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by Jim and Emmy Humberd

Campgrounds in Germany

5 of our 75 Campsites in Germany

Germany’s capital of Roman Antiquity is a magnificent surprise. Located astride the Mosel River about six miles from the Luxembourg border, Trier is little known to most tourists who vacation in Europe, but it should be one of Germany’s most visited cities. Although we have visited Trier 15 or 20 times, since it’s so near Emmy’s Cousins home in Mettlach, we have only spent 2 nights in the Trier campsite. It’s located on the Mosel River near the Roman bridge, which has served as a river crossing point since the days of marching Roman Legions.

The nights, in different years, that we spent at the campsite in the town of Bug, a suburb of Bamberg, it rained and rained. What is remembered about Bamberg, or any other city, depends a lot on sunshine or rain. What we saw was exciting, but when we again visit Bamberg, we will pray for sunshine.

We especially enjoyed Füssen on the Lech River, and our campsite near the Hopfen am See (lake). Füssen could be the center of a beautiful vacation at any time of the year — a multitude of lakes, rolling hills, and high mountains with skiing galore. Hohenschwangau Castle, where Mad Ludwig lived as a child, and Neuschwanstein Castle, where he lived for 102 days, are found within a few miles of Füssen.

The campsite near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, is one of the few places we found “banks” of refrigerators for rent. They were installed like the lockers found in an airport or train station, and could be rented for days or weeks at a time. This area, at the foot of the Zugspitze (9,700 feet, Germany’s highest mountain, the border with Austria is at the top), is Germany’s Snow Stadium. The 1936 Winter Olympics were held here, and dozens of winter-sports competitions are held each year.

Hameln is the story-book town, as Jim said, “Hameln, the home of the Piper and the former home of rats and kids.” First thing we saw was a sign for a flea market the next day, so that settled where we would spend the night — right here, in the campground across the river from downtown. The town has been renovated and has plenty of half-timbered buildings, and the Pied Piper story is presented at 12:00 noon on Sunday, in the town square. Earlier in the afternoon we had talked to a British Soldier who lived nearby, but politely declined his offer to camp in his driveway for the night.

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