Germany Archives - Without A Path

Mittenwald, Germany: A Little Something For Everyone

A summer rain in Mittenwald, a small town on the edge of Bavaria, the Alps somewhere behind the impenetrable fog.

No hiking today.

So what to do to kill the time? A stop at the Geigenbaumuseum detailing Mittenwald’s centuries-long tradition of violin building. Lifelong Mittenwalder Petra Summer explains.

“There was a man named Matthias Klotz who at the age of 12, as far as I know, went to Italy to study violin building,” says Petra. “He then came back and made violin building popular, spreading it across Mittenwald.”

Indeed, to own a Mittenwald violin is akin to rocking out on a Fender Stratocaster, built especially for your calloused fingers. (Even the art features characters playing the violin.)

Speaking of art, Mittenwald carries on the Bavarian tradition of painted homes featuring a mix of scenes from everyday life and Biblical characters. In fact, you really can’t escape crucified Jesus in these parts.

But enough intellectual culture. What about the culture I can eat?

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In Europe

Travel Europe By Train: Routes From Major Cities Across The Continent

Europe is a continent of rails with some of the best opportunities for train travel in the world. Over the years I’ve been fortunate to ride routes in Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and plenty more. Despite the ease and affordability (with planning) of train travel in Europe, I’m still surprised to meet people from overseas who treat the continent like they’re flying into Phoenix, renting a car as soon as they land. In reality, train travel is often much faster, shedding as much as a few hours off your travel time when compared to automobiles, especially when looking at long distance routes covered by high-speed rail.

Below is everything you need to know about traveling Europe by train including information about the various high-speed train lines and how long it takes to travel between some of the most popular routes on the continent. Obviously, there are some omissions, but we’d be here all day if I typed out every route, especially once we get into central Europe. But by the time you’re done with the first couple sections, you’ll know how to search and plan your own train trip through Europe.

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In Europe

Wine on the Rhine: A German Wine Tasting in Mainz

Mainz, Germany — a city tucked away firmly into the heart of Riesling country. Eighty percent of the city was left destroyed following over 30 air raids in World War II and the scars are still readily apparent in the dominant 1950s post-war architecture surrounding the rebuilt Altstadt or Old Town.

Playing a significant role in the city’s recovery and rebuilt reputation has been German wine. Traditionally overlooked by the French, whose border is just a couple of hours west of Mainz, German wine (and food) is making a name for itself thanks to passionate advocates looking to connect local delicacies with an already fiercely local culture. Jérôme Hainz and Christie Dietz of BottleStops share how they became enamored with German wine and food during an afternoon wine tasting tour through the shops and taverns of Mainz.

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