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As owners, we are being told endlessly that reviews by guests are more and more essential to our success. We do explain to past guests how to leave reviews and leave it up to them to be honest in their review of their stay with us, good and bad (thankfully mainly good!).
But suddenly we have realised that there is another online area where we are being mentioned, through no action of ours – and therefore all the more warming when they are complimentary: blogs. In the last week, our accommodation has been spontaneously mentioned on 2 blogs, one by a guest while actually staying in one of our apartments:
‘insanely impressive’: http://nutztoyou.blogspot.com/2011/05/whew.html
and one written by a guest who came 2 years ago:
‘I don’t think I have so far had a better holiday’:
http://floor-to-ceiling-books.blogspot.com/2011/05/10-best-reading-holidays.html
One of these has been referred to in another blog: the hugely respected and experienced ‘cottage blogger’
Apart from the occasional press release, we are not much good at blowing our own trumpets – we love what we do and the best reward is to see our guests enjoying their holiday and looking forward to returning to their accommodation at the end of the day. But we couldn’t resist sharing the warm feeling that these mentions gave us. Thank you bloggers!
Counties of Regen and Freyung Grafenau: The Bavarian Forest National Park, the oldest National Park in Germany, will celebrate its 40th birthday this year with a range of events and the active support of its National Park Partners. The 76 Partners – hotels, guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, restaurants and self catering accommodation providers – work with the Bavarian Forest National Park to provide holidays in harmony with nature right through the year. One of these is ‘Bavarian Forest Holidays’ in Bayerisch Eisenstein, whose English owners came to the Bavarian Forest from England in 2004.
More and more English speaking international visitors are making their way to the Bavarian Forest – thanks to the marketing activities of Margaret Leach and Martin Holborow who have also designed their 9 holiday apartments (8 with 5 stars and 1 with 4 stars, awarded by the German Tourism Association) to specifically meet the needs of international guests. ‘We are always particularly pleased when we can introduce foreign guests to our adopted home and the unique natural features of the National park region,’ says Margaret Leach.
The National Park, which includes the largest area of forested wilderness between the Atlantic and the Urals, offers opportunities for peaceful walking and cycling as well as seeing rare indigenous wildlife such as lynx, wolves, brown bears and capercaillie in vast enclosures in the forest. The National Park visitor centres also provide education and entertainment related to the National Park. The Bavarian Forest National Park also directly borders the Sumava National Park in Czech Republic, providing access to nearly 100,000 hectares of protected nature.
The National Park Partners offer quality accommodation and comprehensive information on the area to their visitors. They make an important contribution to sustainable tourism and exceed the usual criteria for eco-friendliness and quality. All are passionate supporters of the motto of the National Park ‘Let nature be nature’. Once they have qualified to become Partners they are obliged to attend regular briefing sessions and hikes in the National Park in order to keep their knowledge up to date.
This year the Bavarian Forest National park celebrates its 40th birthday with many events during the year and a major celebration on 9th-10th October in the Lusen National Park Centre.
For more information on Bavarian Forest Holidays, go to:
http://www.bavarian-forest-holidays.com/
For more information and an overview of all National Park Partners, go to:
http://www.nationalpark-bayerischer-wald.de/partner
Lynx family photo by Guenther Dengler
Sample Bavarian & Bohemian Christmas Markets – Even By Train 10 Sep 10 German Christmas markets have become almost a cliché, especially seeing the crowds at Munich, Nuernberg, Cologne etc. But Bavarian Forest Holidays (http://www.bavarian-forest-holidays.com/ChristmasMarketBreaks.php) have come up with a different angle: a long weekend on any of the 4 Advent Weekends before Christmas not only offers the comfort of accommodation in a 5 star village apartment but also the opportunity to visit Christmas Markets in the smaller towns and villages of Bavaria and Bohemia as well as the bigger markets in Passau and Regensburg. Even Nuernberg and Munich can be included, as well as the floating market at Vilshofen on the Danube and the forest market at Schweinhuett. Each weekend can be tailored to suit the preferences of a family or group. And most of the markets can be visited by great value German public transport – so no restrictions on testing the Gluehwein! Accommodation is in the pretty Bavarian Forest village of Bayerisch Eisenstein, directly on the border with Czech Republic. Prices for 3 nights 5 star accommodation (excluding travel and meals) range from €200 for a couple in a one bedroom apartment, up to €425 for 6 people in a 3 bedroom, all ensuite apartment. A welcoming glass of Gluehwein will help to get you in the mood. And, of course, award winning* Bavarian Forest Holidays can advise on travel by rail to and from the UK as well as to and from the Christmas Markets.
