OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (Full Version)

All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> War In The Pacific - Struggle Against Japan 1941 - 1945



Message

Wolfpack_MatrixForum -> OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/27/2005 11:23:54 PM)

My wife and I are going to Europe in May for a belated honeymoon. We will have about 15 days on the continent and 7 days in the UK. Definitely going to the DDay beaches,Arnhem/Nijmegan and Dachau/Berchtesgarten. My wife only wants to see a few castles so I have lots of flexibility.

This will be our first time in Europe so I am looking for other ideas.

Thanks in advance... [&o]



mc3744 -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/27/2005 11:39:18 PM)

Europe is quite a big place [;)]
Are you going to UK and France only or do you have space for some other countries?

IMHO you should try to see:
Paris and Rome (a real must), Munich, Barcelona, Venice and Florence.
Each of them is unforgetable in his own way.

There are of course tons of other beautiful places to see, only to mention a few more: Amsterdam, Berlin, Edinburg and Wien.

If your interest is predominantly historic and on WWII, I'd suggest to vist one of the concentration camps (Lager). As much as you may have read about it, seeing it is different.
When you actually see and are inside a huge 'factory' designed to kill human beings ... there's no way to explain it with words.

Considering the season I'd probably go more south as the weather would be better.

Enjoy! [:)]



wild_Willie2 -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/27/2005 11:49:09 PM)

You should definitely go to Verdun in France , VERY impressive (the image of the thousands of unidentified bones thrown into a monument will be imprinted on your retinal forever)
Fort VOUGH is also a claustrophobic experience. Also a must will be Ieper in Belgium, totally laid to waste in 3 years of intense fighting, it is possible to visit authentic ww1 trenches there.

As for ww2 sites, Omaha beach is nice (not to much can be seen, just some musea), the same goes for Bastoine in Luxembourg . As historical sites go, go to Auswitch it will also leave a permanent impression on your brain, especially the mountain of hair, shaved from the prisoners to be used as cushion stuffing will make u silent for the next hour.

For musea, the imperial war museum in Duxford in GB is great, lots of aircraft en even tanks.
And if you are in GB then warrior en revenge in Portsmouth are also nice

A lot of nice smaller musea can be visited through al of mainland Europe just see what comes along your route. There are also still some small remainders of the Siegfried line to be visited on the German border, if you like dragon teeth.

good luck
william



Ron Saueracker -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/27/2005 11:53:22 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Wolfpack

My wife and I are going to Europe in May for a belated honeymoon. We will have about 15 days on the continent and 7 days in the UK. Definitely going to the DDay beaches,Arnhem/Nijmegan and Dachau/Berchtesgarten. My wife only wants to see a few castles so I have lots of flexibility.

This will be our first time in Europe so I am looking for other ideas.

Thanks in advance... [&o]


If it's your honeymoon it had better be romantic restaurants and your hotel bed headboard.[:D] If it wasn't I'd say take a tour of the Moselle River and get goofy on wine. German beer halls are fun.[;)]



wild_Willie2 -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/27/2005 11:57:48 PM)

There is no to much to been seen in Arnhem and Nijmegen, some smaller musea and some memorials. I can now I LIVE THERE.

Go visit the deltaworks if you are in holland [;)]



Wolfpack_MatrixForum -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 12:04:43 AM)

Ron,

There will be plenty of eating and uh... sleeping [:'(] but can't do that 24x7. The wife is very understanding and as long as we see a few castles I get pretty much free reign in planning the rest of the trip. She is a small town girl who never flew on a plane before meeting me so trying to think of what to do in Europe is a bit daunting for her. The second time we go I expect it to be a different story... [:D]

Wolfpack



Wolfpack_MatrixForum -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 12:09:41 AM)

Wild Willie2,

Thanks. I was expecting it to be a day trip for both based out of Amsterdam. Just wanted to get a feel for the battle as I have watch A Bridge Too Far many times. Also want to visit the Airborne Museum. Looked up some stuff about Deltaworks. Looks interesting. Thanks for the tip.



