeling a little snacky so we had a Leibstracter pork sandwich that was barbequed over open flame.
There was a very popular statute of the Town Musicians of Bremen with the rooster on top of the cat, on top of the dog on the shoudlers of the donkey. This required the obligatory self portrait.
I took a look at Dom St Peitre, which is Bremen’s protestant church with origins in the 8thCentury. The church is in the middle of the square and has an imposing look to it thanks to it’s massive size and scale compared to the other buildings near the Markt.
From the market, we happened onto the Böttcherstrasse. The Böttcherstrasse is an alley of red brick artisanal shops. The entry has a golden Lichtbringer (bringer of light) designed by Bernhard Hoetger.
We then wandered up towards the Schlachte, which was a waterfront walkway. Today’s visit seemed to coincide with a medieval festival turned Christmas village #5. It was a somewhat strange setting, but otherwise an entertaining diversion from the old school Christmas Market.
We took a wander through the shops and MrsWT73 settled on a Glühwein in the shape of a ski boot. The sun started to set as always, making for a more intimate setting. Even the Glühwein stalls are themed; this one had polar bears looking over top.
There were even barrel rooms for those that weren’t into the cooler outdoor temperatures.
After the festivus at Schlachte, we headed back to the Markt area. The Christmas Market was in full swing and we took a last look at the lights before we left to head home
We walked the market past the 4 animals towards our car. Christmas markets are pretty spectacular at night. It would be hard not to be excited for Christmas after visiting a market such as this.
Bremen was an absolutely enjoyable day visit. The Christmas market made the visit even more special.
We hopped in the Audi and headed back towards Hannover. MrsWT73 hadn’t seen Celle thanks to her work commitments, so we took a little detour by the city on the way back so that she could see it. It was about zero degrees when we were out and about in Celle; very cold.
I had a terrific pork roast with coleslaw and baguette for dinner, as served from one of the stalls.
All in, it was a terrific day of Christmas markets along with a spin along the autobahn in a beautiful car. It was an opportunity to see areas that we wouldn't normally have traveled through in our exploration of Germany.
Apr 5, 2019, 9:22 am
#52
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
Sheraton Hanover Pelikan.
Deluxe Suite
After getting back from Bremen, we had a short one night stay at the Sheraton Hanover Pelikan; MrsWT73’s usual spot while staying in town when she’s not on a mandated group work event at a designated hotel.
The Pelikan occupies an almost suburban location about 4 stops away from the Hautbahnhof on the U train. It’s suburban enough that the U train is running at surface grade outside the hotel and not underground like the more urban locations. The structure was previously a factory of some sorts, so it has a unique shape to it for a hotel. Some photos from the next day…
We arrived to the hotel at around 9 PM and self parked the car. I was a bit envious as there were 3 BMW 5 series wagons in the garage of only 30 cars. I was super jealous as this is a car model I’ve previously owned but that BMW no longer imports into North America in favor of the X5 Sport Utility Vehicles or the 535 Grand Turismo.
The Sheraton Pelikan started its life as some form of a factory. As a result, the exterior is all red brick. The ceilings are also amazingly high; probably about 14 to 15 feet. We found our way to the front desk up a steep ramp and stairs. We were checked in promptly.
I used a Suite Night Awards I had applied against the room which cleared into a Suite at about 5 days out. I wouldn’t have normally used it on a one night stay with a late arrival but they were expiring in 2 weeks time with no future travel planned for the year. I asked about getting a platinum breakfast and they indicated that they would offer the breakfast AND the points as a bonus. They didn’t offer the usual breakfast coupon and just referred me downstairs where they appeared to know me by name. I sensed that there were not too many Platinum guests staying here today; if ever.
We led ourselves up to room #225. The suite had two separate areas. Arriving to the suite, you were led into the living room. The room appeared to be recently renovated.
There was a working desk area, followed by a welcome note that I couldn’t read since I don’t understand German…
Followed by the bedroom with an actual king size bed (not two singles pushed together). This was welcomed for me as most of Europe seems to have two singles pushed together.
As indicated, the ceilings were amazingly high. This was a nice unique feature of the property as it was different than staying in the usual cookie cutter rooms.
