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Whether you choose to fly or drive across Europe, Germany offers excellent and diverse opportunities for a great family holiday. Booking a holiday is relatively straightforward nowadays and there’s a range of options available. Taking your kids on holiday does require some preparation and planning.

Packing, for instance, is a whole new ball game with a child. Check out lots of kid friendly tips such as bringing along a spare pair of shoes ready for the inevitable broken shoe drama. Luckily, Germany is very much a child-friendly country and any forgotten items can easily be located and purchased.

From mountains to beaches, theme parks to incredible history, Germany has something for everyone. Plus it’s one of the safest places in the world to enjoy a holiday.

Here are 5 great reasons to make Germany your choice for a family holiday.

1. The great outdoors

There can be no doubt that Germany boasts amazing outdoor recreational opportunities. There are vast swathes of land just ready to explore as a hiker, walker or climber. Kids will love the chance to camp in some of the best located campsites.

Germany is an all season country. In winter, there’s a wealth of skiing opportunities, not just in the Alps. If you fly to Düsseldorf, you’re just a couple of hours away from the Sauerland and family-friendly snow sports in Winterberg.

2. Water parks and theme parks

One of the best water parks is Aqualand near Cologne. This is a colossal site dedicated to all types of water pursuits. However, nearly every town in Germany has a municipal pool, both indoor and outdoor, where kids can be easily entertained.

The stand-out theme park is Movie Park, Bottrop. Easy to access from the motorway and with lots of parking, it makes for a great day trip or overnight stay.

3. Cities can be interesting

Often it is hard to keep kids entertained on a city break. Whilst you might want to explore the history, your kids might not be so enthralled. German cities do try to keep kids occupied. If you plan a trip to Munich, focus on a day trip to the zoo or the interactive science museum. Berlin offers an exhilarating trip to the top of the TV tower. All German cities offer great open spaces and parks for picnics and a run around.

Take your trip in November and be as enthralled as your kids by the Christmas Markets. If you’re worried about crowds, avoid the big names like Nuremberg and opt for Dortmund, a short journey away from the airport.

4. Germany has beaches!

Yes, that’s right! Germany has miles and miles of sandy beaches. It might not boast the heat of Spain, but as a result the beaches are far quieter even in the height of the summer. Explore Germany’s underrated beaches such as Rügen or Sylt. Your kids will love it!

5. Kid-friendly food

You don’t need to worry about fussy eaters in Germany. Most restaurants offer child-friendly menus with pacifying kid options. After all, the hotdog and burger originated here. However, it’s not all frankfurters and pommes. Germany is very conscious of health and the environment. Fresh food abounds and supermarkets are filled with great snack and picnic ideas.
So, what do you think? Would you take your kids to Germany? 

*Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post.

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Christmas in Europe, however, doesn’t have this rule. In addition, in case you haven’t heard, Christmas in Europe is completely magical. The only thing missing tends to be snow, depending on where you are (my hometown in Montana definitely wins on the snow front!). But, Europe has Christmas markets so…maybe it still wins ;).

I’ve been lucky enough to spend several Christmases in Europe, and very spoiled to visit quite a few markets over those years. Here are a few of my favorites!

Budapest

I had to give a shout out to my former home, of course! There are markets all over the city, some catered more to tourists, and some catered more to locals.

Cologne

Cologne, and Germany in general, might be the king of Christmas markets. There are no less than seven markets scattered throughout the city, each with a different theme. My favorite was the gnome-themed market, but the one by the famous Cologne Cathedral is a must-see, too!

Bruges

Bruges is wonderful any time of year, but Christmas is especially wonderful! The market there is tiny, but the whole city really feels like a Christmas market.

Prague

I couldn’t make this list without including Prague, of course! Prague is even more fairy tale-esque at Christmas, if you can imagine. There are a few Christmas markets scattered across the city, but my favorite is the one in Old Town Square, because you just can’t beat that ambiance!

Frankfurt  

We met our friends last year in Frankfurt and I didn’t have very high hopes for some reason–but the Christmas market we went to there, in the old square, was delightful!

Nuremberg

Nuremberg might be one of Germany’s most famous, and while it isn’t my favorite, the city is pretty much taken over by Christmas and it’s so fun to visit!

Brussels

Brussels also has quite a few markets scattered over the city, but really the best part is the light show in the Grand-Place, if you ask me! And watching with a waffle in hand…even better.

This week was also the final week of the Bake Along Bake Off with Amanda! I used this chance to….make more bread. Surprise! I didn’t have a really good bread bake this year, although this week was okay, and the signature challenge for the final week was three different types of rolls.

I’m going to play the pregnancy card (again) and let you know that I only made one type of roll. I mean, I’m nine months pregnant here!

The rolls I did make, though, using this recipe, Braided Brioche Rolls, were amazing!

And absolutely, totally informal, as Mary Berry would say.

I think it was cold in our house because they didn’t rise very much–until they exploded in the oven that is!

One (out of six…) of the rolls turned out fairly neatly, and became the star of the show. Still, the rest were equally delicious!

I can’t believe it’s my last bake for this year! And that this is my second year in a row participating. Some of my best bakes over the past two years: these cream puffs, this pizza, these tiny chocolate cakes, my first spun sugar, this amazing bread, and my pumpkin cake!

The best thing about the baking challenge is getting back in the kitchen–baking is so relaxing and creative. Also, it’s been my major form of nesting–our freezer is stuffed with baked goods for after baby ;).

Here’s to more baking the rest of this year, and next year!

The post Top Christmas Markets in Europe + Bake Off Bake Along Week 10 appeared first on Amy and the Great World.

So does traveling to Europe in November and December! There are no shortage of festive events wherever you go, and I feel like Germany is particularly on top of the game in this area.