British couple Margaret Leach and Martin Holborow have seen off competition from all over Germany to take the Fahrtziel Natur (Destination Nature) special award for 2010.
(GERMANY) 3rd September 2010 – The Fahrtziel Natur (Destination Nature) special award is for the accommodation provider doing the most to encourage guests to use public transport to travel to and within a nature area in Germany, in this case the Bavarian Forest. The couple own and manage 9 holiday apartments in the Bavarian village of Bayerisch Eisenstein, under the name of Bavarian Forest Holidays (http://www.bavarian-forest-holidays.com/).
Guests in their apartments have free use of buses and trains on more than 1,000 km of routes in the Bavarian Forest. Guests are given a specially written tourist information book containing details of travel to numerous destinations in the area and region by public transport. Guests from the UK and other European countries are also encouraged to make the whole journey from their homes by train by providing cheaper tickets than are available to the general public.
The village can be reached from most major cities in Europe within one day. Since the first guests made their way to the village by train from the UK in autumn 2007, the travel time from London and Kent has been reduced to 11 hours – “breakfast in London, dinner in Bayerisch Eisenstein”. A further reduction in travel time is expected when the Deutsche Bahn starts running trains through the Channel Tunnel, hopefully by 2012.
On arrival, by whatever means of transport, guests find accommodation which is of a very high standard – most apartments have been awarded 5 stars by the German Tourism Association – but also eco friendly. Three of the four houses have solar panels and two have wood pellet heating. The houses have the latest double glazed windows and other insulation. Guests are asked to place their rubbish into specially marked boxes for recycling and the small on-site guest shop stocks organic food wherever possible.
The couple, whose UK home is in Knighton in the Welsh borders, bought their first property in the village, 1km from the Czech border, in 2004. The other three houses were added in 2006 and 2008 and in total now offer 9 holiday apartments with 1-3 bedrooms, central guest facilities with shop, free book and DVD library, coffee lounge with home made cakes and meeting room, all open to guests 24/7.
More than 2,000 guests have come to the apartments in Bayerisch Eisenstein since the first one was opened in April 2005. Nearly 50% are from the UK, 25% from Germany and 12% from the US and the remainder from 25 other countries. The apartments are open all year, for sightseeing in Germany, Czech Republic and Austria, walking and cycling in the National Parks on both sides of the border and boat trips on the Danube, Christmas Markets, Christmas/New Year, winter sports and activities. Since autumn 2009, Bavarian Forest Holidays has been a Partner of the Bavarian Forest National Park.
Fahrtziel Natur is a cooperative project between the major Germen environmental organisatons BUND, NABU, VCD and Deutsche Bahn (German railways) which has been actively promoting eco-friendly sustainable travel together with experiencing nature, since 2001.
For more information see http://www.bavarian-forest-holidays.com/ or email info@bavarian-forest-holidays.com or call Margaret Leach on +49 (0)9925 90 32 04 (UK) 07976 403434
Photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25231786@N08/sets/72157624875934456/
with our permission to use in conjunction with this press release.
I must admit that when we first decided to make the journey across Europe to the Bavarian Forest on the German Czech border by train I was not convinced it was the best mode of transport for 2 adults and an 8 month old baby. Whilst we were adamant that we would not be travelling by plane I couldn’t help but wonder if travelling by car with a baby but be the easiest alternative.
However, 3 months before we were due to travel I found myself on bahn.de trying to work out the best routes and times for our journey.
In theory it is easy to book train tickets across Europe these days there are websites and phone lines through which an entire booking through numerous countries and using many train companies is possible. But past experience has taught us that these companies do not always give the cheapest or best route.
For this trip we booked 3 separate tickets through 3 separate companies. The main reason that we book the tickets in the following way is that German tourist accommodation providers have access to cheaper train tickets – but these tickets are only available for the German part of the journey.
As I mentioned my first port of call was bahn.de. Whilst this is the German railway website it can be used to plan journeys across Europe or even within a single country that is not Germany itself. If your German is not up to scratch (as mine isn’t) then by simply selecting your preferred language from the options available a fantastic website is at your finger tips.
