Category: Germany
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Devil’s Bridge: A Gothic Wonder in the Forest 🇩🇪
Leaving Dresden behind, our group traded the rails for the road — renting cars and heading east toward one of Germany’s most mysterious and photogenic landmarks: Rakotzbrücke, the Devil’s Bridge. Hidden deep in Kromlau Park, this perfectly arched stone bridge is a masterpiece of 19th-century imagination. Commissioned in the 1860s by a local knight, Friedrich…
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Dresden: The Jewel Box of Germany 🇩🇪
Our family of eight kicked off the adventure aboard the ICE train from Wiesbaden to Dresden, gliding smoothly across Germany’s rolling countryside before arriving in a city often called “The Jewel Box.” It’s a fitting name — Dresden gleams with baroque beauty, from its grand palaces and cathedral domes to the lively streets filled with…
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Family European Road Trip: From Germany to Poland and France 🇩🇪🇵🇱🇫🇷
This summer adventure began right here in Wiesbaden, our home in Germany, as family arrived from the U.S. for a two-week journey through Central Europe — a trip filled with history, family laughter, and a few unforgettable detours. We set out to explore places where past and present meet: Germany’s royal cities, Poland’s pottery towns,…
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Day 5: Neuschwanstein Castle — A Fairytale Farewell 🇩🇪🇺🇸
On January 16, we began our journey home with one last stop: Neuschwanstein Castle, near Füssen, Germany. Rising high above the valley, its white towers piercing the winter sky, the castle looked exactly like the storybooks promised. Its name, Neuschwanstein, means “New Swan Stone” — a reference to King Ludwig II’s emblem, the swan, which…
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Day 1: Arrival in Austria — Lakeside Beauty in Lindau 🇩🇪 🇦🇹
Our Alps skiing trip began with a drive south from Germany toward Ischgl, Austria, but we couldn’t resist making a stop along the way in Lindau, a stunning lakeside town on the eastern edge of Lake Constance (Bodensee). Nestled near the borders of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, Lindau has been a crossroads of cultures for…
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Cologne’s Cathedral, Chocolate, and Christmas Cheer 🇩🇪
Our final day took us to Cologne (Köln), where the majestic Cologne Cathedral towers over the city — its spires stretching 157 meters into the sky. Even from outside, the Gothic architecture was breathtaking, especially against the winter mist. Inside, the cathedral houses the Shrine of the Three Kings, believed to contain relics of the…
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Skiing in Neuss and Savoring Japan in Düsseldorf 🇩🇪
The next morning, we trained to Neuss, just outside Düsseldorf, for a first-time skiing experience at Alpenpark Neuss (Skihalle Neuss) — Germany’s first indoor ski slope. Inside the giant temperature-controlled dome, snowflakes floated gently from above as we learned the basics of skiing on real snow. The kids took to it instantly — gliding down…
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Wuppertal’s Penguins and the Suspension Train 🇩🇪
We boarded an early train north for a weekend adventure through western Germany — our own “Training Through Christmas” journey. Our first stop was Wuppertal, known for its steep hills, historic architecture, and one-of-a-kind transportation system. At the Wuppertal Zoo, we met some of the most interactive penguins we’ve ever seen — diving, darting, and…
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Cannstatter Volksfest: Stuttgart’s Spirited Celebration 🇩🇪
Every autumn, Stuttgart transforms into a whirlwind of color, sound, and celebration for the Cannstatter Volksfest — Germany’s second-largest beer festival and one of its most cherished traditions. What began in 1818 as a harvest festival celebrating the end of famine has grown into a joyful blend of Bavarian-style festivity and Swabian pride. Held at…
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The Oppenheim Keller Tour: Life Beneath the Front Lines 🇩🇪
In September 2022, we visited Oppenheim for one of the most fascinating and unexpected history lessons we’ve experienced in Germany — the Keller tour, a walk through the vast underground cellar system hidden beneath the old town. At first glance, Oppenheim looks like a quiet Rhine-side town surrounded by vineyards. But beneath its streets lies…