The Festival of Lights is a yearly event in Berlin where images and lights are shown onto buildings all over the city. I figured it would be fun to see, but it was actually more beautiful and more fun than I imagined. Waiting to see the next image was exciting–and so was trying to take pictures of each!

We arrived to Berlin in the dark, but we just had to see the famous Brandenburg Gate right away, especially as it was almost walking distance from our hostel. Seeing the gate during the light festival made the experience even more beautiful and unique! I might even prefer the gate this way?

On our walk back, we saw buildings lit up near pieces of the Berlin Wall as we moved through Potsdamer Platz.

As we wandered through the busy square and I took a thousand pictures attempting to get some good night-shots, John Lennon’s “Let It Be” started playing in the background. That song can make even technicolor light feel meaningful, I learned. It’s hard not to feel like your heart is full when, even in a strange land, everyone is singing “Let It Be” together.

Have you been to Berlin? Or a light festival? 

Linking up with Travel Tuesday. 

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At the end of September, we spent two days in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany (hereby out known as Rothenburg).

For our first trip out of the Czech Republic, I wanted to get out of a big city, explore a nearby country, and celebrate our anniversary all in one quick weekend.

We were just getting our jobs started, and didn’t know until the last minute if we could actually take this trip, and, of course, up until about two days before we were supposed to be leaving on this trip, we couldn’t decide where to go.

Choice is a prison, people–especially when you’re surrounded by incredible destinations. (I promise not to whine about that too much…).

Rothenburg was E’s idea, and when I saw pictures, I immediately remembered that this was the German town I’d been hoping to see. Since it was last minute it wasn’t our easiest trip–a few trains and buses–but it was a relatively short distance for a three-day weekend, so we went ahead and booked it.

Rothenburg is everything you think of when Germany comes to mind: half-timbered houses, flower boxes in the windows, an old medieval wall, cobblestoned streets, buckets of charm, and a signature sweet.

While Rothenburg is definitely well-known, and had the tourists to show for it, it met all of our expectations. It was a great weekend away, and really relaxing, which we really needed at that point (or, always). I think Rothenburg is the perfect weekend destination: we filled our time easily, but it didn’t feel crammed, and I didn’t leave wishing I’d seen the many sites I’d missed. While we could have had a more jam-packed weekend, there really isn’t that much else to do in Rothenburg but relax, eat, wander, and maybe check out a medieval store or museum.

For our weekend, we did nothing but try out restaurants and eat Schneeballen (!!), a delicious donut/pastry/candy thing I can’t accurately describe,

wander the streets,

try to catch bubbles,

visit the Christmas store (which was incredible), 

walk along the wall,

try out cider in the square,

peek into churches,

happen upon ancient medieval storerooms,

and stroll the old castle grounds.

We had a fabulous weekend practicing our German–which seems way easier to Czech, perhaps because I was exposed to it so often as a kid–and celebrating another anniversary.

I was completely charmed by Rothenburg and Germany in general. We are planning to head back to the area in just a few weeks to experience the epic Christmas markets!

Now, since I can’t tell you enough how adorable this town is, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

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Have you been to Germany for the Christmas markets? Which one is your favorite?

Linking up with Bonnie, Cynthia, Courtney & Yalanda!

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Three weeks ago, we spent about 30 hours in Berlin for our visa interviews (you have to leave the country to apply to an embassy…nobody gets this, especially not me, but it is what it is).

I did not expect to like or enjoy Berlin very much. I was looking forward to seeing it, but it wouldn’t have been my first choice to visit for our interview. Since our interview was moved up by two weeks very suddenly (and those who apply to live in other countries know that when this happens, YOU TAKE IT), I didn’t have much chance to do research on what we should do, besides asking for your comments.  (Thank you, by the way!).

Instead of finding Berlin a charmless, giant, modern city, I was fascinated. Berlin is a vibrant, fun city full of great restaurants, art galleries, old and new buildings, and especially, history. One reason I came to Europe is the centuries of history you can find around every corner, and the fact that is some places, you can feel the history. While Berlin isn’t full of charming buildings that haven’t changed in 200 years as I am partial to (and this is mostly due to bombing from war), the history here is a living, breathing feeling in the air.

We saw the Brandenburg Gate (bright with images on the Festival of Lights),

Potsdamer Platz during the Festival of Lights with John Lennon playing in the background,

the Holocaust Memorial,

Hitler’s Bunker (which really is just a parking lot…),

and some leftover pieces of the Berlin Wall.

Before moving to Eastern Europe and seeing the Berlin Wall for myself, I never really grasped the significance of this event in history. Partly because I was very small when the Wall fell, and because I feel like it was a part of history barely addressed in my education.

Maybe it was just the area of the world where I grew up? We learned much more about the Louisiana Purchase, the Civil War, and World War II more than anything else. (side-eye Montana–which is celebrating 125 years today–and it’s obsession with Lewis & Clark).

Or maybe it just wasn’t an area of my interest so I didn’t pay much attention.

I found the Holocaust Memorial particularly moving, as I suspected I would, but I didn’t know I would feel the same way about the Wall.

This is one of my favorite things about travel: the exposure to real life and history is something you can’t always gain from books and the classroom. I’m not sure I would have felt so moved by touching the Berlin Wall in person if I hadn’t learned just how communism impacted Eastern Europe by living here in the Czech Republic. While it’s not necessarily a “fun” part of traveling, it is a real part of traveling.

Today is the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Wall. I wish I could be there to see the illuminated installation that is marking the anniversary, but since I can’t, here are nine surprising facts about the Wall, why it is a somber occasion, the guard who opened the barrier, East Germany today, and barriers around the world.

Linking up with Fresh Face Friday and the Sunday Traveler.

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