After a hearty German breakfast, we skirted the Northern Black Forest and headed for the rolling Bavarian Alps. We stopped at the small town of Hohenschwangau near the foot of the renowned Hohenschwangau Castle and King Ludwig’s fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle. My husband was truly excited. He has had a fascination for Bavarian castles since childhood. In fact, his most treasured puzzle posters, meticulously assembled, glued together, and professionally framed, were those of

We reached Heidelberg in the mid-afternoon. It is a charming city located in the region where the Odenwald mountain range opens up towards the plains of the Rhine Valley. The cityscape is made up of many attractive Baroque-style red-roofed structures which line the banks around the winding Neckar River. Much of central Heidelberg is dominated by its imposing castle ruins known locally as the Schloss , nestled 300 feet above the city. It is a combination of several buildings s

From Cologne, we drove through the former West German capital of Bonn to the scenic Rhine Gorge, the section of the Rhine River between Koblenz and Bingen. It is also known as “The Romantic Rhine” because this area is characterized by chains of quaint villages and small towns, steep valley sides that have been terraced for vineyards (the Rhine is known for its selection of quality wines, most notable the Riesling and Pinot Noir varieties), stark cliffs, ancient churches, old

We crossed the German border to Cologne, the largest city in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on both sides of the Rhine River and is a major cultural centre of Rhineland. We went there to visit the famous Cologne Cathedral, the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. It is said to be Germany’s most visited landmark. The cathedral is the oldest Gothic church in Northern Europe, has the second tallest spires, and the largest façade of any c

I explored the beautiful city of Frankfurt for a full day on a long layover. That time, I was travelling from Canada to Namibia. I remember being very excited because it was my first trip to Africa, and at the same time, also my first time in Europe. Frankfurt has earned the moniker, “Gateway to Europe” since it is a popular transit point to other European cities. Travelers, especially from North America, often only pass through it, which was what I exactly did there that ti