Ex-pat Living in Germany

Recommended Hair Salons in the HEN Area

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Thu, 14 Nov 2019 10:57:00 +0000

**All are recommended by HENhaus members, and are English speaking. When highly recommended is stated, many members have recommended them**

Erlangen

Salon Exquisit Highly recommended, especially Lisa

Erwin Zöbelein

Schlenkrich (esp. Anika Kluge) recommended for highlights/lowlights

Haaratelier - Heike is recommended. Great for both cut and color

Fürth

Pa.blo

Herzogenaurach

Haarstube - highly recommended for cuts and color, esp. Markus, Aurelia, and Steffen

Cut and Color- recommended for coloring, esp. Jasmin

Lauf an der Pegnitz

Noe´s London Style highly recommended, esp for color. excellent baylage

Nuremberg

Haarkunst highly recommended, esp. Jennifer and Stephanie

Die Friseure - recommended fr cut/color, esp. Sebastian

Sandra B. Highly recommended

Duke of Haircuts

Friseur el Classico Recommended for color, esp. baylage

Wiesendorf

Diana Willert - highly recommended by HENhaus members for cut and color.

Pet Care/Dog Sitting Services in the HEN Area

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Wed, 13 Nov 2019 11:25:00 +0000

Websites/Services for finding local pet-sitters:

Pawshake : This site allows you to find dog-sitters and dog-walkers in your area (as well as register to be a dog sitter yourself). Also available in English.

Cat in a Flat: Allows you to find a catsitter in your area (or register to be one yourself).

Katzenfreunde: A cat-sitting club. Contact the club near you. Site only in German.

Betreut.de: Find a local pet (of any kind) sitter.

Local Recommended Pet Boarding/Sitting Services:

Tierpension Haas (Fischbach) - highly recommended by HENhaus members. Takes cats and dogs.

Hundepension Schinker (Fürth) - dog boarding

Sanny´s Hundeservice (Nürnberg) - Dog training, walking, and boarding servies. Note: English speaking.

Mom and Dog (Nürnberg) - Dog walking services, highly recommended by HENhaus members.

Lisa und die Hunde (Hagenbüchach)

Katzenpension Monalisa (Seligenporten) cat boarding

English Speaking Mental Health Professionals in the HEN Area

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Wed, 02 May 2018 08:18:00 +0000

Dr. Tanja Albrecht
Office in Erlangen, and also operates out of Dr. Koch´s office in Herzo on Thursdays
Cooper Thompson
Nuremberg based. HIGHLY recommended by at least ten HENs.
Maria Schmidt
Fürth
Salina Reissinger
Kalchreuth
Meghan Nash
Nürnberg
Mirko Majer
Nürnberg
Norbert Schneider
Fürth

updated Feb 2020

July 2016 - Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 09:52:00 +0000

Holidays (Federal or Bavaria specific) and Important Dates

Events (by no means a complete list)
School Holidays (July 30 - September 12)

Herzo
Summer Festival July 8-17
July 21 - Guided tour of the Town Museum in English
July 22 - Dinner in White, hosted by ZONTA Club
July 30-31 Medieval Festival
Erlangen
June 30 - August 8 - City Beach Erlangen
July 1 - 3 Zollhausfest - Erlangen's largest street festival
July 1 - 4 Bruck Kirchweih
Thursdays through August 6 Erlangen goes Fit- free fitness classes (like them on FB for up to date changes to schedule.
July 8 Rottelheimpark Area Festival
July 9 Ceramic Market
July 16 - 17 Kunigunden Kirchweih, Eltersdorf
July 16 - Found Bike Sale! Bikes abandoned or confiscated and not claimed are auctioned off
July 16-17 Bismark Streetfest
July 22 - 25 City Beach Area Festival
July 24 - Jazz on the Lake
July 29 - August 1 Alterlangen Kirchweih
July 29 - 31 Altstadt Fest
July 31 Erlangen Triathlon

Nürnberg

Every Thursday, City Marketing Nürnberg publishes weekend tips!
Until July 26 City Beach is open
July 1 - Night Flea Market
July 15 - 17 Organic Market

July 25-28 International Singing Competition
July 29-31 Bardentreffen - Music Festival

Other
July 1 - 17 Kiliani Volksfest, Wuerzburg
June 3 - July 3 Mozart Festival, Wuerzburg
July 4 - 10 Hofgarten Weinfest, Wuerzburg
July 13- 25 Weinfest am Stein Wuerzburg
July 15-17 Bamberg Zaubert Magic acts throughout inner city Bamberg
July 22 - August 1 Annafest Forchheim

Other things to do?

Loads of beer related activities- festivals, etc. in and around the Fränkischer Schweiz. See here for a calendar (in German).

Maps of beer/brewery related walking routes in and around the Fränkischer Schweiz here. (in German)

Click here for a list of tours in the area in English, many are indoors (museums).

Visit the Nürnberg Planetarium.

Find a local Beer Keller here!

Check out the German-American Institutes events here.

Events (in German) at the Walderlebniszentrum Tennenlohe (Erlangen) April - September here.

Pick your own berries and currants, and even asparagus! click here or here for a few places in the Nürnberg area. Check the individual websites for more information.

Go (indoor) rockclimbing. Kids just €2,50.

Take the steam engine tour through the Frankische Schweiz €14 adults

Rock cut beer celler tours (Nürnberg) every Sunday 11:30am in English. €5

Take a hike! Link to VGN hiking information site here (English). Combine hiking and beer with the 5 Seidla Tour (English). Hiking trails in and around Herzo here. Nature parks in the region may be found here (link in German, click on interaktiven Karte for the map).

Head to the Frankischer Schweiz (link in English) for breweries, hiking, castles, rock climbing, canoeing and more. An interactive map of hiking trails in the Frankischer Schweiz can be found here.

Take your own wine walk in Nürnberg (link in German, map on right hand side of page)

Bikemap.net has loads of bike paths/routes in and around our area.

Visit a pool or sauna- Atlantis is in Herzo, Nürnberg has many to choose from (link in German), Stein (near Nürnberg) is home of Palm Beach, Bamberg has Bambados Can´t decide?  Schwimmbadcheck is an online review site for public pools, link is in English.

Celebrate all things asparagus at an asparagus festival!

From April - October, take a tasting tour (in German) of Erlangen €26

It´s wine festival time! With so many wineries in the lower Franconian region there´s a festival every weekend. Check out the list (in English) here . The area is about one hour from Nürnberg by train.

April 2016 - Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 10:06:00 +0000

Holidays (Federal or Bavaria specific) and Important Dates

School holidays March 19 - April 3

Events (by no means a complete list)
Herzo
April 9 Slackline Workshop
April 19 Earth Day
April 21 Tour of the Town Museum in English €2
April 30 Bike Fair
Erlangen
March 26 - April 3 Erlangen Spring Festival , Schlossplatz
Until April 2 International Jazz Workshops
April 2 - Flea Market, Bohlenplatz - over 300 vendors
April 3 Open Sunday!
April 5 and 20 Porcelain making workshops €18 plus porcelain
April 9 See the wild horses and more on a guided tour of the Tennenloher Forest €7
April 23 Celebrate 500 years of the Beer Purity Law (various places in Erlangen from Schlossplatz and the Botanical Garden to Entla´s Keller)
Try the Erlangen Beer Crawl to celebrate 500 years of the beer purity law
April 24 - June 6 Böse Clowns exhibit Kunstpalais, Marktplatz 1
April 30 - ADFC Used Bike Sale

Nürnberg

Every Thursday, City Marketing Nürnberg publishes weekend tips!

March 25 - April 10 Spring Volksfest
April 2 - Last day for ice skating at Nürnberg Arena!
April 2 - Night Owl Market an evening flea market with DJ, drinks and dancing
April 8 - Balloons aglow at Nürnberg´s Spring Volksfest
until May 29 Terracotta Army (EXTENDED!), Adults €15 Exhibit also in English
April 14 Nürnberg Street Food Fest, €1 Entry feeBerliner Platz 9
April 22 - August 28 Special Exhibit Documentation Center- School during National Sozialismus
April 30 - May 1 Wine and Taste Festival, tickets from €12
April 30 Earth Day at the German American Institute- Nature Walk €5 per child (German and English)

Other
March 26 - April 19 Easter Fountain time! See here for PDF of Frankischer Schweiz dates
April 1-2 Wine Press Hall Festival, Würzburg
April 2 - Stadtwaldlauf, Fürth 10k or Half Marathon, plus kid´s races
April 9 - Salsa mini-festival, dance workshops €5 Forchheim
April 10 Bike tour of Oberfranken and the Fränkische Schweiz (110 km) Start/end Forchheim
April 14-23 Volksfest, Kulmbach
April 15 - May 1 Spring Festival, Munich
April 16 - 17 - Enjoy Fränkisch food at Fränkische Genusstage, €4 Weißenburg
April 23 - 24 Bierkeller opening weekend, Forchheim See post from last year here.
April 22- 24 Beer Festival, Bamberg
April 23 - May 29 Bavarian Beer Weeks, Eichstätt
April 24- Day of Open Gardens, Bamberg FREE! Visit the gardens (veggie, spice, flower) of Bamberg (Almost) all gardeners will have food/drink available for purchase.
April 24 - Residenz Run, Würzburg
29 April - May 2 Walberlafest, One of Franken´s oldest Spring festivals (near Forchheim)
April 30 - May 15 Culture Days at the Juliusspital, Würzburg

Other things to do?

It´s Bärlauch season!!!

Loads of beer related activities- festivals, etc. in and around the Fränkischer Schweiz. See here for a calendar (in German).

Maps of beer/brewery related walking routes in and around the Fränkischer Schweiz here. (in German)

Click here for a list of tours in the area in English, many are indoors (museums).

Visit the Nürnberg Planetarium.

Find a local Beer Keller here!

Check out the German-American Institutes events here.

Events (in German) at the Walderlebniszentrum Tennenlohe (Erlangen) April - September here.

Pick your own berries and currants, and even asparagus! click here or here for a few places in the Nürnberg area. Check the individual websites for more information.

Go (indoor) rockclimbing. Kids just €2,50.

Take the steam engine tour through the Frankische Schweiz €14 adults

Rock cut beer celler tours (Nürnberg) every Sunday 11:30am in English. €5

Take a hike! Link to VGN hiking information site here (English). Combine hiking and beer with the 5 Seidla Tour (English). Hiking trails in and around Herzo here. Nature parks in the region may be found here (link in German, click on interaktiven Karte for the map).