Bill Durrant -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 12:16:31 AM)

I would definitely recommend Ypres (Ieper) in Belguim - near French border. It is a medieval cloth town so some old buildings (like castles[;)]). Also the location of the Menin Gate where many many soldiers in WW1 marched through to their deaths. Every evening at 7pm the roads are shut off and the local fire brigade play the last post at the memorial. There is usually a visiting school or similar who do a short reading. Very moving. Been doing it every evening since 1918 I think - except during WW2 when occupying forces stopped it (I believe).

In London - HMS Belfast at Tower Bridge and Imperial War Museum, and of course changing of the Guard at Buckingham Place (like a castle[;)]) - I think by May they do it every day at 11am.

Enjoy the trip.



madmickey -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 12:21:03 AM)

Go to Churchill War Time bomb shelter.



Ron Saueracker -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 12:24:35 AM)

I personally wonder how women find the ****e canals of Venice "romantic"!? If ****e was romantic men would be getting alot more lubbin"!![:D]



m10bob -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 12:24:49 AM)

All close or in Amsterdam,(best city in Europe for Americans as they ALL speak english:Anne Frank's house,then see Madurodam and Delft(both nearby,Madurodam is a large miniature city named for a war hero,amazing to see).Gouda is nearby,(best cheese in the world IMHO),and then Arnhem..
Avoid Paris like it was on fire,but rural areas still have manners..(In fact,if your plane goes over Paris,use the loo and flush twice).[sm=00000289.gif]
Germany,see Munich with war museums,and the Hofbrauhaus,just down the alley from where Schickelgruber met with his cronies to choose the colors of their shirts.(They chose brown).[:@]
Frankfurt Am Main,go to Sachsenhausen across the river and PARTY!!!!
(Local bier is Henninger,real pisswater,so keep with Beck's or Lowenbrau)..
If you decide on any of these I have named,feel free to e-mail me,I will give details,I lived over there for 3 years and knew every alley.[:D]



Hipper -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 12:27:02 AM)

If you'r coming to the UK for 7 days I would spend as little time as possible in London (noisy crowded etc ) although The tower of london is worth a visit. (HMS Belfast WWII 6" cruiser is close by too)

If your wife wants to see castles come to Scotland, Edinburgh's much nicer than London, better pubs, there are lots of castles in the borders... Hermatige is my favourite but its not to everyones taste, some of them are hotels as well.


In France Arromanches is good lots of musieums & you can see the remains of the "mulberry" harbours, Vimy ridge is worth a look for WWI battlefields there a very good canadian monument run by canadian students, lots of authentic trenches etc. If you are doing the Normandy coast Mt St Michelle is worth a look although its a complete tourist trap

For nice hotels in France the Relais de silence (website) is good for nice quiet hotels at reasonable prices


have lots of fun



scout1 -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 12:30:46 AM)

London - Tower of London. Not WWII, but definately interesting
Germany - Anywhere, GREAT place to visit



wild_Willie2 -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 12:32:38 AM)

If you want to do the full tourist tour of Holland, visit the delta works, a coffee shop in the red light district of Amsterdam (YES they sell pot, but you’ll laugh like hell), go visit to the tulip fields near Amsterdam, visit Zaandam to see a “authentic” fishing village from the 18 century, complete with 20 windmills to pump out the water (yes it IS located 10 meters BELOW sea level). Go visit the museum in Amsterdam with contains the Night watch by Rembrandt (if you like THAT kind of culture). Visit the harbour at Rotterdam (only a harbour in china recently got bigger).
Go see Flevoland, our latest province, only pumped dry 30 years ago (seriously).

