I lived in a village in the Swiss Alps for two years when I was a little girl and I remember the delicious crunch of the new fallen snow under my shoes on a cold, still Christmas Eve when I was allowed to attend midnight Mass in the village church. The bells rang sharp and clear in the frosty air, the stars twinkled in the dark sky and I knew I would soon see my Christmas presents. All was well with my wee world.

All that, as well as the larger world around me, is much changed. But a night in December, on a snowcovered mountain high above Zurich, its lights aglow in the valley below, brings back the memory of that Christmas Eve.

The Christmas markets, special treats of the season in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, evoke the Christmas in a child’s imagination. A grownup’s, too. A funicular ride to the top of another part of the Alps above Innsbruck in Austria and a romantic Christmas market on the tiny Isle of Women (Fraueninsel) in the Chiemsee in Bavaria spell an Alpine Christmas as it ought to be.

“Every Southerner knows the past is not dead,” the novelist William Faulkner famously said, “it’s not even past.” Not just for Faulkner’s kinsmen, but for all of us at Christmas. The Christmas season in the German speaking world begins with the Christmas markets, usually held from the beginning of Advent in late November to Dec. 23 or even into Christmas Eve, an ancient tradition that originated in Germany, with credit going to Dresden as the oldest market dating from 1434. In fact, an earlier market took place in Bautzen, Saxony, in 1384 and an even earlier December market is recorded in Vienna in 1294. Today, there are Christmas markets all over Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as in the United States where the largest is in Chicago.

Germany’s large cities, such as Dresden, Nuremberg, Leipzig, Frankfurt and Munich all have numerous markets, large and small. In Munich, Marienplatz, the city’s central square, is a busy warren of stalls. Crowds of marketgoers jostle one another for a look at a crystal ornament, a piece of jewelry, or a hot sausage to go with the cup of gluehwein.

Nearby is the medieval market, less noisy and redolent with the fragrance of flammbrot in the oven, a pizza like bread topped with meats or cheeses and baked in a wood burning oven. Everything is hand-made; shopkeepers and demonstrators dress in medieval costumes, lending stalls a Gothic air.

A smaller market specializes in nativity figures and scenes. One of the newer markets is located in the courtyard of the splendid Royal Residence. The most innovative of Munich’s market is Tollwood, on the huge field where the annual Oktoberfest in held. Tollwood was organized in 1991 and combines traditional booths with a wealth of international ones, some outdoors and dozens of others in tents, lighted from outside in bright colors. Huge sculptures adorn the grounds. Tollwood is a site for theatrical performances and in the bar-café tent, Munich’s music scene plays along with beer and sausages.

In Zurich, Switzerland’s largest city, the chief market is in the railroad station. An enormous fairy-tale Christmas tree, adorned with thousands of sparkling Swarovski crystal ornaments, presides over the market, the largest indoor market in Europe. Truly a wonder to behold.

Smaller markets are scattered throughout the city. On one of the downtown squares, just off Zurich’s famous Bahnhofstrasse shopping street, a “singing Christmas tree” entertains passersby in the late afternoon. The members of a Zurich gospel choir sing American gospel songs, swaying to the music in tiers in front of a large tree.

In Innsbruck, Austria, the Christmas market has taken over the Old Town. Stalls are set up beneath the vaulted stone arcades, leading to stalls in the narrow streets and alleys. Enormous replicas of fairy-tale figures adorn many of the second and third floors of the Old Town houses. The children are especially delighted.

Innsbruck, the capital of the state of Tirol, was once a powerful independent state, and in the 15th century the seat of the Holy Roman Empire. Tirol was divided at the end of World War I when the southern part was ceded to Italy, and on a three-day weekend Innsbruck is overrun with Italians up to shop at the Christmas market and to enjoy the Austrian hospitality. Tiroleans are open and friendly to visitors.

Skiers get out early on the northern and southern slopes surrounding the city, the site of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. Snow bunnies can ride up thousands of feet on the Hungerburg funicular and the ascent of the cable car that would leave James Bond breathless. At the top, there’s a splendid view of the city and a comfortable café-restaurant from whence to watch the skiers glide down the mountainside.

