There are playgrounds, and then there are Pirate playgrounds. When my husband suggested a jaunt to…read moreAmberg to visit the Piraten Spielplatz with our children, I was skeptical. An hour drive for a PLAYGROUND?? Then I remembered we were the parents of small children, and thus the selection of weekend activities are pretty much limited to playground/zoo/children's museum/bier gartens so what the hell, I thought, we'll give it a whirl. I'm so glad we did, because it was definitely worth the drive. We found a small park platz a few hundred meters from the playground itself (although since it was Sunday we did see people parking in adjacent businesses' parking lots). After a short walk, we entered what can only be described as heaven for children. The main play area features a pirate ship surrounded by water that is, at its deepest, maybe 2 and a half feet, or a little over half a meter deep, and is surrounded on two sides by a sandy shore, and on one side by a small hill with various hiding niches and small masonry walls, perfect for children to clamber all over and explore. There are two rafts on pulley lines that the kids can use to reach the pirate ship, or if they're smaller or nervous about falling in the water, a small bridge as well. The main water area is sizable, and although it was busy it didn't feel overly crowded or chaotic like, say, Playmobil Funpark on a Feiertag. Separate from the main play area is another water playground that is shallower, and more suitable for babies and smaller toddlers, even though it also had a system of water wheels and small ditches to build dams and what not, so also appealing for older children. The water here is from a natural flowing spring, so it really felt like the kids were playing in a wonder of nature. Between the two play areas was a kiosk with ice cream, beer, and snacks for sale, and comfortable tables with umbrellas for seating. Also, not to be overlooked - a toilet! Not a horrible portapotty, but an actual restroom that wasn't entirely unpleasant, given the number of people at the playground. We stayed at the playground for several hours, and when we buckled the kids back into their car seats for the drive home, my husband and I hi-fived each other for our awesome parenting, and made a note to bring up this up in the (hopefully) distant future when we are sitting across from a therapist and our adult children who are enumerating all of our massive shortcomings as parents. We can say, 'Sure, there were a lot of microwaved dinners, and also maybe too much ipad, but remember that time we took you to the Pirate playground in Amberg?' and then we will fold our arms and sit back in our seats, triumphant. Pros: Great playground for children of all ages, snack kiosk, toilets, precious family memories that make up for all of the awful stuff (kinda). Cons: maybe not quite so awesome if it's cold outside

The Hofgarten is proof that you don't have to travel far to momentarily forget that you were…read moreactually just on your way to the bus, train station, theater, or castle. Strategically located, it's exactly where half of Ansbach eventually ends up. Those who were just looking for a shortcut suddenly find themselves sitting on a bench twenty minutes later, watching ducks, clouds, or their own thoughts. The grounds themselves are beautifully designed: old, impressive trees, well-tended flower beds in the Baroque style, a medicinal herb garden, a pavilion, and enough paths to make you feel as though you're much farther from downtown than you actually are. What's particularly fascinating is that you constantly stumble upon history here. Plaques and monuments commemorate botanists, poets, ministers, and even the tragic fate of Kaspar Hauser. You come here for a walk and leave the park feeling as though you've accidentally attended a history lesson. The benches deserve a mention of their own. There are so many of them that every visitor will likely find their personal favorite bench at some point and then act as if it belongs to them. In the summer, the Hofgarten regularly transforms into an open-air stage for events, concerts, and festivals. On other days, all you need is a blanket on the lawn, a small picnic, and the ability to put off anything urgent for an hour. I suspect, anyway, that the Hofgarten secretly supports the mental stability of the entire city. Whenever Ansbach gets a little too loud, too hectic, or too complicated, people simply disappear among the old trees and emerge later, noticeably more relaxed. A park that is at once a local recreation area, a history book, an open-air living room, and a meeting place. Ansbach has many beautiful spots. The Hofgarten is definitely one of those places you keep coming back to--even when you actually intended to go somewhere else entirely.

