Continuing with our 'Making Memories with Moms' series since 2022, we are back with another trip with our moms this year. This time, our destination was Europe - Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein. We kicked off our trip in Germany, and drove around the entire country in 10 days covering a total distance of 2856 kms (1775 miles), and continued our journey in Switzerland by trains. This was a hectic trip but we are so thankful for the opportunity to enjoy all the amazing places and sceneries with our moms, making memories that will last for a long time.
10-Days Road Trip Around Germany, Luxembourg & Liechtenstein
7-8 May 2025: Journey to Munich
9 May 2025: Neuschwanstein Castle, Rothenburg
10 May 2025: Nuremberg, Bamberg, Dresden
11 May 2025: Berlin
12 May 2025: Cologne
13 May 2025: Luxembourg, Trier
14 May 2025: Cochem, Rhine River
15 May 2025: Heidelberg, Gengenbach
16 May 2025: Black Forest
17 May 2025: Liechtenstein, Friedrichshafen
10 May 2025 (Sat): Rothenburg - Nuremberg - Bamberg - Dresden (418.9 km)
Goodbye Rothenburg...time to continue to our next destination. Checked out of our hotel at 8am, packed and loaded our bags into the car. P.S. We stayed in a different hotel every night in Germany.
The 1.5 hour drive from Rothenburg to Nuremberg took us through some countryside roads with beautiful canola fields.
Filled up the car with Super 95 gas for an average of about €40 ($44) each day on this road trip.
One of the 'fun' of driving a rental car is to figure out the many different parking systems around Germany. Thankfully, we had all the parking decks plotted out on Google Maps ahead of time, which made finding parking less stressful. We also put Google Translate to good use as we certainly needed it to figure out the various parking systems.
Arrived Nuremberg at 10am for a quick sightseeing stop at Nuremberg Old Town.
First stop...Handwerkerhof Nürnberg which was located right next to the city walls.
The pedestrian street at the Main Market Square (Hauptmarkt) was busy on Saturday because all the locals were out and about chcking out the farmers' market and flea market.
ABC#5 - Saint Lawrence Church (Lorenzkirche), one of the three major churches located in the Nuremberg Old Town, all three are within steps from one another.
ABC #5 & #6 - Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche) and Saint Sebald Church (Sebalduskirche).
Another popular attraction at the market square is the Beautiful Fountain (Schöner Brunnen), which was built in the XIV century and resembles a spire of a Gothic church. We then continued walking to Weißgerber Lane (Weißgerbergasse), which is known as the prettiest street in Nuremberg with rows of half-timbered houses, ornate golden signs, cobblestones.
Strolled along Pegnitz river to Henkersteg. The city of Nuremberg sits on an important Medieval trade route called Castle Road. While it was overshadowed by nearby Rothenburg early on, Nuremberg blossomed from 1400-1600 (the German Renaissance) to become one of the coolest cities in the Middle Ages.
Left Nuremberg at 11.45am and drove about an hour on the Autobahn to Bamberg. Parked at Tiefgarage Geyerswörth City - Altstadt Tiefgarage.
Arrived Bamberg at 1pm for a quick sightseeing stop. Weather was nice and sunny (not hot though). Walked over the Geyerswörth Footbridge (Geyerswörthsteg) for the most iconic view in all of Bamberg with the the stunning Old Town Hall literally sitting right in the middle of the river.
Similar to Nuremberg, Bamberg was busy with people on Saturday afternoon.
Quick stop at Schlenkerla Smoke Beer Brewery to try the Smoke Beer (Rauchbier). They had a counter serving 'takeaway' beer with a token to refund the glass deposit so everyone juts stood and drank on the street.
Spent about 45 min at Bamberg and it was time to continue our journey to Dresden. Hubby had fun driving 188km/hr on the Autobahn while I was busy making tuna sandwich for lunch on the go.
Arrived Dresden at 4.30pm and had to figure out another parking system....Google Translate to the rescue again...lol! Parking at this public parking lot next to the hotel costs €6 for 24 hours.
Kicking off our many Holiday Inn Express stay on this trip at Holiday Inn Express Dresden Zentrum. Booked this 2 bedroom suite for 25,000 IHG points per night. This room would have cost $334 so this redemption was quite a good value for its central location.
Wanted to have dinner at another futuristic-themed restaurant but it was fully booked so we decided to have dinner at Ramen 1974 before walking to the old town for sightseeing.
Dresden Old Town was surprisingly nice and pretty to walk around. It was still bright at 7.30am. Dresden is known for its rich art collections, baroque architecture, and vibrant history. The Schlossplatz (city square) was destroyed in the bombing of Dresden during World War II. In recent years, the buildings surrounding the square have largely been restored so that the area again has a historic character.
Fürstenzug is a 102-meter-long porcelain mural located on the outer wall of the Dresden Royal Palace. The Fürstenzug, or the Procession of Princes, is renowned as the largest porcelain artwork in the world. This grand mural depicts the procession of the rulers of Saxony, showcasing a lineage that spans nearly eight centuries.
Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) - Situated in the Neumarkt, the Frauenkirche is a beautiful Lutheran church built in the Baroque style. The original structure dates back to the 11th century; however, the Baroque building that we see today was constructed in the 18th century marking a transition from its earlier Gothic style.
At the edge of Old Town, perched high above the River Elbe, is Brühls Terrace. Also known as the “Balcony of Europe,” this terrace sits atop the city’s old fortress and offers one of the most picturesque views in the city.
Pretty sunset at Bruhls Terrace. Loved the vibes and views from here. The buskers were out performing on the weekend which also added to the vibes.
Wrapped up our sightseeing of Dresden at 8.30pm. Time to finally rest after a long day hopping through 3 cities. We pulled forward seeing Dresden this evening instead of the next morning so that we could sleep in and enjoy free breakfast at the hotel.
Next stop...Berlin!
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