If you want to make a day trip from Amsterdam, go visit Maastricht and neighbouring Valkenburg, there is a nice ruin there and you can visit the tunnels below the ruin that have been excavated through the centuries to quarry the soft limestone with is still used to build local houses (not for the claustrophobic). Not al of the 300 KILOMETERS of tunnels is open to the public, but you can probably understand why. If you are in Valkenburg, visit the neighbouring American ww2 cemetery at Margraten, I believe that some 5000 Gi’s are buried there, also visit the 3 lands point, where Germany, Belgium an Holland meet, there is a nice MAZE that can keep you literally occupied for hours….

This could be a very nice daytrip from Amsterdam, 2 hours by train to get to Maastricht, but if you want to see it all, rent a car.



wild_Willie2 -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 12:38:01 AM)

quote:

Madurodam is a large miniature city named for a war hero,amazing to see


Not named after a war hero, but stil nice if you are into that stuff (miniatures).

Actually NEVER been there, to corny for my taste [>:]...........



wild_Willie2 -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 12:40:43 AM)

just checked, there rest 8,301 American Dead at margraten most of whom lost their lives nearby........

http://www.abmc.gov/ne.htm



ChezDaJez -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 1:13:22 AM)

If your wife wants to see castles, I recommend Neuschwanstein in Bavaria. Its the castle that Disney used to make the one at Disneyland. Beautiful area.

Castle Urhquart on Loch Ness in Scotland is also nice. Might even catch a glimpse of "Nessie".

For me, the Imperial War Museum in London is awesome. Need a couple of days for that one.

Chez



madmickey -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 1:16:30 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ron Saueracker

I personally wonder how women find the ****e canals of Venice "romantic"!? If ****e was romantic men would be getting alot more lubbin"!![:D]

It is good to see that Ron is back to his normal mood.



Gen.Hoepner -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 1:17:18 AM)

In very single european state there are TONS of MUST-things to see. Art,history,shopping etc etc. Just chose a state and you'll have 24h/day busy!
I'd say go for Paris( i've recently been to an Awesome restaurant there...called "59" if i remember well....a MUST) and Provence in France. Venice and Tuscany in Italy.



eMonticello -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 2:45:06 AM)

There are a series of books called Major and Mrs. Holt's Battlefield Guide that includes Market Garden, Normandy Landing Beaches, the Somme, and Ypres Salient. It includes a number of possible itineraries, maps, and brief historical summary. I suggest dropping by the local library for a look-see (interlibrary loan, if necessary).



m10bob -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 2:45:31 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: wild_Willie2

quote:

Madurodam is a large miniature city named for a war hero,amazing to see


Not named after a war hero, but stil nice if you are into that stuff (miniatures).

Actually NEVER been there, to corny for my taste [>:]...........

Actually,it IS named for a war hero,a Dutch pilot named George Maduras..He was a hero to them and the park (as I recall) was funded by his family..I believe he was tortured to death by the Gestapo..
It's o.k. if you did not know that,I know a lot of Americans who don't know what Mount Vernon is..



MadmanRick -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 3:11:15 AM)

Imperial War Museum is a MUST see in my book. It can indeed take days to see that one though and most "normal" women would not be up for more than a day or two at most [:D]

Rick



lenin -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 3:31:29 AM)

Only 15 days and so much to see[8|]!

I should certainly go to Paris. Anything good that ever came out of Europe always came out of France - democracy, art, culture etc - the most fantastic and one of the most accessible of Europes' capitals. Just eat and stay off the main thoroughfares and you won't get too badly get ripped off. Also go to Spain. Love Barcelona, Madrid and Grenada. Barcelona has the nightlife and the food, Madrid the culture, and Grenada has the Alhambra palace, which EVERYBODY should see before they die. Most amazing place I've ever been (and yes I've seen the Grand Canyon!).

As for Uk, by all means see the sights in London, but the Lake District and North Wales has fantastic countryside.

Have loads of fun!



Rob322 -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 5:16:19 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Ron Saueracker

quote:

ORIGINAL: Wolfpack

My wife and I are going to Europe in May for a belated honeymoon. We will have about 15 days on the continent and 7 days in the UK. Definitely going to the DDay beaches,Arnhem/Nijmegan and Dachau/Berchtesgarten. My wife only wants to see a few castles so I have lots of flexibility.