Head to the Frankischer Schweiz (link in English) for breweries, hiking, castles, rock climbing, canoeing and more. An interactive map of hiking trails in the Frankischer Schweiz can be found here.

Take your own wine walk in Nürnberg (link in German, map on right hand side of page)

Bikemap.net has loads of bike paths/routes in and around our area.

Visit a pool or sauna- Atlantis is in Herzo, Nürnberg has many to choose from (link in German), Stein (near Nürnberg) is home of Palm Beach, Bamberg has Bambados Can´t decide?  Schwimmbadcheck is an online review site for public pools, link is in English.

Celebrate all things asparagus at an asparagus festival!

From April - October, take a tasting tour (in German) of Erlangen €26

March 2016 - Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 06:39:00 +0000

Holidays (Federal or Bavaria specific)

March 25 - Good Friday (Karfreitag) - also a Stilletag (no loud music, dancing forbidden. etc.)

March 26 - Karsamstag. Stilletag also.
March 27 - Easter Sunday (Ostersonntag).

March 24 - Holy or Maundy Thursday (Gründonnerstag). Stilletag.

School holidays March 19 - April 3 Spring Break

Events (by no means a complete list)

Erlangen

March 22 Fleamarket (and plants too!), Rudeltplatz
March 26 - April 3 Erlangen Spring Festival , Schlossplatz

Nürnberg
March 11 Nürnberg Night Market Entry €1
March 12 Nürnberg Street Food Market (Monthly event) Entry €1
March 15 Nuernberg Sport Verein Spring Run(s) Choose from shorter runs for children, 5K or 10K. Nordic Walking and Biking as well! Details here (in German)
March 14-16 The German Irish Friendship Circle is hosting St. Patrick´s Day weekend events (some events are in German, English, and Irish) Ticket prices €20 Friday with special guest Jonny Logan (of Eurovision fame in the 80´s and 90´s) €10 Saturday.
March 15 Rockfabrik hosts a St. Patrick´s Day party with Kilkenny Knights
March 17 Guy Palumbo Irish music, Molly Malone´s - free entry
March 17 TK Maxx opens! Mercado
March 19 - Handmade Market
March 25 - April 10 Spring Volksfest

Herzo
March 17- Guided tour of the City Museum in English €2
March 28 Easter Nest Hunt

Other
March 4 - 6 Health Fair, Bamberg Adults, €6
March 5 - 20 Spring Volksfest, Würzburg
March 9 - 20 Flamenco Festival, Würzburg
March 12 Food Truck Round Up, Bamberg
March 12-13 Franconian Gourmet Fair (Iphofen- 45 minutes from Nberg by train)- Local (Frankisch) gourmet food! Child care available. Note: This is also Open Sunday in Iphofen, stores will be open.
March 14 Delta Moon - Blues, Fürth
March 15, Tina Turner, Bamberg
March 17 - Irish Dance and Music, Hassfurt Tickets from €34
March 18 - Harlem Globetrotters, Bamberg Tickets from €32,95
March 26 - 28 Easter Market, Fränkischer Freiland Museum (Easter Egg Hunt March 27)
March 30 Open Sunday Fuerth - corresponds with their Spring Festival as well (March 29-April 6)

Other things to do?
Explore our area´s many bike paths! (For a Nürnberg map of bike paths, click here) For other cities, start with a google search of your city´s name and Fahrradweg). Maps are available in most book stores for under €5.

Visit the Easter fountains in the Frankischer Schweiz.

Beer kellers and gardens that closed for the season begin to re-open! Try Forchheim´s famous Kellerwald (click here for map and description in German). It´s little less than 30 minutes train ride from Nberg Hbf and then a bit of a walk.

Head out to a local soccer game. The season reopened end of February. Tip: For those with children with short attention spans, some clubs offer free admission for the second half.

Kick-Fabrik - Nürnberg indoor soccer and mini-golf

Bowling (Google kegeln or bowling and your town´s name)

Visit an indoor pool or sauna- Atlantis is in Herzo, Nürnberg has many to choose from (link in German), Bamberg has Bambados Can´t decide? Schwimmbadcheck is an online review site for public pools, link is in English.

December 2015 - Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 16:23:00 +0000

Holidays (Federal or Bavaria specific) and Important Dates
December 25, 26 Christmas (note: stores will be closed after mid afternoon December 24)
Note: December 27 is a Sunday, so stores will be closed for THREE days! See below for some things that are open in the area.
December 31 New Year´s Eve (stores will be closed early)
See here for last year´s post on New Year´s Eve (Silvester) traditions in Germany.

School holidays December 24 - January 6, 2015

Events (by no means a complete list)

Herzo
December 1 - 18 Children´s Christmas Huts- arts and crafts from 2-5pm, see link for additional activities
December 1-24 Living Advent Calendar- the door is opened at 5pm and followed by music
December 3-6 Christmas Market
December 5 - City walk with the Mayor - free of charge, 2:30 pm

Erlangen
December 10 - January 10 Erlangen on Ice, Erlangen´s ice skating rink opens Schlossplatz NOTE: No longer free. Children under 6 Free, 7-17 €2, Adults €3
Through December 24 Forest Christmas Market, Schlossplatz
Through December 23 Historic or Middle AgesChristmas Market
December 5 - 24 Christmas Tree Market, Schlossplatz
December 6 - Siemens Choir Christmas Concert
December 13 Antique/Flea Market, Parkplatzstraße
December 17 - New York Gospel Stars, tickets from €24,50
December 21 - Swanlake

Nürnberg

Every Thursday, City Marketing Nürnberg publishes weekend tips!

Through December 21- Take a Glühwein tour of the city on an old fashioned street car €16

Through December 23- Special at the Planetarium - The Three Christmas Stars

Through December 24 Christkindlesmarkt!

See here for other smaller Christmas markets in the city.

Through December 24 (weekends only!) Living Nativity Scenes, Nürnberg Zoo

Through March 2016- Segway Indoor Parcourse - Kickfabrik Friday, Saturday, Sunday (link in German, upper right for translation tool)

Through December 20 - Glühwein Streetcar tours

December 4-14 Fine Arts and Crafts Market at the Stadtmuseum Fembohaus

December 5 - Christmas in Africa, Hand-Sachs-Platz Tickets €6,50

December 7 - Open Sunday Altstadt

December 8 - Moya Brennan, Irish Christmas tour, tickets from €27

December 12, 26- The Wizard of Oz, tickets €26.85

December 12-13 Winterkiosk - Alternative Christmas Market- organic, free trade, etc. items

December 14 - Swanlake, tickets from €29

December 17 - January 10 Flic-Flac Christmas show- aerial dancers, acrobats, etc. Seems a bit like Cirque du Soleil tickets from €7,27- €48,18 **also runs on Christmas Day and 26th!

Other

Click here for a previous post about the area´s Christmas Markets, and what makes each special.
See here for goings on in the Fränksiche Schweiz (link in German)
Through December 13 Circus Roncalli, Bayreuth Tickets from €16

Through December 23 Christmas Market, Fürth (also has a Middle Ages Market)

Through January 6 Bamberg´s 39 Nativity Scenes are up! Walking map of the Nativity Trail here. More info at the tourist center.

Through January 6 Nativity Museum Hirschaid, nativity scenes from around the world Free

December 4 Leipzig Philharmonic Advent Concert, Fürth Tickets from €39

December 5 - The Cashbags, Johnny Cash tribute band, Bayreuth

December 5 - Salsa Navidad (including course!) €6,50, Bamberg See link for other salsa events

December 5 - Long shopping night (until midnight!), Bamberg

December 6 - Adventsmarkt, Frankische Schweiz Museum, Pottenstein

December 5 - Niklauslauf, Forcheim- Up to 5k run (also children and baby runs)

December 5 - Shopping Night, Bamberg- stores open until midnight!

December 8 - Musical Christmas - most in English!, Erfurt tickets from €39,90

December 10 - The Nutcracker, performed by the Russian National Ballet Theater, Schweinfurt, tickets from €32

December 10 - Lord of the Dance, Regensburg, tickets from €55

December 12 - Swanlake, Würzburg, tickets from €43

December 18 - New York Gospel Stars, Fürth, tickets from €24,50

December 21 - Short Film Day, Hof

December 25 - The Nutcracker, Russian National Ballet, Würzburg,tickets from €25

Other things to do?

It´s Bockbier Anstich time! That time of year that the Bockbier kegs are tapped. Find a list of local Anstichen (the celebration the day the first keg is tapped) here.

New to the area? Click here for a list of tours in the area in English.

From September to April - Public ice skating at Nürnberg Arena (W, Th, F, Sunday- during school holidays and feiertage also Monday and Tuesday).

Day trip to Kulmbach, a beautiful city known for it´s beer. (1.5 hours from Nürnberg).

Take a day ski trip! Loads of companies organize them. Wöhrl, Jochen Schweizer,Snowstars, Intersport (ask at the store for brochures) for example.

Sign up for a class at the Volkshochschule. In addition to language classes, they offer wine tasting classes, exercise classes, art classes, and excursions/tours! (and more!)

Take the Bamberg Beer Tasting Tour €22 Self guided, comes with backpack and allows you 5 beers at various breweries.

Other suggested day trips (earlier post on this blog) here.

Take your own wine walk in Nürnberg (link in German, map on right hand side of page).

Cycling and hiking tours (or self guided) in the Würzburg wine region here.

Bike the Regnitz Bike Path between Nürnberg and Bamberg- information and various tours to take (in German) here.

Take a self guided tour of Erlangen. Or any one of these can be booked in English.

VGN has suggested walks and bike rides on their website (in English). Vineyard walk here, Rocks and caves walk here. See all of VGN´s suggestions for things to do here (in English). In German, you can read about all of their leisure bus lines and suggested routes/things to see and do in the area, a few are described in English here.

In or around Herzo? Information on hiking paths can be found here in English.

Have you visited Forchheim? An adorable city less than 45 minutes away from Nürnberg, information in English, including a self guided tour brochure for download here.

Visit the Nürnberg Planetarium.

Go (indoor) rockclimbing. Kids just €2,50. Other indoor climbing in Erlangen and Bamberg

Rock cut beer celler tours (Nürnberg) every Sunday 11:30am in English. €5

Take a hike! Link to VGN hiking information site here (English). Combine hiking and beer with the 5 Seidla Tour (English). Hiking trails in and around Herzo here. Nature parks in the region may be found here (link in German, click on interaktiven Karte for the map). Franken Tourist center suggested hikes here (right side), biking here.