There was an expresso coffee maker.
There was also a SPG Platinum amenity that consisted of an Orange, a kiwi and a piece of chocolate cake. There was also a welcome card that I couldn’t read as it was in German as indicated earlier.
The only area that wasn’t all to flattering was the bathroom, which appeared to only have a partial refresh. It had a quite institutional look to it along with tiles that looked like they belonged in the community YMCA.
The next morning, we woke up for breakfast. The breakfast was in the 5thavenue breakfast room which was one level below the lobby. Despite it being down a level, it still have great daylight views into the courtyard. Being Christmas, there was a massive tree decorating the space.
There were also nearby restaurants with the Pelikanplatz square.
Overall, the property hit the spot for a Sheraton stay. The hotel was to typical western standards and a nicer stay than the Novotel experience thanks to the larger room. Although the location of the hotel is a little more out of the way, the chain options in Hanover are strictly limited. The Sheraton was a nicer choice than the other Marriott option Courtyard.
Deluxe Suite
After getting back from Bremen, we had a short one night stay at the Sheraton Hanover Pelikan; MrsWT73’s usual spot while staying in town when she’s not on a mandated group work event at a designated hotel.
The Pelikan occupies an almost suburban location about 4 stops away from the Hautbahnhof on the U train. It’s suburban enough that the U train is running at surface grade outside the hotel and not underground like the more urban locations. The structure was previously a factory of some sorts, so it has a unique shape to it for a hotel. Some photos from the next day…
We arrived to the hotel at around 9 PM and self parked the car. I was a bit envious as there were 3 BMW 5 series wagons in the garage of only 30 cars. I was super jealous as this is a car model I’ve previously owned but that BMW no longer imports into North America in favor of the X5 Sport Utility Vehicles or the 535 Grand Turismo.
The Sheraton Pelikan started its life as some form of a factory. As a result, the exterior is all red brick. The ceilings are also amazingly high; probably about 14 to 15 feet. We found our way to the front desk up a steep ramp and stairs. We were checked in promptly.
I used a Suite Night Awards I had applied against the room which cleared into a Suite at about 5 days out. I wouldn’t have normally used it on a one night stay with a late arrival but they were expiring in 2 weeks time with no future travel planned for the year. I asked about getting a platinum breakfast and they indicated that they would offer the breakfast AND the points as a bonus. They didn’t offer the usual breakfast coupon and just referred me downstairs where they appeared to know me by name. I sensed that there were not too many Platinum guests staying here today; if ever.
We led ourselves up to room #225. The suite had two separate areas. Arriving to the suite, you were led into the living room. The room appeared to be recently renovated.
There was a working desk area, followed by a welcome note that I couldn’t read since I don’t understand German…
Followed by the bedroom with an actual king size bed (not two singles pushed together). This was welcomed for me as most of Europe seems to have two singles pushed together.
As indicated, the ceilings were amazingly high. This was a nice unique feature of the property as it was different than staying in the usual cookie cutter rooms.
There was an expresso coffee maker.
There was also a SPG Platinum amenity that consisted of an Orange, a kiwi and a piece of chocolate cake. There was also a welcome card that I couldn’t read as it was in German as indicated earlier.
The only area that wasn’t all to flattering was the bathroom, which appeared to only have a partial refresh. It had a quite institutional look to it along with tiles that looked like they belonged in the community YMCA.
The next morning, we woke up for breakfast. The breakfast was in the 5thavenue breakfast room which was one level below the lobby. Despite it being down a level, it still have great daylight views into the courtyard. Being Christmas, there was a massive tree decorating the space.
There were also nearby restaurants with the Pelikanplatz square.
Overall, the property hit the spot for a Sheraton stay. The hotel was to typical western standards and a nicer stay than the Novotel experience thanks to the larger room. Although the location of the hotel is a little more out of the way, the chain options in Hanover are strictly limited. The Sheraton was a nicer choice than the other Marriott option Courtyard.
Apr 8, 2019, 1:45 am
#53
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Aberdeen, Scotland
Programs: BA Bronze, Emirates Silver, Virgin Silver, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,399
What a weird, in a good and bad way that Sheraton is. Where does that step up in the bathroom on the left actually lead to given it looks like the bath is enclosed there by a glass panel?!
