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>>>Think Heidelberg, Konstanz, Marburg, Münster, Offenburg, Osnabrück, Trier, Tübingen, Worms for starters - pretty certain that you will feel more at ease with general attitude and mindset prevalent there ;-)
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>>My late wife's parents came from tiny villages in Bavaria - Schonebach and Rommelsried.
>>Her mother was one of 11 children. Nine stayed in Germany, so my wife had many cousins there.
>>We went to visit in 1973, 1978, 1998 and 2003.
>>The cousins were scattered in places like Rettenberg, Augsburg, Regensburg, etc. so we saw a lot while visiting.
>>The people there know how to enjoy themselves.
>>We enjoyed wonderful food, beer, wine, music, scenery and hospitality- gemütlich.
>>
>Regensburg I often passed on the Autobahn, but only once visited for some music convention - more memories of the girl taking me there than of the town.
>
>Allgäu I was a few times in Kempten and less often in Memmingen - food less refined than near Rhine and french border, but well grounded in great ingredients needing only simple and solid treatment. You and your relatives picked good spots...

Passed there often on my way to the south.