A Europe Less Traveled
by Chris Boston

As a child growing up in a small town in the pre-Internet (and pre-cable television!) days, I would spend those boring rainy days in my room reading through a twenty-year collection of National Geographics. The places and people portrayed in between the covers of the Geographic were exciting and like many young person before and after, I dreamt of the day I could leave home to visit them for myself.

My chance to visit came via a career in the United States Army. In 1980, I started the first of two overseas tours that would allow me to live and work in Europe for twelve years. Like myriad GI’s since the 1940’s, I started my European adventure traveling by train or tour bus to many of the usual haunts for tourists in Europe. They are great places and are definitely worth a visit if you make it to Europe. However, the major tourist centers often have an overt tourist atmosphere that glosses over a little of the local flavor that you are looking for in a visit to a foreign country. They aren’t Disneyland by any means, but neither are they the unvarnished Europe that is sought by some.

My opportunity to visit the less traveled Europe came when I got my first car. I bought the first of a series of Michelin Guide’s and put it in the glove compartment to use on the almost every weekend trip to “somewhere”. The destination was always flexible as it was common to start out with one destination in mind but never arrive because you stumbled upon somewhere else on the way. The following five stops, both big and small, are just a flavor of what is available if you get out of the major tourist centers and onto the byways of Europe.

• Kufstein, Austria is a small city (pop. 13,500) in the Tyrolean Alps near the border of Austria and Germany. The beautifully green Inn River runs through the city and Fortress Geroldseck stands guard over the city and the surrounding valley. Directly beneath the fortress, the old city is fairly extensive with steep cobble stoned streets and architecture from the Middle Ages. For the dedicated shopper, the old city has the Römerhofgasse shopping district, which provides enough food and shopping to keep anyone busy for a day or two. A large open-air organ is housed in the keep tower of the Geroldseck and it plays periodically throughout the day. The deep music echoes through the town and is a charming accompaniment to your visit. A unique feature of the castle is the covered approach to the fortress. The road up the fortress is a rock tunnel with periodic strongholds for the defenders to use in repelling attackers.



For those with more physically demanding recreational interests (not that shopping with your significant other can’t be physically demanding!), Kufstein is surrounded by a variety of year round recreational opportunities. For my fellow ski bums, one of Austria’s largest interconnected ski areas, The Gross Raum, is about 15 minutes by car. I have skied there probably a total of 15 days or so and never managed to ski it all. White water rafting on the Inn and mountain climbing/hiking are just a few of the warm weather options. There is no better way to travel the mountains than hiking from mountain hut to mountain hut. The huts will be powered until after dinner when they will turn off the generator and you will have to spend the rest of the evening by candlelight. The atmosphere is conducive to good cheer and camaraderie. The stranger next to you will be a friend in short order. Of course, the shower in the morning in snowmelt run-off will be bracing preparation for the days hike!

• Strasbourg, in the Alsace region of France on the border between France and Germany, is one of the gateways to Germany’s Black Forest region. As the seat of the Council of Europe, the city (pop. 275,000) is often called the capital of modern Europe. The atmosphere of Strasbourg is derived from its role as the victor’s prize for the periodic wars that erupted between France and Germany throughout the past several centuries. The old city’s extensive historical architecture is reminiscent of Germany’s half-timbered construction but the language on the street is French. The Ill River runs through the city and it, along with its attached canals, provides the city a miniature canal area reminiscent of Amsterdam. Several glass domed tour boats (familiar anyone who has visited Paris or Amsterdam) provide tours of the canals and are a relaxing way to see a good part of the old city. The old city market is crowded with shoppers and street players almost every day during the warmer months and they provide a changing kaleidoscope of entertainment for the repeat visitor. A visit to the sandstone Strasbourg Cathedral is a must do because of the breathtaking views of the city and the mountains of the Black Forest that are available from the platform on its spire.



The views are not available for the faint of heart as they can only be accessed after an approximately twenty-minute walk up some very narrow and often dark stairs. The stairs are one-way for most of their length; with side cuts allowing for two-way traffic and the passageway is sometimes confining and poorly lit. However, the view at the top and a chance to read the old graffiti etched into the sandstone walls of the spire are well worth the effort of the walk. Side trips to the German city of the Baden-Baden and the low mountains of the Black Forest region provide an opportunity to see one of the most beautiful regions of Germany. Beware; don’t visit a tourist shop in the Black Forest if you are on a diet. The aromas of the Black Forest hams that hang from the rafters and the Black Forest chocolate cakes in the restaurants are almost impossible to resist!

