I am ethnically half-German, so my parents have taken me to Germany before to see the town of my ancestors/remaining family. In light of Germany fabulously winning the World Cup, I thought I would write a spirited Plan my Trip to Germany. Go Deutschland!
Day One: Fly to COLOGNE, GERMANY

· Fly in at Cologne Bonn Germany Airport
· Take a nap to account for jetlag.
· Take a relaxing stroll at the Schlosspark Stammheim (Castle Park Master Home).

Day Two: COLOGNE

· Tour the Romano-Germanic Museum; it includes ancient mosaics, utensils, perfume bottles, and more!
· Walk across the Hohenzollern Bridge. It crosses the beautiful Rhine river!
· “River” in German is “fluss.”
· Take a Cologne Rhine River dinner cruise. Tickets can be bought for $90.00 on Viator.


Day Three: COLOGNE

· Explore the Cologne Cathedral (Dom). Construction started in 1248 but didn't finish until 1880!
· See the amazing Roman ruins at the Praetorium. It is similar to the City History Museum in Barcelona.
· “Roman” in German is “Römer”
· Take a stroll around the Melaten-Friedhof Cemetery.
· If you have spare time, view the Gross St.Martin, a stunning Romanesque church.

Day Four: Drive from COLOGNE to BONN (30 minutes)

· Go to the Beethoven House, birthplace of the famous Romantic musical composer.
· Walk around the Poppelsdorf Palace (how fun is that to say!?)
· Take a gander around the Zoologisches Museum Konig, a museum that has realistic animal renditions.
· “Zoo” in German is “Tierpark.”

Day Five: Drive from BONN to NEUSTADT AN DER WEINSTRASSE (2 hours and 25 minutes)

· Neustadt an der weinstrasse means “New City on the Wine Street.”
· This is the city of my grandfather’s family (part of the Rhineland-Palatinate); we had wine vineyards there. 
· The pictures of Hambacher Schloss (a castle) look breathtaking; I’m sure it’s even more beautiful in real life.
· This region is famous for its tasty wine, so be sure to tour the Wine Street of Palatinate

· Day trip to Speyer Cathedral! The town of Speyer is only about 25 minutes away from the hub of Neustadt an der weinstrasse. This Romanesque structure includes an impressive Westwork.
· “Cathedral” in German is “Dom.”
· From Speyer, go to back to Neustadt an der weinstrasse and sample some local wines at Haus des Weines (House of Wine).
· View the last remaining medieval fortification in the city, the Storchenturm.
· Many quirky statues and fountains can also be found throughout the town.

Day Seven: NEUSTADT AN DER WEINSTRASSE to BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG (3 hours)

· This beautiful city in Southwest Deutschland houses the Black Forest. Take a tour of the musty woods here.
· While you are there, be sure to shop at the small markets/authentic German shops that dot the shoreline and adjacent square.
· On a side note, the best meal I have ever consumed was right here in the Black Forest region. Even though I was only seven, I clearly remember eating steak, cauliflower, French fries, pork, beans wrapped in bacon, carrots, rolls, and spaetzle.

Doll from Black Forest

Day Eight: BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG to MITTENWALD (4 hours)

· Be sure to wake up early so you can spend most of the day in Mittenwald, a genuine German town that only houses 7,570 people.
· Walk around the Altstadt (Old Town) and drink in the views of white-topped mountains above you and medieval-looking buildings with dark wooden accents in front of you.
· Visit Ferchensee Lake.
· “Rustic” in German is “ländlich.”


Day Nine: MITTENWALD

· Take a cable car up this Southern Bavarian town’s surroundings mountains (the Karwendelbahn). Enjoy the views.
· After your jaunt in the fresh air, explore the Geigenbaumuseum, a museum dedicated to violins and fiddles.
· View the Alps from Lautersee (a lake); also, walk around the Old Town if you have time.
· When I visited this city, there was a native festival going on. Men were wearing traditional Lederhosens and women were wearing Dirndls!

Day Ten: MITTENWALD to MUNICH (1 hours and 30 minutes)

· Munich is the largest city in Bavaria.
· Visit the Pinakothek Museum (it includes works by Albrecht Durer, a Renaissance Mastermind!)
· Walk around the Marienplatz, the main square in Munich.
· Marvel at the female Bavaria-Statue—the Greek/Roman architecture surrounding it is interesting as well.

Day Twelve: MUNICH

· Go to the Glyptothek, a museum with Greek and Roman statues.
· Challenge yourself and your comrades with HintQuest, an interesting way to spend a few hours in Munich. It is essentially a game/puzzle that must be solved by your companions in a set space of time…sounds different!
· See a stunning performance in Bayerische Staatsoper Opera House.
· If you have time, end the night with a stroll in the English Garden.
Day Thirteen: MUNICH to DRESDEN (4 hours)

· Visit the Zwinger, a palatial looking museum with Baroque gardens similar to those as Versailles (although on a smaller scale!)
· Marvel at the Procession of Princes wall.
· Walk by the Frauenkirche, a Church that was damaged during the bombings of Dresden in WWII.

Day Fourteen: DRESDEN

· Go to the Gemaldegalerie Alte Meister Museum; It has paintings by Raphael, Ruben, and Titian there!
· “Master” is “Meister” in German.
· Walk the Canaletto Blick, a walkway next to the Elbe River. It is named after Caneletto, a famous 18th century painter that usually depicted Venice and the Doge’s Palace.
· Amble down Prague Street and do some shopping!