Architectural highlights in Hesse's cities
The fairytale half-timbered houses of the state are widely known. But Hessen has many other highlights in store for culture lovers. Cities and ...
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We are Ania and Daniel from Geh Mal Reisen. It all started when I quit my job and Daniel finished his studies - and then we went on a one-year world trip together. That pretty much turned our lives upside down, today we have turned our passions into a profession and are full-time travel bloggers and Youtubers. When we're not traveling the world or Germany, we live in beautiful Düsseldorf on the Rhine.
We have always associated Germany as a travel destination with 'cozy tourism' that offers little in the way of adventure. We often said to ourselves: "We can do that later". That's why we actually started the road trip without any real expectations - we just wanted to be surprised. That happened right from the start and by now we know: Germany is pretty versatile. There are many incredibly beautiful hiking trails, lakes and rivers, plus a lot of culture and history.
Definitely nature. Until now, we had been thinking more about city trips in Germany, but on the trip we were able to discover so much more - far-reaching views over rising fog, gorges covered in moss, lake landscapes, vineyards, dense forests or mountains. And all that so concentrated on comparatively short distances - that actually surprised us.
Spontaneously, the Black Forest region comes to mind and the mountains in the Allgäu. We really liked it there, although we had a little bad luck with the weather. And we would also like to visit the Thuringian Forest again. Ah, and the Hunsrück National Park!
We really enjoy meeting all kinds of people and characters on a trip: city guides and owners of accommodations, pubs or wineries, rangers in the national park. The most beautiful thing is always to see how close to home people are - and how they blossom when they tell us about their home and its special features.
Clear recommendation: Just let yourself drift in the place or the city. Walk through the alleys and streets you are drawn to, ask people about their favorite cafe; this way a spontaneous conversation will quickly develop, you will notice how people blossom when they talk about their home and can help someone with their recommendations. And: Don't stick to the "top 10 sightseeing lists". Just let yourself be surprised by what you discover on the spot.
We love to just drift and let the places affect us. We enjoy sunsets at great views - and like to eat and drink our way through local specialties. In the backpack, you will therefore also find regional schnapps from Bavaria or wine from Thuringia.
What we always try to avoid when traveling is a very important thing: comparing regions and places with each other. After all, every region and every place is individual.
Overall, we would say that Germany is underrated as a round-trip destination. Many think of short trips and day trips within Germany. But we have hardly spoken to anyone who has simply started a round trip, as one would do in Thailand, Peru or anywhere else. Including us.
We have learned to love the Hunsrück National Park. We haven't really heard of it before, hardly met any people there, but discovered beautiful hiking trails and great views. You can even spend the night there with a tent! For us it has anchored in our minds as an insider tip.
