Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The
Veste-Express
(one-way/return €3/4; 10am-5pm Apr-Oct)
, a tourist train,
leaves from the tourist office and makes the trip to the fortress every 30 minutes. Other-
wise it's a steep 3km climb on foot.
Schloss Ehrenburg
( 808 832;
www.sgvcoburg.de
; Schlossplatz; adult/child €4.50/free; tours hourly
9am-5pm Tue-Sun Apr-Sep, 10am-4pm Tue-Sun Oct-Mar)
The lavish Schloss Ehrenburg
was once the town residence of the Coburg dukes. Albert spent his childhood in this
sumptuous, tapestry-lined palace, and Queen Victoria stayed in a room with Germany's
first flushing toilet (1860). The splendid
Riesensaal
(Hall of Giants) has a baroque ceiling
supported by 28 statues of Atlas.
CASTLE
Coburger Puppenmuseum
(
www.coburger-puppenmuseum.de
;
Rückerstrasse 2-3; adult/child €4/2; 10am-4pm
daily Apr-Oct, 11am-4pm Tue-Sun Nov-Mar)
Spanning 33 rooms, this delightfully old-
fashioned museum displays a collection of 2000 dolls, dollhouses, miniature kitchens and
chinaware, some from as far away as England and all dating from between 1800 and
1956. Aptly named 'Hallo Dolly', the stylish cafe next door is ideally situated for restor-
ing calm after all those eerie glass eyes.
MUSEUM
Festivals & Events
Samba Festival
(
www.samba-festival.de
)
Believe it or not, Coburg hosts Europe's largest Samba Festival
every year in mid-July, an incongruous venue if ever there was one. This orgy of song and
dance attracts almost 100 bands and up to 200,000 scantily-clad, bum-wiggling visitors.
Now what would Queen Vic have made of that?
DANCE
Sleeping & Eating
Romantik Hotel Goldene Traube €€
( 8760;
www.goldenetraube.com
; Am Viktoriabrunnen 2; s €89-99, d €109-129;
)
Owner Bernd Glauben is president of the German Sommelier's Union, and you can taste
and buy over 400 wines in the charming hotel
wine bar
. These can also be sampled in the
two eateries, the Michelin-starred Esszimmer and the less fancy Victora Grill. Rooms are
HOTEL
