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2006 -
East to the Bayerwald
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Germany - East to the
Bayerwald
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As the weather showed no signs of improving
we decided to drive further east following the Neckar river. Since it was
a bank holiday the roads were empty and shops were shut. After bypassing
Mosbach we headed along minor roads to Bad Mergentheim where we stopped
for lunch in the empty coach park, then a stroll around the Kirpark passing the spa buildings to
the impressive schloss and main town square where where most people around
were of the older generation - obviously there to take the spa waters
There was a very large old Apotheke (pharmacy) in the town square.
From there we picked up the well signposted Romantische Strasse passing
through the walled town of Rottingen and arriving at Rothenburg ob der
Tauber, another tourist favourite. As it continued to pour with rain we
headed for the stellplatz in Parking area P3 and paid our 6€ to stay
overnight with several other motorhomes.
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Bad Mergentheim town square
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The next morning we walked about half a mile
to the old walled town and joined the tourist throng with many
Japanese on coach tours. Quite an interesting place but too many
gift shops, wine cellars, Christmas shops and places to buy
schneeball a local sugared pastry delicacy. Before leaving we looked for a garage listed as selling
LPG to top up our Gaslow tank and eventually located it - this time the
sat nav co-operated - to
find it down a back road We only managed to put in 9 litres costing 6€ to
the surprise of the garage attendant so we had used half a tank since
setting off eight days ago. We picked up the Romantische Strasse once
again which was busier today until we reached Dinkelsbühl. After a lunch
stop we studied the map and decided to head for the Altmühl valley. After
a frustrating drive in heavy rain, the satnav taking us on a minor road
that became a forest track and not helped by all the towns seemingly having similar names, we
arrived at Pappenheim and followed the pleasant Altmühl river
with rocky cliffs, canoeists and cycle tracks until we reached Eichstätt where
we found the stellplatz behind the large parking area beside the river. It
was an easy 15 minute walk into the town centre which had rather austere
white stone buildings and a large Catholic university. In the evening we
were greeted by a man with an ingenious tray like a cinema usherette
complete with built in umbrella who collected the overnight fee of 6€.
They are obviously used to rain around these parts!
Eichstatt fee collector
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Bad Mergentheim Apotheke
Rothenburg ob d Tauber
Christmas Bus in Rothenburg - in May
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At last the sun came out the next morning so
after missing the turning to the commercial centre that we could see
in the valley we stopped at a very small supermarket in the next village of
Kipfenberg to get some food only to discover that in the next town Beilngries
there were much larger ALDI, Netto and LIDL supermarkets - isn't that
always the way?! Continuing along the
river valley which was busy with more canoeists and cyclists we stopped at
Essing to walk over the world's largest(?) wooden footbridge which crossed the
river and canal, then on to Kelheim an industrial town on the Donau (Danube) a
wide fast flowing river especially with all the recent rain! Avoiding Regensburg as the roads were getting busier we cut across country
hoping to stop by the river for lunch but it was hidden behind high flood
banks, until we arrived at Straubing where there was a huge free car park.
We walked from there into the town which turned out to be more interesting
than we had expected with old towers, a main shopping street with old and
new buildings and water sculptures. After a stroll around the everyday
shopping centre, a change from the the gift shoppe places we had stopped at
recently, we headed up into the mist shrouded hills of the Bayerwald
apparently the largest forested area in western Europe arriving at Viechtach
where several stellplatz were listed in the guide book. Motorhome parking
was allowed in most of the parking places P1 to P6 and we found a level
place near the town hall. The parking place by the Bahnhoff where a
tourist train terminates had a service point but also skateboard
ramps!
Straubing water feature
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Essing wooden footridge
Straubing town centre
Viechtach decorated maypole
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After a peaceful night with two other
motorhomes (once we had moved across the carpark from the noisy fountain
feature at the adjacent Städthalle) we awoke the next morning to find that it had
become a shallow lake! With no prospects of improving weather we decided
to re-plan our route and head for Mondsee in the Austrian lake district
which hopefully isn't as wet as ours! After
negotiating a scary junction near Passau where we had to join the busy autobahn in the
middle of some roadworks with no slip road we crossed into Austria at
Simbach/Braunau and headed for the lakes.
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