Having found the only trains that would allow us to travel from Ebbsfleet to Bayerisch Eisenstein in 1 day (or in 11 hours!) the next task was to break the journey down into 3 sections.
The first section is simply from Ebbsfleet to Brussels. So this first ticket was booked through Eurostar.
The second section is the “pre-Germany” stage – in this case from Brussels to the first German station that we will stop at – Aachen. Booking this ticket was a little trickier as there are many companies through which this can be done but the easiest is b-rail.be – the Belgian railway website.
Finally our accommodation provider booked the final leg of our journey through bahn.de.
So, on a sunny morning in May we left my brother-in-law’s farm in Kent for our long journey east. Our luggage consisted of two rucksacks (one of which containing Sam’s cloth nappies and not much else!) which would be carried by my husband, a small suitcase on wheels (the sort that used to be allowed on planes as hand luggage but I now believe would be considered too big) a cloth bag and Sam in a Mei Tei – the final 3 were my responsibility!
We arrived at Ebbsfleet with not much time to spare as the signs for Ebbsfleet in Kent are almost nonexistent (but that is another story!). We easily found the seats that I had chosen for us at the time of booking the ticket – one side of a table. Fortunately the train was not too full so we only had to share “our” table with one other person and that was just as far as Lille. The ride was very comfortable and Sam took it all in his stride. He was not even phased by going through the tunnel!
Sam did get the opportunity to use the changing facilities on the train and they passed with flying colours.
On arriving at Brussels International we headed straight for a cafe in the main domestic part of the building that just happens to be called “Sam’s”! We had never noticed the name before! Whilst Gary looked after Sam and the luggage I went and collected the ticket from an automated machine. Very simple to do and avoided the very long queues in the ticket office.
There was just time to have a quick snack before we headed to the platform to catch our next train that would take us as far as Frankfurt.
As I mentioned we had booked separate tickets from Aachen onwards so whilst the train was stopped at that station we moved from our two seats in a normal carriage to luxury! Let me explain… When researching tickets I had noticed that it was possible to buy a special family ticket on German trains for use by 2 adults and one child. It was not any more expensive than other tickets but I thought I might as give it a go just in case there were any advantages to it. The first advantage we found out about at time of booking – Sam would get to have his own seat for the cost of reserving a seat – 3Euro. The second advantage we found out about at Aachen. Our 3 seats were found in a special “family compartment” about one and a half to two times bigger than the old BR first class compartments. In this compartment were 6 seats – 4 round a large table and 2 others separated by a small glass screen. There was clearly room for 2 buggies as when we arrived the compartment was filled with two other families including buggies. We managed to make it clear that we had reserved seats and both families left the compartment. I felt bad but soon discovered that they were all getting off at the next stop anyway.
But back to this amazing compartment… It included a socket for a milk bottle warmer (or in our case our laptop for watching DVD’s should Sam have a nap through all the excitement). Next door was the disabled loo which also contained a baby changing bay. A few meters further along the carriage was the buffet car which didn’t bat an eye when my husband and I took our delicious plates of pasta back to our compartment to eat. Unfortunately there was nothing on the menu suitable for Sam but we had come prepared with rice cakes and the excellent Ella’s pouches of organic fruit.
At Frankfurt we had a 40 minute wait for the next train which was plenty of time to do a bit of people watching before tracking down our platform. Which reminds me – one of the great things about bahn.de is that you can print out a journey plan which includes all the platforms that your trains will be stopping and arriving at! You also get sent a copy of this with your tickets.
The train from Frankfurt to Plattling also contained a fantastic family compartment which we once again had to ourselves.
Sam finally decided that all the excitement was a bit tiring and to our relief succumbed to the motion of the train and had a nap. This gave us enough time to watch most of the latest Star Trek film!
I must admit that we did cheat a bit with this outward journey. Our hosts were actually doing some shopping in Regensburg that afternoon so very kindly offered to pick us up there so that we did not have to carry on to Plattling where we would have changed trains for the Waldbahn (Forest Train) to Bayerisch Eisenstein. As it turned out this was a blessing as Sam had woken from his nap in a bad mood – not impressed to find that we were STILL on a train!
