After reading about the Hermann area and its many bed and breakfast guesthouses, my wife and I finally chose to spend our trip at Birk's Gasthaus. We were impressed by its architecture and by the opportunities to participate in a murder mystery. (We thought that we could see what the house was like before deciding to participate in a mystery in the future.)

This house was built in 1886 by Michael Poeschel who also built Stone Hill Winery. It served as a family home until about 1986, when it was renovated for use as a bed and breakfast. The website for the house includes a description of the rooms and photos, so we were able to choose the room that we wanted for our trip.

One of the amenities that Anna and I found pleasant was the opportunity to use some nice bicycles that the guesthouse rent to its guests. Riding the bicycles around the town proved to be a relaxing way to view the city that was different from other places that we had visited.

Overall, the stay at Birks Gasthaus was a bit more pricey than we would usually like to pay, but it was worth the small extra cost in order to be pampered, have the use of the bicycles, the closeness to many of the city's historic areas, and the opportunity to find more information on the murder mysteries. We will undoubtedly return to participate in one of these fun-filled evenings. We believe that Birk's Gasthaus is a unique place in a beautiful and historic area, and have plans to return.