Visitors don’t have to climb to the top of the mountain to visit the spectacular Bergisel ski jumping stadium on the outskirts of the city. Designed by Iraqi born Zaha Hadid in 2002, the ski jump is used in January for a skiing event; in the summer, athletes train on a special plastic covering.

But perhaps the real charm of Christmas markets lies in the small towns and villages of Bavaria and Tirol. In Berchtesgaden, a historic old market town that has long been a winter and summer resort, the past is both dead and alive. Berchtesgaden was a favorite of Hitler’s. The houses occupied by Hitler and his Nazi henchmen were all destroyed at the end of World War II, with the exception of a hotel used by the Nazis. Tourists can visit Hitler’s bunkers beneath the hotel, and nearby is a small museum reflecting Hitler’s stay. The grim, gray Eagle’s Nest remains a curiosity, but more for its precarious perch on the mountaintop than for its association with the Nazis. The 20th century significance of the town is not mentioned in brochures or by tourist organizations. The locals want this past to stay dead.

Faulkner’s words come alive, however, in the curious ancient Christmas tradition on the feast day of St. Nicholas. As a rule, children leave their shoes outside their bedroom doors on the night of December 5th in anticipation of goodies left by St. Nick. In Berchtesgaden, however, it’s the white-bearded Bishop Nicholas who roams through the village accompanied by a crew of fearsome buttnmandl and krampus, the former covered from head to tow in straw, the latter in fur with both groups wearing hideous masks with a long red tongue that frighten more than the village children. Attached to their backs are enormous cow bells weighing up to 45 pounds that clank in cacophony as they run through the village streets with long switches in hand. Anyone in the path of these young men is subject to a blow on the legs — not a gentle one – and having black coal smeared on his or her face. Sometimes a girl is cornered and pushed to the ground; a child screams under the force of a blow to his legs. This is a violent reminder of a barbaric past, despite the concept that the original purpose was to drive out evil spirits, so beware.

Berchtesgaden still honors the coming of the Christ child by ringing bells and Christmas shooting, a custom dating back to the 17th century. Guns are fired every afternoon at 3 during the week before Christmas, to the accompaniment of church bells.

Not far from Berchtesgaden is Bad Reichenhall, a small spa town made rich by its saline springs. In the early 20th century, King Ludwig I of Bavaria built saltworks and a spa house in pseudo medieval style. The special Christmas market in Bad Reichenhall, where the Reber bakery and restaurant claim to make the original Mozartkugel (chocolate marzipan balls) sold everywhere in Salzburg, is an indoor craft market held in the graceful town hall in the second weekend of Advent.

As silent as Berchtesgarden is noisy, the lovely Fraueninsel (Isle of Women) Christmas market entices visitors from neighboring towns. The island on the Chiemsee is populated by a beautiful old Benedictine convent (now used as a school), a few hotels and restaurants, a handful of charming cottages and, at Christmas time, a Christmas market sprawling over the entire little island. Lit by candles and torches, the market is a magical place, especially when snow falls. In the cemetery adjacent to the convent, candles flicker in red glass containers beside each grave. This custom is honored as well in the Berchtesgaden cemetery.

Candles, nativity scenes, special pastries, wooden Christmas tree ornaments and Christmas trees galore are part of the Bavarian, Tirolean and Swiss traditions. In these regions, children are traditionally not allowed to see their tree before sunset on Christmas Eve, but the decorations and lights everywhere, and the festive atmosphere of the Christmas markets create excitement and anticipation that goes well beyond anything commercial. Christmas is still taken seriously here, and when the bells ring out with the message of the Christ child on Christmas Eve, everyone knows something special is about to happen.

When You Go:

United Airlines flies nonstop from the U.S. to Munich and Zurich. Swiss flies from New York nonstop to Zurich. Lufthansa flies from the U.S. to Munich.

Train connections between Munich, Innsbruck and Zurich are frequent and convenient. Tickets can be purchased in the U.S. from RailEurope at www.raileurope.com.

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James Boitano – T-Boy Writer:

Iceland’s Keflavik Airport handles most international flights and is the convenient gateway for Icelandair’s connection from North America to a many European destinations. Transfers are the quickest and easiest than I have found in any other European airport. Even if your flight is less than an hour from landing and you have to pass through Schengen, it’s enough time. And if you have to spend any time here, it’s such a pleasant and user-friendly airport with every amenity. The airport is about an hour from Reykjavik and the bus ride over the lava fields to the city is a magical introduction to this land of fire and ice.

