Germany Grüntensee

Discover travel destinations of travelers writing a travel journal on FindPenguins.
  • Day 17

    Bubbly Vibes & Market Treasures

    April 12 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    After a long night of deep talks and laughter, we allowed ourselves a bit of a sleep-in—though not for too long, as there was plenty to see and do. From Jule’s hilltop farmhouse, nestled in the rolling green of the Allgäu, we drove into the region’s “metropolis”: Kempten.

    Our first stop was the bustling farmers’ market right in front of the cathedral. We filled our bags—and eventually the car trunk—with everything we needed for the weekend: meats for the grill, fresh cheeses, veggies, treats, and of course, some local coffee. It’s always such a joy to interact with the vendors, sample little bites here and there, and just soak in the local atmosphere.

    Once properly stocked up, we headed to Café Mauerblümchen for breakfast. A bit on the pricey side, but cozy and charming nonetheless.

    After breakfast, we split up for a while—Sanjay and I wanted to explore Kempten a bit more. We wandered up to Castle Hill, strolled through the old town, admired the city hall and the cathedral. Naturally, I made time for coffee. We stopped by Weber Manufaktur & Rösterei, and I couldn’t resist a quick cappuccino at the Purschwarz coffee trolley set up on the market. I remembered them from my last visit—still excellent, still super knowledgeable.

    Eventually, we made our way back to Jule’s farmhouse. The rest of the afternoon was pure bliss: lounging at the picnic bench, gazing out at the mountains, sipping on bubbly, soaking in the sun and the quiet beauty of the Allgäu.

    As the sun began to dip, it was time to fire up the grill. One delicious course after another came off the barbecue—perfectly prepared by Thomas, using all those market-fresh ingredients. Surrounded by great company, with good food and wine in abundance, we wrapped up another unforgettable day in the heart of southern Germany.
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  • Day 150

    Ostallgäu

    September 26, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Das Wetter hat geändert, nicht mehr so schön wie gestern, es ist stark bewölkt. Ich verlasse den Forggensee. In der Ferne sieht man das Schloss Neuschwanstein und rechts davon das Schloss Hohenschwangau. Entlang dem Weissensee fahre ich nach Pfronten. Dort mache ich eine kurze Wanderung in der Moorlandschaft, bevor der Regen eintrifft.Read more

  • Day 14

    Füssen - a historic resort town

    July 31, 2024 in Germany ⋅ 🌩️ 28 °C

    I had a great 2 nights here. It’s a great spot to base myself for a few days in this beautiful part of the world. The main attraction here are the castles and the lakes and I ticked off both of those - 5 star scenery. My hotel was so cute too. It was only 3 star but felt so much better than any 3 star hotel I’d stayed in before. The only downside of the area is the price tag! It’s expensive here! Food and drink are crazily priced. I paid $8 AUD for a small coke at lunch the other day.

    While I spent most of my time out in the countryside I did explore the old town briefly for dinner and lunch on seperate days. It’s a cute town centre with the obvious old town characteristics. Clock tower ✅, church ✅ castle looking down from above ✅, narrow pedestrian streets filled with cafe umbrellas ✅ another church ✅.

    I did manage to register my walking speed on a speed check on one of the smaller streets of town. 6km/h and a smiley face from the machine. Glad I wasn’t speeding while walking 😂

    That said, after 4 nights of no air conditioning anywhere, I needed a good night sleep so this afternoon checked out early (that confused the hotel to no end) and headed up to Munich for the night. It’s not the first time I’ve left somewhere early to get some sleep. Thom and I left Vienna early to escape the heat on a previous trip. While it is an extra expense, I’ve learned that feeling good is more important. Having some flexibility and room for spontaneous plans is also a plus. Next stop - Munich.
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  • Day 14

    Cycling & Alpine Lake Swimming 🚴‍♂️🏊‍♂️

    July 31, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    I haven’t really done the whole exercise thing in a long while but today I decided to be sporty spice and hit the countryside on a bicycle. Ok, so I cheated a little and got an e-bike which made the experience so much more enjoyable, but still a workout. I had it on the lowest setting for most of the ride, only switching it up 2 notches to sport mode for steep hills. Cruising along at about 25km/h it was fun. So fun that I got distracted and ended up in Austria 😂.