This will be our first time in Europe so I am looking for other ideas.

Thanks in advance... [&o]


If it's your honeymoon it had better be romantic restaurants and your hotel bed headboard.[:D] If it wasn't I'd say take a tour of the Moselle River and get goofy on wine. German beer halls are fun.[;)]


Ron has the right idea here, pick two wine regions (I sugest Moselle and Bordeaux) and go for it!



BB57 -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 5:34:57 AM)

I was in Belgium with my Air Guard unit in 1988 (Reforger). A freind and I rented a car for the weekend. Plan was to go to the two American cemeteries close to where our unit was flying out of then to Bastogne. When the caretaker of the Ardennes American Cemetery got wind of our plans he wouldn't let us leave until he gave us a map and itinary he made. It took us from the gate of his cemetery to Bastognes town square mostly on back roads and told what happened during the battle. If you want a copy let me know and I'll get it to you.

Steve



Tom Hunter -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 5:51:43 AM)

A few thoughts.

First of all this is a honeymoon, if you screw this one up by going to too many military sites you will suffer a personal defeat greater than any defeat sustained on any of the battlefields you will visit. I don't care how understanding your wife says she is, seek balance in all things.

In London start at the London Eye then take a boat down the Thames to the Tower then take the boat the rest of the way to the Naval Museum at Greenwich. You get a great view of the city, then a nice boat ride, then some serious history at the Tower, then another nice boat ride and a first class Maritime museum and on the weekend there is a good open air market in the town maybe 10 minutes walk away or less. The boat trips do 3 things, get you where your going, get you off your feet and give you a rest and they are also guided tours. London grew up around the Thames and much of the cities most interesting architecture is visible from the river including the Houses of Parliment, St. Pauls, The Tower, Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast. Do this trip first your first day because it will help you get oriented.

My wife had a connecting flight through Paris last year and got stuck because the terminal collapesed 3 days before she got there and all the flights were screwed up. So she got a free day in Paris thanks to Air France. She took a boat tour on the Siene and enjoyed it a lot. I have not been to Paris since 1983 I really enjoyed the Louvre and just wandering around but I can't give the kind of advice I gave for London.

I was in Barcelona in November. Great city I can even reccomend a good cheap hotel if you want it (on the road today info at home). Lots to see very walkable and there are tappas bars everywhere so you can stop, eat, drink, be merry and then go. We used Rick Steve's guide for Spain and it was very helpful. If you go to Spain get on their schedule or you will be wandering unhappliy past closed shops at Siesta time and then going to sleep just as the Spanish get rolling. Better to go out and tour, Siesta and then go back out and have fun. I also suggest having something to do in the early part of the night, we saw a Flamenco show one night and listened to a very talented classical guitarist in a 14th century church another night just to give two examples.

If you like Medieval and Renaissance towns go to Toledo in Spain or York in England. Both are very cool with much of the old walls, streets and castles intact.

In addition to Neu Schwanstien Windsor Castle is huge, and I am talking Pentagon huge you might day trip too it from London. Find out if your wife is more interested in castles or in palaces. Tell her if she does not know the answer you will take her to one of each. In England a lot of the palaces are open as tourist attractions you can even stay in some of them. As an idea if you want to take her to Normandy get a room in a historic chateau.

I will quibble with the person who suggested Munich, Munich is nice but Vienna is better. Schonbrunn is one of the most beautiful palaces in the world and is full of everything from art to armor and weapons.

I have not been to as many of the war museums as some of the other posters but I did really enjoy the Imperial War Museum. I have to say that the war museum that made the biggest impression on me is the one under the Victoria statue in Kiev. You cannot understand the second world war until you see a good Eastern front museum.

Be sure to stop in Pubs, Cafes, Tappas bars or where ever the locals eat where ever you go. Plan times to stop and talk about what you just saw and to recharge your batteries to see the next thing.

Good luck!