However we did the return journey properly travelling all the way from Bayerisch Eisenstein to Ebbsfleet by train. The return journey was a little different as there were engineering works (!) so from Plattling, rather than heading north, we took a regional train to Munich. There are no family compartments on either the Waldbahn or the regional train and no option to book seats. Fortunately neither train was busy so this was not a problem. At Munich we had a very short stop (20 minutes) before finding our family compartment on the ICE. At the point we were let down by the German train people for the first time. The compartment was locked. Fortunately we were not the only people who were booked into it and a German lady and her baby managed to shout at a guard and get them to unlock it. We only shared the compartment until the next stop before having it to ourselves once more.
This time we changed at Cologne which is usually incredibly busy as the change is at rush hour (arriving at 1732 and leaving at 1744). This time it was not so bad but the train was heaving and we were not booked into a family compartment. We gave up Sam’s seat to a young lady as at 8 months he did not really have much use for it.
Unfortunately we still had to change seats at Aachen (this is the price of booking through two separate countries’ railway companies) and it was quite a battle to get through. We squished into our pair of seats and marvelled at the dated looking decor.
We arrived in Brussels with plenty of time to walk through to the International station and wait for our final train of the day. This train was also very busy but pretty comfortable. Despite it being past Sam’s bedtime he refused to sleep for more than a few minutes so it was a relief to get him back to my mother-in-law’s for a much need sleep.
All in all, the journey was much better than expected. This was helped by careful planning and careful packing. I would not have liked to make the journey with too much more luggage. I’m glad to prove that not only is it possible to travel with a baby by train but you can do it in style! The views are amazing. From the plains of northern France and Belgium to the hills and mountains of Germany; from the vineyards at Wurzburg to the wind farms and solar panels throughout Germany – there is surely something for everyone.
In fact we thought it was so good that we plan to do it again at Christmas!
Guest contribution by Alice Cowell
There are a number of specific features of self-catering accommodation in Germany, which is not always geared to the needs and expectations of non-German visitors.
Below is a list of the main things – and how the apartments at British owned Bavarian Forest Holidays in Bayerisch Eisenstein differ:
Accommodation is mainly in apartments (Ferienwohnung). Houses (Ferienhaus) are much rarer. Accommodation at Bavarian Forest Holidays is all in self-contained apartments. The 2 and 3 bedroom apartments each take up a complete floor of a house.
Websites: a high proportion of holiday apartments in Germany, especially in country areas, do not have websites and if they do, they are in German only and often contain just a basic description, rarely updated and no booking form. Bavarian Forest Holidays has completely separate German and English websites, with complete descriptions of the apartments and a photo of each room, prices and availability, and a booking form.
Payment: many will require only a small deposit or no deposit at all and then cash payment while you are staying (cheques are almost never used in Germany and places which take credit cards are rare outside the cities). Even if you do not pay in advance, you are still liable for 90% of the rental fee even if you cancel. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, we do require a deposit at the time of booking and the balance at least 2 months before arrival. However, we allow cancellation at any time, for any reason and return to guests the amount which we have received for the new booking(s) with no deductions, up to the full amount paid. A number of guests have benefited from this for cancellations for reasons not covered by travel insurance. We accept payment by Visa or MasterCard or bank transfer.
Beds: the standard German bed is a single, usually 90cm wide and 200cm long. Double beds usually consist of frames 180cm wide and 200cm long, with 2 x 90cm mattresses, side by side. Double beds are usually made up with 2 single sheets and duvets, making them suitable for people who would normally book twin rooms. Duvets and pillows are generally filled with feathers and down. Be aware that it is not considered unusual to have to to pass through one bedroom to get to another. Nor is it unusual to have more than 2 adults sleeping in a bedroom and a sofa bed in the living area – apartments said to sleep 6 people may actually only have 2 rooms: a bedroom with 4 beds (2 people may be sleeping on a sofa bed) and another sofa bed in the kitchen living area. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, all the beds have been bought since 2005. We have some UK doubles (4’6″/140cm wide), especially where bedroom space has been taken for ensuite bathrooms. Duvets and pillows all have synthetic fillings, suitable for people with allergies. All of the bedrooms in our apartments are completely separate, and each has its own door.