    I first rode along the river, saw the waterfall and a cute nature / kids playground area along the river. Once backtracked back into Germany I headed to Alpsee. A lake frequented by Ludwig overlooking the castles. They had a swimming area there (although to be fair you can swim from anywhere).

    The swim area had change rooms, toilets and a bar as well as a beautiful jetty that went out into the lake. The jetty take was about 1inch underwater making it look really cool and be refreshing to sit in the water and hang your legs over. I went for a refreshing swim. At first the water felt really cold but once in it was so relaxing and refreshing after a morning ride. I swam around for as long as I thought my white skin + sunscreen could handle the sun before resting in the shade on the grass. This is the summer life!

    It cost €3.50 to swim here, which you could avoid by swimming anywhere else in the lake, or if you buy a drink entry is free 😂. What pool in Australia would allow you to drink beer and swim! After a chill on the grass (and checking out the scenery) I decided to go ride around another lake.

    Just over the hills (which I naturally went around) was Schwansee. This was more a nature reserve and had a track that went right around. At the start of the track was a cute bar and heaps of families laying in the sun or swimming off a smaller jetty. I did the full lap in about 15mins, stopping for photos a few times. One other guy had got off his bike on the far side of the lake and hopped in for a nude swim. I decided that this was his spot and didn’t join him for a ‘Call me by your name’ moment.

    Instead I stopped back at the bar and had a refreshing callipo icy pole. I can see why Germans come to the lake for their summer holidays. It’s so bloody beautiful and relaxing. The water is crystal clear that when swimming you don’t know if it’s 10cm or 10m deep.

    Riding back into town I decided to try turbo mode on the bike and easily got to 30km/h racing back to town. My legs still feel like they’ve had an alright workout today, and my watch even went into open water swim mode. I didn’t run today, but did lug my suitcase onto a train at speed so I’ve practically done a triathlon today 😂.

    I had a lot of fun on the e-bike and would definitely do it again. If they weren’t so expensive I’d even consider getting it for getting around Melbourne.
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  • Day 12

    Pessimistic Deutsch Bahn 🚆

    July 29, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I was taking to the train from Friedrichshafen to Füssen today onboard Deutsch Bahn. Easy to book through the app, although requiring 2 connections aboard 3 trains. The first was a swish ICE train bound for Innsbruck that I’d take as far as Lindau-Reutin. The easiest of the 2 connections was had here with 19 minutes between trains. Arriving on platform 22 I saw platform 24 opposite and signs to platform 21, but where was my platform 23?

    I would have saved myself a trip up the stairs had I not just turned around to see that platform 23 was just an extension of 24 behind me. Oh well. Workout #1 for this train journey completed as I lugged my 20kg case up and down the stairs. The next train was a regional train bound for Munich. It was less comfortable and more crowded than the previous train.

    We departed spot on time but the DB app had already decided my 4min connection at Kaufbeuren would now be just 2min. Yikes! The app got more pessimistic as the journey went on, changing to “connecting train might not be caught” then later giving up and saying I should “click here to reschedule”. I however was more optimistic.

    The scenery on this 1.5 hour leg was more interesting as I curved around the hills and lakes bordering Austria before heading north. The resort town of Immenstaff (don’t know if it’s a resort or not but I’m calling it one) had a beautiful lake full of people paddle board and swimming or riding their bikes along the lakeside path. It looked so refreshing to be in that cool water. Such relaxation would need to wait as workout #2 was just around the corner.

    As the train pulled into Kaufbeuren station my waiting train was ready to depart any second on the next platform. With 20kg of weight attached to one arm (my bag) I ran down one set of stairs and up the next boarding the train just as the doors close. Phew! Meanwhile Deutsch Bahn is still sending me messages to reschedule.

