All those images foreigners seem to associate with Germany can be found in eastern Bavaria, in the lush Alpine region. Romantic castles, dramatic Alpine settings, lush green pastures with cows, onion-domed churches and crystal blue lakes. And deep within the crevices of those mountainous peaks, is a tiny sliver of beauty, known as the Partnach Gorge, with turquoise blue waters rushing between a carved out path waiting to be explored by avid hikers.

Just across the border from Germany in the region known as Appenzellerland, in the historic canton of Appenzell is Appenzell. Set in one of the most beautiful regions in Switzerland, surrounded by rolling landscape and the Alpstein mountains, Appenzell is often referred to as one of the most charming towns in Switzerland yet is one […]

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.