Dining room/sitting room: Germans socialise around a ‘dining table’, usually while drinking beer! Sofas and armchairs are only really used when a family is alone and watching TV. Therefore, if space is limited, German accommodation wil tend to have a dining table and chairs for eating and socialising, at the expense of a sofa and armchairs. TVs are usually small. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, all of our apartments have a dining table and chairs and separate comfortable sofas and armchairs, appropriate for the number of guests sleeping in the apartment. Our TVs are all modern with 70cm+ screens. Most are LCD. All have DVD players.
Bathrooms: many bathrooms in holiday rentals have not been modernised since the 1960s/1970s/ Bathroom suites may be orange or avocado. Shower cabinets are the norm, bathtubs are rare. Showers can have extremely deep trays, for washing feet or babies, which can be difficult to get in or out of. Toiletries are rarely provided and if they are, are very basic. Towels are often small and thin. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, all of our bathrooms have been completely renewed since 2005. The shower cabinets are modern with low trays and thermostatic controls for the showers. Many of the basins and taps are now top of the range (Villeroy & Boch, Hans Grohe). All suites are white and we provide very good quality, thick dark blue towels. Our toiletries (liquid soap and shower gel) are environmentally friendly Duchy Originals from the UK.
Kitchens: kettles and teapots are rare but there will normally be a filter coffee machine. Many apartments are not really fitted out for cooking – there may be only 2 eletric rings (sometimes 4) and ovens are not common. Pots, pans, glass and chinaware is often limited in range, old fashioned and may show considerable signs of wear. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, all of our kitchens have kettles, toasters, filter coffee machines, microwaves and a full cooker with 4 ring hob and oven. We supply high quality glass and chinaware, pots and pans, all in good condition, clean and matching.
Smoking is still considered normal and acceptable in Germany and many apartments allow smoking. Many also allow dogs. At Bavarian Forest Holidays we do not allow smoking anywhere on our properties, indoors or outdoors, and dogs may not be brought.
Cleaning: holiday apartments are often offered by guest houses and B&Bs, in the same building. In this case, cleaning may be done on a daily basis, along with the other letting rooms. Final cleaning will always be done after departure by the owner or staff. However, the final cleaning cost, which is unlikely to be more than €50 and often less, may be added to your rental cost but this should be stated in advance. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, we offer a free mid-stay clean if you stay 2 weeks or more and fresh towels mid stay for stays of more than 1 week. Final cleaning is included in the rent and not charged extra unless you stay for less than 4 nights, in which case there is a one-off charge of €35.
Support: apartments in rural areas may provide tourist attraction leaflets but these will normally be in German. Owners may not be able to communicate with guests unless they speak German. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, we provide a large file of specially written information in English on the area and recommended places to visit, good restaurants etc. We have also translated a number of local menus into English. We are normally available at our main reception area, to give advice, sell train/bus tickets, postcards/stamps etc.
Tourist tax – this is levied in many areas. Sometimes it is included in the price, sometimes it is charged extra. It is unlikely to be more than €1-2 per person per night but best to check when booking as it could make a tidy extra sum for a family over a couple of weeks. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, tourist tax is included in all our prices and never charged extra.
In summary, be careful. If a place seems very cheap, there is likely to be a reason: perhaps it has not be modernised or updated for decades. The accommodation may be very small, with little privacy for a family or group. Perhaps there are lots of extra costs: bedlinen & towels, final cleaning, tourist tax. (Electricity and heating are usually included in the basic price but may sometimes be charged extra). Of course, there are good quality gems to be found for very little money in country areas but most cheap places have a downside. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, our apartments are not the cheapest for the area but the price buys quality accommodation with lots of extra facilities, all-in prices and complete peace of mind. The only extras are purely optional: mountain bikes, laundry, sauna, massages and facials, food and drink, postcards, maps, guide book and phrase book. Everything else (including breakfast on your first morning and incidentals such as tea, coffee, sugar, soap, toilet rolls etc for the whole of your stay) is included.
Through the use of hidden cameras, 11 lynx have been found living in the Bavarian Forest. The cameras were located in areas thought to be frequented by lynx, which have very rarely been seen in the area.
The project started with the installation of the first cameras in late 2007. The project leader for the National Park says that, until the photos were taken, the only thing which was known for certain about the lynx was that some lived in the forest. Occasional sightings were reported and tracks were seen. Some lynx were tagged, but this only gave information about their behaviour, not how many there were.
The photographs which were taken have been carefully compared to eliminate animals which were photographed twice. There might be one or two more lynx at the most which have escaped the cameras.
