Gasthof Lowen, German Dining and Hospitality at its Best

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