In contract, Iceland’s domestic flights are handled by their tiny city airport, Reykjavik Airport It’s more like a glorified bus terminal with a minimal of fuss and amenities. I don’t know if this is still the case, but when I took a domestic flight in 2013 there wasn’t even any airport security. It doesn’t get more low maintenance than that.

I have transferred to Munich Airport twice, and it was second only to Keflavik in easy of customs and transfer procedures. Both times they seem to have arranged that my outbound flight was at the same gate as my arrival. If you have ever spent an hour trying to get between terminals at Heathrow, you will appreciate that convenience. I also remember their lovely free coffee and newspaper stations and pleasant waiting areas.

Kevin Revolinski – T-Boy Writer:

That’s easy, Seoul Incheon International Airport, South Korea

Richard Carroll – T-Boy Writer:

It was a memorable experience flying to Cabo San Lucas in the late 1960’s before it was tagged Los Cabos. The airport or landing strip was located in San Jose del Cabo, and it never seemed to be fully paved and always felt like we were landing uphill in a cloud of whirling dust. It was like flying into another world. The terminal was basic with no A/C and I could always smell the sweet bouquet of tequila, which was probably from a small booth in the terminal hosted by an attractive senorita offering shots to anyone strolling by. A few Taxis that would give you the ride of your life were lined up outside the terminal for the 20-mile drive from the working town of San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas, which was along a gorgeous coastline with few hotels, a wide expanse of ocean, sandy beaches, coves washed by a strong surf, and a scattering of fishermen casting their lines. Arriving in Cabo San Lucas the cabbie’s carefully dodge the dogs snoozing in the streets.

Yap’s International Airport consists of one runway, no tower, and if a plane fly’s es over it must be Wednesday. Yap Micronesia, 541 miles southeast of Guam in the Western Caroline Islands, was invaded and occupied by the Japanese during World War II until the official surrender in 1945. The single taxiway was built by the Japanese in early 1944, and was heavily bombarded by the U.S. Army Air Force and Navy. Landing on the runway among thick foliage and a sparkling ocean, I could see the wreckage of Japanese aircraft near the runway which vividly brought to mind the history of warfare in the Pacific. The terminal consists of a small A-Frame style building with bird life in the rafters and is nicely organized. English spoken.

Portland International Airport is a feel-good destination and my favorite large city airport. Disembarking, travelers are greeted by live music, and it could be a guitarist performing blues, jazz and classical charts, or an agile violinist with a smile, or Liz Wister an accordionist. Local musicians with great skill also light up a permanent upright splendidly tuned piano, the sound system perfected to relax harried travelers. A big cheer to the Portland International Airport Music Program where volunteer musicians perform an average of 65 weekly sessions providing some 200 hours of live music each week for travelers. Performers have a time limit with changing talent throughout the day and evening. Even the giant, 24-foot-tall Cuckoo Clock has a song to share. It’s an ideal airport for a dreaded layover, and if traveling with a dog there is a Pet Relief Area.

Landing in Hawaii my first impression is always the fragrant splendor of fresh flowers, and being greeted by the smell of freshly cut blooms, the scent drifting along the air currents and possibly created from the profusion of orchard leis’ that have found a home in the airport. For the airports of the world this is a special and unique greeting for sure.

Flying to Tsavo West National Park in southeastern Kenya in a steamy single engine puddle-jumper we circled the landing strip for a length of time that seemed like an eternity waiting for a large herd of elephants to move off the runway, all the while watching the fuel gauge slowly waver downward. When we finally touched down on a bumpy strip of land with the help of the remaining fumes, the terminal was a small hut with a man inside stretched out on a bench soundly asleep.

Jim Gordon – T-Boy Writer:

Airports for me begin and end with Palm Springs! I’ve never been to an airport where my stress level drops as soon as I walk through the open-air structure, small though it is!

Rodger Fallihee – T-Boy Writer:

I loved Hollywood Burbank Airport (now Bob Hope Airport) because of the stars that I saw there over the years. Robert Redford, Beau Bridges, Jon Voight, Lynda Carter, Jerry Lewis, Tom Poston, John Ritter and I’m sure more than I have forgotten. They also had the best parking at Carter VSP. They would wash the car or change the oil.

