Driving to Bavaria :: Day 2 – Fred Hart: Radio Produzent

Monday 3rd June 2024

Königswinter

The second day of my drive to Bavaria started in Königswinter, in the Rheinland, just South of Bonn. I had breakfast in the hotel before checking out and driving in to town.

The town itself lies on the Rhine river. I took the tram (the Drachenfelsbahn) up to the castle – Schloss Drachenburg for a quick walk around there. From Drachenfels viewpoint there are lovely views towards Bonn and Köln city centres.

The hotel room I had was lovely – I have put some photos below. Would have loved to have stayed longer, I will remember this place for future German holidays!

Heidelberg

My next stop was the city of Heidelberg. Located on the River Neckar, Heidelberg is home to Germany’s oldest university, and is statistically the warmest city in Germany.

I stopped at the castle, and enjoyed the lovely views over the city. Heidelberg itself looks well worth a vist at some point in the future. Within the castle there is also the Deutsches Apothekenmuseum (German Pharmacy Museum) which was interesting to look around.

Ulm

Driving on from Heidelberg, on this next stint of driving the roads started to quieten down as the afternoon turned to early evening. On the Autobahn I reached a top speed of 200km/h (just under 125mph)! Overtook a police car at 160km/h too (99.5mph)….In the UK you’d lose your license for that! Even at these eyewatering speeds though, people still overtake me. The driver of a British registered Ferrari stuck his thumb up at me as he overtook!

The second stop on my route to Bavaria was the city of Ulm. Boasting the highest church spire in Europe at the Ulmer Münster (Ulm Minster), the city sits on the river Danube, forming the border between Baden-Württemberg and Bayern (Bavaria), with the Bavarian city of Neu-Ulm on the other side of the river.

After taking photos of the Minster I walked down to the river and saw just how high the Danube is. You may have seen in the UK media recently, the news about flooding in Southern parts of Germany caused by bad weather over the weekend; Thankfully the part of Bavaria I am going to has not been hit.

A Word About the Autobahn

Leaving Ulm, I got back on the Autobahn. The evening meant quieter Autobahns which meant more speed….Up to 160km/h and beyond. For a 30 mile stretch of Autobahn, 160 was the slowest I drove! Often 180/190, hitting 200 at times.

There was a point when I was a little annoyed at being stuck behind someone, looked down and realised I was still doing 157 (yes I have my car’s displays in km/h – even when driving in the UK).

I routinely drive at 160-180km/h on German Autobahns – 180-200km/h is doable too but the roads have to be really empty to make it viable for me; I find such high speed required intense concentration so it is tiring (but enjoyable). Not for the faint hearted!

Friends who have never been to Germany can’t get their head around how no one thinks anything of such high speed in Germany. Of course, there are plenty of Germans who don’t drive so fast – obviously, high speed has its risks, then there’s the cost of fuel to worry about.

Bad Kohlgrub

From Ulm, my sat nav was now set for Bad Kohlgrub, which would be my base for the week. Took a couple of hours to get there from Ulm, so it was dark by the time I got there. It meant I wouldn’t see the fantastic Alpine scenery until waking up the following morning.

The room I booked was a single room at the beautiful and old-style Landhaus Schönblick. With self catering apartments for 1-7 people, the accommodation lived up to its name (Schönblick meaning “Beautiful View).

Photos of the apartment below and I’ll put some photos of the promised view in the next blog.