History buffs looking for offbeat suggestions (Italy, Germany)

What do you think about this on Germany http://livingingermany.geekymoms.com/places-to-see/haunted-places-in-germany/

Hallo inkhearted,
Some of the possible destinations are out of the way or best to be approached/undertaken by hiking/cycling.
So: how do you intend to travel?
And is this your first visit to Europe?

Some random examples, the Märchenstrasse and Edelstein route might be interesting. I was surprised by this second phenomenon, as you are specifically asking about 'being surprised'.

For further research als http://www.atlasobscura.com will provide for sure some 'quirky' ingredients for your menu. And look at this thread for specific and other valuable info: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1843301

Happy Travels,

I wonder if you aren't putting the cart before the horse.

If it were me, look for "off the beaten track" places near the places I knew I wanted to visit--or perhaps within them (many "secondary" sights within major cities get few tourists but are at least as rewarding as the "top 10"--especially in the Italian cities you already mention).

Thanks, Regards! That's quite a list to go through, and it does look interesting. I'll have to research them and put a few on my list. :)

Arizona -- My husband has never been, but I studied abroad in the UK for a semester and made it to Budapest and Venice, just for a few days each. We're toying with the idea of buying a pass and mostly taking the train to get from point A to point B where possible, and we aren't opposed to hiking or cycling (weather permitting)! Thanks for your suggestions, and I'll check those links out. I hadn't come across Atlas Obscura before. It looks like a valuable resource.

Clementis_fur_cap-- Thanks. I've done quite a bit of research around and within our top cities. I suppose I'm looking for places that aren't well-documented or easily found that people might have stumbled upon in their own travels.

There are thousands of castles all over Europe and everyone has it's history!
The same is true for the hundreds of small medieval towns like Glurns/Glorenza, Rottweil, Perouges, Muehlhausen in Thueringen, Montagnana, Murten, Parenzo .......

I fully agree with meckerdv. There are indeed thousands of castles all over Europe. Neuschwanstein is not a real castle in my opinion, because it is from the 19th century and therefore not really old.
You mentioned also Norway, but you should realize that in October the days are shortening and the weather may already be cold. If you would like to go there, then do it so in the summer, June, July and the first half of August.
You also mentioned Spain. In that country there are a lot of castles from the middle ages. A lot were built to defend the reconquered part of the country against the Moors. You find a lot of castles and fortified towns all over the country. Most of these towns are small and could easiest be reached by car. A couple of towns stand out in my opinion: Lugo in Galicia, where the Roman walls are still in place and one can walk around the center of that town along these walls and Avila, near Madrid, where the walls of the middle age are still in place. Also Toledo is interesting, but I haven't been there myself.
Different, but also very interesting is the moorish inheritance, such as the Alhambra in Granada and the mosque in Cordoba. Also Sevilla has many moorish remains. Besides these three cities there are many smaller places with interesting moorish parts.
In Germany there are a lot of catles along the middle part of the Rhine, roughly between Bingen and Koblenz, some very well known like the Lorelei. But there are many more and also many in other parts of the country

Hi,

A castle I really can recommend is Wartburg Castle in Eisenach, hiding place for Maarten Luther for almost a year. More nice stories are connected with this historic place. Eisenach is also of interest being the birthplace of JS Bach.
Lutherstadt-Eisleben as birthplace of Maarten Luther and Lutherstadt-Wittenberg the traditional starting place of the Reformation.
Weimar, generally regarded as the cultural centre of Germany and the centrepoint of many historical events.
Potsdam, even Sans Souci is a touristic hotspot, it still is of historic interest if it’s just because of Frederik the Great, so worth a visit. Schloss Cecilienhof as place of the Potsdam Conference, it houses also a hotel, so if budget is not a problem.....
The mentioned places are located south-west of Berlin, the next south of Stuttgart.
Hohenzollern Castle near Hechingen, the ancestral seat of the Prussian Royal House and nearby Lichtenstein Castle (not the same as country Liechtenstein!).
Last but not least Elzburg Castle south-west of Koblenz, still in the hands of the founding family for over 850 years!
I don’t regard myself as a Germany specialist, but this are the places I know and I think are of interest.

Good luck with planning,

wilco3

I agree with Clementis.

Take Italy. An area i've written about a lot here is Northern Lazio. In a 100km radius, about 1 1/2 hr north of Rome, there is more history than in you could cover in a month's time.

If you study up on the Etruscans you will find painted tombs in Tarquinia, an Etruscan bridge in Vulci, and tombs about everywhere you turn.

You can find Roman hot springs that are still in use in Viterbo and Saturnia. Some of these are free, just out in the countryside among Roman ruins.

You can learn about the Farnese family, who for a while were one of the most powerful families in the Papacy, supplying popes and cardinals, and see their palaces and castles in places like Capranica, Tuscania, and of course Rome itself.

JustA website like http://www.elegantetruria.com/travel-and-itineraries/ offers scores of stories about this region.

As said above, there is an infinite number of interesting locations in Europe even if you narrow the field at castles.

In Italy you get easily spoiled about castles and walled towns: the castle in Brescia is little known but surprisingly intact, so is the walled upper town of Bergamo; Glorenza/Glurns and the beautiful Churburg in Schluderns; the castles of Miramar and Duino near Trieste; on the other side of Italy, all the castles in Valle d'Aosta plus the rather extraordinary fortress at Bard, ovelooking a Roman road, and so on and so on and so on.

In the rest of Europe the castles I found most imposing and interesting are the Cathar castles in Southern France (Peyrepertuse above all).