Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [455]
The tourist office ( 1439; www.nennig.de, in German; Bübinger Strasse 5, Nennig; 10am-noon & 2-5pm Mon-Fri Apr-Oct, 10am-noon Mon & Tue, 2-4pm Wed & Fri Nov–mid-Dec & mid-Jan–Mar), right by the Bahnhof in Nennig, can provide information on the villa, wine tastings and accommodation. It also hires out bicycles.
Perl-Nennig is linked by bus 210 with Merzig (€7.40 by rail from Saarbrücken). The train to/from Trier runs every hour or two (€8.40, 40 minutes). By car take the A8 from Saarbrücken or the B419 from Trier.
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EUROPÄISCHER KULTURPARK BLIESBRUCK-REINHEIM
Flanking the Franco-German border about 25km southeast of Saarbrücken in the charming Blies Valley, the Europäischer Kulturpark Bliesbruck-Reinheim (European Archaeological Park; 06843-900 221; www.kulturpark-online.de, in German, www.archeo57.com, in French; Robert-Schuman-Strasse 2, Gersheim-Reinheim; adult/student €5/3.50; 10am-6pm mid-Mar–Oct) showcases the ruins of a 1st- to 4th-century Gallo-Roman crafts town. Most of the artisans’ houses, with their ovens, cellars and heating systems, as well as thermal baths, are on the French (Bliesbruck) side, but the area’s most spectacular discovery, the tomb of a Celtic princess from 400 BC, was unearthed on the German side. Her dazzling gold jewellery can be seen at Saarbrücken’s Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte.
From Saarbrücken, take tram S1 to Kleinblittersdorf, then bus 147 to Reinheim (total €6).
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Hesse
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Getting Around
FRANKFURT AM MAIN
History
Orientation
Information
Dangers & Annoyances
Sights & Activities
Courses
Festivals & Events
Sleeping
Eating & Drinking
Entertainment
Shopping
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
DARMSTADT
Orientation
Information
Sights & Activities
Sleeping
Eating & Drinking
Entertainment
Getting There & Around
AROUND DARMSTADT
Kloster Lorsch
Messel
WIESBADEN
Orientation
Information
Sights & Activities
Tours
Sleeping
Eating
Drinking
Getting There & Around
LAHN VALLEY
MARBURG
Orientation
Information
Sights
Sleeping
Eating
Drinking & Entertainment
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
NATIONALPARK KELLERWALD-EDERSEE
FULDA
Orientation & Information
Sights
Sleeping & Eating
Getting There & Around
AROUND FULDA
KASSEL
Orientation
Information
Sights
Sleeping
Eating & Drinking
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
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About two-thirds of Hesse’s population lives in the Rhine-Main region, a sprawling urban conglomeration, with excellent integrated public transport, that stretches from Frankfurt am Main in the north to Darmstadt in the south and Mainz (in Rhineland-Palatinate) and Wiesbaden in the west. The attractive spa-city of Wiesbaden is Hesse’s political capital, but Frankfurt, home of the European Central Bank, wields the financial clout.
Contrary to Hesse’s rather staid image, Wiesbaden’s parliament was where Green Party former foreign minister Joschka Fischer raised eyebrows by taking his ministerial oath wearing tennis shoes; and, in the 1960s and ’70s, Frankfurt was a hotbed of student politics.
International Frankfurt, although a banking powerhouse, is also known for its excellent quality of life, leafy parkland, lively nightlife and streets lined with laid-back cafes and beer gardens. Although perhaps Germany’s most un-German city, it is ironically the first contact many will have with the country thanks to the presence of Europe’s third-busiest airport.
The northern part of Hesse has some splendid green areas to explore on foot and by bicycle, including the picturesque Lahn River valley, the forested Nationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee and the gentle countryside around the baroque town of Fulda. Two university cities are of special interest: Marburg, famed for its hilltop old town; and Kassel, site of a baroque hillside park, innovative museums and the five-yearly documenta contemporary art exhibition.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Urban Traditions Check out Frankfurt