Germany's Gasthof Fraundorfer hotel

Friends and I stayed three nights at the Gasthof Fraundorfer (Ludwigstrasse 24, D-82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, GERMANY; phone 011 49 8821 92 70, fax 8821 92 799 or visit www.gasthof-fraundorfer.de).

Our rooms, one single and one double in the annex behind the main building, were clean and comfortable and silent at night. Per person per day, single rooms go for €40-€45 ($50-$56); doubles, €38-€45 ($47-$56), and twin beds, €37-€42, plus €2 tax. Rooms each have bath, TV and telephone. There are also apartments. Prices include a generous breakfast buffet with eggs cooked to order.

The dining room could seat 100 people and was packed the three evenings we ate there. A mixed German and American crowd enjoyed the festive atmosphere with a jolly accordion player who played songs people love to sing. The kitchen featured Bavarian meat specialties, but I felt like fish. The baked halibut (€13.80, or $17) and baked trout (€13.50) could not have been better.

Our trip in May ’06 was too early for Munich’s Richard Strauss Festival, but next year’s festival, on July 16-22, will include symphony orchestra performances, ballet, chamber music and lieder. Visit the website (in German) www.richard-strauss-festival.de.

• The night before our early return flight we stayed at the Airport Domizil-Hotel (Nordendstrasse 4a, 64546 Frankfurt-Airport/Walldorf, Germany; phone 011 49 69 6105 957 0, fax 6105 957 222 or visit www.airport-domizil-hotel.com). We shared a triple room for less than $100 for the night. The hair-raising shuttle to the airport cost €3 ($3.75) per person.

JON LAFLEUR

Kent, CT