Lower Case Weimar
I am probably one of many who wrote to point out an error in your excellent report on Weimar. It was not the capital of the Weimar Republic. I have seen this error perpetuated several times in print in various publications. Although the constitution of the republic that was established in Germany after the First World War was adopted in Weimar, the capital remained in Berlin.
I can second your recommendation of the Hotel Amalienhof. I stayed there for two nights in July 2000, and found it just as you described. As I remember, a brochure in the hotel revealed the origin of the name Christliches Hotel (Christian Hotel). At one time the building was used by the Protestant church as a women's shelter. I believe the hotel is still owned by the church and the income from it is used to support their charitable work. There are several such hotels in various German cities. Weimar is, as you describe, one of those hidden treasures which is well-known to Germans but seems to be ignored by most Americans. Please keep this kind of article coming.
Jim Mentzer
via e-mail
Hotel Near Coburg
I've been meaning to send you an e-mail about a hotel recommendation you made a few years ago...but never got around to it. When you recently mentioned the hotel again it spurred me to write.
After your recommendation for the Gasthof-Pension Hofmann I decided to stay there. Altenstein turned out to be a delightful small town (love the lighting at night on the old castle ruins) and the Gasthof was a real value for the price. And you were absolutely right about the restaurant. I usually shy away from ordering steak in Europe but this small hotel restaurant may have had the best steak I've ever eaten in Europe. I had brought a copy of the Gemütlichkeit article with me and showed it to the hotel's owner. He was both delighted and surprised since he did not know he had been featured. All in all, a really wonderful small hotel value.
This is an example of why your magazine is head and shoulders above most others of the genre. You obviously love to travel in Europe and love this region...and you make it special for normal travelers by offering a variety of price and experience options in your hotel and restaurant recommendations. Thanks.
By the way, I am a very experienced traveler in these countries...and yet I still find new places to explore and excellent hotel and restaurant recommendations each month in Gemütlichkeit. This is despite the fact that I have spent about two to three months each year in Europe for the past 15 with a significant portion in these countries. I am a tour guide with Rick Steves, I organize small group/private tours (via minibus).
Rick Garman
via e-mail
July 2003