Marten -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 11:48:57 AM)

as for Poland... [;)]
You can visit Westerplatte in Gdansk - the place where first shots in II WW were originaly fired.
Ketrzyn - Wolfschanze - Hitlers HQ for eastern Europe, the place where von Stauffenberg attempted to kill his fuhrer.
Auschwitz - you wont forget this place... never...
Krakow - a former capital of Poland. great place to visit.



DeepSix -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 1:37:15 PM)

If you have 7 whole days in London you should be able to accomplish quite a bit, and not just WW2 related - but do not miss the Cabinet War Rooms (just around the corner from 10 Downing Street). And as others have said, you can't go wrong with places like St. Paul's, the Tower, British Museum, etc. Make sure you climb all the way to the top of St. Paul's, weather and restorations permitting.

One out of the way spot the wife might like - have tea at the Goring Hotel. Can't remember the exact address, but the street is Beeston Place, tucked away about a block or two to the (south)west from Buckingham Palace. There are actually many small hotels like this one; this just happens to be the one I've been to. Take plenty of GBP with you if you go, though.

Jermyn Street (and the vicinity) has lots of shops (dresses, haberdashers). The "Banquet Rooms" (not sure if that's what they are properly called), where the coronation ceremonies of the Stuarts were held, is also not far from Buckingham. Hyde Park/Kensington... Trafalgar Square (just go there and "be"), Picadilly theatre shows.... between the Tube and your feet, the sky is the limit.

With all that time over there, you may want to explore out from London, of course. Edinburgh was recommended and I'll second that - Llangollen in Wales, too - but I would NOT avoid London. Especially if this is a first trip for either of you. Yeah, it's crowded and busy and all that, but so's New York. So's Crabtree Valley Mall.... [;)]

Outside London - Bath is about as far away as you can go for a day trip. Definitely worth it if you can afford to spend a whole day on it (or better still, an overnight), and I mean a whole day. There are various ways of getting there from London; I recommend the train as it allows you to go on your schedule.

There's no way to see it all, of course. Salisbury Cathedral, Oxford, Cambridge, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, the Lake District.... just depends on your priorities. [:)]

Well I've rambled enough and England isn't your only stop. Enjoy it, though, the weather in May should be just about perfect.



frank1970 -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 3:08:30 PM)

In Germany, there are lots of interesting places to go. Neuschwanstein was mentioned before, it might be worth a trip, there are many other castlea and palaces around. Bavarian King Ludwig was great in building palaces (Neuschwanstein, Herrenchiemsee etc). Americans also love Heidelberg and Rothenburg/Tauber or Regensburg. All are historical towns which hadn´t suffered too much in WW2.

http://www.schloesser.bayern.de/englisch/schloss/index.htm
http://www.derweg.org/deutschland/staedte/rothburg.html
http://www.cvb-heidelberg.de/index_eng.html
http://www.regensburg.de/tourismus/international/english/index.shtml



EUBanana -> RE: OT - Going to Europe in May What should I see? (2/28/2005 3:42:54 PM)

Best castles I saw were in Wales, Caernarvon Castle, Conway Castle, Beamaris Castle on Anglesey... The ones Edward Longshanks built to keep the Welsh down in 1200 AD ish. [;)] There are a lot of them in a smallish area so you could get a lot out of a couple of days in Wales.

Tintagel Castle in Cornwall is where King Arthurs mother was supposed to have been raped by Uther Pendragon, but unfortunately it's just a few boulders now and I wouldn't advise bothering to visit that. [:D]. besides its a real tourist trap with pub with names like the Guinevere Arms, ugh.

London is a hole, I'd avoid it.

If you are a war geek and like Spitfires (like me!) the RAF war museum at Duxford is a good place to go. It's about a half hour away from Cambridge, which is also quite a nice place to go if the weather is good.



Page: [1] 2   next >   >>

Valid CSS!




Forum Software © ASPPlayground.NET Advanced Edition 2.4.5 ANSI
0.578125