Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, I might make a little extra spending money, at no extra cost to you. As always, all opinions are my own and these products/services have been found useful during our travels and come highly recommended to you from yours truly! […]
After having lived in Heidelberg for a year while I studied abroad, I am continuously drawn back over and over again. It’s one of the most beautiful towns in Germany. During the Christmas season, the town comes alive with sections of the Christmas market spread out throughout the entire town. From the minute you step off the bus at Bismarkplatz to Karlsplatz are endless adorable Christmas huts filled to the brink with Glühwein, chocolates and gifts for all!
To top off any alpine experience, it is an absolute must to take one of the many cable car rides up to the top of a peak to enjoy the breathtaking views. One of the most spectacular rides is with the Jennerbahn, located near Bavaria’s loveliest lake: Königssee.
Hallstatt, Austria is one of those idyllic towns that ends up on those must-see-before-you-die lists as being one of the most beautiful towns to bless this planet. And rightly, so! It has just been one of those towns I saw over and over again on all forms of social media, with picture perfect captures and I couldn’t wait to go one day, aching in my travelous heart until the itch had been scratched.
Come warmer weather, fields of flowers and endless sunshine, the cows of the Alpine region frolic around the lush Alpine pastures, grazing to their heart’s content. The cows meander comfortably in the high altitudes with plenty of fresh air, nutritious grass and crisp evenings. Cows are not the only ones to be spoiled by the endless beauty of the Alps but also calves and goats! All over the region, thousands of cows from Germany, Austria and Switzerland spend their summers at the Alm.
It is said that the Leutasch Spirit Gorge is inhabited by a spirit and his goblin minions. For centuries, people believed that a spirit had come down from the mountains and hid in the most inaccessible corners of the gorge. The goblins would dance in the night, especially when the river was overflowing from the spring melt water. To this day, the Spirit nor the goblins have ever been seen.
But that is only part of the magic that lies within.
Every year, the small town on the border between Germany and the Czech Republic, Furth im Wald, holds their yearly centuries old Festspiele, or play in the city center. The play, Drachenstich or “Spearing the Dragon” takes place for two weeks at the end of July to mid-August, where the whole town partakes in the play! The town turns the small city center into an outdoor theater for about two weeks.
Situated at the very southernmost tip of Croatia, sits the ancient city town of Dubrovnik which is still fortified by massive grey stone city walls. The stunning blue green waters of the Adriatic Sea hug its walls adding to the beauty of a place which seems more like a dream than a reality. It’s no wonder then that this beautiful part of Croatia is considered to be the “Pearl of the Adriatic!”
Set on a peninsula jutting into the Adriatic Sea, Split is the home to one of the largest and best preserved Roman palaces in the world. In 295 AD the Roman Emperor Diocletian ordered an enormous palace to be built here, where one day he intended to retire. Diocletian was an unlikely Emperor as he was born into a family with a low status. He worked his way up through the military ranks and eventually became a cavalry commander under Emperor Carus.
Schloss Linderhof was the only palace that “Mad” King Ludwig II lived to see to be completed and had the chance to live in for eight years! Again, this palace was inspired by the Palace of Versailles in Paris and you can see the stunning artwork in honor of the French monarchy. While it might lack in size, as it is the smallest palace built by King Ludwig II, it packs a punch and it well worth the visit!