Head to the Frankischer Schweiz (link in English) for breweries, hiking, castles, rock climbing, canoeing and more. An interactive map of hiking trails in the Frankischer Schweiz can be found here.

Visit a pool or sauna- Atlantis is in Herzo, Nürnberg has many to choose from (link in German), Stein (near Nürnberg) is home of Palm Beach, Bamberg has Bambados Can´t decide? Schwimmbadcheck is an online review site for public pools, link is in English.

Open during the holidays (December 24-26 and/or 31 see websites for more info)
Ice Skating at Nürnberg Arena.
See here for special opening times for Nürnberg City sights (Albrecht-Durer house, DB Museum, Deutsches Museum, etc.)
Boulder Halle (Erlangen and Bamberg) advertises open all holidays at 9am, I would call to be certain, but...
Tucherland
Nürnberg Zoo
Planetarium Nürnberg
Kick-Fabrik Indoor mini-golf, soccer, and more. Open every holiday but the 26th

Christmas Concert - December 6, 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 08:10:00 +0000

The Siemens Choir will be having a Christmas concert on December 6 in Erlangen. A brief introduction will be given in English, and a large portion of the carols will also be in the English language. Learn more about the Siemens Choir here.

Tickers €12 in advance, €15 at the door.

2015 Christmas Markets in the HENhaus Area

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Wed, 18 Nov 2015 09:14:00 +0000

With just about four weeks of Christmas Market time, and sooo many to choose from, I thought it might be fun to note the (totally subjective) highpoints and/or lowpoints of some local Markets! Note: Times listed are by train to the city itself, rather than the Market itself, using Nürnberg Hbf as a reference point.

An overview of Christmas Markets in 14 Franconian cities (in English) can be found here. For Christmas Markets in Bavaria centered around castles and gardens, see here.

Never been to a Christmas Market in Germany? The Local has a visual guide to what to expect, Grounded Traveler wrote a bit more.

Augsburg (2 hours)
Augsburg´s Market, with more than 130 booths, is open November 23-December 24 (Monday-Thursday, Sunday, 10-8pm, Fri-Sat 10-9:30pm). What differenciates this market from the rest are the Angel Performance (Fri-Sun 6pm, December 23 7 pm) where 24 Angels (representing 24 days of Advent) perform at the Rathaus which is turned into a living Advent Calendar. Also noteworthy is the Fairytale Street where moving window displays tell a fairytale.
NOTE: November 27 the market is open until midnight!

Bamberg (45 minutes from Nürnberg)

Photo: Eva Acoff used with permissio

Bamberg´s main Christmas Market is open at Maxplatz November 26th – December 23rd
Monday till Saturday: 09:00 till 20:00
Sunday: 11:00 till 20:00. Though nice, it´s not anything out of the ordinary. Glühwein, ornaments, scarves, etc. for sale.

From November 27-29 by St. Elizabeth´s Church (Sandstraße), however, is a fantastic traditional market featuring all home made wares. More info here.

December 12 - 13 Don Bosco Christmas Market with over 50 artists selling handmade goods. Jakobsplatz 5.

Not a Weihnachtsmarkt, but related to Christmas, Bamberg is world renowned as a city of Nativity Scenes. Plan your walk around town to the about 400 Nativity scenes (link in English to descriptions of each Nativity. The broschure Krippenstadt Bamberg available at the Tourist Info Center and Rathaus with a map) at 40 different stops. The Bamberg Navity Museum is not to miss, with nativities from around Germany, and around the world.

Cadolzburg (45 minutes)

Cadolzburg´s Advent Market is open November 29-30 and recommended by several HENhaus members as a favorite!. This market features homemade items for sale. The castle looks "like a fairytale".

From Bayern.by "On 29 and 30 November the Cadolzburg near Fürth is also celebrating Advent. Thetraditional artisans’ market takes place in the medieval atmosphere of the castle’s bailey, where numerous stall-holders offer jewellery, textiles, handicrafts, ceramics and floral art. The seasonal activities are not confined to the castle: on the Marktplatz and the Pisendelplatz of the little town of Cadolzburg itself there is also an Advent market, surrounded by historical half-timbered houses.

Artisans’ market at the Cadolzburg
28 - 29 November, Saturday 2-7pm, Sunday 11am-7pm
Admission free"

Coburg (1.75 hours)
Coburg and region really outdo themselves for Christmas. The Christmas Market itself is open from November 27-December 23 11am - 8pm every day!

More information here.

Erlangen (17 minutes)
Erlangen has two Christmas Markets, open November 25 - December 24.
By Schlossplatz is the Forest Market, the Erlanger Waldweihnacht, with more of a forest atmosphere. I love the mulch on the ground, and the trees that look like this, it´s a personal favorite.

TIP: The Kinderbackstube- kids can bake their own Erlanger Wichtel (€2, estimated time 30 minutes). Reserve a spot here. There is also a wreath making station.

TIP: Erlangen on Ice (free ice skating, just pay skate rental) is right there as well!

The Medieval Christmas Market in Erlangen is also recommended. Entertainment, cosy open fires, and more. This one gets very crowded, so get their early.

More on both in English here.

Forchheim (40 minutes)

Adorable Forchheim hosts a fantastic Christmas Market from November 29 - December 24 (12-8 pm daily, December 24 9am - 1pm). The highlight is Advent Calendar deemed the most beautiful in the world (per their website, of course) located at the Rathaus. Live music starts at 5:30 daily, the window opening by the Forchheim Christmas Angel at 6:30pm. Forchheim is also well known for their Nativity Trail. A downloadable map of their Nativity Trail, or Krippenweg, and more information in German can be found here.

TIP: Take a tour of the Christmas Market, including some of the Nativity Trail for €6 in English. This also includes a mug of Glühwein, Lebkuchen (ginger bread).

TIP: The market extends all the way from Sattlertorstraße to the Kaiserpfalz, be sure to see it all!

Fürth (7 minutes)

Fürth also has several Christmas Markets to choose from.

The Altstadtweihnachtsmarkt runs from the 4th to 13th of December. Highlight? The Nightwatchman closing the market at 8pm.

The Fürther Weihnachtsmarkt runs from November 26 - December 23 daily 10a - 11pm. A 5 minute walk from the main train station. Attached to this market,, is a Middle Ages Market. Small, but cozy, with loads of open fires to sit by, link to their Facebook page, with photos from last year here.

TIP: For a nice break from traditional Christmas Market fare, eat at the Middle Ages Market. Last year they had loads of soups, sandwiches made from hemp bread, Irish food, among other items.

Herzogenaurach

Also recommended by a HENhaus member, the Herzogenaurach Weinachtsmarkt is from December 4-6. More information, and the daily program in English may be found here.

Nordheim (1.75 by train, 1.25 by car)
In Franconian wine country, and only on the weekends of November 21-22 and 28-29! Recommended by a member as being well worth the trip for their " art gallery, wine tasting counter, indoor shops, and local Weihnacht Quintet". Click here for more info and directions.

Nürnberg

Photo: Roland Berger, Wikipedia

Dating back to 1628, one of the oldest Christmas markets in Germany. With 180 stands, one of the largest and most famous as well! The famous Christkind will open the Market in a ceremony at 5:30 on opening day, November 27, and make appearances throughout the Market time. Loads of traditional "Christmas Market Stuff" and more. Highlights include the stagecoach, or horse and carriage rides (info here), the Market of the Sister Cities with gift and food items from Nürnberg´s 20 sister and partner cities around the world (personal favorite), the Children´s Market Kinderweihnacht with hands on activities for kids to do, and the lantern procession where 1,500 children take to the streets, lead by the Christkind, carrying lanterns (December 10. 5:45pm this year). More info, including a plan of the many stands and the program of events can be found here. Information specifically geared towards a visit with children can be found here.

TIP: Weekends and Opening Day are crowded. Get there early.

The Handwerkerhof (near the Hbf) is also a great place to visit during Christmas season.

Regensburg (about 1 hour)

Regensburg has several Christmas Markets to choose from from November 26 - December 23. More information here.

The Romantic Christmas Market at Schloss Thurn and Taxis was recommended by several HENhaus members. This market focuses on handmade regional crafts, and is normally less crowded than the Altstadt Market. Especially noted were the many log fires around the castle courtyard to sit by. TIP: The Princess of Thurn und Taxis welcomes the guests from the castle balcony every night and recites the Christmas Story. The Christkind recites poems. Entry M-F €6,50 adults, weekends €8,50. Kids €2 Under 6 free

TIP: Accoding to a HENhaus member, waiting for the reduced rates (after 8pm M-F, 9 pm S-Sun) are not worth it. During those times the market is SUPER busy.

While there, take a tour of the city. Information about regularly scheduled guided tours in English here.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber (1.5 hours)

Photo: Wikipedia

One of the area´s prettiest (and most visited!) cities, with winding paths,the Rothenburg Reitleresmarkt goes from November 27- December 23 throughout the small city. More on the market, and why it´s called the Reitleresmarkt (as opposed to Weihnachtsmarkt) here in English. The town prides itself on their Schneeballs.

TIP: On Fridays and Saturdays the Town Tower will be open, allowing visitors a view over the city and the magical market.

TIP: SUPER small town, SUPER popular with tourists, not only those going as a family, but boat and bus tours that come in groups of hundreds at a time......all year round, and especially at Christmas. Allow extra time for everything.

Vilshofen (about 2 hours)

The Schwimmender Christkindlmarkt is not only lines the river Danube, but part of it is takes place on ships ON the Danube. Friday- Sundays only, November 27 - December 13. Friday 4-8pm, Saturday 2-8 pm, Sunday, 1-8pm.

Würzburg (1.25 hours)

The Würzburg Market runs from November 27 - December 23 (Mon-Sat 10a - 8:30p, Sun 11a- 8:30p) in the in the upper and lower Market Squares. Over 100 stalls.

A PDF of Christmas related tours, etc. can be found here.

TIP: On weekends a city tour by train is available during Advent season. €8 Adults, €6 children, about 40 minutes.

TIP: There is a local artisan´s market at the Rathaus (November 27 - December 23, 10a-8:30p Mon - Friday, 11a- 8:30p Sundays, enter at Domstraße). You can watch local artisans create pottery, blow glass, work with iron, etc. as well as purchase hand made gifts. Entrance: free.

These are just some of the bigger Christmas Markets in the area, or those that have been recommended. Want to find a Weihnachtsmarkt near you? Use the Christmas Market finder here (in German), just type in your zip code (PLZ).

