Lesley, the airport at Hahn is at least 60 miles away from Frankfurt!! Two possibilities here; hire a car and visit the lovely Hunsruck region which is close to the airport, eg Bernkastel and Idar Oberstein; or take the Ryanair bus to Mainz - a beautiful city with some impressive Chagall windows in one of the churches (sorry, can't remember which).

Lubeck, a former Hanseatic city is worth a short visit, but is well connected to Hamburg.

The Germans do love Wurst (sausages) but they also eat more healthily these days. Do you eat fish? Good trout from these areas and herring at Lubeck. There are also Reformhaus restaurants - ie back to the good old home cooking ... sausages but also vegetable dishes, and pulses too. And there's always the 4 Seasons pizza to fall back on! I wouldn't worry too much but the Vegetarian Society of Germany (try this on Google) can give lists of local restaurants and products to try.

Thanks for that Alsacienne.

I'm not into hiring a car though. Lubeck or Mainz sound like possibilities then.

Also, don't eat fish, and not into trying dished with veg/pulses etc. I'm a fussy thing, and just like my pasta! Even 4 seasons pizza sounds too adventurous for me....or was that the name of a pizzeria?

No! 4 Seasons is a vegetarian type of pizza! I don't think you'll have too much problems - some department stores even have cafeterias where you can select from salad buffets and pay by weight of your plate.

In southern germany we eat our own version of pasta called spätzle, usually comes with melted cheese and crispy fried onions on top(called Käse Spätzle) There are loads of Italian restaurants also, so if you can't go without pasta you will be able to find dishes you like. Wash it down with a good german beer or wine.

I wouldn't be keen on the German cheese though, wouldn't be sure if it was vegetarian. But if there's plenty of Italian restaurants then that's what I'd be looking for.

As for German wine....I remember trying Liebfraumilch...Yuk....maybe Riesling (is that drier)?

Liebfraumilch was an awful concoction made origionally just for export to the UK. Trocken means dry, there are loads of different dry wines to choose from and if none of the german wines appeal most restaurants will
have french wines on offer though it's a shame not to try a local one.-
I have noticed over the last few years that a lot of restaurant menus have a note at the side of the name of the dish stating if the meal is suitable for vegetarians, but you will not have much choice. Not too many germans are vegetarian and those that say they are usually eat fish.
Although I like living in Bavaria I would love to be able to do my weekly shop in England, the choice of vegetarian stuff here is atrocious.

Lesley74 so from the Tenerife forum and the Las Dalias we now move over to the German one. If you would like any info on Germany ask away, cause i'll just e-mail my sister in law and get the answers from her as she lives in Germany. We have visited her a few times. We went at christmas for a long weekend. And we visited the german christmas markets they were wonderful. I can fully recommend Cologne for a weekend. It is awesome. Try walking up the steps in the cathedral they are thigh tiring.

At least Germany has a logo to show which products are really vegetarian - and as I remember from last summer cooking for very strict vegetarians - the cheese is well marked and varied. I do so agree with Judith about the ease of shopping in Britain for vegetarians!! And Germany is miles better than France!

I think I'd survive then. Definitely an option for a city break at some point. Good to hear that cheese is labelled and other things. I hate when I'm abroad and have to try to read the ingredients (bad enough when they're in English trying to work out what's in things).

Thanks for the info all!

Now thinking of either Dusseldorf or Cologne. Which???

Definately Cologne

I second Judith wholeheartedly! The Cathedral is magnificent, and so is the local beer (Kolsch). There are good shops, excellent museums (look out for the enormous Bucky Ball at the Modern Art museum) the Chocolate Museum, the cable car over the Rhine .... and lots to do in the evenings too!

I went to Lubeck in December for 3 nights and can recommend it for winter or summer short breaks and as said previously has easy access to Hamburg.
If choosing between Dusseldorf and Cologne I would definitely pick Dusseldorf. Had a short break in Dusseldorf in 2003 and went by train to Cologne for the day and although very nice preferred Dusseldorf.

Cologne cathedral is wonderful, you can pay 2 euros to walk yes walk up to the top. It is very steep getting up there but the view from the top is wonderful. also halfway up youcan se the massive bell that used to be rang. The shopping is to die for they even have a H & M that is cheaper than at home. You can go down the river for a 1 hour trip with lunch included. And in the old town there is some great little bars.

Can I throw something else in....

Flights to Hamburg have dropped to £57 for 2. Cologne is £104.

How does Hamburg (or Lubeck) compare to Cologne????

Both are great cities with lots to see. If you choose one, the other will keep! You will certainly find plenty to occupy you in Hamburg ... and it's an easy train trip to Lubeck. GO FOR IT NOW BEFORE THE PRICE RISES!!! (Says the person who missed a bargain to London from Baden Baden two days ago and is gritting her teeth with rage and regret for what might have been!!)

I would also say do the Hamburg trip. Lubeck is a very interesting town with plenty of small shops and historic buildings to see if that is your thing. Can recommend the Hotel Park and Hotel Excelsior both in Lubeck and opposite the train and bus station with a 2-3 minute walk to get to the town centre. It cost about 20euros for a return train ticket to Hamburg for 2 people if you ask at the ticket office and that includes transport in Hamburg if I remember correctly. Don't get one from the ticket machine they cost alot more and they speak good english in the office.
If you want to stay in Hamburg there is a bus that runs direct from the airport and if you want to stay in Lubeck the buses run regularly to and from the airport and the bus stop is on the main road - walk over the car park on to the path and you will see it. Don't cross the main road though or you will be going in the wrong direction!!!!

Why not try the east German side Chemnitz or Karlmarkstadt as it used to be known is a great city.You can fly Ryanair to Altenburg Which is approx 40 mins away.

There is no problem for vegetarians in Germany, I have some good friends who are or were vegetarians and they could go and eat wherever they wanted, (well maybe not at a Steak House) and there were always vegetarian alternatives. Our cheese is vegetarian too, as long as you don't try some weird specialities that are mostly foreign. You will find good italian restaurants in every city and they do have pasta and pizza without meat for you ... as well as some other vegetarian dishes.
There are a lot of vegetarians in Germany, even as I am still on the meat eating side
Most of my vegetarian friends would never touch fish and there will be no problems getting vegetarian food as long as you don't try it in a butcher's shop or a Steak house

Hamburg is a beautifull hanseatic city with lots of old buildings and musicals and good shops and the famous (or infamous) Reeperbahn ...