Cameras are now being installed in the Oberpfalz, in order to cover the whole region. Cameras will also be installed in 2009 on the Czech side of the border, to establish the size of the lynx population in the Bohemian Forest.
The lynx in the Bavarian Forest are thought to have crossed the border from the Czech Republic. The lynx population is believed to be declining: three quarters of the young animals are reckoned to die before reaching maturity.
The Bavarian Forest National Park was the 1st National Park in Germany, founded in 1970, and covers a large area from Bayerisch Eisenstein along the Czech border to the South.
The Park contains the largest area between the Atlantic and the Urals where nature is left to its own devices, allowing it to return over time to its natural ‘wilderness’ state.
The Park is 1 of only 3 in Germany which are internationally recognized according to the criterion that at least 75% of the Park area must be untouched by any human activity such as hunting or forestry.
HISTORY
The Forest was originally settled by monks from Niederalteich in the 11th century. From the 14th century onwards, the glass industry developed due to availability of timber and quartz in the area. At the beginning of the 19th century, ownership of the land in the area passed to the Bavarian state and systematic economic development of the forest began. As early as the middle of the 19th century, there were moves to protect the most ancient areas of forest in the area which was designated the first German National Park in 1969. The Park covers an area 40 kilometres long and 6 kilometres wide. One third of the area is above 1,000 feet above sea level.
GEOLOGY
The mountains of the Bavarian Forest were formed in the Tertiary period and reached their final form in the last ice age. The rocks are mainly gneiss and granite. Interesting geological sites are the area of granite blocks on the peak of the Lusen mountain and the Rachel Lake, formed in the last ice age, the only natural mountain lake in the National Park.
A display of typical rocks from the region can be seen next to the Natural Garden at Neuschoenau.
FORESTS
Spruce dominate the lower, valley, areas, up to 700 metres above sea level, with some birch on the moors, and fir.
Mixed forests dominate the slopes between 700 and 1,150 metres, mainly beech and fir. Spruce was not naturally widespread at this altitude but has become dominant through use over the years.
Above 1,150 metres, the slopes are relatively steep and the climate harsher. Here the mixed forests turns naturally into spruce, with occasional rowan berry and mountain ash.
The policy of the National Park is to ‘let nature be nature’ and allow the previously farmed forests to return to natural mixed low mountain forest. In the core of the National Park, nature is allowed to take its course, which means that the Borkenkaefer is allowed free access to the trees, which it kills. The effect of this can be seen on the Rachel and Lusen mountains – to the left if you take the road to Frauenau and Spiegelau. If you get closer, you can see that the forest is already starting to regenerate itself. Around that core area is the area where strenuous efforts are made to control the Borkenkaefer in order to prevent it from destroying the whole forest and migrating to privately owned land around. Currently the core area covers 10,000 hectares.
OTHER VEGETATION
The cool, damp climate and poor soil determine the animals and plants which flourish in the forest. The Forest does not boast a huge number of plant varieties but is home to many special plants which cope with the climatic conditions.
Typical plants of the forest landscape can be seen at the Natural Garden close to Hans Eisenmann Haus at Neuschoenau. More than 700 plant varieties can be seen in the 4 hectare garden, arranged in different types of habitat, all of them labelled. Examples of the plants, raised in the centre’s own nursery, are for sale in the shop.
ANIMALS
There are many threatened species which have found refuge in the National Park: otters, grouse, small owls and many woodpecker varieties. Lynx have returned to the Forest, from the neighbouring Bohemian Forest. Black storks and peregrine falcons have returned. Red deer, roe deer and wild boar are at home here.
The large game animals which are native to the area cannot survive all year within the National Park. In the winter, the high altitude areas where they spend the summers are snowbound and they need to come down to the lower areas which are outside the National Park area. These lower areas are mainly farms, residential or leisure areas or roads and therefore do not provide natural areas where these animals can live. Some animals such as wild boar and roe deer can survive in this situation but red deer cannot find large enough areas, partly due to the legally defined areas in which they can stay and also because of the low tolerance of many forest owners because of the damage they can cause. The structure of the animal population has also be changed by human influence in recent centuries and species such as elk have died out and others which are not indigenous have ventured towards the park. Bears, wolves and lynx became extinct in the first half of the 19th century, resulting in a lack of natural predators for the larger animals. Recently, lynx have come back to the Bavarian Forest, from the Czech Republic, and have helped to regulate the population of larger animals to a limited extent.