Supermarkets in the HENhaus Area - or where to buy what (specialty foods for expats)

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Tue, 06 Oct 2015 12:20:00 +0000

NOTE: Many supermarkets have the same name, but are independently owned and operated, and may not carry the same products. To find a location near you, click on the supermarket´s name (link) and go to "Filialfinder"- from there, put in your PLZ.

See here for the Toytown Germany wiki about American and British foods in Germany. Though it is focused on Munich, much rings true here as well. Well worth to read in it´s entirety, as there are also links to food subsitution sites, reviews of websites that send food overseas, etc.

Larger Supermarkets
Larger Supermarkets will more likely have a butchery and cheese section where you can get products cut to your liking, or get advice on what to purchase.

Real - Most Reals will have International aisles- with specialties from USA, Mediterranean countries, Japan, China, Russia, etc.
Real also carries household goods, limited appliances and electronics and sporting goods. In the produce section, local items are often stocked together.

PG Tipps
Newman´s Own Caesar Salad dressing
Kraft Mac and Cheese
Campbell´s Tomato Soup.
Ritz Crackers (snack aisle)
Marshmallow Fluff (sweets aisle)
Heinz Baked Beans
Heinz Tomatoe Soup

Rewe (note: has limited delivery service)
Limited salad bars in most stores. Focus here is on food, rather than other goods. Most larger Rewe´s have an international section.

Karamellcreme (similar to Dulche de Leche)
A&W Root Beer
Cream Sodas
Hellmann´s Mayonaisse
Corn Starch (Maiz Starker)
Pimms (Karlzuckerstraße)
See here for prior post on Rewe Getränkemarkt Bamberg Pödeldorferstraße

Edeka also focuses on food, other than Edeka Super Centers which have other household/sports/small appliance items.

Dr. Oetker Double Cream (similar to UK Double Cream)
Okra (jarred)
Corn Starch (Maiz Starker)
Pimms (Alterlangen)
Fondant, icing, food coloring, cake decorations (Alterlangen)
McVities Digestives (Alterlangen)

Kaufland, like Real, a larger supermarket carrying limited appliances, electronics, toys, sporting goods.

Filo dough Filotieg
Plantains
Cathedral City Cheddar
Wheetabix

Globus (Forchheim) The largest supermarket in the area, closest thing to a WalMart.

Tegut
Uncle Cracker Natsnacks (similar to Triscuit) - Paprika, Natural and Olive Oil/Pepper flavors

Karstadt, Nürnberg (Perfetto)
Mint Jelly
Clotted Cream
Mint Sauce
Frank´s Hot Sauce
Betty Crocker cake mixes and frostings

Discount Supermarkets: Discount supermarkets are smaller and have therefore a more limited selection. They make up for this by having special "weeks" when specialty products are sold (Italian week, American week, Austrian week, etc.). The discount supermarkets also alternate their non-food items by week- kitchen week, garden tool, knitting items week, running week, etc. Check their circulars for current specials.

Discount supermarkets will only sell pre-packaged cheese and meats (no butchery for example).

Norma Norma carries a variety of brand name items as well as their own brand. Norma´s produce focuses on local items when available, and they are clearly labeled as such.

Bacon Aufschnitt is the closest I have found to American bacon

Aldi Aldi carries mostly their own brand. Brand name items can occasionally be found.

Hummus
English Bacon (thinner)

Lidl Lidl carries their own brands of items, as well as a limited selection of brand name items. Lidl´s British week usually includes rather good (and inexpensive) cheddar cheese.

Caesar salad with chicken and parmesan- pre packaged. While it inexplicably comes with noodles, I´ve found that dressing the closest to American style Caesar dressing.
Reduced fat ground beef (pre-packaged)

During Specialty Week (list from English Native Speakers in Germany)
Baked Beans
Blackcurrant Juice
Caramel Shortbread
Cheddar Cheese
Cod Fillets
Corned Beef
Fish & Chips
Jams
Shortbread
Whisky
Yogurts

Netto Nettor markets itself as brand name for less.

Bio Markets - While most supermarkets carry organic (or bio) products, these carry ONLY organic products.
Denn`s

Ebl

Specialty Markets

MixMarkt (site in English)- Carries a variety of international foods, focus on Russian, Polish, Czech foods at my local branch. Great selection of pierogies. Locations in Bamberg, Forchheim, Nürnberg.

DM Not a supermarket, rather a drogerie, they carry lines of (canned/dried/boxed) bio products, gluten free and lactose free products.

Waltmann, Erlangen Not a supermarket, but a FANTASTIC place for cheese. They also hold cheese seminars/classes.

Delicatessen Müller, Bamberg Carries a number of marinades, sauces, as well as their own (fresh or frozen). Carries Stonewall Kitchen marinades and sauces (USA) and Spice Islands spice mixes (USA)

Mex-Al, Forchheim A restaurant supplier for local Mexican shops, they also sell to the public. You can visit their store in Forchheim, or order online.

Australiss, Erlangen Australian specialty foods

Mercato Di Dio (Nürnberg and Bamberg) Large supermarket with Italian specialties- including fresh fish! Both locations also have small restaurants.

Culinaria Italia, Bamberg Italian specialties, as well as dine in restaurant during business hours. Also takes online orders.

Ghandi Asian Shop (near Erlangen Bahnhof) Often has cilantro, random Johnson´s baby products, self rising flour, Nestle condensed milk, and PG Tipps.

DLB Shop, Fürth, Order online or visit their shop for American food and household items

American Store, Frauengasse 19, Nürnberg (note: website reflects just clothing. The store has food)

British Empire Shop, Nürnberg Second floor of the store has some British food items

PC-Icebox Oberasbach Advertises that they have over 2,000 American items in their shop

Celebrate Navratri in Erlangen!

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 13:09:00 +0000

Celebrate the Indian festival of Navratri in Erlangen!

The event, to be held at Pacelli-Haus, costs just €8 per person. The details of the event can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/ErlangenGarba2014
For more information, email erlangen.garba@gmail.com

October 2015 - Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Sun, 27 Sep 2015 11:46:00 +0000

Holidays (Federal or Bavaria specific) and Important Dates
October 3 - Day of German Unity (Tag der Deutschen Einheit). NOTE: Stores closed
October 31 - Reformation Day (Reformationstag).

Photo: James Damion at www.damionphoto.com Used with permission.

School holidays
NONE!

Events (by no means a complete list)
Herzo
October 1 - 4 - Guangxi (China) Acrobats - Tickets €25 - €39

Erlangen
October 11 - Flea Market, Großparkplatz Innenstadt
October 17 - Bockbier Anstich, Kitzmann Brewery
October 17 - Wood Carving Course (for children), Botanical Garden
October 18 - Open Sunday, Innenstadt
October 24 - Long Night of Science- 6pm - 1pm Nürnberg, Erlangen, Furth. Tickets from €10 Special Children´s Programs in all cities. All info in German.
October 31 - Halloween Party, Copacabana
October 31- Night Flea Market 6pm - 10pm Heinrich Lades Halle

Nürnberg
September 17 - October 4 Fall Market
October 3 - City Run - Nürnberg
October 9 - 11 Day of Open Doors Nürnberg. Every 2 years Nürnberg institutions open their doors to the public. This years theme is the country in the city. Program (in German) here.
October 9 - Night Flea Market - Special this year, street food from Thailand
October 9 - 18 Circus Probst adult tickets from €16
October 10 - Barluath (Scottish Folk Music), tickets €18,20 Folk Club Reihe
October 14 - 18 International Jazz Festival adult tickets without discount €22
October 17 - 18 Ceramic Market, Hauptmarkt
October 23 - November 1 Lebkuchen (Gingerbread) Market, near Lorenzkirche
October 24 - November 1 Consumenta Bavaria´s largest consumer fair.
October 24 - Long Night of Science- 6pm - 1pm Nürnberg, Erlangen, Furth. Tickets from €10 Special Children´s Programs in all cities. All info in German.

Other
Sept 4 - November 8 Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival (largest in the area)
Sept 5 - October 4 Bavarian Ecological Days (area wide, see website in German)
Sept 19 - October 4 Oktoberfest, Munich
October 2 - Wine walk Hammelburg
October 2 - 4 Pumpkin Festival, Muggendorf (frankische schweiz)
October 3 - 4 Pumpkin Festival, Altendorf
October 3 - 24 Michaelsikirchweih, Fürth
October 4 - Open Sunday, Fürth
October 4 - Jahrmarkt, Forchheim
September 26 - October 11 - Walking Weeks, Eichstatt
October 3 - Antique Market, Bamberg (over 450 vendors)
October 3-4 Historic Kirchweih and Hand Work Markt, Eichstatt
October 4 - Federweißen Fest - Zeilitzheim
October 4 - Pumpkin Festival, Altendorf (near Bamberg)
October 8 - 16 Fall Hiking Week Rothenburg o.d.T. Daily free hikes around the city and area.
October 11 - Apple Market, Oberhaid
October 10, 17, 24, 31- Beer walk (10 km, 6 breweries) Waischenfeld €10
October 24 - 25 Jazz Festival, Würzburg
October 24 - Long Night of Science- 6pm - 1pm Nürnberg, Erlangen, Furth. Tickets from €10 Special Children´s Programs in all cities. All info in German.
October 24 - Burker Wine Festival, Forchheim
October 24 - November 8 Autumn Fair, Würzburg
October 25- Open Sunday, Schweinfurt
October 31 - Halloween Tour, Bamberg (€4 children, €7 adults) 5pm. Note at 8pm is a tour just for adults.
October 31 - Nov. 8 Fall Festival and Volksfest, Rothenburg o.d.T.

Other things to do?

It´s Bockbier Anstich time! That time of year that the Bockbier kegs are tapped. Find a list of local Anstichen (the celebration the day the first keg is tapped) here.

It´s young wine time. Starting Over In Stuttgart blog has a great post on the subject here.

New to the area? Click here for a list of tours in the area in English.

From September to April - Public ice skating at Nürnberg Arena (W, Th, F, Sunday- during school holidays and feiertage also Monday and Tuesday).

Day trip to Kulmbach, a beautiful city known for it´s beer. (1.5 hours from Nürnberg).

Sign up for a class at the Volkshochschule. In addition to language classes, they offer wine tasting classes, exercise classes, art classes, and excursions/tours! (and more!)

Take the Bamberg Beer Tasting Tour €22 Self guided, comes with backpack and allows you 5 beers at various breweries.

