The drive from London to the channel ports is rather a slog and we used to take the slow but bracing car ferry to Calais, Ostend or Zeebrugge. Since 1994 we usually preferred the quick, if joyless, Channel Tunnel and you either turn east and go through Belgium or proceed south through Northern France and divert east much later.
 |
| Bruges |
 |
| Adoration of the Lamb, Ghent |
A diversion takes you to historic Antwerp, on the Scheldt, ever associated with Rubens, whose paintings can be seen in several sumptuous churches and in the excellent Royal Museum of Fine Arts (van Dyck too). Antwerp is also a place to shop and sup.(2). Before leaving Belgium, take in the university city of Leuven (Louvain) with its flamboyant late Gothic Town Hall and its beer - Stella Artois is brewed here.
The odd geography of the area allows you to stopover in Dutch Maastricht, with its lively student population, attractive centre and fine bridge over the Meuse. Drive on to Germany past Charlemagne’s Aachen to sparkling Cologne, overlooking the Rhine, inviting a modest boat trip. The huge cathedral dominates but there are also great churches, fine restaurants and shops.(3). An alternative route through the Ardennes makes our first German stop ancient Trier on the Moselle, Roman capital of Gaul with many fine buildings like Constantine’s Basilica, the Porta Nigra and rococo St Paulin, though also, alas, the birthplace of Karl Marx.
 |
| Cologne Cathedral |
The long drive down the Rhine valley, taking in the grand imperial cathedrals of Speyer and Worms, is scenic although the famous Lorelei rock is rather anticlimactic. This is a frontier area of profound historical significance and takes you down to Strasbourg, attractive capital of Alsace with its towering Gothic cathedral and riverside restaurants, a place happily symbolising Franco-German reconciliation.
If we had taken the route through France at the tunnel exit we might have stopped overnight at unpretentious St Quentin (4) with its Basilica or eaten well in Arras on the exquisite Grand Place (5). Laon should not be missed for its influential Gothic cathedral high on its hill, with stone horned cattle prominent on the roof, the coronation place of early French kings. The motorway takes us through the pleasant Champagne country towards the classic Gothic cathedral of Rheims, with its chevet chapels and flying buttresses.
 |
| Grand Place, Arras |
Turning east affords the agreeable stop at Metz, capital of Lorraine, but for a real treat divert south to gorgeous Nancy, whose Place Stanislaus is hailed as the finest square in France – son et lumiere shows there in the summer. (6). We rejoin the main route at Strasbourg. Alsace has a famous cuisine and delicious wines and there are many fine hotels and restaurants (7) between Strasbourg and peaceful Colmar.
 |
| Place Stanislaus, Nancy |
Re-entering Germany we speed south, passing Ulm with its lofty cathedral steeple, and then stopping off at the fabulous rococo riot of Ottobueren. The royal castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau are picturesque but boring within and can safely be missed before proceeding to splendid Garmisch-Partenkirchen (8) overlooked by that unfortunately named peak, the Wank.
 |
| Staircase, the Residenz, Wurzburg |
Moving east we can instead explore parts of the Romantic Road from Augsburg to Wurzburg. Wurzburg itself is a wonder, where the fabulous rococo Royal Chapel and Bishop’s Palace (Residenz) were designed by Neumann, whose great staircase, exquisitely decorated by Tiepolo, ravishes the eye. Further south our particular favourite is Rothenburg ob den Tauber, the beautifully and completely preserved 17th century town, with a full circuit of city walls (9) fine shops and a medieval Macdonalds. Further south is Dinkelsbuhl, another pretty example of a traditional German town. Not far away are Ettal with its splendid abbey and devout Oberammergau where colourful wall murals abound.
 |
| Rothenburg ob den Tauber |
For a diversion even further east we can visit lovely Regensburg (once Ratisbon) – twinned with my home town of Aberdeen - which boasts a notable cathedral, many fine churches and a famous sausage-kitchen on the banks of the Danube serving delicious specialities. Not far away is politically incorrect but impressive Walhalla, a large replica classical Greek temple honouring German heroes – Adolf once hoped for a plinth there.
 |
| Walhalla |
.