There are 3 areas in the National Park where indigenous animals can be seen in large enclosures:
Neuschoenau: because of the density of forests in the National Park, visitors rarely have a chance to glimpse the indigenous wildlife population such as black storks and lynx. The 250 hectare site at Neuschoenau is home to 45 varieties of birds and animals in enclosures which replicate their natural habitat, including bison, lynx, owls, wolves, wild boar, otters, brown bears, squirrels, pine martens, capercaillie, amongst others (Parts of the forest are closed to visit to protect the capercaillie, which are in danger of dying out). The main entrance is at the P1 car park, close to the Hans Eisenmann Visitor Centre. There is no entrance fee for the animal enclosures but there is a fee for parking. The enclosure area is open all year and always accessible. In winter, the paths are cleared and gritted. The paths are well signposted and suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs. The complete route is 7 kilometres and the recommendation is to allow 3-4 hours to complete it. There are 2 short cuts which reduce the distance to 3 kilometres and the time needed to 1 hour.
Ludwigsthal: 4 animal enclosures, with animals which would have lived in the area in ice age times – horses, cattle, lynx and wolves.
Scheuereck red deer enclosures: 9 hectare site with a 300 metre path through the middle and 2 viewing platforms. The enclosures can be visited at any time of year but end September/early October is when the rutting season presents the most exciting experience. There is a covered viewing area so that winter feeding can be observed even during bad weather.
WATER
The watershed between the Danube and the Elbe, between the Black Sea and the North Sea runs roughly along the border with the Czech Republic. Most of the streams rising in the Bavarian Forest flow into tributaries of the Danube: the Ilz and the Regen. Only a few flow across the border into the Elbe. Many of the streams in the forest were cleared and their banks strengthened with stones, to be used for transporting logs, thus losing their original character. The Rachelsee is the only natural mountain lake within the National Park, formed by retreating glaciers. There are also still ponds on the high moors of the forest. The water in the region is very soft and slightly acid.
INFORMATION CENTRES
Hans Eisenmann Haus, Neuschoenau, has information on the National Park and a relief model of the Park. There are slide and film shows and an exhibition on the Eco-System of the National Park. Open 09.00-17.00 every day, closed 2nd week November, reopens 26th December. At or near Hans Eisenmann Haus are animal enclosures, a natural garden and a display of typical rocks.
Haus zur Wildnis, Ludwigsthal, covers the Falkenstein-Rachel area of the National Park, reached by footpath from the car park/railway station at Ludwigsthal, past the model ice age cave and animal enclosures. The centre shows 3D films and has a playroom, shop and restaurant. Open 09.30-17.00 from 26th December to 31st March and 09.30 to 18.00 from 1st April to 2nd week in November. At or near Haus zur Wildnis are animal enclosures and the red deer enclosures at Scheuereck.
FACILITIES FOR CHILDREN
Forest Playground: a 50 hectare site in the forest, with playgrounds, a nature trail and a meadow with barbecue facilities. It can be reached from the ‘Waldspielgelaende Parkplatz’ (car park on the edge of Spiegelau. Follow the Tapfauenauge circular path (suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs) for about 1 hour. Refreshments and toilets are available.
This is probably the most difficult time of year in the Bavarian Forest. The snow is almost always good for skiing and snowboarding until the end of the Easter weekend. But guests are rare at this time of the year – apart from a flurry around Easter weekend. And when you venture down from the mountains, you can see why. Spring is in the air. There are drifts of snowdrops and crocuses. The grass is not only visible but often very bright green. Along one road we travelled yesterday, above the Isar valley, heading for the Danube, we even came across low, green toad fences along the side of the road, making sure that none got run over, directing them to the little tunnels provided for them under the road. And the garden centres add to the problem: racks of spring plants, trees in pots, lots of new pots and gadgets, garden furniture and, of course, the seeds, with their over bright photos of perfect crops. Each trip away from the mountains, seems to involve bringing a little more ‘spring’ back with us – a few more pansies, some particular attractive pots and, of course, some more packs of seeds.
