by BavariaBen 
As I remember it - around ten years ago I was spending much of my free time (before and after work) visiting the
various travel forums online attempting to assist fellow independent travelers to Germany and Austria. The AOL
Travel Forums were very popular during that time frame and that was where I and my lifelong friend Larry spent
most of our efforts. Some time before that I had taken on the screenname of BavariaBen (but still maintained my
old screenname). Looking back on it I think I must have thought too much of myself to assume such a moniker. It
seemed a stretch that I might consider myself somewhat of an expert on the area of Bavaria. But I took it nevertheless
and made efforts to give the personage a degree of dignity by providing well researched information to those who
asked questions on the forums.
My underlying motivation at that time was to entrap my buddy Larry (PStuyvsant) into thinking that someone with a name such as BavariaBen would know more about Germany than his old friend Mike the Mailman. Larry had been making trips to Europe much more often than myself however he tended to stick to the same routes and accommodations more frequently than I thought he should. My efforts to have him seek new adventures in Germany usually met with stubbornness and an attitude that taking Mike's advice might be beneath his dignity. After all - he had been an officer in the military and I was only an old NCO. Truth be known - it didn't take him long to seek out the advice of this BavariaBen fellow (Mike - unbeknownst to him at the time). PatBee (the matriarch of what would later be our Stammtisch) enjoys telling the story of how she thought of BavariaBen (at that time) as being a gray haired old gentleman living in a log hut in the backwoods of Bavaria, wearing his Lederhosen and spouting personal knowledge of his Vaterland for the American tourists.
My plan had worked and I had talked Larry into letting me help him organize his next trip - to include new places to visit. When I finally confessed my secret to him I'm sure he was disappointed to find out that his old ex-brother-in-law had duped him. But he still talks to me so I guess it didn't affect our friendship too much.
But I maintained the BavariaBen name and soon thereafter had one of my best brain farts ever. Why not take Larry's wealth of experience and my love for all things German and start a website for the purpose of helping our fellow travelers who enjoy traveling as we do. In early 1999 I began putting it all together. There was much for me to learn about being a webmaster and I'm still learning to this day. Much trial and effort went into my earlier efforts. I still keep it very simple and basic - nothing fancy - no advertising.
I've always felt that my best achievement in developing
Ben's Bauernhof was the addition of our Stammtisch. I recruited from the Germany Travel board on AOL for experienced
travelers to Germany who also enjoyed sharing their trips, places to visit, places to stay, etc. Our small initial
core grew when others saw what we were all about and asked to join the table. We now total 30 members (along with
spouses and two honorary members who have passed away in the past decade) and quite a diverse group they are -
some traveling almost every year to Germany for vacation - the rest wishing they could. For the record - I could
not have put my website together without their assistance and support. So - thanks Stammtisch - for a very enjoyable
decade of friendship.
So - what better way to celebrate ten years than to try and have another gathering at our favorite little Black
Forest Gasthaus (zum Sternen) in the sleepy little village of Urach (near Furtwangen). The Bärmann family
who own and operate the Sternen have been special friends of the Stammtisch since we first gathered there in the
year 2000. Would we have a good turn-out this year? I looked forward to finding out and knowing that our
meetings would be the highlight of this trip.
This year I planned to spend just ten days (my Frau misses me too much - so she says) with most of that time in
the Schwarzwald. It's the easiest place I know of in Germany to keep on a tight budget. Free public transportation
while you are staying there is just hard to pass up. So I determined to fly DFW to Frankfurt and stick with trains
and busses this trip. My initial thoughts were to train from the Frankfurt Flughafen to somewhere in the heart
of the Black Forest. After asking my group and the Fodorites on the Fodor's Germany forum - I decided to take Fodorite
Russ's suggestion that I give the small town of Löffingen (on a train line) a try. Fodorites are a good group
with a wealth of information to share. Unless you get in their knickers by admitting to your favorite German musik
being Schlager. :) One responded that they would rather drive a railroad spike through their brain than to have
to listen to Schlager. I confessed it to only being the good looking young female Schlager singers that I favored
- but the damage was done.
I confirmed my first three days in country at a Privatzimmer in a residential area of Löffingen. Urach and
the Stammtisch gatherings were my next destination - so I locked in two days at one of my favorite little places
- the Kirnerhof (an old farm). The next three days I kept open until I could find out what the rest of the Stammtischers
would be doing after the meetings. I researched several villages I might overnight in and would carry that info
with me. My last stop was determined last year when I talked to a small B&B owner in a little alleyway in the
town of Bacharach on the Rhine.