Ed Boitano – T-Boy Editor:

Shop till you drop is an alien term to me. To be more specific if there was no such thing as online shopping, I fear many birthdays and holidays would be celebrated gift-free. This all changed upon an early arrival at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport when waiting for an international flight back to the states. The statistics were in my favor for Schiphol is regularly voted the best airport for shopping, plus it’s run by the Dutch who have the characteristic of being orderly and forward thinking, already anticipating the needs of the traveler. Yes, that includes a shopping mile, a casino, spas, a library and even a branch of the Rijksmuseum all neatly laid out along Schiphol’s Holland Boulevard. My only dilemma was whether I should purchase Dutch gin, chocolates or gouda cheese for my Aunt Kate back in the states. I already knew tulip bulbs should only be purchased by the grower.

I had made it, complete with a backpack stuffed with unnecessary items. Zürich Airport was calm, and it was just what I needed after having taken the train there in the early morning. But I kept thinking I had forgotten something. Oh, yes; it was a trip to the bakery to bring a bag home of silserli (Swiss Pretzel Rolls). I rendezvoused with my photographer at the airport and explained my dilemma. Take it easy, she replied, pointing to Brezelkönig Bakery, just a few steps away from where we were standing. Painfully aware of uncivilized price gouging in captured U.S. airport settings, I replied, Yes, but won’t they cost a $1,000 U.S. or something? No, she smiled. The prices are regulated, they’re no more expensive than on the street. Yet, another reason why I love Switzerland and silserli.

I knew that Singapore Changi Airport would be clean and sparking, as all things are in Singapore. But I never expected an airline representative in pre-pandemic and post-9/11 Singapore to approach me while I wandered around the terminal in my usual daze. I was also aware that the rules are strict in this handsome island nation, and wondered if I committed an airport infraction. The employee’s words were simple: Can I help you? It appears that you may be lost. No, I replied. Just marveling at your airport. Well, please enjoy it, she said. We have free Internet over by the window.

Skip Kaltenheuser – T-Boy Writer

Hard to imagine that the last time I was in one of my top favorite cities, Hong Kong’s head honcho was still the amiable Governor Chris Patten, and I was soon to be scribbling columns from DC for a now long-gone Hong Kong magazine called Windows. Kai Tak was still the airport. When I first flew into it, a side trip after visiting a pal in Tokyo, during the landing it looked like the plane’s wings might snag lines of laundry hanging off the balconies of apartment buildings, or flatten TV antennas. There was a sudden hard turn that made me wonder if our final destination was Victoria Bay. It was a spectacular landing and prelude to a great city.

Preparing for a trip to Hong Kong with my wife, I learned she had an abhorrent fear of airplane crashes, not unlike William Shatner in the Twilight Zone episode, Terror at 20,000 Feet. So we got a prescription for an anti-anxiety medication which she topped off with drinks. Upon landing the passengers cheered and clapped and I smiled at her. I couldn’t tell if the expression she returned was one of stark terror or a promise of revenge. I looked down to see four ripples of blood dripping from my forearm from where my wife’s fingernails had been embedded. I remember thinking future plane travel for her might not be much in the cards. On a prior trip to Hong Kong, I came across a fortune teller who was a doppelgänger of Ho Chi Minh. He answered my query of a contemplated union by requesting a photo that would allow him to compare noses. As the mystic was closely tuned to Hong Kong, the foreboding on his face must surely have presaged the coming airplane fright, I figured.

How do I convey the thrill of landing at Kai Tak, with or without fingernail acupuncture in one’s arm? Here’s an article that gives a notion of an approach to the airport’s runway 13/31, known as the “Kai Tak Heart Attack.” Built on reclaimed land in Kowloon Bay, the airport was in a bowl, surrounded by mountains and water and plenty of apartment blocks and skyscrapers. Runway 13/31 extended out into Victoria Harbor, across from Hong Kong Island. Imagine the additional excitements at night, with all the distracting lights of Hong Kong, or in rough and/or rainy weather, and the occasional typhoon. Automated landings could not carry the day here. For pilots, it was revered as the best test of competence. Takeoffs weren’t the easiest liftoffs either. Remarkably, despite this airline gauntlet, runway 13/31 was the world’s busiest single runway, with an hourly log of 36 landings and take-offs. One every 100 seconds. No one tarried when there was a mishap. One of the times a plane overshot the runway into the drink, the airport blew off its tail so it could be quickly towed out of the way.

