Glass

some historic glass at the Frauenau Glass Museum

We actually succeeded in reaching the Frauenau Glass Museum at 9 when it opened.  We walked the grounds along the stream where various glass pieces were installed and then attacked the museum.  Opened in 1975, the museum moved to its current building in 2007.  The extensive exhibits include a history of glass from Roman times onward, installations showing the process of glass-making, and an extensive collection of modern art glass from Europe and the US.  The Bayern area around  Frauenau and the nearby town of Zwiesel have been a center of glassmaking since the 14th century, and we later passed a number of glass galleries and one large "shopping mall" for glass.  We took many photos, so check Picasa if you want more.

glass for the home and garden for sale here

At 10:30 we headed for Zwiesel to see the Bavarian Forest Museum which actually has much besides forest information and includes more glass, musical instruments and furniture, dollhouses, a model of an 1800s town, weaving and other crafts, etc.   Then we were on the bike and headed north.  We noticed a parking lot filled with cars and stopped to observe.  This turned out to be a huge glass-related garden and shops (we are on the official Glass Road).  It sure was a popular place, with mostly German clientele. 

We rode until 3 with the weather threatening and chilly before stopping for our lunch.  We had to make a decision about where to spend the night and weekend--to stop in Altdorf (two stars) or continue to Nuremberg.  We stopped at 7 at a McDs to access the internet and Rob booked a hotel in Nuremberg where we arrived 30 minutes later.  For $90 (without the pricey breakfast) we seem to have nabbed a suite.  There is much to see here and we will squeeze in whatever we can in the next two days.