At the end of March, the Corona measures should fall – and in April we can look forward to the longest weekend of the year at Easter. Here are six special ideas for a hopefully carefree Easter holiday!
Easter vacation: Soak up the sun for the first time – hopefully!
The long Easter weekend is perfect for the first short trip of the year. At least since we’ve grown up, we’re no longer really interested in looking for eggs. Now Easter means one thing above all: four days of vacation without having to take a single day off. And with a bit of luck, spring will already be here at Easter, and the sun will warm our pale, winter-weary limbs.
But we don’t like cruises or package tours, lucky hotels or run-of-the-mill round trips. We also do not book flights in tourist strongholds such as Koh Samui and no all-inclusive resorts in Hurghada. We’re finally through with the ski vacation for this year. What we want is: just get in the car or the train, be free and flexible and see what this journey has in store for us.
Six BRIGITTE authors were out and brought their best tips for the Easter holiday with them.
Is there the perfect Easter holiday for you?
Easter holiday in Alsace: enjoyable border crossing © Prill / Shutterstock
Stop, don’t head straight for Strasbourg, at least not if you’re coming from the north like me. The best way to get in the mood for an Alsace trip is right across the border to the Palatinate: The town is called Wissembourg, has a lot of old walls to offer (don’t miss the salt house and the church of St. Peter and Paul) and, of course, great wine and tarte flambée .
The next day we continue to Strasbourg, which is just under an hour’s drive away. Up the cathedral and into the romantic tanners’ quarter with its half-timbered houses. In the evening, it is essential to replenish the calories burned up, preferably at “La Table de Christophe” (28 Rue des Juifs, www.tabledechristophe.com), where Angèle will give you a warm welcome and Christophe will prepare great French dishes (definitely room for a table). leave dessert!).
But our hunger for Alsace has not yet been satisfied. We want more half-timbered idyll – and we find it in Colmar on the Alsatian Wine Route. The old town with its cobbled streets and colorful facades appears to us like a large open-air museum. We don’t think it’s more typically Alsatian, but we haven’t seen the last stop of our tour yet. The wine town of Eguisheim is like a miniature version of Colmar.
overnight stay: Strasbourg is a good base for exploring Alsace, Colmar and Eguisheim are around an hour’s drive away. Nice and cheap you can in the centrally located Hotel Kleber to stay All 30 rooms are designed differently, inspired by fruit, spices and sweet specialties (29 Place Kléber, Tel. 33/3/88 32 09 53, www.hotel-kleber.com).
Catherine
Easter vacation in the Harz mountains: hiking and biking beyond the pot of coffee © Gert Hochmuth / Shutterstock
I couldn’t help but grin when I got my hands on the item. Once again someone tried to sell the Harz Mountains as a hip travel destination that had gotten rid of the old stuffiness. The truth is different, that much is clear after countless Harz weekends: coffee in a pot is still a big hit, the age of the guests is definitely above average and finding modern, chic accommodation is a challenge.
Nevertheless, I am addicted to the resin. A natural paradise, ideal for hiking and mountain biking. There is an incredible variety of hiking and mountain biking trails. Anyone who dares to cross the Harz Mountains over several days can do the Harzer Hexenstieg (www.hexenstieg.de) tackle. The Bode and Selke valleys are ideal for day trips. tours under www.bodetal.de and www.selketal-harz.de.
Mountain bikers who don’t feel like constantly reading maps are also in good hands in the Harz Mountains. The tours of the Volkswagen Arena Harz are well signposted and can be downloaded free of charge as GPS tracks (www.volksbank-arena-harz.de).
Nice accommodations and good restaurants:
The Polsterberger Hubhaus restaurant: regional cuisine, e.g. game, goat cheese, beautiful sun terrace, lovingly restored restaurant (Polsterberger Hubhaus, Polsterberg 1, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Tel. 05323/5581, www. Polsterberger-hubhaus.harz.de).
Hildesheim house: Historic rooms and apartments, nicely renovated (Hildesheimer Haus, An der Trift 6A, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, OT Buntenbock, Tel. 05323/715992, www.hildesheimerhaus.de).
Country Suites by Verdino Living: Very elegant apartments plus a concept store where you can shop for chic living accessories (Im Wiesengrund 28, Braunlage, Tel. 0 55 20 / 24 05, www.verdino-living.de).
The Furry. In 2016, the wonderful country house “Die Fellerei” opened its doors – with regional cuisine, bathing lake, garden and wellness (An der Trift 19, 38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld/OT Buntenbock, Tel. 05323 1774, http://diefellerei.de).
Hotel test: We experienced that in the Fellerei.
Monica
Easter vacation in the Schlei: Greetings from Saltkrokan © Sabine Lubenow/JAI/Corbis
I’m lying on the white sand, my back against a rock. In front of me reeds are swaying in the wind, a seagull has landed on a stone, the water is making small waves. Greetings from Saltkrokan. If Tjorven were to turn the corner with her St. Bernard bosun, I wouldn’t be surprised. And best of all: This small Swedish paradise is not far from Hamburg on the Schlei. Never heard?