To master the unique requirements of landing on that runway, often while fighting powerful crosswinds that, like wind speed, were in constant flux, airline pilots trained extensively on special simulators before they took on the low-altitude, manual 47-degree visual right turn at 200 miles per hour, immediately kicked into gear by the sight of a large orange and white checkerboard painted on a hill, with only two nautical miles to go before hitting the runway.

For a better sense of the challenge to pilots, try this video explaining it by a pilot very experienced with the runway and checkerboard approach:

And here’s a fun look via simulators showing the added value of the buildings all about:

Some additional photos are hyperlink: here at the Daily Mail website.

Despite a dozen air disasters, by 1996 Kai Tak was handling thirty million passengers a year. The airport closed on July 6, 1998, but that landing remains indelible in many millions of minds, for the passengers, pilots and crew, as well as the plane watchers on apartment rooftops and balconies and in the streets. Landings there made Kai Tak one of my two favorite airports. It’s now a cruise liner terminal, but I doubt docking there is quite the same. I get emails updating me almost daily from pals in Hong Kong. Though they no longer have to land in Kai Tak, I wish them luck on all other fronts, now every bit as tricky.

EXTRA

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It is the Trabant, and I drove one. Or tried to.

What, you may well ask, is a Trabant? It’s the amalgamation of some sort of manufacturing process that produced a car for the citizens of East Germany in the years 1957 to 1990. And I drove one, or attempted to do it in Munich and Dresden, but NOT as an inhabitant of East Germany, but only when the lowly, “Tricky Trabant” became a tourist “Must-drive-one-magnet” after the Berlin Wall came down, and Germany became one country.

Auto buffs will tell you that it took the dubious title of “The Worst Car Ever Built.” There’s an old fairy tale about “Old Mother Hubbard” and when she went to the cupboard it was bare. The same might be said about the Trabant – one’s suspicion is that it left the place where it was assembled totally unfinished, because its interior is completely devoid of any decorations or design work. Yes, it IS  barren!

Along with a group of fellow American travel journalists on a press visit to (a now unified) Germany one of the first “things” we were shown in Dresden was a group of – as they are more commonly known – “Trabis.”

A reality that I found fascinating on this visit, was that whatever we were shown any sort of “tourist related temptation” (!) in what WAS East Germany, every single one was run, managed or owned by a West German! The Easterners had not got used to commercialism, or what was involved in making a profit.

I asked our West German tour guide to give me a briefing on some of the facts about the Trabant. He stunned me by noting that a 10 year wait was involved, because the  State was the only outlet that produced them, and – incredibly – there was no such thing as automobile showrooms. Once you actually got to order it, you were told there would be an additional wait of 13 years before it was delivered. A few moments later a colleague of our guide came over to me, and said “the nearer one lived to Berlin, would make the wait much shorter.” He never explained why. Weird!

I didn’t  have the courage to drive one in Dresden, so I was delighted to hear when we arrived in Munich, we’d get to drive a Trabant! There are many places and organizations where you can rent or drive a Trabi in Germany, and I highly recommend you go online and type in “Renting and driving a Trabant in Germany.”

Putting my courage in my back pocket I knew I absolutely had to drive a Trabant in Munich. However, as I gingerly eased and squeezed myself in, I noticed a huge lack of “Things.” Our entrepreneurial West German guide answered my query by saying, “The 1980s Trabi had (now get this!) no tachometer, no indicator for either headlights or turn signals, no fuel gauge, no rear seat belts, and no external fuel opening door.”

After hearing all this, I instantly realized I could not face the traffic in “Magical Munich,” and opted for the Trabant experience of just sitting in one, and looking at them, and finding out more about this strange and peculiar … car? Unit of machinery? Or even automotive joke?

