Germany: Castles, Hiking, and Black Forest Cake
Esslingen, Germany
Esslingen, Germany
Esslingen, Germany
While my cousin Madeline is currently working in Stuttgart, Germany, I took the opportunity to check another country off my bucket list.
However, I did not anticipate the beauty that is Germany’s Baden-Württemberg state. Even with the cold temperatures of March, I was blown away by how beautiful the country is.
Suspension Bridge in the Black Forest
Black Forest
Treetop Walk in the Black Forest
Nestled in the southwest part of Baden-Württemberg, lies the majestic Black Forest. I was definitely living out my Brothers Grimm fairy tales for this excursion. We traversed the Treetop Walk in Bad Wildbad, and let me tell you, the views were spectacular! However, the suspension bridge is not for the faint of heart if you have a huge fear of heights. The gentle swaying of the bridge did not help with my already jittery nerves. We rewarded our bravery with Black Forest cake later. I am still dreaming about that cake.
Heidelberg, Germany
Heidelberg Castle
Heidelberg Castle
Madeline had already been living in Germany for a year by the time I visited, but somehow she hadn’t visited Heidelberg yet. This town was at the top of my list and it did not disappoint. Although we did not tour the inside of the Heidelberg Castle, the outside still had plenty to see. The castle ruins were so fascinating and left me dreaming of what life would be like to live there. This was definitely my favorite part of the trip!
The Heidelberg Tun
While exploring the Heidelberg Castle, you can help but feel small next to one of the largest wine vats in the world.
Ludwigsburg Palace
I had originally planned a day trip to Strasbourg, France while Madeline had to go into the office for work. However, I forgot to check the planned strikes in France before I left for Germany. To my credit, I had planned around the strikes in Germany but did not even consider that my train to Strasbourg would be operated by the French. So I pivoted to a day trip to Ludwigsburg instead.
Since it was the off season for tourism, they only had tours of the palace in the German language. At first, I was ok with just walking around with the group to see all the rooms without knowing any details (I do not speak German). After the first joke that our tour guide cracked and everyone laughed but me, I quickly turned on my Google Translate so I didn’t miss anymore jokes as well as the history of the Palace. I did not want to miss out!
This trip taught not to be afraid to explore new place, especially if you do not know the language. I would have missed out on some truly amazing experiences!
Check out the vlog
Want more Germany? Follow along with the vlog of my week long adventure in Germany.
