European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 12, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A Germany by Ron Jense Nurnberg Bureau Beer and castles. These May be the first two things you think of when you think of Germany. A thin ribbon of a Road from Klumbach in Northern Bavaria s Franconia Region to Weimar in Thuringer a state in the former East  billed As the Bier und Burgen Strasse the Beer and castles Road. It is appropriate Billing. There Are 1,300 breweries in Germany and 825 of them Are in Bavaria where Beer is considered liquid bread. Of these the majority of them Are concentrated in the Northern part of the state and Many of these Are found along the Bier und Burgen Strasse. It does t require a carefully peeled Eye to spot breweries in even the smallest town or a Castle on a nearby Summit along the 60 Miles of Road Between Klumbach and Weimar. But there is More to this route than Beer and castles. Be warned however that the English language is not As common in this part of Germany As it is in others. While fluency is certainly not required some rudimentary knowledge of German is needed. My trek on the Road also known As Highway 85 on Road maps began in Weimar the Northern Bookend. I drove nonstop on the Road to Weimar in order to work my Way southward while gathering information and photographs. In Weimar a hard rain was slapping the cobblestones of Steube Strasse behind my hotel named for composer Franz Liszt who lived in Weimar from. 1848 to 1861.1 spotted a Small sign pointing to hotel Liszt and followed the Arrow Down a Deaden Street to find a comfortable single room for 95 Marks about $55a double Cost about $75. The end of the world the clerk said in German As we both stood looking at the dark sky. In the morning Weimar awakens to the sounds of forklifts and jackhammers As workmen conduct a face lift of Weimar one of the Homes of poet Johann Wolfgang Goethe. Like All cities in the former East Germany it had suffered from neglect. But unlike other cities the neglect was minimal. Even in the time of the Cdr said Claudia Pfautsch an Art student in the University it was sponsored very much by the  this was a tourist spot even under communism. Now the tourists Are More plentiful carry More Money and come from places other than other socialist countries. A said the owner of a music store when asked if the increased tourism was a Good thing. Nein said a music student hurrying along to class at the Franz Liszt school of music. In the summer it is  the City has too Many tourists she said before Rushing off along tree shaded Schille Strasse. There was time in the morning for a tour of the Home of Johann Wolfgang Goethe arid a walk through the Park on the Lam before heading South. The Road is choked with Commerce. Giant smelly probe Tutta ludwigs Adl is a daily Market bustles in the Shadow of the Renaissance style City Hall in Weimar. Castle Lauenstein could be the quietest hotel in Germany. Trucks downshift around the Many curves and at the Bottom of the Many Hills. Be prepared to follow a truck or a tractor for several Kilometres before finding an Opportunity to pass. This is especially True in the former East but not confined to that part of the Road. This is what William least heat Moon called a Blue  patience is required and rewarded. The first town on the Road six Miles South of Weimar is bad Berka a Small spa town. It is recovering from the dark Days of communism. While there is much to be done the Mark Platz is a Lovely stretch of newly planted Trees and freshly painted buildings. The Highway Rolls through other towns including Rud Olstadt with the imposing Heid Eckburg squatting above the town and Saalfeld which stretches along the Banks of the Salle River. Down one of several branches shooting off the main route is Leutenberg. Here is a Good place to Sample Thuringer dumplings or Thuringer bratwurst. This too is a town in renovation with a Lovely City Center. On the Hill is Friedensburg a Castle that would have made a wonderful hotel had it not been turned into a clinic. As evening heared i approached the old Border Between East and West Germany. The Road was once disconnected Here. The Effort to connect it forces a Detour through the Industrial area of the Small town of Probst Zella which unfortunately looks like an Industrial area. Prior to unification the Castle known As Lauenstein n was once the Northern Boundary of the Beer and castles Road. It is now a hotel above the City and perhaps the quietest hotel in Germany. For 35 Marks about $22a single room very near the bathroom can be bought. A double room with a bathroom and Shower in the room is had for 100 to 130 Marks about $60 to $80. During the night i awoke to the sound . So heavy was the silence that continued on Page 8 August 12, 1993 stripes Maguinez