Interestingly, many Americans after seeing and trying the Trabant, wanted to buy one which was – many years ago – another source of profits for West Germans to get involved in. However, locating an ever increasing LACK of original Trabis became a  huge challenge. During their lifetime (one can hardly say BUILT!) from 1957 to 1990, over 3.76 million were made. Or “Produced.” Contact John:

jd******@gm***.com

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From 1933 to 1945 it was a key airbase for the Luftwaffe, who used it as a training airfield for fighter and bomber crews. Its importance was highlighted on November 11^th, 1935, when Erhard Milch, the Secretary for Aviation in Hitler’s hierarchy, and fighter ace Ernst Udet, came to see it. Nearly 10 years later, on April 25^th, 1945 allied bombers demolished all the runways making them totally unusable.

Although it was used as a helicopter base by the US military after WW2, in 1981 it closed and the airfield and its surrounding buildings fell into disrepair. One of the most fascinating museums in Germany is the Deutches Museum, and in 1988 some of their far sighted officials saw the airfield’s historic value and decided to make it part of their famous aviation section. It opened in 1992, and it’s absolutely fascinating. When I visited they had over 60 aircraft on display, including helicopters, VTOL, jets, hang gliders, seaplanes, flight simulators, engines etc., and it’s an aviation aficionado’s heaven.

I’m intrigued by almost any WW2 aircraft, and there are four in THIS Museum that are spellbinding. A Fiesler Storch; a unique DC3; a VTOL aircraft; and a flying boat.  As a kid growing up in WW2 London, one of the Nazi bombers that bombed our City was the Heinkel 111 – and it transfixed me. It also terrified thousands of Brits during its many forays over the UK, especially those over London, and this Museum had one “under restoration.”  It’s the CASA 2, 111, and was built under license for the Spanish Air Force. However, after serving with them for a good number of years they discarded it in the early 1960s, and in 1968 it was what’s called “written off” as an active aircraft. But this airplane seems to have had an “inborn secret for survival” as she became a Star of sorts, because in 1968 she appeared in a British movie called “The Battle Of Britain,” as what she was – a WW2 Nazi bomber. Her life changed yet again in 1977 when the Deutches Museum purchased her. In 2000 it was decided to bring her it back to her full Spanish Air Force glory, and a massive restoration project began.

Any WW2 aficionado can tell you that any time the Germans needed any sort of battlefield overview of how things stood on the battlefield, they used a marvelous aircraft called the Fielser Storch. It was also used by many top Nazi officials and military brass – and is often seen in movies about WW2 – so it was enthralling to see a living copy of yet another classic airplane.

The Museum’s Dornier 31 was the world’s only VTOL fixed wing transport, and was built by the Germans for research and flight testing. Just 2 were built, after which the concept “died,” so it was another “Bonus Airplane Sight” to see one in this unique museum. When you first glimpse the Museum’s Dornier Do 24 T-3, you’re convinced it’s a classic Catalina flying boat – but no, it is not. Like the Catalina for the Allies, this German seaplane played a vital role in WW2 for the Nazis, who used it as a long range reconnaissance aircraft, troop transport and for air sea rescues. The Museum’s DC-3 is riveting, but for a reason you probably don’t even think about. The reality is that most folks instantly associate the DC-3 (or C-47 as the US military called it) with the Allies in WW2, so to see it in the colors of the modern German Luftwaffe came as a surprise and yes, a jolt to me.

For anyone with even the slightest interest in aviation, this is a MUST SEE museum. It’s easily accessible from nearby Munich by S-Bahn train service route S1 to the Freising Airport and Oberschiessheim station. Email them at

vi************@de**************.de

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Oktoberfest is celebrated around the world, but only in Germany can you return to the original source of the world’s largest Volkfest. You’ve travelled for the live music, traditional costumes, parades and sheer joy of festival revelers. But after the Oktoberfest festival running from September 16 – October 3, it is possible to trace the festival’s historical roots while exploring Munich, and a side-trip to majestic Berchtesgaden, where the festival is very much an important part of Bavarian culture and heritage.

When in Munich

• Celebrate Oktoberfest in style and get into your best traditional costume. The Bavarian wear is identified as “Tracht.” For women, the Bavarian dress is known as a dirndl and for a man you can outfit yourself in a pair of lederhosen. Our recommended shop in Munich, is the Angermaier, in business for over 60 years and specializing in traditional Bavarian costumes.
• After enjoying the German Oompah at Oktoberfest in your traditional costumes, visit the Bavarian National Museum to learn about art, history, theatre and more. The museum is divided into two main groups: the art historical collection and the folklore collection.
• Travel to the southern suburbs of Munich and find the must-see beer garden, the Waldwirtschaft (a.k.a WA-WI). Here you can find an outdoor space in the jazz beer garden and traditional food stalls to enjoy.