Other suggested day trips (earlier post on this blog) here.

Take your own wine walk in Nürnberg (link in German, map on right hand side of page).

Visit the corn maze at Beerenland.

Cycling and hiking tours (or self guided) in the Würzburg wine region here.

Bike the Regnitz Bike Path between Nürnberg and Bamberg- information and various tours to take (in German) here.

Take a self guided tour of Erlangen. Or any one of these can be booked in English.

VGN has suggested walks and bike rides on their website (in English). Vineyard walk here, Rocks and caves walk here. See all of VGN´s suggestions for things to do here (in English). In German, you can read about all of their leisure bus lines and suggested routes/things to see and do in the area, a few are described in English here.

Frankenkids has put together a list of family friendly beer gardens in the area. Scroll down here.

KERWA SEASON! Though Kerwas or Kirchweihs can be found year round, October seems to be the end of the "season". Bamberg and vicinity here. Nürnberg (PDF) here, see here for links to the websites when available. Highlights of Erlangen´s Kirchweihs and other events here. Frankischer Schweiz Kirchweihs here. Click here (see left hand side) for Franken in general.

Kletterwald (link to  Rothenberg o.d. Tauber) or climbing forests are fun for kids of all ages. Pottenstein and Bad Staffelstein are also not far away, and close enough for a day trip. Prices vary, but around €15 per child, €20 per adult for 3-4 hours.

In or around Herzo? Information on hiking paths can be found here in English.

Have you visited Forchheim? An adorable city less than 45 minutes away from Nürnberg, information in English, including a self guided tour brochure for download here. Altstadtfest is June 26 - 28 of this year. Information here.

Check out the Fränkisches Freiland Museum, Bad Windsheim - great with kids.

Visit the Nürnberg Planetarium.

Find a local Beer Keller here! My personal favorites here.

Go (indoor) rockclimbing. Kids just €2,50.

Rock cut beer celler tours (Nürnberg) every Sunday 11:30am in English. €5

Take a hike! Link to VGN hiking information site here (English). Combine hiking and beer with the 5 Seidla Tour (English). Hiking trails in and around Herzo here. Nature parks in the region may be found here (link in German, click on interaktiven Karte for the map). Franken Tourist center suggested hikes here (right side), biking here.

Head to the Frankischer Schweiz (link in English) for breweries, hiking, castles, rock climbing, canoeing and more. An interactive map of hiking trails in the Frankischer Schweiz can be found here.

Visit a pool or sauna- Atlantis is in Herzo, Nürnberg has many to choose from (link in German), Stein (near Nürnberg) is home of Palm Beach, Bamberg has Bambados Can´t decide?  Schwimmbadcheck is an online review site for public pools, link is in English.

From April - October, take a tasting tour (in German) of Erlangen €25

Go to a beer keller or garden! Try Forchheim´s famous Kellerwald (click here for map and description in German). It´s little less than 30 minutes train ride from Nberg Hbf and then a bit of a walk.

It´s wine festival time! With so many wineries in the lower Franconian region there´s a festival every weekend. Check out the list (in English) here (in English). The area is about one hour from Nürnberg by train.

Erlangen (and Nürnberg?) Goes Fit- Free Fitness Classes this Summer!

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 09:09:00 +0000

Back again this year is Erlangen goes Fit! Free Yoga, Zumba, and Less Mills Body Combat courses held every Thursday through August 20 (through August 6 at Georg-Hahn-Schule, August 13, 20 Parkplatz at Michael-Vogel-Strasse).

5pm - Zumba
6pm - Yoga
7pm - Les Mills Body Combat

No need to register, just show up!

As these courses are outdoors, classes may be cancelled due to weather. Like their page on Facebook for up to the minute information.

Nürnberg goes Fit had updated their website and FB page to indicate that they would be continuing this Summer, but there seems to be no additional information. Like their page on Facebook for updated information.

July 2015 - Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:17:00 +0000

Holidays (Federal or Bavaria specific) and Important Dates
NONE!

School holidays
NONE!

Events (by no means a complete list)
Herzo
Through end of July- various music, etc. through Borderless Culture
July 2 -12 Sommerkirchweih
July 16 White Dinner Article and pictures from last year here. Entry €10

Erlangen
July 2 (and 16) Live music at Entla´s Keller
July 4 (and July 26) Flea Market, Bohlenplatz
July 5 Day of Franken, Schlossplatz
July 5 - 6 Kirchweih, Bruck
July 9 - August 12 Schlossstrand Castle Beach open! Relax on the "beach" in the middle of the city.
July 18 - 19 Bismarck Street Festival, Bismarckstrasse Free
July 18 - 19 Kunigunden Kirchweih, Eltersdorf
July 29 Classical Music by the Lake, Dechsendorf Tickets from €35 The theme this year is "An Italian Summer Trip"
July 31- August 2 Altstadtfest, Kirchenplatz
July 31 - August 3, Alterlangen Kirchweih, near Regnitzgrund (no "real" website found)

Nürnberg

Every Thursday, City Marketing Nürnberg publishes weekend tips!
Until July 26 - City Beach Palm trees, pool bar, massage tent and more!

July 4 - Pilates in the Park , Wöhrder Wiese MS Benefit 16:00- Event is in English and German, Free but donations to the Deutsche Multiple Sklerose Geselleschaft gratefully accepted. Children´s yoga/dance and picnic follow. Note: Performance Fit Pilates offers yoga, pilates and more in English. Adult ballet classes have just begun!
July 17 - 19 Experience Organic Fair- Organic foods, wellness, cosmetics, more. Hauptmarkt. Free English broschure here. Special events for children.
July 17 - 19 Art Street Festival, under the THeodor-Heuss Bridge
July 26 Holi Fest Tickets from €15 here
July 26 (and August 8) Classical Open Air, classical music and wine in the park. Family concert 11am, Adults 8pm Free
July 30 - August 2 Bardentreffen Music Festival! Free
Other
June 20 - July 4 Festungsflimmern, Würzburg Open Air movies at Fortress Marienburg €8,50 per show.
July 3-5 African Cultural Festival, Forchheim Most events free.
July 3 - 19 Kiliani Volksfest, Würzburg
July 9 - 12 Bavarian Jazz Weekend, Regensburg
July 10 - 12 International Samba Fest, Coburg Tickets between €12 and €20 per day depending on day.
July 10 - 26 Knight Festival (and Market), Kaltenberg (near Munich) Largest in the world. Ticket prices vary. Link in English.
July 11-12 Little Garden Club Fest, Bamberg Get up close to the little gardens! Children´s program. Free.
July 17 - 19 Bamberg Zaubert- Bamberg´s festival of magic! Street performers, acrobrats, fire throwers throughout the inner city. Free. Fantastic for children!

Photo: http://www.infranken.de/Bamberg+zaubert./

July 17 - 26 Thurn and Taxis Festival, Regensburg
July 24 - August 3 Annafest, Forchheim. More on Annafest here in English.
July 24 - 26 Old City Festival, Bad Staffelstein
July 23- 26 Canalissimo, Bamberg Festival along the old canal with an Italian flair. Free.
July 31 - August 16 Slaying the Dragon Festival, Fürth Tickets from

Other things to do?

Visit some of Nürnberg´s many parks. Information in English here. Information on amusement and indoor parks in Nürnberg in English here.

Frankenkids has put together a list of family friendly beer gardens in the area. Scroll down here.

KERWA SEASON! Though Kerwas or Kirchweihs can be found year round, this is the start of high season (through October). Bamberg and vicinity here. Nürnberg (PDF) here, see here for links to the websites when available. Highlights of Erlangen´s Kirchweihs and other events here. Frankischer Schweiz Kirchweihs here. Click here (see left hand side) for Franken in general.

Kletterwald (link to  Rothenberg o.d. Tauber) or climbing forests are fun for kids of all ages. Pottenstein and Bad Staffelstein are also not far away, and close enough for a day trip. Prices vary, but around €15 per child, €20 per adult for 3-4 hours.

In or around Herzo? Information on hiking paths can be found here in English.

Have you visited Forchheim? An adorable city less than 45 minutes away from Nürnberg, information in English, including a self guided tour brochure for download here. Altstadtfest is June 26 - 28 of this year. Information here.

Check out the Fränkisches Freiland Museum, Bad Windsheim - great with kids.

Click here for a list of tours in the area in English.

Visit the Nürnberg Planetarium.

Find a local Beer Keller here! My personal favorites here.

Pick your own berries and currants, and even asparagus! click here or here for a few places in the Nürnberg area. Check the individual websites for more information.

Go (indoor) rockclimbing. Kids just €2,50.

Rock cut beer celler tours (Nürnberg) every Sunday 11:30am in English. €5

Take a hike! Link to VGN hiking information site here (English). Combine hiking and beer with the 5 Seidla Tour (English). Hiking trails in and around Herzo here. Nature parks in the region may be found here (link in German, click on interaktiven Karte for the map).

Head to the Frankischer Schweiz (link in English) for breweries, hiking, castles, rock climbing, canoeing and more. An interactive map of hiking trails in the Frankischer Schweiz can be found here.

Take your own wine walk in Nürnberg (link in German, map on right hand side of page)

Visit a pool or sauna- Atlantis is in Herzo, Nürnberg has many to choose from (link in German), Stein (near Nürnberg) is home of Palm Beach, Bamberg has Bambados Can´t decide?  Schwimmbadcheck is an online review site for public pools, link is in English.