    The next leg of the journey has me snapping photos out the window like my life depends on it. As I get closer to Füssen the mountains get bigger, the grass greener and everything just beautiful. Even the tractors cutting the fields attract my attention. The single rail track weaves its way around and over hills on the last leg to Füssen. I haven’t even arrived and I’m loving this area.
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  • Day 16

    Füssen to Zürich

    May 31, 2024 in Germany ⋅ 🌧 45 °F

    Spent most of the day in transit to Zurich compliments of a couple buses and a couple trains (was supposed to be just one train but in classic Deutsch Bahn style they kicked us off the train that was supposed to go non-stop due to running late and needing to out that train back into service elsewhere.

    But made it safely to my hotel in Zurich where I was greeted at reception with a delicious glass of local sparkling wine and advice for an authentic Swiss menu dinner spot (Le Dezaley), which is where I find myself now.

    Pix are from the day and dinner.

    Tomorrow mid-morning I will Uber to the airport and start making my way home via the 12-hr flight to SFO.
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  • Day 33

    33. German Alpine Route

    March 8, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Today was the day we have both been so hyped for! Waking up to the best weather we have seen so far was a massive bonus. We headed off to the start of the Alpine Route. Enroute we stopped to do groceries and James gave the van a quick clean to get the salt off from the roads.

    We then headed south, edging around the Austrian border and through the mountains. We had a really cool mountain pass called Oberjoch, this has 108 turns within 4km and rises us upto 1230 mtrs! As you can imagine in a 3.5 tonne vehicle it wasn't ideal but we got up without anything coming out of the cupboards, clearly James' driving was very smooth 😂.

    Once at the top we stopped and enjoyed some snow and watching the skiiers, we then drove onto our next stop. When we were halfway there,we stopped and decided to go on a good mountain walk to embrace the gorgeous weather. We found a great park up close to the walk and headed off, it was a moderate (in alp standards) walk and still had a 450 mtr climb taking us up to the top. We got into deep snow and edged around the mountain next to a castle at the top. It was so cool to go and walk in the crisp snow with the sun shining.

    After a long and slippery walk back down, we headed to our campsite. We spent the evening washing clothes and sorting out the van. What a great day. Another beautiful day tomorrow, so we are heading to Neuschwanstein castle, which is the most impressive castle in the world, it features in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and inspired Walt Disney when designing the Disney castle.

    We went to the local pub called 'Wirthaus Wiesele' for a lovely German dinner and beer. We had a pork loin which was delicious.
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  • Day 4

    Füssen

    February 9, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 7 °C

    Von Grän fahren wir durchs Achtal nach Pfronten, am Weissensee vorbei nach Füssen. Hier besuchen wir zuerst den VAUDE Outlet Füssen (sehr zu empfehlen) mit diversen Outdoor Marken. Wir betreten die historische Altstadt von Füssen und sind sehr angetan von der schönen Stadt. Ein Gang zur Burg „Hohes Schloss“ hinauf lohnt sich sehr. In der Altstadt feiert eine fröhliche Hippiegruppe Faschingsparty auf Fahrrädern und macht ordentlich Klamauck.Read more

  • Day 9–11

    Fuessen & Castles in the snow

    March 31 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    What was a very peaceful walled town 25 years ago is now a bustling tourist destination. Very nice traditional hotel right near the train station.

    Sam slept in this morning; I did too and barely caught breakfast. It was a full Bavarian feast! The cappuccino machine got me ready for a chilly day outside.

    We walked out in heavy sleet, caught a bus right away and headed for the nearby castles 🏰

    Got a ride up, then walked through the lovely snow through the high altitude forest for some incredible views! Castle tour, Cafe stop and a steep walk down the mountain!

