Do you want to buy a youngtimer? Then you should go walking in East Germany - AutoReview.nl

When you see how extensive the tables of the comparative tests are Auto Review you won't be surprised that I am adept at planning vacations. Although planning the last trip was so difficult that I messed up my calendar and fainted on Microsoft Excel twice.

It seemed so much fun: walking as a couple in East Germany, a beautiful eight-day walk called the Malerweg. It was a circular walk, so we would likely spend the night in another hotel or bed and breakfast. But finding all those places to sleep on the route and connecting them to each other was a major challenge.

The biggest problem was making reservations. Only a handful of accommodations are listed on Booking.com, most of them have only a sparse website with a rickety contact form or only a telephone number. What kind of analog stuff is that? Why don't they move with the times at Dresden

Here everyone drives an Audi 100 or Mercedes 190

It is only while walking that you realize that they are not so modern here in other areas. At first I thought it was because we were so close to the Czech border that every fifth car had one Skoda Roomster is. But to my great joy, time seems to have stood still here, also in the car field, for at least twenty years. In the villages along the Elbe that we walk through, everyone still drives an Audi 100 or Mercedes 190.

And at a glance, they are all neat cars that are serviced every year. This way they will of course last a long time and you don't have to spend a fortune on such a new-fangled model that squeaks punishingly when you drive too fast.

Inspiration for your next youngtimer

And if, like me, you are toying with the idea of ​​buying an old Mercedes again, it helps to see one of the contenders drive by a few times a day. After all, nowhere is a W124 more beautiful than in the East German landscape.

In short, if you are considering buying a youngtimer or classic car of German origin and you are looking for inspiration, all you have to do is put on your walking shoes and follow the signs with the 'M' of Malerweg. Make sure you bring cash, because there are still few places where you can pay by card.