From April - October, take a tasting tour (in German) of Erlangen €25

May 2015 - Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 13:48:00 +0000

Holidays (Federal or Bavaria specific) and Important Dates
Photo; istockphoto.com/angi71

May 1 -- Tag der Arbeit/Labor Day STORES CLOSED Also, May Day more on that tradition here.
May 10 - Mother´s Day (Muttertag).
May 14 - Ascenscion Day (Christi Himmelfahrt) Also Father´s Day in Germany. Read here about the Father´s Day traditions in Germany. STORES CLOSED
May 24 - Pentecost Sunday (Pfingstsonntag)
May 25 - Pentecost Monday (Pfingstmontag) STORES CLOSED

School holidays
May 25- June 5 - Schools closed - Pfingsten vacation

What to do when everything is closed? Click here for many Nürnberg museums and their special hours for holidays (see Sonderöffnunfzeiten an Feiertagen). NOTE: Even though they still say 2014, the dates are for 2015

Events (by no means a complete list)
Herzo

Erlangen
May 1-2 Weekend of Fear, E-werk horror and obscure movie festival. Many in English
May 1 Erlangen Radli - family bike ride! €1,50 per person or €3 per family. various routes.
May 15- Erlangen Star Night- Shopping until 11pm- Inner City
May 17 - Bike tour of Erlangen´s gardens and green spots €7
May 17 - International Museum Day. Participating Erlangen museums here in German.
May 21 - June 1 Bergkirchweih, Erlangen

Nürnberg

Every Thursday, City Marketing Nürnberg publishes weekend tips!
April 30 - May 1 (morning) Dance in May! Freudenpark

May 2 - Blaue Nacht Tickets from €14,30 adult Note: includes VGN transportation (Kombi ticket), see here for details in German
May 8 - English Children´s Stammtisch
May 8-9 Flea/Antique Market. 4,000 vendors
May 10 - Multi-cultural Mother´s Day event with DAI. Yoga, hiking, more. €3 per person
May 17 - International Museum Day. Participating Nürnberg museums here (in German)

Other
April 30 - May 17 Volksfest, Bamberg
May 1- Mayfest, Hirschaid
May 1 - 3 Walberla Fest, Walberla
May 1 - 5 Historic Train to Fränksicher Schweiz opens for the season! Ebermannstadt Ticket prices and route in English here.
May 3 - Museum Anniversary Festival, Frankisches Freiland Museum tickets €5
May 3 - World Heritage Run, Bamberg - race sold out, come cheer the runners on in the 2nd biggest running race in Bavaria.
May 8 - 17 International Puppet Theater Fest- various locations Nürnberg, Erlangen, Fürth. Some in English, many events for children.
May 8 - 24 Culture Days at Juliuspital, Würzburg. Wine tasting, tours, music.
May 13 - 15 Craft Beer Festival, Regensburg
May 16 - Jethro Tull´s Ian Anderson, Regensburg - tickets from €30,90
May 16- 17 Burgenfest, Bad Berneck- Middle Ages festival. More on the beautiful town of Bad Berneck in English here.
May 17 - Herb Day at Freiland Museum, Warmensteinach

May 17 - International Museum Day. Participating museums in Bavaria here (alpha by city). Many are hosting special events, some are free of charge for the day.
May 17 - Day of Open Gardens, Bamberg. Food trucks available at many locations. An easy walk around the gardener area (veggies, herbs, flowers) of ths city. Program and map here. Free.
May 19 - All You Need Is Love, Beatles musical, Bamberg. Tickets from €41,90
May 21 - 25 Spring Music Festival, Castle Seehof, Memmelsdorf. Tickets from €19
May 22 - 25 Trucker and Country Festival, Geiselwind. Ticket prices vary by day.
May 22 - June 28 Mozart Festival, Würzburg
May 23 - 25 Gardenfest Castle Eyrichshof, Ebern. 16 and over €9
May 24 - 25 Seefest, Pottenstein
May 29 - 31 Rockavaria, Munich. Metallica, Muse, Faith No More and others. Tickets from €85
May 29 - June 7 Wine Village, Würzburg. Adorable little huts in the main square serving 100 types of wine.

Other things to do?

KERWA SEASON! Though Kerwas or Kirchweihs can be found year round, this is the start of high season (through October). Bamberg and vicinity here. Nürnberg (PDF) here, see here for links to the websites when available. Highlights of Erlangen´s Kirchweihs and other events here. Frankischer Schweiz Kirchweihs here. Click here (see left hand side) for Franken in general.

Check out the Fränkisches Freiland Museum, Bad Windsheim - great with kids.
Click here for a list of tours in the area in English, many are indoors (museums).

Visit the Nürnberg Planetarium.

Find a local Beer Keller here! My personal favorites here.

Traveling to Berlin (tickets on long distance buses are around €20!)- Slow Travel Berlin has a daily event guide here.

Pick your own berries and currants, and even asparagus! click here or here for a few places in the Nürnberg area. Check the individual websites for more information.

Go (indoor) rockclimbing. Kids just €2,50.

Rock cut beer celler tours (Nürnberg) every Sunday 11:30am in English. €5

Take a hike! Link to VGN hiking information site here (English). Combine hiking and beer with the 5 Seidla Tour (English). Hiking trails in and around Herzo here. Nature parks in the region may be found here (link in German, click on interaktiven Karte for the map).

Head to the Frankischer Schweiz (link in English) for breweries, hiking, castles, rock climbing, canoeing and more. An interactive map of hiking trails in the Frankischer Schweiz can be found here.

Take your own wine walk in Nürnberg (link in German, map on right hand side of page)

Visit a pool or sauna- Atlantis is in Herzo, Nürnberg has many to choose from (link in German), Stein (near Nürnberg) is home of Palm Beach, Bamberg has Bambados Can´t decide?  Schwimmbadcheck is an online review site for public pools, link is in English.

Celebrate all things asparagus at an asparagus festival!

From April - October, take a tasting tour (in German) of Erlangen €25

Beer Keller Season!

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 13:22:00 +0000

This weekend (April 25-26) is the official opening of beer garden season at Forchheim´s Kellerwald (30 minutes from Nürnberg)- a series of beer kellers in the forest. It´s one of my favorite places to spend a day.

Photo:http://www.forchheim.de/content/kellerwald-forchheim

The Kellers are all close to each other (some right next to each other) making it super easy to try their various beers and light fare (Brotzeit).

More on this weekend´s celebration (in German) here. On Sunday there is a beer Keller tour (1.5 hours €4 adults or €8 for an entire family) at 16:00 with a beer tasting immediately after (additional €5). Tickets available at the tourist office Haupstraße 24, about a 10 minute walk from the train station. Note: Sunday´s tour is in German, but the tour may also be booked in English in advance. More information here.

A 36km bike tour of Forchheim area Bier Kellers can be found here.

Why are they called Beer Kellers (cellars) instead of beer gardens? Beer Kellers are most often on a mountain or a hill. Beer was (and often still is!) stored in tunnels in the mountain/hill to keep it cold. Naturally, having a beer garden on the hill close to where the beer is stored makes sense. Many brewers brew a special "Keller Bier" specifically for their guests on the Keller. Keller beers can be vastly different from the main beer a brewery is known for. More on Keller Bier from the German Bier Institute here.

Other suggested Bier Kellers?

- In Erlangen, Entla´s Keller. Entla´s Keller offers a large menu and great beers. What sets Entla´s apart, in my opinion, is their event calendar and live music. Open April to September daily at 11am, during Bergkirchweih at 9am. No parking on site. Sunday´s at 11am you can take a tour of the caverns the beer is stored in (in German adults €6 including a beer, children under 12 free).

- Bamberg (45 minutes from Nürnberg) has many in the region. A list, compiled by Stadt Bamberg may be found here. 7.5k walking tour that includes many may be found here. My favorite in the city is Spezial Keller. Well worth the long walk up the hill from the city for the view alone. For those driving, there is somewhat limited parking available.

Photo: http://www.spezial-keller.de/

Open every day (including holidays!!) except Mondays in good weather, April - September. Though Spezi Keller is open year round, hours vary in other months-check the website. You have the option to bring your own food, or select from their extensive menu and daily specials. There is a small, but adequate, play area for children.

- Also in Bamberg, Wilde Rose Keller is next to Spezial Keller. offering similar views. A more limited menu of Brotzeit (smaller meals), but also good, or bring your own. As with Spezial, they brew a special Keller Bier. From April to September open every day at 4pm (Sundays and holidays from 3).

- Outside of Bamberg (15 minutes by car, approx. 1 hour from Nürnberg) Felsenkeller on Senftenberg. Open May - September Monday -Friday from 16:30 in good weather only, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 1pm (open in bad weather on weekends). You have the option to bring your own food, but they have a huge menu including breads baked on-site in a wood burning stove and fresh churned butter- well worth the trip. They do not brew their own beer, rather, they serve Gunzendorfer. Due to the remote location, public transportation would prove difficult. Child friendly.

Senftenberg Keller

Do you have a favorite Bier Keller? Tell us in comments!

Tag des Bieres - Day of Beer

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 11:03:00 +0000

April 23 is known as the Day of (German) Beer. On this day in 1516 the Beer Purity Law was enacted. This law, the Rheinheitsgebot proclaimed that the only ingredients allowed in beer were water, barley, and hops. More about the Rheinheitsgebot here.

Though the law has changed over the years, the anniversary of the signing of the Rheinheitsgebot in Ingolstadt is still celebrated. The areas largest celebration is in Bamberg from 11am - 5pm at Maxplatz in the heart of the city. Munich (2.5 hours from Nürnberg) celebrates German Beer Week beginning with Tag des Bieres and even has a beer fountain with free beer for visitors! Ingolstadt (45 minutes from Nürnberg) celebrates all weekend long with the Fest zum Reinen Bier.

April 2015 - Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 16:13:00 +0000

Holidays (Federal or Bavaria specific) and Important Dates

Photo: R.Hess geo-select FotoArt

School holidays March 28-April 12
April 2- Holy or Maudy Thursday - Stilletag
April 3 - Good Friday- Stilletag SHOPS CLOSED
April 4- Easter Saturday
April 5 - Easter Sunday
April 6 - Easter Monday SHOPS CLOSED

What to do when everything is closed? Click here for many Nürnberg museums and their special hours for holidays (see Sonderöffnunfzeiten an Feiertagen). NOTE: Even though they still say 2014, the dates are for 2015

More on Easter traditions here

Events (by no means a complete list)
Herzo
April 2 - Herzo in a Nutshell, English guided tour €2
April 24 - Run for Kaya! and Earth Day celebration
April 25 Spring Flea Market
April 26 - Eco-Fest new this year- Beer!!!
Erlangen
April 1 Easter Crafts 10a- 12p Walderlebniszentrum €3 per child 8+
April 2 Easter Egg Hunt (with scooters!) through the woods, Walderlebniszentrum €4 per child
April 4 Flea Market, Bohlenplatz
April 17 - 19 Erlangen Beer Spring, Kitzmann Brewery events through the weekend, vote for the Beer King to be throned on Sunday.
April 24 Irish Evening, Strohalm
April 26 Open Sunday!

Nürnberg

Every Thursday, City Marketing Nürnberg publishes weekend tips!

