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From the slopes of the Matterhorn to a glacier in the French Alps

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Eichsfeld-Hainich-Werratal Nature Park

Germany, Hiking, National Parks
In one weekend, it's possible to visit a castle and two national parks in Germany.  After hiking on Sunday at Kellerwald-Edersee National Park, we spent the better part of my birthday exploring Wartburg Castle before heading north toward Hainich National Park....

Kellerwald-Edersee National Park

Germany, Hiking, National Parks
2
Regardless of where we happen to be living or what the weather may be like, June always marks the beginning of summer in my mind.  That means the start of a season filled with hiking, camping, kayaking, and the outdoors in any form we can find it.  As we enter...

Harz National Park

Germany, Hiking, National Parks
It's feasible to drive across the entire country of Germany, north to south, tip to tip, in less than 11 hours.  Living in Europe, we constantly see the pervasive impact of humans on the environment; at times it seems impossible to escape.  Yet this country of...

Exploring Harz’s Tree Top Trail

Germany, Hiking, National Parks
Now is the time of year when it's starting to feel like winter has perhaps overstayed its welcome and needs to make a decision.  It's high time for it to bow out gracefully for summer's arrival so we can start exploring some of Germany's waterways by kayak.  E...

Ruine Rieswarte Loop Hike

Germany, Hiking
Several weeks ago, an anonymous visitor left a comment on a previous blog, sharing that they had lived in Nikoalusberg in the '80s.  They also suggested we hike to the ruins of the "Wachturm," a watch tower not far from our village.  Setting out on a chilly bu...

The Fab Four Hit The French Alps

France, Hiking
The landscape surrounding Chamonix, France is dominated by one of the most famous mountain ranges in the world - the Mont Blanc massif.  While Mont Blanc might seem like the star of the show as the highest peak in the Alps, topping out at a rather immodest 4,8...

Gelmerbahn, The Steepest Funicular In Europe

Hiking, Switzerland
36
When we lived in the States, we didn't have a habit of seeking out the oldest, tallest, or biggest of anything, at least not intentionally.  If we did happen to visit a site qualifying as such, it was typically a natural phenomenon, like the world's largest sp...

5-Seenweg (Five Lakes) Hike

Camping, Hiking, Switzerland
The Alps surrounding the town of Zermatt, Switzerland offer lots of great options for hiking.  One of the most popular is the 5-Seenweg, or Five Lakes Trail.  Part of its popularity lies in the fact that it isn't terribly difficult, a cable car in Zermatt offe...
Panorama of Aletsch Glacier in Switzerland

Aletsch Glacier Hike

Glaciers, Hiking, Switzerland
4
Since the day we arrived in Switzerland, I've been anxious to visit Aletsch Glacier - the largest glacier in the Alps.  If you've seen photos of it or visited it, you'll know it's spectacular!  We'd been holding off on visiting until the summer so we could not...