I seldom write an updated review, but I have been coming here for almost a year and feeling it…read moredeserves another one. BLUF (bottom line up front): the Hofgarten Ansbach continues to be my favorite public park. Let me name some ways... Flower gardens: basically there are two planting seasons a year. Spring garden with bulb flowers like tulips and other flowers adorn this park from mid- to late April. As soon as tulips finish blooming (or even before they are completely done), they are replaced with summer-fall flower plants. It seems to last until about the end of October, and bulbs are placed in flower beds for the spring. Until I started spending some time with flowers here, I didn't know artichokes bloomed (photo). When you think the artichoke heads started to get browned, tiny purple petals start to come out. It's so delicate and pretty. Even for the winter months, some hearty plants like pansies are planted and survives our harsh winter. Walking trails: this is the main reason I come here...to walk around this great garden to put my daily steps in. On a good day, I walk a little more than 4 miles depending on how much time I can spend walking. On average, I walk about 2.5 to 3 miles. It's peaceful here especially if you come earlier in the morning before regulars come out. You hear birds sing. You hear squirrels jump through leaves and bushes. Surprisingly, I have not encountered any mosquitos here. In general, Germans are very good at pest control. I don't know what they do, but it's working. In short, I love this place. It's been a great year walking through observing changes in flowers, trees, etc. It's been a great place just contemplating. The city of Ansbach takes pride in this Court Garden and provides wonderful park for her citizens. Thank you!

This was such a fun activity to do while visiting Munich. We took the bus over and purchased…read moretickets for 5.50€ each to see the greenhouse. Since we were visiting in late November the grounds weren't as lively and lush as they would be during spring or summer, but it was still lovely to walk around and see the flowers and space. The actual greenhouse was well worth the price of admission and we saw so many beautiful plants and even saw turtles up close and personal. There were some very relaxing areas with water features that I could have hung around near for hours. It was really nice. We thought that the way they had the plants and greenhouses organized was so cool too. We went through a range of types of plants, areas of the world, temperatures, sights and smells as we explored. You're able to take it at your own pace and you're free to revisit any areas you'd like. They also have some benches around if you'd like to relax a bit. We did walk through a range of temperatures during this, so even though it was cold outside, we ended up taking off our coats and were warm in our sweaters as we walked through. I definitely recommend wearing layers. They have a cafe here as well as special exhibits and right next door is the Castle and Park Nymphenburg. A great place to spend a few hours and we'll definitely have it on our list when we visit during warmer seasons.

I was so happy to finally find this botanical garden. Apple Maps took us to the wrong place. And…read moreeven in December the place was fabulous! EVEN with not a lot blooming outdoors this California gardener loved it. There are so many greenhouses to visit. I saw some amazing plants: Camellias, ferns, cacti & succulents, cycads,water plants and so much more. The ONLY reason I'm omitting one star is the gift shop was super tiny and had no t-shirts! I did buy a magnet but would have spent more if there was more merchandise. I also would have bought a book on the garden if they'd had one in English. But if you enjoy botanic gardens, be sure to visit Botanisher Garten München!

Wish I took more pictures of this fantastic garden. I am ecstatic that my husband and I took the…read moretime to walk from our hotel to the English Garden. We brought sandwiches, snacks and water which made for a little picnic. The garden is enormous and beautifully maintained. Wish we had gardens such as this in the USA. I think this may even be bigger than the Central Park in NYC - most certainly safer! We went on a Monday but it was still full of people. From what it seems, it's a favorite among locals and tourists alike. Locals wade into the water and there are even some spots where they surf! I believe there's even a lifeguard in one of the areas. They don't just let anyone surf though and there are some warning signs about its dangers. Hubby and I were able to find a bench in the shade where we just enjoyed the scenery for a while. It was perfect for our jet lag recovery The park is also within walking distance from many other landmarks in Munich, such as The Residence, the Odeonsplatz, Mariensplatz, The Munich Cathedral, among many others.

This park is larger than Central Park and is arguably the largest park in Europe. We only spent a…read morefew hours with our bikes exploring, but we were thrilled with what we discovered around every turn. There's a beautiful river with plenty of waterfront space to relax and even a place to watch surfers practicing. There's a huge beer garden by the Chinese Tower, great for a break or people watching. There's lots of well maintained pathways for walking snd bikes. Munich residents are lucky to have this space!