March 20 - April 6 Easter Market
March 20 - April 2 - Waveboard Class (for children)
April 4 - Night of Sports, Sportzentrum - rock climbing, badminton and more €12 from 8pm
April 4 - 19 Spring Volksfest

April 11 - 6th Food Truck Roundup, Nürnberg Messe
More info (including daily locations) on local food trucks here

Other
March 26 - April 19 Easter Fountain time! See here for PDF of Frankischer Schweiz dates
April 2 - 4 16th Annual Short Film Festival, Schweinfurt tickets from €7
April 4 - 13 Flamenco Festival, Würzburg
April 3- 6 Celebrate Easter weekend with the Easter bunny, Krummweiher (approx. 1 hr from Nürnberg)
April 4 - 12 Passion Play, Zschorlau tickets €15 - 20
April 6 Easter Egg Hunt, Sun Valley, Trebgast
April 16 - Robert Cray, Munich tickets from €41
April 17 - Simon and Garfunkel tribute, Bamberg tickets from €16
April 18 - 19 Fränkisch Food Festival, Weißenburg tickets €4 (approx. 45 mins from Nürnberg)

April 25 - Bicycle fair, Bamberg Maxplatz
April 25 - 26 Natural Healing Days, Fürth
April 29 Lynrd Skynrd, Ludwigsburg tickets from €59,90

It´s Bärlauch season!!!

Other things to do?
From September - April 2015 go ice skating at Nürnberg Arena!
Click here for a list of tours in the area in English, many are indoors (museums).

Visit the Nürnberg Planetarium.

Find a local Beer Keller here!

Pick your own berries and currants, and even asparagus! click here or here for a few places in the Nürnberg area. Check the individual websites for more information.

Go (indoor) rockclimbing. Kids just €2,50.

Rock cut beer celler tours (Nürnberg) every Sunday 11:30am in English. €5

Take a hike! Link to VGN hiking information site here (English). Combine hiking and beer with the 5 Seidla Tour (English). Hiking trails in and around Herzo here. Nature parks in the region may be found here (link in German, click on interaktiven Karte for the map).

Head to the Frankischer Schweiz (link in English) for breweries, hiking, castles, rock climbing, canoeing and more. An interactive map of hiking trails in the Frankischer Schweiz can be found here.

Take your own wine walk in Nürnberg (link in German, map on right hand side of page)

Visit a pool or sauna- Atlantis is in Herzo, Nürnberg has many to choose from (link in German), Stein (near Nürnberg) is home of Palm Beach, Bamberg has Bambados Can´t decide?  Schwimmbadcheck is an online review site for public pools, link is in English.

Celebrate all things asparagus at an asparagus festival!

From April - October, take a tasting tour (in German) of Erlangen €25

Beer kellers and gardens that closed for the season begin to re-open! Try Forchheim´s famous Kellerwald (click here for map and description in German). It´s little less than 30 minutes train ride from Nberg Hbf and then a bit of a walk.

It´s wine festival time! With so many wineries in the lower Franconian region there´s a festival every weekend. Check out the list (in English) here (in English). The area is about one hour from Nürnberg by train.

Wednesdays and Thursday evenings, go to the public ceramic workshop in Nürnberg, just €2 per evening!

Travel by Train in the HENhaus Area

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 15:03:00 +0000

I, personally, find train tickets here confusing, and more so with the changes to the VGN service area in 2015. Here are the basics of train travel in between cities/towns in the area (and my most frequently bought tickets). Links to monthly passes, etc. can be found on the DB and VGN websites.

Prices are valid as of March 2015.

VGN
Photo:vgn.de

VGN (link in English) is the greater Nürnberg area transportation system. This includes local buses, trains, subways. The area (shown here) is quite large and includes Bamberg, Bayreuth, Ansbach and many other cities as well as Nürnberg, Erlangen, Herzo, Fürth, etc.

Traveling for the day?

While you can obviously purchase a round trip ticket to whatever your destination is- if within the VGN area you might get a better deal purchasing a "Tages Ticket Plus". The Tages Ticket Plus (at full cost €18) allows you (and up to 6 people- max. 2 adults, or bikes instead of people, plus one dog) to travel the ENTIRE VGN area all day until the last bus/train or 3am on all REGIONAL transportation. Regional transportation includes RE and S trains, Ubahns, local buses, trams/streetcars. NOTE this does NOT cover high speed (IC or ICE) trains, and is only valid for 2nd class.

The Tages Ticket Plus is also available for shorter distances (which costs less). Please see here for costs (note the "check your price level") link. It is also available as a "solo" option for those traveling alone.

TIP: In 2015 it appears they have made it harder to purchase these tickets. Rather than finding them at the machine under Tages Ticket Plus (which will only give you the "full" €18 option, select your destination and then select Tages Ticket Plus)

TIP: If you buy the ticket for Saturday travel, it is also good for Sunday. That means a family of 5 (2 adults and 3 children) can travel the entire VGN area the entire weekend for €18.

TIP: This ticket (or the 10 strip ticket with the same price) allow you all kinds of discounts at local attractions, museums, etc. Please see here (in German) for all participating venues. Discounts are around the €1 or 10% range.

- Late night plans in Erlangen/Fürth/Nürnberg vicinity???? Between 1am and 4am on Friday and Saturday nights (as well as the nights before public holidays) the Night Liner buses are available. Extra services to insure your safety at that time of night include stops in between stops when requested, and the bus driver will even call a taxi for you to pick you up at a stop and bring you to your door. More information on this in English here. Nightliner tickets are included on your VGN all day ticket.

- You are able to purchase tickets, see timetables, etc. through one of VGN´s various apps.

DB

Photo: http://commons.wikimedia.org/
wiki/File:Deutsche_Bahn_AG-Logo.svg

Deutsche Bahn runs trains all over Germany.

- All Federal Lands have their own special land-wide tickets. In the HENhaus area, it´s the Bayern ticket. Tickets are €23 for one person and an additional €5 each for up to 4 additional persons (total 5 people on one ticket). With this ticket you can travel all around Bavaria, and even to Salzburg, Austria from 9am - 3am in one day. This ticket includes all regional trains, U-Bahn, trams, and local buses.

- If you are traveling within 50km, you can choose the Franken Hopper ticket. For €10 you can travel back and forth to your destination (from 9am to 3am the next morning). See here for the eligible train lines. Information on the DB site is only in German, see here.

- Traveling around Germany with a group this weekend? The Schönes Wochenende Ticket from Deutsche Bahn allows up to 5 people (first at €40 next four at €4 each. max total €56) to travel all over Germany and even bordering areas of Poland (on regional trains, again, NOT IC/ICE) for the entire weekend. See link for terms. During the week, try the Quer Durschs Land ticket. More day tickets from DB here.

- DB also has several apps which are useful, and sometimes tickets purchased in-app come at a discount.

TIP: If you get your ticket at the ticket counter (via an actual employee, rather than a computer or machine) you will be charged an additional €2.

TIP: DB employees are not able to advise on VGN products. Sometimes they will sell you a €23 Bayern Ticket when an €18 VGN ticket would have worked.

2015 changes I have noticed:

- VGN increased their coverage zone. Destinations such as Burgkunstadt that used to be eligible for a Franken Hopper ticket (DB product) now are served by VGN and therefore a Tages Ticket Plus must be purchased.

- Agilis has increased coverage. When traveling between Erlangen and Bamberg for example, there are now some trains that stop in Forchheim and one must change trains.

***Have you noticed any other changes to local train travel for 2015?? Have any other tips??? Leave a comment below!***

Not sure what the difference between an RE and an S.Bahn is? Check here for a glossary of German train related terms from the German Way.

Choosing Potatoes in Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 09:29:00 +0000

It wasn´t until I read this article on A Sausage Has Two (formerly Eating Wiesbaden) that I understood why my baked potatoes never came out right! If you are at all interested in seasonal eating and German recipes, it´s a fantastic blog. For more on the subject, she also has a rather comprehensive list of other blogs/websites that focus on food in Germany.

Photo: www.potatoes.com

The following is reposted with permission from the author.

A little while ago, I was asked for a recommendation for a good roasting potato; and then again, just this week, for advice on what sort of spud to use for soups and mash. These may seem like daft questions to those of you in the "just buy a bag of potatoes and use them for everything" camp, but if you like your roasties fluffy and light and your mash whipped into peaks, picking the right potato is actually a very important task to complete.

There are are hundreds of different potato varieties in Germany, each offering their own individual combination of texture, flavour and cooking characteristics, so choosing the right one for the job can really make all the difference to your meal. Luckily, potatoes can be broadly generalised into types, which means that despite there being so many different varieties to choose from, if you know what you want them for, you've got a good chance of ending up with the right sort. Unfortunately, the way potatoes are classified differs around the globe: in the US, for example, it seems to be done by colour - russet, white, yellow, and so on - and in the UK they're categorised by how waxy they are.

In Germany, potatoes are classified in two ways. Firstly, they can be grouped by when they're harvested: very early, early, medium-early, medium-late or late (specific, I know, but remember where we are). Potatoes are available all year round, but those planted in winter and harvested early, in spring and early summer, are known as early potatoes (new potatoes) and can only be bought from around April to July. Early potatoes have very thin skins and hold their shape well when cooked and cut, which makes them perfect for boiling or making salads.

Potatoes in Germany are also classified in terms of their cooking characteristics; whether they're floury and dry or waxy and firm or somewhere in between. Floury spuds disintegrate when boiled but are the perfect for baking; waxy potatoes make great gratins but a mediocre mash. So, these characteristics are the most important thing to consider when buying potatoes, and happily, this is how they're grouped in Germany, very broadly, into the three categories below. From farm shop to supermarket they're even labeled as such, so despite there being countless different sorts of potatoes in each category, the good news is that if you stick within the right group, you can't go too far wrong.

See here for the rest of the article.

Lieferando Delivery Service

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 09:32:00 +0000

It´s not exactly new, but new to me- Lieferando Delivery Service!

The website is also in English and contains a really comprehensive list of restaurants that will deliver in your area.

All relevant information is provided- hours of operation, minimum required for delivery (if applicable), delivery charge (if applicable), customer reviews, and the menus of course. You can even sort by type of cuisine, delivery charges and a host of other information.

If you are like me, when I am being lazy and feel like ordering in I rarely have enough cash on hand! Lieferando allows you to pay online using credit or EC card, PayPal, etc. with no additional fees.

Monthly Overview - March 2015

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 08:34:00 +0000

Holidays (Federal or Bavaria specific) and Important Dates
Photo: R.Hess geo-select FotoArt

School holidays March 28-April 12
March 29 - Palm Sunday

Events (by no means a complete list)

Herzo

Erlangen
March 7 - 8 Easter Egg Market 40 Artists. Free, Activities for children as well.
March 21 - Found Bike Sale Looking for a cheap bike? Abandoned bikes found in the city of Erlangen go on auction today.