Where to stay

• Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski Munich, centrally located in the heart of Munich, is the ideal place to stay to make the most of the vibrant city during Oktoberfest. The hotel offers guests a range of luxury room and suite types. Guests can indulge in the luxury spa, a swimming pool as well as the breathtaking view over the rooftops of Munich.

• • Unwind at hotel’s Old-World lobby bar that offers calm, intimacy and elegance. The refuge sits outside the chic Maximilianstrasse, one of the city’s four royal avenues.  (source: www.boldmagainze.com)

Not to be missed

• There is a saying that sausages should not be allowed to hear the chime of the church bells. The infamous Weisswurst (literally white sausage) are prepared in the morning and eaten as a snack between breakfast and lunch, a.k.a “the morning sausage.”

Oktoberfest beer facts

• Bavaria’s purity requirements, a regulation since the 16^th century, decreed by Duke William IV. In 1516 deemed only water, hops and barley should be used in Bavarian beer.
• The six breweries are Paulaner, Spaten, Löwenbräu, Augustiner, Hofbräu and Hacker-Pschorr.
• The oldest Munich brewery is Augustiner, founded in 1328.
• The festival has served about 7.3 million litres of beer; that is enough to fill almost three Olympic-size pools.
• About 500-600 passports are routinely lost at the festival.

When in the Berchtesgaden

• Pack your lederhosens and leave the German Oompah behind for the Bavarian Alps. The spirit of Oktoberfest can be felt in all corners of Germany. This is the place to retreat from the crowds and experience alpine towns, stunning mountains and beautiful vistas.
• Enjoy lunch at the not-as-crowded Bier Hall, Hofbräuhaus Berchtesgaden. The Bier Hall was founded in 1645, by Fustpropst Ferdinand, Duke of Bavaria.
• The unmatched view from the Eagle’s nest, now a beer garden that was Hitler’s 50^th birthday present.

Where to stay

• Kempinski Hotel Berchtesgaden. A unique blend of five-star luxury, Bavarian style, warmth and recreational activities make the property one of the most special locations in the Bavarian locations in the Bavarian Alps. Here, 1000 m high in the mountains, guests can relax, unwind and enjoy being close to nature.

Not to be missed tips from Manuel Huber, Activity Concierge at the Kempinski Hotel Berchtesgaden

• Within a few minute’s drive, guests at Kempinski Hotel Berchtesgaden can reach the crystal-clear, emerald green Königssee lake surrounded by its fairy-tale mountain scenery.
• A hiking tour from Maria Gern to the Kneifelspitze.
• The festivities centred around the Markletplatz (market square) in Berchtesgaden during Oktoberfest.

How to See San Francisco Without Spending a Fortune

It’s important to visit San Francisco on a budget. As with most tourist meccas, San Francisco offers plenty of easy ways to pay big money for things that won’t really enhance your experience. Consider some budget travel planning tips.

“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco” is a quote attributed erroneously to Mark Twain.

Cliche? Yes.
Completely false? Not really. A common saying is that San Francisco has three seasons: winter, summer and fog. August days are frequently chilly and foggy. Even Independence Day fireworks are sometimes obscured in cloud cover. The incredible variety of terrain in this region makes for “micro climates” that can literally make major differences within a few miles of one another. Autumn is a nice time to visit, and winters are mild. No matter when you visit, pack a jacket or sweater. Many first-timers misjudge the climactic challenges — one of eight common mistakes made by San Francisco visitors.

Where to Eat:

San Francisco offers quite a few budget menus and moderately priced eateries to its visitors. Go to SFGate.com and check out their Top 100 restaurants. About 20 of those selections are budget-oriented eateries. General advice: Chinese food is very good here, and tends to be less expensive than other choices.

For a splurge, consider Pesce, a romantic restaurant at 2223 Market Street. Despite the fact that it is considered one of the city’s best restaurants, entrees are under $20 here.

