Fine
European Dining With Family Prices
On
our recent trip to Europe we visited with family and friends in
Tuttlingen, Germany. Tuttlingen is in the South West corner of
Germany, near the Rhine river.
We
stayed at the Gasthof Lowen in the suburb known as
Tuttlingen-Mohringen. The village is a post card perfect southern
German village with gabled buildings, lots of fountains and statues.
There are flower boxes everywhere. The gasthof is a quintessential,
family owned, “old school” gasthof with lots of modern
amenities.
The
reasonably priced rooms are clean and comfortable with heated towel
racks in the bathroom, free internet and flat screen TV's.
The
best part of our stay was the food and hospitality of the gasthof
restaurant. The hard wood paneled walls, with hand carved cukoo
clocks, lace curtained windows and fresh flowers on every table is
truly “Echte Deutsch” or truly German. They even had the
traditional “stamptische”, a table reserved for regulars who will
usually be found playing cards, discussing politics and drinking
beer. It is an amazing experience to be asked to join in this
wonderful German ritual!
The
Gasthof Lowen has been owned and operated by the Rothweiler family
for decades. Johanness Rothweiler is the current proprietor and chef.
Chef
Rothweiler's skills have not gone unnoticed. Gasthof Lowen has been
Michelin Guide rated for the past four years. I must say that I
totally concur with this assessment.
Dinner
for six included, salads, cream of garlic soup, schnitzel, pork
medallions in a cream sauce with Chantrelle mushrooms, a vegetarian
dish, fresh asparagus, and a schwein kotlette with delicious French
fries. Needless to say, more than a few Hefe Wietzen beers, which is
an unfiltered wheat beer that is considered a light beer in Germany.
It is a refreshing beer with a great taste.
The
ten page menu at Gasthof Lowen literally has something for
everyone's dining pleasure and tastes. Like any German restaurant,
The desserts are incredible, so try to save some room for them.
The
service was pleasant and unpretentious. The Food was excellent and
the ambiance was exceptional. Everything about this dining experience
was exactly as it should be.
Like
most European hotels, breakfast was included. It was served in
another dining area decorated with a working, antique radio, fresh
flowers, oak side boards and more. Frühstück, or Breakfast
consisted of cold cuts, cheeses, cereals, fresh baked breads, jelly
and jams, fruit and steaming hot coffee. It is a perfect way to start
your day and usually precludes the need for a lunch as you are sight
seeing.
Things
to see and do in the the area include the Rhine Falls, a beautiful
set of water falls on the Rhine river, The Tuttlingen City Hall /
museum and a small mountain range similar to the Ozarks that was
formed by ancient volcanoes.
If
you are lucky enough to plan your trip around FasFest, or Canival,
you will be treated to a great festival of costumed parades and
party's.
Now
comes the best part. I booked our stay through Booking.com for
$102.00 per night. The value of the US Dollar is the highest it has
been in years and we found our entire trip was very reasonably
priced. The cost of our dinner and drinks for six people; $128.00
including the tip! This meal in St. Louis would easily have cost over
$300.00 and would have been well worth it.
If
you have ever considered a trip to Europe, now is the time to go.
Round trip airfare can be had for under $500.00 and a car rental,
hotels and food are equally good bargains.
While
a visit to the Tuttlingen area may not be considered a “tourist”
destination, it is a place to experience the real Germany of today
while being able to visit many historical areas as well. Enjoy!
Please
check out their website: www.loewen-moehringen.de
Gasthof
Lowen, proprietor Johannes Rothweiler
Mittlere Gasse 4
78532 Tuttlingen-Möhringen
Tel.: 07462/6277
Fax: 07462/7050
E-Mail:loewen-moehringen@t-online.de
Mittlere Gasse 4
78532 Tuttlingen-Möhringen
Tel.: 07462/6277
Fax: 07462/7050
E-Mail:loewen-moehringen@t-online.de
