Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [322]
Café Prinz Albert ( 945 20; Ketschengasse 27; dishes €3-5; 8am-6.30pm) Coburg’s links with the British royals are reflected here in both the decor and menu. The Prince Albert breakfast – a cross-cultural marriage of sausage, egg and Bamberger croissants – is fit for a queen’s consort.
Tie ( 334 48; Leopoldstrasse 14; mains €14.50-18; from 5pm Tue-Sun; ) Heavenly (if pricey) food is made with fresh organic ingredients at this bright vegetarian restaurant. Dishes range from vegetarian classics to Asian inspirations, with the odd fish or meat dish for the unconverted.
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Getting There & Away
Direct trains to Bamberg (€10.30, 50 minutes) and Nuremberg (€19.90, 1¾ hours) leave Coburg every other hour. The trip to Bayreuth (€15.20, 1½ hours) requires a change in Lichtenfels. BerlinLinienBus links Coburg to Berlin (€41, 5½ hours) twice a week.
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AROUND COBURG
About 25km south of Coburg is the ornate, gilded 18th-century pilgrimage church, Basilika Vierzehnheiligen ( 09571-950 80; admission free; 6.30am-7pm Apr-Oct, 7.30am-dusk Nov-Mar). It stands on the spot where a local shepherd reported having recurring visions of the infant Jesus flanked by the 14 Nothelfer (Holy Helpers), a group of saints invoked in times of adversity since the 14th-century bubonic plague.
The church is one of the masterpieces of Balthasar Neumann, the renowned architect. The intersecting oval rotundas, play of light and trompe l’oeil ceiling create an optical illusion, making the interior appear much larger than it is and creating a sense of constant motion. Statues of the saints line the free-standing central altar, the focal point of the sumptuous interior.
Alte Klosterbrauerei ( 09571-3488; snacks €3.50-5; 10am-8pm) is a wonderful brewery attached to the adjacent convent at the back of Vierzehnheiligen (up past the wooden stands peddling kitsch). Grab a table in the leafy beer garden, order a half-litre of bracing Nothelfertrunk beer and drink in the stunning view. Stay long enough and you may glimpse the nun in her habit who lugs in cases for refill.
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Getting There & Away
Regional trains connect Coburg with Lichtenfels (€5.10, 20 minutes), from where there are two buses a day to Vierzehnheiligen. A taxi from Lichtenfels is about €8. The basilica is near the town of Staffelstein, just off the B173, about a 30-minute drive from Coburg.
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ALTMÜHLTAL NATURE PARK
The Altmühltal Nature Park is one of Germany’s largest nature parks and covers some of Bavaria’s most gorgeous terrain. The Altmühl River gently meanders through a region of little valleys and hills before joining the Rhine-Main Canal and eventually emptying into the Danube. Outdoor fun on well-marked hiking and biking trails is the main reason to head here, but the river is also ideal for canoeing. There’s basic camping in designated spots along the river, and plenty of accommodation in the local area.
The park’s main information centre is in Eichstätt (opposite), a charmingly historic town at the southern end of the park that makes an excellent base for exploring.
For information on the park and for help with planning an itinerary, contact the Informationszentrum Naturpark Altmühltal ( 08421-987 60; www.naturpark-altmuehltal.de; Notre Dame 1, Eichstätt; 9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm Sun Apr-Oct, 8am-noon & 2-4pm Mon-Thu, 8am-noon Fri Nov-Mar). Upstairs in the centre is a museum of the park’s wildlife and habitats, complete with a recreation of landscapes in the garden.
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Orientation
The park takes in 2900 sq km of land southwest of Regensburg, south