I’M a yes man…and although it often gets me into trouble, it is ALWAYS fun.

For instance, a few months ago my editor called, offering me a treat.

Naturally enough, the combination of his ironic tone and my sceptical nature led me to believe this was hardly going to be a red letter jaunt.

But as it happens, the offer had actually come from the German Tourist Board, who had invited me on a four-day visit to Germany to sample their barrier-free tourism industry.

My trip centred around the Rheinland-Pfalz region, and to be honest I had never heard of it. I am an intrepid traveller and have done bits of Europe as a wheelchair user to varying degrees of success, but on this occasion I had no idea what to expect.

However, a mere four days later, I’d signed on the dotted line, become a Pfalz groupie and a total convert to what this slice of Germany genuinely has to offer.

The destination is a jewel hidden in the forests and historical cities bordering the Rhine valley and our trip began in Mainz, a city with a fascinating history of turmoil, beauty and, to my surprise, accessibility.

A must-see is the Landes Museum Mainz. We were met here by Ursula, a tourist attraction in herself.

She had helped with the recent re-design of the museum and as a fellow wheelchair user, she is as enthusiastic about accessible travel as she is about all the beautiful artefacts she curates.

The museum was totally accessible, all rooms were linked by ramps and lifts and each exhibit had information at my height, including interactive TVs oozing information – albeit in German.

I was really impressed by the provisions for the visually impaired: there were booklets with relief maps of paintings, items you could touch, like the cloths featured in the portraits, and the materials used to create the artwork and sculptures.

This allowed disabled people to interact with items so often untouchable and not relatable. As a bonus, kids would love it too. They even had a sign language video guide around the museum for those with hearing impairments.

But the icing on the cake was the accessible toilet about the same size as my flat that had – no joke – an electronically-controlled, height-adjustable toilet. Breathtaking.

The city is peppered with historic buildings across many eras but the piece de resistance was Mainz Cathedral. A towering Romanesque monolith, it is stunning from every angle and adorned with intricate masonry – and that’s just the outside. Inside, as the sun set, the space was hauntingly beautiful. The stain glass windows even told the story of Mainz’s chequered history.

Furthermore, navigating the city is easy; even the streets were designed with access in mind with raised ridged paving to guide the visually impaired around the city.

Another stop on our trip included Koblenz, a stunning riverside city where the Rhine and Mosel meet with a huge military fortress: perfect for games of hide and seek.

The barracks perched on the hilltop provided us with some beautiful views, complete with an accessible braille relief map of the panorama. Make sure you go promenading along the riverbank, too.

Our next stop at the National Park Eifel. As a nature geek, I was excited to get out and about. Then it dawned on me, I haven’t been to a national park since my injury, as the outdoors is so often inaccessible.

Our guide informed me that throughout the entire area of the park there is a path for wheelchair users that is never more than a 6 per cent incline or decline.

This level of thoughtfulness was really touching. At the beginning of the path was a welcome hub. There was the ubiquitous but much-loved relief map including buttons with foreign language audio guides. To my surprise (and delight) there was even a button with simplified language for those with learning difficulties.

The woodland path was smooth, free of potholes and had very little camber. Indeed, a few minutes in we reached a crossroads. Here we found a small strip of cobbles laid to indicate that there was a choice of direction for the visually impaired.

Later on we stumbled upon a kind of wooden bed, shaped like a giant leaf. These are regularly placed around the loop for contemplation and relaxation. The path led down to a viewpoint overlooking the lakes that comprise the national park.

Stunning autumn colours were complemented by our trusty friend, the relief map.

Normally a trip to a forest is a no-go for me, as the paths are a disaster and especially so in autumn when all is complicated by leaves, but to my delight there was little in the way of debris here. Why... well, the park has a team of dedicated leaf blowers and twig ‘picker upperers’.

Throughout my trip I had become almost oblivious to the gentle slopes, lifts and landscaped areas that allowed me to follow a path without obstacles. This kind of travel is rare, as historic cities and countryside often remain historic, too, when it comes to accessibility.

It is this kind of subtle effort that proves so rewarding, and instead of concentrating on my next trip hazard or wasted journey resulting in a flight of stairs, I could instead concentrate on absorbing the beauty of the architecture and the stunning views.

So if being efficient is a German stereotype, then sign me up as it makes for an excellent holiday irrespective of what your needs are.

I encourage anyone with special needs to visit Germany and appreciate all the work that has been put in to allow people like me to have a stress-free and fully accessible holiday.

FACT FILE

Niall stayed at:
 

Niall visited:

http://landesmuseum-mainz@gdke.rlp.de

+49(0)6131 285 71 34

  • National Park Eifel

http://www.nationalpark-eifel.de

info@nationalpark-eifel.de

+49(0)2444 95100

  • For further information on barrier-free travel in Germany, visit http://www.germany.travel/en/germany-for/barrier-free-travel
  • The members of the barrier-free destinations in Germany association offer holidays that are accessible to all. All the member regions are strongly committed to developing travel packages for visitors with restricted mobility, or those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or partially sighted. The following holiday regions are waiting to welcome you:
  • The Eifel region with the Eifel National Park, a landscape of forests, lakes and volcanoes
  • The city of Erfurt with its romantic, medieval old quarter and its imposing architectural ensemble of the cathedral and Church of St Severus
  • The Franconian Lakes for swimming, windsurfing, sailing and cycling in a beautiful and varied natural setting
  • The island of Langeoog nestled between the North Sea and the coastal mudflats of the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park
  • The city of Magdeburg, the regional capital of Saxony-Anhalt, that looks back on a fascinating 1,200-year history
  • Lower Lusatia, forest and lakeland scenery characteristic of Brandenburg,
  • The Ruppiner Seenland region, a water sports paradise with lakes, canals and rivers
  • Saxon Switzerland with its national park and the impressive scenery of the Elbe Sandstone Massif.