• The Romantic Road, between Wurzburg in Germany’s upper Bavaria and Fussen in lower Bavaria, is loaded with great places. They vary from well-traveled tourist sites such as Rothenburg o.d. Tauber (Germany’s best preserved medieval city) and Neuschwanstein (mad King Ludwig’s fairy tale castle in the Alps) to lesser-travelled but just as interesting places such as Bad Mergentheim, Dinkelsbuehl and Neresheim Abbey. Neresheim Abbey is an active Benedictine monastery that was designed by Balthasar Neumann, who also designed Wurzburg’s more famous Residence. I stumbled on it by accident when I was forced to travel the back roads during a periodic shut down of one of Germany’s autobahns. From the outside it is a simple but impressive fortified church sitting on a hill. Once inside, however, the true beauty of the church is exposed. Ornate marble, gold leaf and painted frescoes adorn the altar and ceiling of the main chapel. Since the abbey is a working monastery, the resident monks pray throughout the day and their chants (yes, just like on the Enigma album!) echo throughout the abbey grounds. The fortified palace in Bad Mergentheim, was a residence for the powerful Teutonic Knights who once ruled large parts of Scandinavia and it currently houses a museum dedicated to a history of the order. For those not inclined to visit museums, the architecture of the castle and the town are worth a visit on their own merits. Outside of Bad Mergentheim is Schloss Weikersheim, a palace noted for its beautiful architecture, extensive gardens and the true to life plaster game trophies adorning its ornate Rittersaal (Knight’s Hall). Rent a car, take a week and you might be able to see most of it.

• Heidelberg, Germany is, as almost everyone knows, one of Germany’s oldest and most beautiful cities. Its extensive historic walking district is absolutely loaded with enough shops and pubs to satisfy any visitor’s desires. It is by no means an out of the way or less traveled tourist site receiving tens of thousands of visitors a year. However, the tourists rarely, if ever, visit many of the ancillary sites available within a short drive of Heidelberg. The Neckartal lies on Germany’s Burgstrasse (castle road) and runs along the picturesque Neckar River between Heidelberg and Heilbronn, It is loaded with castles, and vineyards as it is one of Germany’s major wine growing regions. Within an easy days drive you can see at least a dozen castles and visit just as many vineyards. There is a parallel bike route for the more athletically inclined Wildlife lovers will want to stop at Guttenberg castle to visit the raptor refuge.



There are hourly shows of where the handlers demonstrate the birds in flight. The river port town of Neckargemund is homeport to several tour boats that provide tours along the Neckar River. Weinheim, is north of Heidelberg and is notable for its palace and the modern castle built by the German engineering fraternities in honor of their war dead from World War One. The palace sits beside a small market with several gasthouses and shops. The palace park is always crowded on the weekend with families who picnic on the spacious lawns. Couples take advantage of the parks many nooks and crannies to spend some romantic time together. The fraternity castle has a restaurant and beer garden on the terrace, which provides breathtaking views of the Rhine River Valley. At night, the castle’s intimate restaurant and the view of the valley make a great location for a romantic dinner. The wine connoisseur will be delighted as the Rhine and Neckar regions of the Weinstrasse meet in Heidelberg. You can sample some of the best wines in the world with just a short drive.

• Luxembourg City is the capital of one of the smallest countries of Europe. In it’s own right I always considered it one of the best-kept secrets of Europe. Its old city has the architecture and shopping and dining found in the major cities of Europe. It is a citadel city and the city ramparts to a great extent are still in existence and are a fine historical example of large city fortifications. If you visit with a significant other, a walk along the ramparts provides a great view of the Alizatte River valley and is very romantic at the right time of the day. For the military history buff, Luxembourg lies in one of the most fought over regions of Europe and major battles of both world wars were fought all around and in the country. Luxembourg City is home to one of the many American Military Cemeteries in Europe and is the final resting place of General Patton who lies among the soldiers he led in battle. The two-year battle of Verdun in World War 1 was fought just over the border in France and is an easy day trip from the city. Hundreds of thousands of French and German soldiers fought, and died, in horrific battles that devastated the countryside around Verdun reducing it to a bare moonlike landscape. The battlefield lies outside of Verdun and contains several fortresses, a museum and many open famous sites from the battle. After a rain, it is still possible to find shrapnel from the millions of shells fired during the battle lying around on the ground. The Douaumont Ossuaire is a particularly somber monument to the battle as it is the final resting place for the bones of 130,000 unknown French and German soldiers that died in the battle. The bones lie in orderly piles beneath the ossuary and in the hall above are memorials to the units that fought in the battle. The site is one of France’s most sacred plots of land and everyone is expected to dress and act appropriately. Loud talk or inappropriate dress will result in a request to leave. The town of Verdun contains a major underground fortress that is open to the public.

The residents of these communities are always glad to show off their town and when you rub elbows with someone in a restaurant is more likely to be a local than it is to be another tourist as is common in the major tourist towns. Don’t get me wrong; you can meet some great people among your fellow tourists. However, if you want the true character of a place you have to meet with the local people. The best way to do that is to do as the as the travel show says and “get off the bus”.

Chris Boston is a contributing writer to The NetWork publication.

Born and raised in a small town in central Illinois and retired from the United States Army in 1995. He holds an MBA and is currently working on his dissertation for a Doctor of Technology in Business Administration. Chris is actively involved in politics and community service, and is an avid devotee of alpine skiing and almost any other outdoor recreational activity. He is married to Tami, who just finished her MPA, and they have three children. Their oldest daughter is waiting for word on her grad school apps (sound familiar!). The younger daughter is serving in the United States Air Force and their youngest, a son, is still at home keeping his parents busy.

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