Must-see sights/beer stops for European vacation (Germany, Austria, Italy, Czech Republic)

[dspoonrt]

My wife and I are embarking on a 16-day European vacation this Saturday. We're visiting - in order - Dresden, Prague, Salzburg, Northern Italy (Trento, Bolzano, Venice, and maybe a few more cities), and finally Munich.

We're really into beer, so we'd like to experience as much German, Austrian, Czech, and Italian beer culture as possible. So far, we're planning on checking out Augustiner Brau and Stiglbrau in Salzburg and Fruhlingsfest in Munich, but the rest of the trip is wide open as far as beer is concerned. Anybody know of any other go-to beer stops in Dresden/Munich/Salzburg/Prague/Northern Italy?

Also, any non-beer related suggestions of sights to see in/around those cities would also be appreciated. We've done some planning, but nothing beats the advice of someone who lives there or has been there.

Thanks in advance everyone.

 

[aria]

The Lonely Planet guide for Central Europe is a pretty good reference for those areas (I've used it), save for Italy.

Prague is an experience all it's own. It's good you're missing the real tourist crush of the summer. I've spend a few weekends there and really you can just get lost with all the lovely sites and history (it was spared being demolished during the World Wars), as well as some wacky modern sculptures. The only highlight that was a little disappointing was the changing of the guards in Prague Castle--give that a miss. Everything else was great--and the food is also good there. This is probably my favorite city in Europe.

Just about an hour or so outside of Prague is a famous resort city called Karlovy Vary (in German it's translated Karlsbad, it's where the name Carlsbad comes from). I spend a few weeks here, but you can easily enjoy the city in a day. There's one resort hotel in particular, the Grandhotel Pupp (yes, poop) that's famous (though the interior isn't mindblowing). It's so picturesque that hotel and resort was actually used as the "Casino Royale" in the 2006 Bond film and as itself in the 2006 Queen Latifah flick Last Holiday. The nearby, small town of Loket has a picturesque castle for photos from across the river.

Salzburg is also very magical, much like a fairy tale, but isn't as big as Prague so you can see many of the sites pretty quickly. The baroque architecture makes it feel very regal. You have to get their famous confection: the Mozartkugel (Mozart Ball) from the originator: Fürst (which doesn't ship to the US otherwise I would order). The reason their version is better is because it's fresh and doesn't use the crap the others use to allow them to be shipped farther.

If you have a car, I recommend hopping just across the border into Germany and visiting the most gorgeous part of Bavaria: the spectacular lake Königssee (it's an easily-accessible, idyllic Alpine lake that matches the best lakes around Banff in the Canadian Rockies). The nearby Berchtesgaden is famous for its beauty...this is actually where Hitler built the Eagle's Nest and the Third Reich had their mountain retreats--hey, it's hard to deny this is picturesque. Here's a picture of the lake.

Munich is a fun city, and the historic center is easy to do. The beer gardens are legendary, of course--but don't skip out on some of the churches. If you're into cars, you really should visit BMW's headquarters. The semi-recent BMW Welt (BMW World) is an awesome building to see the latest in BMW's stuff and admire some cutting-edge architecture. Here's a sample photo.

Also in Bavaria: Neuschwanstein Castle is the famed "fairy tale castle" (picture) and might be of interest.

I am not as familiar with Northern Italy (my parents really love Venice).

16 days is a packed trip, but you can do it if you're willing to keep rolling.

 

[dspoonrt]

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I will definitely check out the Lonely Planet guide for the region.

We're very excited to have a Mozart Ball while we're in Salzburg. We'll remember to get them from Fürst. We won't have access to a car while we're there, but we may try to hop a bus over to Königssee from Salzburg. The online pictures are absolutely breathtaking.

16 days is a little cramped, but we've planned it out, booked the hotels/some buses and trains, and think we've allotted just enough time for each locale. We'll have at least two days in each major city (four days in Munich).

 

[Takumaji]

It's Bockbier time over here in the South of Germany so make sure to give it a try. "Bock" is the name of a special sort of strong beers that come in dark (with roasted hops) and light (Maibock) varieties. Very tasty, spicy and full-bodied.

 

[dspoonrt]

It's Bockbier time over here in the South of Germany so make sure to give it a try. "Bock" is the name of a special sort of strong beers that come in dark (with roasted hops) and light (Maibock) varieties. Very tasty, spicy and full-bodied.

Excellent. I knew that Maibock beer was coming out this time of year but didn't know that darker bocks were still in season.

I'm a big fan of bocks, although I'm ashamed to say I've only had a handful of German varieties. Most of the bocks available in the States come from local microbreweries.

Are there any must-try beers (Bockbier or otherwise) that I should try to get my hands on while I'm in Munich and the surrounding areas?

 

[Takumaji]

Are there any must-try beers (Bockbier or otherwise) that I should try to get my hands on while I'm in Munich and the surrounding areas?

Some of my fave Bavarian/Frankonian beers:

Wolfshöher Hell
Hopf Miesbach (Weizen)
Krug Bräu (Dunkler Bock, Dunkles Lagerbier)
Falterbräu Hell and Zwickl (unfiltered natural beer)
Josefi-Bock (a type of Bock brewed by many different breweries, great stuff)
Hummelbräu Kellerbier
Tucher Weizen
Greifenklau Hell or Kellerbier
Weißenoher

Some of them may be hard to find outside of Northern Bavaria (Frankonia) where I live but it's worth a try.

Cheers!

 

[aria]

We'll remember to get them from Fürst.

They're very easy to find in their blue wrappers and have a prominent location so you won't miss it.

 

[lithy]

I don't think I could live with myself if I made it to the Czech Republic and didn't visit Plzen to get some Pilsner Urquell unfiltered from the barrel at the brewery.

 

[dspoonrt]

I don't think I could live with myself if I made it to the Czech Republic and didn't visit Plzen to get some Pilsner Urquell unfiltered from the barrel at the brewery.

I was just looking forward to drinking Pilsner Urquell while in Prague, but I keep hearing about how great unfiltered/unpasteurized Pilsner Urquell is. I'm going to try my best to catch a train out to Plzen to tour the brewery while I'm in the area.