You are right, the markets do seem much better under the lights at night.
You are right, the markets do seem much better under the lights at night.
Apr 10, 2019, 10:38 am
#54
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Germany
Programs: Some
Posts: 11,506
The note is a little bit wired. It says: Welcome back at Sheraton Pelikan hotel Hannover. We are happy to have you with us again and wish you a pleasant stay. Let us know if we can do anything for you.
Funny for a first time visitor..... I stayed at this hotel in 2009 and found it so so. To be fair design changed a lot since this time.
Funny for a first time visitor..... I stayed at this hotel in 2009 and found it so so. To be fair design changed a lot since this time.
Apr 11, 2019, 9:33 am
#55
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
The note is a little bit wired. It says: Welcome back at Sheraton Pelikan hotel Hannover. We are happy to have you with us again and wish you a pleasant stay. Let us know if we can do anything for you.
Funny for a first time visitor..... I stayed at this hotel in 2009 and found it so so. To be fair design changed a lot since this time.
Funny for a first time visitor..... I stayed at this hotel in 2009 and found it so so. To be fair design changed a lot since this time.
Thanks for translating...
Apr 11, 2019, 9:36 am
#56
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
DB Bahn – Inter City Express
ICE 857
First Class
Hannover Hautbahnhof – München Hautbahnhoff
Dec 15, 2018
12:28 PM – 5:17 PM
Actual: 12:33 PM – 6:20 PM
We left the hotel and drove the Audi back to the garage near the train station. The garage was two blocks away. We parked the car without any issue and rolled our suitcases back to the train station.
There was a soccer game on today and the Strastboug Christmas market (terrorism) shooting had just occurred 5 days ago. As a result, there was a very large police presence in the Hautbahnhof square of probably over 50 polizei with riot gear waiting around for something to happen.
We eventually made our way to Gles / Track 4 and located our train.
We found the same familiar seats 44 / 46. This time we were riding backwards. The booking option doesn’t allow you to confirm the direction of travel so we took a guess and guessed wrong.
There was no included food and beverage on this trip. Unlike on the way up, we actually had an attendant take "pay for drink" orders this time.
Wifi was broken on the way down. Didn’t get much done and was slow as molasses as trying to connect. Overall the train service in Germany was less impressive than in Spain. Despite the lessened offering, it was much more convenient being city centre to city centre without much fuss at either end.
ICE 857
First Class
Hannover Hautbahnhof – München Hautbahnhoff
Dec 15, 2018
12:28 PM – 5:17 PM
Actual: 12:33 PM – 6:20 PM
We left the hotel and drove the Audi back to the garage near the train station. The garage was two blocks away. We parked the car without any issue and rolled our suitcases back to the train station.
There was a soccer game on today and the Strastboug Christmas market (terrorism) shooting had just occurred 5 days ago. As a result, there was a very large police presence in the Hautbahnhof square of probably over 50 polizei with riot gear waiting around for something to happen.
We eventually made our way to Gles / Track 4 and located our train.
We found the same familiar seats 44 / 46. This time we were riding backwards. The booking option doesn’t allow you to confirm the direction of travel so we took a guess and guessed wrong.
There was no included food and beverage on this trip. Unlike on the way up, we actually had an attendant take "pay for drink" orders this time.
Wifi was broken on the way down. Didn’t get much done and was slow as molasses as trying to connect. Overall the train service in Germany was less impressive than in Spain. Despite the lessened offering, it was much more convenient being city centre to city centre without much fuss at either end.
Apr 11, 2019, 9:43 am
#57
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
Aloft Munich
Sweet Suite
There are MrsWT73 hotels and then there are WT73 hotels. Since MrsWT73 was leaving the next day on her company provided ticket, I opted for the ALoft Munich over the Le Meridien next door at about a 50 € a night savings. I had attempted to apply Suite Night Upgrades but they failed to clear. I wasn’t expecting too much since they don’t have many suites available at the Aloft but I figured it was worth trying anyway.
The Aloft is immediately across the street from the South Munich Hautbahnhof entrance. It’s so close, you can actually see the Aloft sign from inside the train station.
