Ingolstad ..Gem of a Town

We stayed within a hotel in the old town situated only a road away from the Danube, not far from the theatre and at this time of year the Christmas market.  Also not far from the main shopping streets and restaurnt's and cafes alike.  The hotel was called Hotel Bayerischer Hof and is down a side street, a nice size hotel with thirty four rooms, at times it was full.  It was quiet and had it's own sauna on one of the floors. For those who drive, they do have their own car park at the back of the hotel. 

The staff our very friendly and the breakfast is continental style, offering a good variety of breads, cereals, yoghurt's, some cheese and cold meats, along with fruit juices, tea and coffee.  You should also be aware that they do not have tea and coffee making facilities in the rooms.

We went in December right in the middle of the Bavarian winter and in the middle of a lot of snowfall, if you go at this time of year it is freezing and you need warm gloves, especially since the temperature was at about -2 the majority of the time.  The weather did not stop us from going up the Danube.

There is plenty to do within the town between the 27th November and 23 December there is a Christmas market within the old town, in front of the theatre.  There is also a small one situated in the courtyard of the Bavarian Army Museum, the Neues Schloss, this one has a small entrance fee of 2 euros.  It has both stalls and an area for children that includes pony rides, miniature train rides and even camel rides. 

Both markets sell traditional foods,cakes, candy, a variety of wines and beers, alot of which we sampled on the trip.  The Christmas market within the theatre square also has a carousel ride for kids, that adds to the festive lights and the feel of the place.

Aside from the Christmas market, there are lots of other things to do, there are plenty of pathways up and down the Danube, some that lead into lovely forested regions, for those people who like to do a lot of walking.

For those into history they have twelve museums along with other sites of historical interest and they have quite a few churches, all which are worth a visit, if just to look at the elaborate decorations within them. I visited as many as was possible during my stay and you can get a map of here they are situated from the tourist info.

Eating out is easy and varied within the town, I am a vegetarian and the two people with me are vegans, yet we still managed to find enough food to survive.  There is plenty in the Christmas market and they have cafes,bistros and restuarnts galore, even the food that is served within the department stores is very nice.  There are plenty of cakes and bakeries around, for those with a sweet tooth.  I don't know about night life as I spent much of that in the Christmas market.

There is a bistro cafe though that we came across that opens early morning and serves breakfast, as well as other menus throughout the day.  Cafe Sigi's Bistro situated opposite what is known as the Munster (cathethdral I think), is a lovely friendly place, the staff are lovely and the serviceexcellent.

They really have a welcoming atmosphere there, they do a lovely hot chocolate with rum in that really beats off the cold.

All in all Ingolstadt is a gem of a town just waiting to be discovered, any season any time.  Lovely people, lovely place and a great atmosphere.

Suzy pope, Liverpool England
March 2009