And as we climb back up into the mountains after our trip down into spring, the snow becomes thicker and even the fresh snow from this last week is looking a little grubby. And when we look at the gardens, the depth of snow is still so great that we wonder how long it will take for snow to melt and the ground to defrost. At least the days are getting longer and the temperature is rising. Even though it is unlikely that we have had the last snow fall of the season! Not surprising that the visitors have decided that skiing is something to plan for next season.
I am a vacation rental owner who also books vacation rentals for our own holidays. These are my tips, based on my experience on both sides of the fence!
Assuming that you have decided on the location and the number of people in your party, these are the things to check for – not necessarily in this order: you need to put them in order of importance to you!
1. How many beds in how many bedrooms do you need? Many properties involve some of the party sleeping on sofa beds in living rooms, or on cheap extra beds in bedrooms. If this is your scene, that’s fine. But if some or all of your party have privacy issues, you need to make sure that the property you are considering respects those issues.
2. How many bathrooms do you need? Some couples do not wish to share bathrooms even with their best friends or with their children. Make sure you have the minimum number of bathrooms which will avoid tension.
3. Holiday rentals may also be called self catering but this does not have to mean self cooking. If you want to be able to enjoy a pleasant meal and a drink, you need 1 or preferably more decent restaurants within walking distance.
4. What type of location do you want – city centre (can be noisy but convenient), out in the countryside (quiet but you have to drive to get to shops, restaurants etc.), in a village, sea view etc.
5. For those days when you do want to cook, are there proper facilities? In a hot climate, a barbecue may be all you need. But in a cooler climate or cooler time of year, you want to be sure that you have more than 2 hotplates and preferably also an oven.
6. For the days when you want to hang around the house and relax, what are your priorities for that: a pool, a TV, DVD player and DVDs, indoor or outdoor games?
7. What kind of range of places to visit do you want within, say, 1-2 hours drive?
8. Consider the time of year you want to travel. If it is not peak season, check to what extent the restaurants, museums etc. will be open – if that matters to you.
9. Check out the weather. Make sure it is not going to be a type of weather which is unpleasant to you – too cold, too humid, too many bugs etc.
10. Check out the availability of the property. If the availability chart shows no bookings, don’t bother to inquire. Either the property is undesirable or, more likely, the owner can’t bothered to update the availability, thus wasting your time and theirs, when you inquire about dates already booked. This is inconsiderate of the owner. Favour those owners who answer your inquiries quickly and comprehensively.
11. Pricing. This is a minefield. Make sure you check out ALL the extra charges involved, over and above the basic rental. Bedlinen and towels, final cleaning, air conditioning and many others may carry extra charges. Check out the payment and cancellation terms. Ask and ask again until you are sure you have got the full information. Bear in mind that properties which seems to be priced above or below the market level for the type of property and area may have a reason for this. They may be expensive because they are better than average or cheap because they are worse than average or there may be other reasons. Don’t hesitate to ask.
12. Think about all the places you have stayed before (including hotels and houses of family and friends). What were the things which irritated you? Uncomfortable sofas? Dirty knives and forks? Do you want to be able to smoke or have a non-smoking property? Take a pet with you or be sure there will be no dog hairs anywhere. Duvets instead of sheets and blankets or vice-versa? Think about taking small things with you which will make your stay pleasanter. Like a favourite corkscrew or pillow.
13. Probably the most important thing: if you are looking at an advert for a holiday rental or a website, go down your checklist and tick off the things which are explained there. In these days of the internet, there is no excuse for rental owners not to give all the detailed information which you want. If they have done so on their website, you start off the inquiry process with some confidence that this is an owner who cares about their guests. If the information you need is not there, it may be that they do care but are poor at explaining what they are offering – when it is your own place, it is sometimes easy to overlook things which you need to spell out for potential guests. If you need information which is not in the advert, brochure or website, ask, ask and ask again. An uncaring owner will quickly get fed up with your questions. A caring owner will want to tell you everything you need to know. Even if most of the information is on the website etc., still ask questions. Again, a good owner will not mind giving information which is already available.
No list can offer complete security when booking a holiday rental – only visiting the property beforehand could do that – usually impossible because of distance. But making sure that you check off each of these items on this list – leaving some out if they do not matter to you, adding some others in which are important – will go a good way along the road to a happy holiday. The one issue which cannot be covered in this way is cleanliness but making sure you are booking with a quality owner gives you some security on that issue too.
bavarian forest holidays 