On arrival, there was no line at check in. The friendly host was able to accomodate a verbally negotiated suite upgrade at check in after he radioed on a microphone to another staff member. We also accepted breakfast as the SPG Platinum Benefit, which was better value than 500 Marriott Reward points as a check in amenity which aren’t worth much in the Aloft brand.
We led ourselves to room #518. The room was certainly the largest Aloft room that I have ever been in. The room had a slight L shape to it.
There was a comfortable looking bed in the middle of the room.
This was flanked by a small desk with power ports at the foot of the bed.
In the “L”, there was a firm couch that doubled as a sofa bed. Along with a bench chair that doubled as a his and hers’ suitcase stand for us. There was an additional counter desk.
There was also a bean bag in the corner as well. It had a few spots on it from other people’s usage. I’m not sure how hygienic these are but we didn’t end up using it as a result.
The bathroom was standard Aloft fare. It wasn’t super spacious but it did the trick.
The room was facing inwards towards the courtyard. This meant that the room has a lessor (to no) view. However, the room was much much quieter than our street facing room at the Le Meridien Munich one block over. MrsWT73 was super pleased at that. Here is a floor plan for those that were interested in it…
We ended up taking the SPG Platinum breakfast in lieu of 500 welcome points. The points weren’t worth that much but I am sorry to report that the breakfast was even worse.
It was a far step down from the Le Meridien Munich next door. The breakfast offering was a small corner buffet style. Although they offered hot items, they seemed to run out with no more on offer for a substantial period of time. I waited about 17 minutes for scrambled eggs and the bacon was never replenished; empty for about an hour before the end of service. I ended up just taking a coffee while we waited for food to be brought out. Small things but it was not the easiest place to pickup food in a hurry; especially when you are waiting 30 minutes for food. This seems to be a challenge for them based on several negative reviews on line.
There was also a large sized gym with actual daylight for a dorm room hotel. I never ended up with the opportunity to use it, but at least it was there if you needed it.
After the train ride from Hannover, we ended up having dinner next door at Munchen Stubn. It was a neat place serving traditional German food. Although it seemed a bit touristy, there were quite a few office groups in here on our visit.
I ended up with the pink roasted red medallion venison with port wine cranberry sauce, potato truffle gratin and brussels sprouts with bacon.
MrsWT73 ended up with Spaetzle; ever her favourite.
All in all, a terrific touristy dinner option right next to the hotel for casual fare.
The Aloft Munich was pretty standard for a quick stay. I was happy with the quieter room assignment and overall amenities. However, there was nothing spectacular about it and I'd easily opt for the Meridien next door if traveling with someone or wanted to enjoy the trip.
Sweet Suite
There are MrsWT73 hotels and then there are WT73 hotels. Since MrsWT73 was leaving the next day on her company provided ticket, I opted for the ALoft Munich over the Le Meridien next door at about a 50 € a night savings. I had attempted to apply Suite Night Upgrades but they failed to clear. I wasn’t expecting too much since they don’t have many suites available at the Aloft but I figured it was worth trying anyway.
The Aloft is immediately across the street from the South Munich Hautbahnhof entrance. It’s so close, you can actually see the Aloft sign from inside the train station.
On arrival, there was no line at check in. The friendly host was able to accomodate a verbally negotiated suite upgrade at check in after he radioed on a microphone to another staff member. We also accepted breakfast as the SPG Platinum Benefit, which was better value than 500 Marriott Reward points as a check in amenity which aren’t worth much in the Aloft brand.
We led ourselves to room #518. The room was certainly the largest Aloft room that I have ever been in. The room had a slight L shape to it.
There was a comfortable looking bed in the middle of the room.
This was flanked by a small desk with power ports at the foot of the bed.
In the “L”, there was a firm couch that doubled as a sofa bed. Along with a bench chair that doubled as a his and hers’ suitcase stand for us. There was an additional counter desk.
There was also a bean bag in the corner as well. It had a few spots on it from other people’s usage. I’m not sure how hygienic these are but we didn’t end up using it as a result.
The bathroom was standard Aloft fare. It wasn’t super spacious but it did the trick.
