The last stop of the trip with my parents was the city of Berchtesgaden. The setting of this town was by far my favorite, as we got to fully experience the gorgeous Alps. We rode the ferry on Lake Königssee to St. Bartholomä, where my Dad, Bryan, and I attempted a 4 mile hike in the Alps with a ton of snow! We also had a sledding adventure, visited a beer hall, a Christmas Market (of course!), and brined ourselves at a thermal spa, which uses salt from the local mines.

This past December I had a chance to fulfill a dream of mine--visiting the Christmas Markets in Germany. With my parents along for the ride, we explored 4 different cities and really got into the holiday spirit. First up is our post about Munich and Fussen. In Munich, we left feeling we had just scratched the surface of what the city has to offer, but we had a blast visiting beer halls, Christmas Markets, the BMW Museum, and taking an alternative city tour. In Fussen we spent a day visiting the castles Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein where King Ludwig II (akak the Mad King) was raised and the dream castle he never finished. Full of great history, mountain views, and falling snow--our day in Fussen was unforgettable.

In August, we spent a week in Heidelberg, Germany. It was a great change of pace for us, as we finally found some nature and some mountains! We took advantage of our changing landscape and hiked 3 of our 6 days. We also enjoyed German beer, exploring Heidelberg Castle, a local farmer's market, and more