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  Germany 2006 - east to the Bayerwald

 

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Germany - East to the Bayerwald


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.


Bad Mergentheim town square
Bad Mergentheim town square

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
              Eichstatt fee collector

Bad Mergentheim Apotheke
Bad Mergentheim Apotheke

Rothenburg ob d Tauber
Rothenburg ob d Tauber

Christmas Bus in Rothenburg
Christmas Bus in Rothenburg - in May


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
              Straubing water feature


Essing wooden footridge
Essing wooden footridge

Straubing town centre
Straubing town centre

Viechtach decorated maypole
Viechtach decorated maypole

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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