The room was facing inwards towards the courtyard. This meant that the room has a lessor (to no) view. However, the room was much much quieter than our street facing room at the Le Meridien Munich one block over. MrsWT73 was super pleased at that. Here is a floor plan for those that were interested in it…
We ended up taking the SPG Platinum breakfast in lieu of 500 welcome points. The points weren’t worth that much but I am sorry to report that the breakfast was even worse.
It was a far step down from the Le Meridien Munich next door. The breakfast offering was a small corner buffet style. Although they offered hot items, they seemed to run out with no more on offer for a substantial period of time. I waited about 17 minutes for scrambled eggs and the bacon was never replenished; empty for about an hour before the end of service. I ended up just taking a coffee while we waited for food to be brought out. Small things but it was not the easiest place to pickup food in a hurry; especially when you are waiting 30 minutes for food. This seems to be a challenge for them based on several negative reviews on line.
There was also a large sized gym with actual daylight for a dorm room hotel. I never ended up with the opportunity to use it, but at least it was there if you needed it.
After the train ride from Hannover, we ended up having dinner next door at Munchen Stubn. It was a neat place serving traditional German food. Although it seemed a bit touristy, there were quite a few office groups in here on our visit.
I ended up with the pink roasted red medallion venison with port wine cranberry sauce, potato truffle gratin and brussels sprouts with bacon.
MrsWT73 ended up with Spaetzle; ever her favourite.
All in all, a terrific touristy dinner option right next to the hotel for casual fare.
The Aloft Munich was pretty standard for a quick stay. I was happy with the quieter room assignment and overall amenities. However, there was nothing spectacular about it and I'd easily opt for the Meridien next door if traveling with someone or wanted to enjoy the trip.
Apr 11, 2019, 9:52 am
#58
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
Munich, Germany.
It was a travel day for MrsWT73 as she left homeward on her employer paid ticket on British Airways via Heathrow. I was staying on an extra day thanks to a lack of award availability on the weekend and had to travel back on Monday. I started the day with walking MrsWT73 to the S Train for the MUC airport.
With MrsWT73 escort duties completed, I set off in the new snowfall to BMW Welt. It’s the home to BMW’s European Delivery facility, a show room containing many of the new models from BMW, Rolls Royce and Mini. There is also a BMW museum located next door. I started off today at the BMW Museum, which I had visited once before over a decade ago.
The museum takes you through the motorcycle history and several of the cars throughout the history of BMW.
They have on display some of their classic’s, such as the 2002 and the 3 door Isetta.
Along with a special “M” Power section.
They also have a wall where (almost) every model of BMW is listed. Despite being posted as a complete list, I couldn’t find my 535iGT however.
I ended up leaving the museum and crossing the bridge over to the BMW Welt facility.
The BMW Welt (World) is pretty large and leaves a first impression.
There seemed to be a lot of people in today from the cold... a perfect thing to do on the weekend.
I started with the most interesting Rolls Royce’s; which were among the more elite cars in today’s collection.
Unfortunately, the selection of cars in the regular BMW section wasn’t all to inspiring today. They make beautiful cars, but most of the models that were on display were also available at the BMW dealership near you and weren’t "speciality" in any particular way.
There was a new 3 series on display, which was probably the most interesting car there; despite being their entry level and most popular model.
After the BMW Welt, I took a short walk outside through the Olympic Park which was the home of the 1972 Olympics in Munich. It was a nice setting with the snow covering most of the grounds.
After the cold got to be a bit much, or I got my fill of being outside in the winter, I ended up taking the train back to the Odeonplatz in Munich. I ended up doing a little pre-Christmas sightseeing around Munich.
…where I ended up stumbling upon Christmas Village #6 of the trip, located near Wittlesbacherplatz. There were more themed musicians here, playing guitars.
It was snack time, so time for my last sausage cooked over open flame of this trip.
After the quick fill, I ended up leaving as the sun started to set. I wandered down past the National Theatre back towards Marienplatz under the lights of the stores lit up and glowing.
I eventually arrived at Marienplatz for one last look at the wonders of my first authentic Christmas market.