The Schlei is the longest fjord in Germany. A 42-kilometer-long arm of the sea that meanders from the Baltic Sea to Schleswig – surrounded by rapeseed fields. Sometimes the loop is wide like the sea, sometimes narrow like a river. There are hidden coves, wooden bathing jetties, and a thousand beautiful places to sit, lie, have a picnic, or swim. The cove I am writing about at the beginning is in Gunneby.
After sunbathing, I take the small ferry in Lindaunis and cycle on to Café Grünlund, which doesn’t look like Saltkrokan but like Bullerbü. Or would I rather cycle in the other direction to the iconic Peter Viergutz kiosk in Weseby? There is a grandiose Berliner Weisse, homemade cakes and always a little snack with a view of the Schlei.
get there: By car via the A7 to Owschlag or Schleswig; by train to Schleswig or Süderbrarup.
overnight stay: In Schleswig: Hotel F RitzFriedrichstrasse 102, 24837 Schleswig, www.hotel-F-ritz.de. In the countryside: Hof EckhorstGuby, www.hof-eckhorst.deapartments from 50 euros.
Nikola
Easter holiday in Salzburg: Baroque and lots of romance © canadastock / Shutterstock
First take the elevator to the Mönchsberg and get an overview of the city on the Salzach. Sitting under white parasols and looking out from the restaurant terrace of the Museum der Moderne (www.museumdermoderne.at) look at the old town, the fortress, the cathedral and the magnificent baroque buildings.
The Salzburg Festival does not start until the end of July (www.salzburgfestival.at). Now the city is not yet overcrowded, you can still stroll through the streets, to the Mozart House, through the Getreidegasse to the magnificent cathedral. Or rent a bike at one of the stations and ride to Hellbrunn Palace.
For refreshment there is Wiener Schnitzel in the “St. Peter Stiftskulinarium” (St. Peter District 1/4, www.stpeter.at). And in the evening back to the romantic hotel “Gmachl”, just outside the city. A wonderful traditional house with a new annex opposite, where there are spacious, tasteful rooms as well as a pool and spa area.
overnight stay: Elixhauser Wirt, Dorfstrasse 14, 5161 Elixhausen, Tel. 0043/662/480212, www.elixhauserwirt.at.
ann
Easter holiday on the Darß: Roll, baby, roll! © UbjsP / Shutterstock
Rent a bike in Wieck or Born and then off into the Darss forest full of ferns, beeches, birches, oaks, pines and clearings for a picnic – at some point you always come out on the wild west beach. Or you drive along the Bodden with a view of the sparkling water.
Between Wieck am Bodden and Prerow on the Baltic Sea coast, beefy Galloways look after their calves, with a bit of luck you can see a fox hunting in the evening sun. If you are tired, simply get on the ferry with your bike and let them drive you home (www.boddenschifffahrt.de).
It doesn’t matter where you cycle to on the Darss peninsula: cycling on the level paths goes by itself. Of course, other holidaymakers have already recognized this. Nevertheless, you sometimes feel like you are at the end of the world here.
overnight stay: In the Pension Walfischhaus, a former captain’s house with a view of Born harbor, the pretty rooms are decorated with colorful fabrics by Gudrun Sjödén. Breakfast, cake and dinner in organic quality are available on the terrace when the weather is nice (Walfischhaus, Chausseestr. 74, Born am Darß, Tel. 038234 / 55784, www.walfischhaus.de).
Suzanne
Easter vacation in Paris: By car to the Seine © Samot / Shutterstock
Paris is never more magical than spring. The city is awakening, the café terraces invite you to linger, the sun provides warmth. The masses of tourists are not there yet, so that the waiting times at the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Versailles, Notre-Dame, Sacré Coeur are limited. The city bikes are ready and invite you to bike tours in hidden side streets or prominent districts.
We explore the elegant 16th arrondissement between the Bois de Boulogne, Trocadéro and Arc de Triomphe by bike. Here, every house entrance looks like a hotel entrance. Here we feel the myth of Paris, the city of the dignified big bourgeoisie, the city of the Belle Epoque, the city that preserves the old and is still modern.
Since the usual mid-range hotels do not have their own parking facilities, we opt for a comfortable bungalow on the 4-star campsite “Bois de Boulogne” – directly on the Seine, with a view of the Eiffel Tower. The bungalow is well equipped: 28 square meters for 4 to 6 people, 2 bedrooms, living area, bathroom, kitchenette, air conditioning, TV, microwave, parking space, terrace, even heating if it gets cold after all. The place itself is relatively noisy. We would not camp here.
The proximity to the center is simply great. We leave the car and just walk, but you can also take the bus.
overnight stay: Bungalow for up to 6 people (Le Camping du Bois de Boulogne, Allée du Bord de l’Eau, 75016 Paris, Tel. 0033/1/45 24 30 31, www.campingparis.fr).
Anke Maren