Where to Stay:

This has long been a city that attracted younger visitors, and it has a network of hostels. Beds typically cost $25-$35/night and sometimes include breakfast.

If you seek a hotel room, there are also great budget properties where you can quickly find convenient connections to mass transit and area attractions.

Four-star hotel worth checking for specials: Argonaut Hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf frequently is too costly for a budget visit, but they bundle travel products and sometimes offer lower rates than you might expect for such a prime location.

Airbnb.com offers some accommodation in the city, but sometimes provides a wider variety of choices outside of San Francisco in places like Sausalito in Marin County to the north, or Berkeley, home of the University of California. Both of these places are also fine locations for some on-foot exploration if you need a break from the city.

Getting Around:

From the airport, connect with Air Train for connections into San Francisco or San Jose. Bay Area Rapid Transit (known as BART) covers the region. Tickets act like debit cards and fares are based on distance traveled. Unfortunately, that means BART does not sell all-day, unlimited travel passes as you find in other large cities. But they do offer some huge discounts. For example: persons with disabilities, Medicare cardholders and those 5 to 12 years or over 65 pay far less than the standard fares.

Look for the Red and Green Ticket options. Children under 4 ride free. You can plan your travel and budget for the cost with an online calculator. BART provides service to both San Francisco (SFO) and Oakland (OAK) airports.

Bay Area Attractions:

San Francisco Walking Tours provides free guides for exploring more than 70 areas. Although free, please tip your guide at the end of the tour and help support this non-profit organization. A City Pass allows admissions, cable car rides and bay cruises.

The former island prison known as Alcatraz is the single most popular attraction here. There is no admission fee (Alcatraz is operated by the National Park Service) but getting to the island involves buying a ferry ticket. The Union Square and Fisherman’s Wharf areas are also visitor favorites. Shop carefully for Alcatraz excursions: There are a variety of companies that offer this tour, and many will combine it with Muir Woods, Angel Island, or any number of other places at a variety of prices.

Beyond the Bay:

Muir Woods National Monument just north of the city features a stand of coastal redwood trees. Admission is free for those under 16 years of age, and modest for everyone else. Further north, the Napa and Sonoma valleys are renowned for their wine industries. To the south of the bay, Monterrey and Carmel offer scenic coastal views such as the 17-mile drive. Further afield, you can visit Yosemite National Park in less than a day’s drive, but it’s probably better to stop there on your way in or out of the Bay Area. Day trips from San Francisco can be rushed and expensive.

Unique San Francisco Experiences not to be Missed:

First visit? Don’t miss taking a cable car ride. Here’s an experience that’s vintage San Francisco and relatively inexpensive. Tickets can be purchased on board or at street kiosks. To avoid long waits in the summer, try the the California St. line, which runs east-west from Market and California to Van Ness Ave.

The best view of San Francisco could be at Twin Peaks: From 17th and Clayton Streets, go south on Clayton and then veer to the right at Twin Peaks Blvd. You can also pick up northbound Twin Peaks from Portola Drive. Follow it upward and you’ll get a sweeping view. It is often breezy and cool here, and summer fog can obscure the great view. But when it’s clear, it’s a free attraction!

Jazz and Japanese food: sound like an unlikely combination? Not at Yoshi’s on Oakland’s Jack London Square. Many single show tickets are less than $30. Some reviewers say this is the best jazz on the West Coast.

How about a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge? Only fog can spoil the magnificent views from the deck of this engineering masterpiece. Many people drive across the bridge without being able to savor the views. Board buses #28 or #29, either of which stops right at the bridge toll plaza.

More about walking: As with all great cities, San Francisco has some fascinating neighborhoods that are best explored on foot. Best months: May and October.

Discounts and Savings Opportunities:

If you’ll be spending several days here, consider the purchase of a GO San Francisco Card: This is a card you buy prior to your trip and then activate on first use. You can buy from one- to five-day cards (cost: $69-$155) good for free admission at dozens of local attractions. Design your itinerary before you consider a Go San Francisco purchase, to determine if the investment will save you money on admissions.

Two ways to buy discount theater tickets: Through TheatreBayArea.Org you can order discounted seats online for a variety of shows. You can also visit their Union Square office. Some shows are only available online while others are only available at Union Square. Some can be bought either place.

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