Reunion Extended Excursions

FAMILY REUNION TRIP EXTENSIONS

1.) Additional activities for those wishing to explore the area around Zersen

• The Schaumburg Castle—current residence of the Prince and his wife, the complex has been occupied since 915 A.D. During the middle ages, residents of the village of Zersen worked in the service of the prince, some ultimately acquiring the noble title (Dienstadel), von Zerssen.
• Bad Pyrmont--- a city known since Roman times for its baths which can still be visited today to “take the cure,” as the Germans might put it. Tourists might enjoy it in the same way that Americans like Hot Springs, Arkansas.
• Schillat Caves—one of the largest caves of Lower Saxony with many examples of coral formations now preserved as a national treasure.
• Bueckeberg—the charming city which was once the capital of the quaint area of Germany where the Zersens lived, the province called Schaumburg.
• Suentel Tower—the highest point of the Suentel Mountain Range, the part of Germany in which the Zersens lived. Many hiking trails lead to this tower which is a tourist destination with café.. From here the landscape descends to the lowlands of northern Germany and Denmark.
• Weser River—the river which borders Zersen and extends from Hannoversch-Muenden in the South to Bremen in the North—about 375 miles. It is marked by story-book villages and can be sailed in parts or continuously by canoe or paddleboat.
• Brothers Grimm—the two scholarly brothers who collected fairy tales as a hobby lived in this area and collected their stories from the villages, mountains, castles and forests of this region.
• Hanover—522,000, capital of Lower Saxony, notable for the Royal Gardens of Heerenhausen, its Zoo, museums, theatres, churches, restaurants, the city is worth a visit as a part of an extended stay in the area (not to mention that Juergen and Petra Zersen live there and can tell you all about it).

2.) Activities in the area around Munich/Augsburg for a full week (or a similarly interesting area)

• Activities in Munich (famous art museums --Alte and Neue Pinakothek, Nymphenburg Palace, the Courthouse Glockenspiel, Hofbraeuhaus, BMW headquarters, la de da…
• The German Alps—south to Oberammergau, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Zugspitze, Castles Linderhof, Neuschwanstein, Ettal (where Ettal Liqueur is made).
• Northwest—Augsburg (Fuggerei—first planned city, Golden Chamber, Renaissance City Hall), Romantic Road villages, Noerdlingen, Dinkelsbuehl, Rothenburg ob der Tauber

3.) Alternative extensions to be proposed by relatives. We invite your contributions and ideas.