The great regional magnet is Munich with its beer-gardens, lovely baroque and rococo churches and court theatre, wide boulevards and the Wittelsbachs’ Nymphenburg Palace nearby. Crossing into Austria you make a final exit from the German motorway (Ausfahrt as they indelicately put it).
 |
| Salzburg |
When an Austrian motorway appears it takes us to dull Innsbruck but we are better advised to detour to historic Salzburg, home of Mozart with fine vistas, cobbled streets, wrought-iron shop signs and sinful cream cakes (10). Soon enough the motorway takes us through the Brenner Pass and the massive obstacle of the Alps starts to recede. (We have not burdened you with the alternative route via Chamonix, the Mont Blanc tunnel and Aosta).
 |
| The Dolomites |
After the Brenner Pass sun-kissed Italy beckons, but we are still in the Dolomites, one of the loveliest parts of Europe (11), at first proudly German-speaking in Bosen (Bolzano) and Meran (Merano) but soon Italian in the green alpine meadows of Cortina. The road drops steeply and torrential rivers accompany us, past Counter-reformation Trento and finally to Lake Garda (12). The famous city of Verona (13) welcomes us on the banks of the fast-flowing Adige. Excellent hotels, restaurants and chic shops sit cheek by jowl with historic churches, monuments to Dante and the well preserved Roman Arena. Spectacular summer opera performances take place here, though I confess the uncomfortable seats made me think Violetta was taking an unconscionable time a-dying!
 |
| The Arena, Verona |
The road east from Verona speeds us to the university and art city of Padua, venerated for St Antony at its large Basilica and famous for the early renaissance frescoes by Mantegna at the Scrovegni Chapel (difficult to visit thanks to preservation restrictions). Nearby we find the attractive Riviera del Brenta (Venetian Riviera) centred on Dolo.
 |
| Il Redentore, Venice |
It is only a short drive to Venice, with which many readers will already be quite familiar. Locking up the car, the vaporetto takes us down the magical Grand Canal to our hotel (14). In our view no superlatives are adequate to describe this lovely city, packed full of great art (the Venetian 3 T’s, Titian, Tintoretto and Tiepolo), glorious churches, piazzas and palazzos galore, sinister alleys (and wall-to-wall tourists awaiting a fleecing!).
 |
| Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna |
Turning south for Ancona, stimulated but poorer after Venice, we divert a little to take in Ravenna, for centuries a Byzantine outpost with highly distinctive buildings (15), like the 5th century Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and the Basilica of San Vitale with its famous mosaics of Justinian and Theodora. The main motorway south takes us to Rimini, but commercialisation and over-development have made it unbearable – better to stop off at tatty but fun San Marino in the nearby hills. The pleasant Adriatic resort of Pesaro (16) holds a Rossini festival, but the real cultural treat is inland Urbino (17) behind its walls, whose lovely Ducal Palace was one of Kenneth Clark’s favourites. Journey’s end is nigh as Ancona is not far away graced by its imperial benefactor Trajan’s Arch. Onward to Greece!
 |
| Urbino |
This canter through parts of Europe reflects our personal tastes and others will have entirely different preferences. The history of Western Europe is so dense that even otherwise unremarkable places often have at least one treasure. The people share a common standard of civilisation, which is a great asset. We hope we have whetted your appetite for a journey to these parts.
SMD
22.10.11
Text copyright Sidney Donald 2011
Footnotes
1) Bruges Hotel Crowne Plaza. Well situated, first class: restaurant Breydel de Coninc, off main square, good seafood.
2) Antwerp Restaurants La Perouse, smart French on docked boat. Neuze Neuze modern food.
3) Cologne Hotels: Hyatt, first class by the Rhine. Sofitel, friendly, convenient for Cathedral. Restaurants: Walfisch. Good seafood; Fruh, near Dom, pubby, hearty.
4) St Quentin Hotel. Les Canonniers, welcoming comfortable stopover near centre.
5) Arras Restaurant La Faisanderie superior French food in basement on main square.
6) Nancy, Hotel de la Reine. In Place Stanislaus, high standards.
7) Alsace Restaurant Le Cerf, Marlenheim. Was Michelin starred. Excellent; Hotel Chateau d’Isenbourg, Rouffach, near Colmar, lovely hotel, 2 pools, good restaurant.
8) Garmisch, Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl, comfortable, panoramic views, decent restaurant.
9) Rothenburg ob den Tauber Hotel Eisenhut, an institution in the town centre, lovely rooms, excellent piano bar and restaurant.
10) Salzburg Hotel Schloss Monstein, expensive, superior, good restaurant.
11) Tyrol, Romantik Hotel Turm, Vols am Schlern/Fie allo Sciliar, in Bolzano area, lovely alpine situation, good food.
12) Garda, Locanda Albergo San Vigilio, venerable, small, smart hotel on Lake Garda. Antique filled rooms, good restaurant.
13) Verona Hotel Due Torri, best in town, pricey: Victoria perfectly acceptable. Restaurant Re Teodorico, panoramic, chic. Torcolo, excellent Italian dishes at reasonable prices behind the expensive Arena strip.
14) Venice Hotels Metropole, near Doge’s Palace, reliably good. Attractive Cavalletto, on side canal near St Mark’s Danieli Hotel Restaurant, panoramic, pricey, inconsistent.
15) Ravenna Hotel Bizanio, pleasant. Restaurant Tre Spade, lively.
16) Pesaro Restaurant da Alceo, good seafood.
17) Urbino Restaurant Vecchia Urbino, honest Italian cooking.
No comments:
Post a Comment