As I was determining my itinerary I was also attempting to find a reasonable airfare. In January the fares bottomed
out at about $1000. For many months thereafter the lowest fare I could find was in the $850 range. All of a sudden
(in April) the fares on every website (consolidators, discount airfares, airline homepages) dropped almost $250.
I committed for a ticket - direct flight - DFW to FRA - via AA and found the lowest fare on the AA website. Nothing
left to do but wait out the heat of Texas until September.
Days 1-3
My flight was on time leaving DFW and arriving on time in Frankfurt. I had an aisle seat and (like the two previous
years) the only seat next to me was vacant and that's always good. The air time passed quickly and I arrived fresh
and ready for a long day of riding the train down into the bowels of the Black Forest. Smooth customs and baggage
claim process - easy walk to the trains. Arriving in the long distance train area there are at least two offices
where you can purchase your train ticket. I always bypass the first office (usually overflowing with lines) and
continue on closer to the Track area. The line there was very short this year and I had my ticket and train connection
information in plenty of time to take the next train to my destination.
Finally - mid afternoon - Löffingen. So I pulled out my handy little map (courtesy of Goggle) and proceeded
(with large backpack and carry-on) to hump the short distance through a quiet little neighborhood to Haus Liebermann.
I confess to cussing Russ a bit when I encountered the hill up from town but the walk was refreshing and finding
Frau Liebermann's great little Privatzimmer made it worthwhile.
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Löffingen is a pretty little village (located between Titisee and Donaueschingen) easily accessed via B-31 and by bus or train. Just to the south is a beautiful nature reserve (Wutach Gorge) frequented by nature lovers and hikers. Lots of bus stops on the fringe which allow hikes of varying lengths and difficulty. Löffingen has been in the record books for almost 1200 years. How old is your town?
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Remember that public transportation is free while staying in the Black Forest (courtesy of the KONUS-Gästekarte program). Just flash your Gästekarte (provided by the host of your accommodations) to the bus driver or train conductor. Just know that the Gästekarte is NOT valid for free use of the ICE trains. For those you must purchase a ticket. |
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From Löffingen I took full advantage of it by traveling to the Schluchsee, Seebrugg, Titisee and as far northwest as Gengenbach and Offenburg. |
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Days 4-5
On the day I was to travel to Urach - a Stammtischer (DOWELT-Don and Jan) picked me up at the Löffingen train
station and chauffeured me to my home for the next two days -
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Kirnerhof |
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Stammtisch Photos
A very fun night of socializing and drinking and joke telling. Jim and I ended up closing it down sometime after
midnight. No matter how many times I remind myself - I forgot to take a flashlight for the walk home. Total darkness
(no moon) - trying to navigate on a country road littered with land mines courtesy of the local bovine - not fun.
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After breakfast the next morning - six of us (BB-Len-Gary-Reinhard-John-FloridaLarry) met up with our 1st class hiking expert Jim and began what was to turn into a full day's jaunt. Up the mountain - over the top along a ridge line - down the valley to the Kalte Herberge - up the hill on the opposite side - and along that ridge line - then back down to Urach (close to 20km). |
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Lunch break at a small Gasthaus in the woods (full of a wedding party) - two Schnaps breaks along the way (Reinhard our resident German packed two Fifths of Schnaps and enough shot glasses for all) |
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Larry (PStuyvsant) arrived from Rothenburg
that afternoon (also staying at the Kirnerhof) and after cleaning up we headed down to the Sternen for another
night of get togethers. Everyone showed up again but many left early due to next day travels. Another gathering
in the books - most of us called it a night before 11pm. Enjoyed it folks...
Days 6-8
I made some phone calls from the Kirnerhof and locked-in one of my preselected Privatzimmer in Schiltach. It just
so happened that several Stammtisch folks were heading north that morning so I ended up traveling with Gunner and
Erika, following a van loaded with Len, Shari and his Florida neighbors, who were following Nate, his son and Chaplain
Tom (who were heading back to Nate's home - between Kaiserslautern and Mainz). After a few wayward attempts I was
escorted to my new Zimmer and we all went into town for lunch and a walkabout.
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Pension Zellershof |
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The Stadtbrunnen (town fountain) dates from the 15th century (restored in 1750). |
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The Rathaus (built in 1590) has a well equipped Tourist Information Office. |
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Hotel 'Gasthof zum Adler' |
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Haus Irmgard Orth |
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Gaststätte Jägerstube |
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Holzbrandkunst Geuß Woodburn |
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Café Restaurant
Rusticana |
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Auf Wiedersehen! Bis zum nächsten Mal...
Ben