The Christmas Market trip was a pretty neat way to see Germany all over again. I was really surprised at the number of villages to be found; I was expecting only one or two in the major urban centres. The ability to discover them in most of the places that I visited was a special treat. The Christmas Market experiences are best shared. I still have good memories of going out with the group in Hannover as it was such a unique experience. I would easily recommend it as an adventure that's best experienced with others.
It was a travel day for MrsWT73 as she left homeward on her employer paid ticket on British Airways via Heathrow. I was staying on an extra day thanks to a lack of award availability on the weekend and had to travel back on Monday. I started the day with walking MrsWT73 to the S Train for the MUC airport.
With MrsWT73 escort duties completed, I set off in the new snowfall to BMW Welt. It’s the home to BMW’s European Delivery facility, a show room containing many of the new models from BMW, Rolls Royce and Mini. There is also a BMW museum located next door. I started off today at the BMW Museum, which I had visited once before over a decade ago.
The museum takes you through the motorcycle history and several of the cars throughout the history of BMW.
They have on display some of their classic’s, such as the 2002 and the 3 door Isetta.
Along with a special “M” Power section.
They also have a wall where (almost) every model of BMW is listed. Despite being posted as a complete list, I couldn’t find my 535iGT however.
I ended up leaving the museum and crossing the bridge over to the BMW Welt facility.
The BMW Welt (World) is pretty large and leaves a first impression.
There seemed to be a lot of people in today from the cold... a perfect thing to do on the weekend.
I started with the most interesting Rolls Royce’s; which were among the more elite cars in today’s collection.
Unfortunately, the selection of cars in the regular BMW section wasn’t all to inspiring today. They make beautiful cars, but most of the models that were on display were also available at the BMW dealership near you and weren’t "speciality" in any particular way.
There was a new 3 series on display, which was probably the most interesting car there; despite being their entry level and most popular model.
After the BMW Welt, I took a short walk outside through the Olympic Park which was the home of the 1972 Olympics in Munich. It was a nice setting with the snow covering most of the grounds.
After the cold got to be a bit much, or I got my fill of being outside in the winter, I ended up taking the train back to the Odeonplatz in Munich. I ended up doing a little pre-Christmas sightseeing around Munich.
…where I ended up stumbling upon Christmas Village #6 of the trip, located near Wittlesbacherplatz. There were more themed musicians here, playing guitars.
It was snack time, so time for my last sausage cooked over open flame of this trip.
After the quick fill, I ended up leaving as the sun started to set. I wandered down past the National Theatre back towards Marienplatz under the lights of the stores lit up and glowing.
I eventually arrived at Marienplatz for one last look at the wonders of my first authentic Christmas market.
The Christmas Market trip was a pretty neat way to see Germany all over again. I was really surprised at the number of villages to be found; I was expecting only one or two in the major urban centres. The ability to discover them in most of the places that I visited was a special treat. The Christmas Market experiences are best shared. I still have good memories of going out with the group in Hannover as it was such a unique experience. I would easily recommend it as an adventure that's best experienced with others.
Apr 11, 2019, 2:52 pm
#60
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Germany
Posts: 3,780
Great report, looking forward to more! A pity you don't seem to enjoy Glühwein anymore, but it's okay, Glühwein is not for the weak
German Railways indeed doesn't have any complimentary food or drinks on board (apart from gummy bears or tiny chocolates they sometimes give out as gifts in the 1st class). But first class passengers can visit lounges at large stations, which have coffee and soft drinks. Lounges in Munich, Berlin, Cologne and Frankfurt also have dedicated 1st class sections with beer, wine and snacks (sandwiches, sometimes soups, cakes etc.)
For future Munich visits, keep in mind that the BMW Welt also offers per-hour rentals of many interesting BMW models.
German Railways indeed doesn't have any complimentary food or drinks on board (apart from gummy bears or tiny chocolates they sometimes give out as gifts in the 1st class). But first class passengers can visit lounges at large stations, which have coffee and soft drinks. Lounges in Munich, Berlin, Cologne and Frankfurt also have dedicated 1st class sections with beer, wine and snacks (sandwiches, sometimes soups, cakes etc.)
For future Munich visits, keep in mind that the BMW Welt also offers per-hour rentals of many interesting BMW models.