March 29 - Open Sunday!

Nürnberg

Every Thursday, City Marketing Nürnberg publishes weekend tips!

Ongoing - DAI has a number of events for English speakers in March
March 14 - Fruhjahr Run
March 18-22 Freizeit Messe €11 Adults €6.50 11-14 (10 and under free) The area´s biggest fair for vacation, caravaning, garden and other free time activities
March 20 - April 6 Easter Market

Other
It´s the beginning of the new Volkshochschule sessions!

Feb. 23- March 1 Bamberg´s Short Film Festival - adult tickets €7
Feb 27 - March 14 Stark Bier Season (and festival), Munich
March 15 - Open Sunday, Fürth
Feb 28 - March 1 Women´s Fair, Furth €5
March 6 - 8 Health Fair, Bamberg €6 Adults
March 7 Forchheim Kellerwald Run
March 12 - 22 Spring Market, Fürth
March 14 - 29 Würzburg Fruhjahr Volksfest!
March 21 Kneipenfest 16 locations, 15 bands €11 purchased ahead of time
March 26 - April 19 Easter Fountain time! See here for PDF of Frankischer Schweiz dates.
March 27 - Bieberbach´s famous Osterbrunnen are decorated!

March 27 - 28 Wine Press Hall Festival, Würzburg Ring in the beginning of the wine season!

Other things to do?

From September - April 2015 go ice skating at Nürnberg Arena!

Click here for a list of tours in the area in English, many are indoors (museums).

Visit the Nürnberg Planetarium.

Take a day ski trip! Loads of companies organize them. Wöhrl, Jochen Schweizer, Snowstars, Intersport (ask at the store for brochures) for example.

Take a salsa class.

Wednesdays and Thursday evenings, go to the public ceramic workshop in Nürnberg, just €2 per evening!

Go (indoor) rockclimbing. Kids just €2,50.

Kick-Fabrik - Nürnberg indoor soccer and mini-golf

Rock cut beer celler tours (Nürnberg) every Sunday 11:30am in English. €5

Take a hike! Link to VGN hiking information site here (English). Combine hiking and beer with the 5 Seidla Tour (English). Hiking trails in and around Herzo here. Nature parks in the region may be found here (link in German, click on interaktiven Karte for the map).

Head to the Frankischer Schweiz (link in English) for breweries, hiking, castles, rock climbing, canoeing and more. An interactive map of hiking trails in the Frankischer Schweiz can be found here.

Take your own wine walk in Nürnberg (link in German, map on right hand side of page).

Visit a pool or sauna- Atlantis is in Herzo, Nürnberg has many to choose from (link in German), Stein (near Nürnberg) is home of Palm Beach, Bamberg has Bambados Can´t decide? Schwimmbadcheck is an online review site for public pools, link is in English.

Local Resources- Things to Do!

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 10:45:00 +0000

Bamberg
Bamigo (also has a FB site) Hyper local news. Interviews with local business owners, Bamberg specific news, local controversies and debates, heavy on Brose Baskets coverage.
Die Zwiebel - online and also found around town. Monthly Bamberg specific magazine (free). Features include the history of street names, local culture, interviews with notable residents, business owners, new or notable groups in the city.
MyBamberg.de Bamberg´s City Marketing website. Up to date information on the city´s major festivals (Jazz and Blues, Wine Fest, Bamberg Zaubert).
GoBamberg.de Local politics, culture, information on important local sites for sightseeing, beer culture.
KulturBamberg This could have EVERY event going on in Bamberg and Landkreis Bamberg. The booklet is available for free around town, published monthly. I personally find the print version better available for free around the city and at the tourist information center.
Feki Geared towards University students, contains a lot of information on nightlife and leisure activities. Also does fun things like list local happy hours, rate ice creams and pizzas, etc.
Fränkischer Nacht also available for free around the city, a local event guide focused on music/clubs
Bamberg´s Kirchweih Kalendar (also available for free in tourist information center)

Erlangen
City website Top right corner has Google translate embedded. See Kultur for events.
City Marketing website in English
Hugo Magazine Monthly magazine. Art, Culture, Events
Fritzi - Family friendly events and information Erlangen and vicinity. Published a few times a year.

Forchheim
Forchheim city website in English, scroll down for "Highlights in Forchheim" note: many broschures about the area are downloadable from the site and in English.
Hugo Magazine Forchheim Art, Culture, Events,

Fürth
Hugo Magazine Fürth Art. Cuture, Events
Festivals, Markets, Special Events (PDF)
Events from Stadt-Land-Fuerth

Herzogenaurach
Herzo city website (in English) has local events listed, most also in English. Major festivals and events here.

Franken in General
Echt Oberfranken (monthly magazine) Local news for the Oberfranken area. Bamberg is prominently featured.
Infranken,de
Plärrer - Magazine covering Nürnberg, Fürth and Erlangen. Local news and events
Wine festivals in Franken
Welcome to Franconia - local events, businesses, etc. in English
Frankenradar - event listing, really comprehensive, Fully searchable (location, date, type of event, etc.)
Frankentipps - website dedicated to events in the area. Fully searchable (location, date, etc.)
Bockbier anstich information
Bierland Oberfranken - beer related events
Fränkischer Schweiz Kirchweih Calendar
Franken Tourist Information in English, yearly highlights here
Kerwa Calendar
Wine festivals Würzburg and area
Events in Bavaria (English)

Nürnberg
Curt Magazine (monthly)Local news and events, as well as an event calendar. Interviews with local people of interest.
Prinz magazine (monthly) Super fun magazine. Features such as rating local lunches, vegan eating in the area, interviews with prominent local personalities. Heavy on food/restaurant coverage.
Nürnberg Kirchweih Kalendar (PDF)
Nürnberg Tourist Information yearly highlights in English
Nürnberg Tourist Information - Festivals and Markets in English
Every Thursday "tips" for things to do the following weekend can be found here.

Würzburg
City event highlights in English
Calendar of events

February 2- Mariä Lichtmess

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Sun, 01 Feb 2015 11:32:00 +0000

February 2 is Mariä Lichtmess in Germany. Traditionally the day on which ALL Christmas ornaments and decoration are put away, and when the farmers return to work in the fields.
It´s also the precursor to Groundhog Day. Instead of a groundhog, if the badgers see their shadow Winter will be 6 weeks longer.

Photo: http://www.meinanzeiger.de/gotha/natur/zu-lichtmess-sah-der-dachs-den-schatten-d25017.html

The saying goes:

"Ist’s an Lichtmess hell und rein,
wird ein langer Winter sein.
Wenn es aber stürmt und schneit,
ist der Frühling nicht mehr weit."

Or, when Lichtmess is clear and bright, Winter will be longer. If it is stormy and snowing, Spring will come quicker.
For more about the significance of the day in history, religion and how it is depicted in art, see the Wikipedia page here. More here about customs around the world after Epiphany.

2015 Highlights and Open Sundays

noreply@blogger.com (Mandy939) — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 12:47:00 +0000

Selected Area Highlights
January 29 - February 5 Lichtmessmarkt, Erlangen
February 15 - Erlangen´s Fasching Parade, Würzburg´s Fasching Parade
February 16-17 Celebrate Fasching! Google Rosenmontag or Faschings Umzug and your city for events/parades

Photo: Wikipedia

March (date TBD) Sommerrodelbahn opens!, Pottenstein open until October
March 20 - April 6 Easter Market, Nürnberg
March 26 - April 19 Osterbrunnen time! See here for a PDF of when the fountains will be decorated in the Frankischer Schweiz
April 4 - 19 Spring Volksfest, Nürnberg (link in German)
April 25 - 26 - Kellerwald celebrates the beginning of Bier Keller season!, Forchheim NOTE: Most other Biergartens/kellers will also open around this time.

Photo: Franken-Manager.de

May - Though Kerwas or Kirchweihs can be found year round, this is the start of high season (through October). Bamberg and vicinity here (not updated for 2015 atm). Nürnberg (PDF) here, see here for links to the websites when available. Highlights of Erlangen´s Kirchweihs and other events here. Frankischer Schweiz Kirchweihs here. Click here (see left hand side) for Franken in general.

May 2, Blaue Nacht, Nürnberg
May 21 - June 1 Bergkirchweih, Erlangen
June 26 - 28 Zollhausfest, Erlangen
June 5 - 7 Old Town Festival, Herzo
June 5 - 7 Rock im Park, Nürnberg
July 3 - 12 Summer Festival, Herzo
June 26 - 29, Norisring Speed Weekend, Nürnberg
July 9 - August 9 City Beach, Erlangen
July 10-12 Samba Festival, Coburg (largest outside of Brazil!)
July 17 - 19 Bamberg Zaubert, Bamberg (link in German)
July 23 - 26 Canalissimo, Bamberg (link in German)
July 24 - August 3 Annafest, Forchheim
July 31 - August 2 Bardentreffen, Nürnberg
August 1 - 2 Medieval Festival, Herzo
August 7 - 16 Jazz and Blues Fest, Bamberg and vicinity (link in German)
August 7 - 17 Gäubodenvolksfest, Straubing. 2nd largest (to Oktoberfest) in Bavaria
August 20 - 24 Sandkerwa, Bamberg (link in German)
August 22 - 23 Marktplatzfest, Erlangen (link in German)
August 28 - September 13 Fall Volksfest, Nürnberg
September - Start of Bockbieranstich time! Find a date here (in German)
Beginning of September- Start of November (2015 TBD) Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival
September 6 - Fränkische Schweiz Marathon
September 17 - 29 Altstadtfest, Nürnberg
September 19 - October 4 Oktoberfest, Munich
October 3 - Stadtlauf, Nürnberg
November 6 - 9 Martini Festival, Herzo
November 25 - Erlangen´s Christmas Markets open.
November 27 Nürnberg Christkindlesmarkt opens! (others on or around the 27th)
More on Christmas Markets in the area here, post from 2014. All Frankischer Schweiz Weihnachtsmarkts found here.
December 23 or 24 Christmas Markets close.

Websites with 2015 Highlights
Erlangen (in German)
Nürnberg (in German)
Frankische Schweiz (in German)
Würzburg (in English)
Festivals in Franken

Open Sundays (Verkaufsoffenen Sonntage):
Erlangen
April 26
August 23
October 18

Herzo
June 7
August 2
November 8

Nürnberg
March 22- All except Südstadt
May 3 - Südstadt
September 6 - All except Südstadt
September 27 - Südstadt