    Now back in the hotel dripping wet but purchased snacks to help warm up 😉
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  • Day 1

    Fussen: prima tappa - Romantische Strass

    March 15 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    Dopo giorni di preparativi e di continui controlli del meteo (non proprio favorevole!), caricato il camper di una quantità indescrivibile di cibo (per umani e per cane), di vestiti pesanti (molti) e più leggeri (pochi), di tutti gli accessori e gli attrezzi indispensabili e non…, trascorsa la notte di venerdì al Parco degli Alpini, siamo finalmente partiti!
    Sotto una finissima e fastidiosa pioggerellina, in mezzo ad un traffico notevole (ma il sabato i camion non dovevano fermarsi???), disturbati dalla guida spericolata di diversi automobilisti (mannaggia ai cecoslovacchi e ai polacchi!), abbiamo attraversato i confini austriaco e tedesco per raggiungere la nostra prima tappa in Baviera: Fussen.
    Un’unica sosta durante il percorso per procurarci il telepass Go (abbastanza costoso ma indispensabile per attraversare l’Austria, dove non esistono caselli autostradali ma paghi anche l’uso delle strade normali…non sapremo quanto fino a che non lo restituiremo al nostro rientro…)
    Raggiunto un parcheggio gratuito presso il centro sportivo di Fussen, ristoratici con un ottimo panino e porchetta, abbiamo visitato la cittadina che ci ha positivamente colpito.
    Un dedalo di vie, nelle quali si susseguono case colorate in delicate tinte pastello, spesso impreziosite da decorazioni multicolori; il tutto molto pulito, ordinato e accogliente, specchio della tradizione austriaca, anche se ci troviamo già in Germania. Pochi turisti, peccato per il tempo nuvoloso e cupo…proviamo ad immaginarci come sara’ fra un pò di giorni, in un mattino soleggiato e pieno di fiori primaverili…ma ci accontentiamo del fatto che non piove!
    Camminiamo liberamente in Reichen Strasse, la via principale del centro storico, curiosando nelle sue laterali dove si affacciano vecchie case di solide famiglie di mercanti e numerosi negozi e ristoranti (frequentemente italiani!), superiamo la chiesa di St. Mang, fino alla fortezza: Hohes Schloss (Alto Castello). Si tratta di un edificio tardo gotico che fu l'antica residenza estiva dei vescovi di Ausburg. Il cortile interno è un capolavoro di trompe d'oeil architettonico: dipinti che producono effetti ottici a rilievo ed in profondità spettacolari!
    Proseguiamo la nostra passeggiata fino alla chiesetta di Spitalkirche, dalla facciata veramente bellissima, affrescata in stile rococò, ricostruita nel 1748 e per secoli chiesa degli zatterieri che trasportavano le merci sul fiume.
    Sappiamo che in un'antica abbazia è possibile scoprire la storia di Fussen, dalla preistoria ai giorni nostri, un'interessante collezione di strumenti musicali (la liuteria è un'antica tradizione a Fussen), la sontuosa biblioteca e la famosa “Danza macabra” del pittore Jacob Hiebeler, ma per oggi ci accontentiamo di ammirare il palazzo del museo dall’esterno e rientriamo alla base.
    Una curiosità ancora su Fussen: il simbolo della città è un triscele (tre gambe, unite tra loro per la coscia, disposte a spirale). In Europa questa immagine si ritrova soprattutto nelle regioni a più forte influenza celtica, ma non possiamo fare a meno di pensare anche alla nostra Sicilia, dove l’icona della Trinacria rappresenta i tre promontori ( capo Peloro, capo Passero e capo Lilibeo) punti estremi dell’isola.

    Domani mi attende la visita al castello di Neuschwanstein: castello delle fiabe per eccellenza, quello che da sempre fa sognare generazioni. Quello che ha ispirato Walt Disney per i suoi cartoni animati.
    Viste le previsioni (neve…), che non ci permettono la lunga passeggiata attraverso il bosco, e l’interruzione del servizio navetta, lo raggiungerò in carrozza… proprio come una principessa!
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