Hiking: Hausacher Bergsteig

🌳 Distance:14km

🌳 Time: 5 to 6 hours

🌳 Difficulty: Moderate

🌳Our rating: 💚💚💚💚/5

There is this picturesque region at the heart of Schwarzwald (Black Forest) in Germany, which I call the Ach-Square. Its four corners are the towns of Gutach, Schiltach, Wolfach and Hausach. This area offers a variety of hikes for every taste and fitness condition. There are short, middle and long trails. Some will lead you through the history of the towns and their most notable people, others will satisfy all your senses - your eyes will be "blinded" by splendid views, your ears will be dazzled by peace and bird songs, your whole being will be surprised by calmness and beautiful nature. 

A view from the castle to Hausach

How to: Pilatus, Switzerland

The view to the panoramic terrace of Pilatus Klum

We wanted to visit this place for a very long time and we kept referring to it as Mount Pilatus. And one weekend we just decided that we have to hop on the car (as usual) and just drive there. Upon arriving we went straight to the Info Center, which is only a few meters away from the parking place, which cost us 5 euro for the whole day. An the reason for this was, that we did almost no research beforehand and knew pretty much nothing about this wonder of nature, hence the amazing photos we were seeing around social media. As it turns out, the whole mountain massif is called Pilatus and it consists of several peaks, the highest of which is named Tomilshorn (2129m). And as we always aim for the highest summit and the most picturesque views, we set off to the Horn of Tomil (loose, and probably not as funny as intended, translation). If you've already checked out something about this place, you probably know that there are many options how to do it. I will list them for you down below, but at my post I'll stick to our experience, mentioning some easier ways, because (as per usual) we chose to do it the hard way.

How to: Mount Triglav, Slovenia

Ocean of mountains... Did you notice the two shadows?

"Did you climb Mount Triglav?"

"Yes!"

"Then, you've become a real Slovenian!"

I was so happy and proud after the end of this marvelous hike, that I couldn't stop thinking and talking about it. There is something real special at this place and the feeling of accomplishment that it gives you when you conquer it.

A fresh beginning, breath-taking views, overcoming the exhaustion, the excitement from the unknown road ahead you and the proud of the achievement. Those are only a few of the things you will experience during this hike.

Preparation

Secured everywhere with metal ropes

Bad news is though, that the preparation could take some time. Make sure to plan and book everything as soon as possible. I would recommend at least 2-3 month in advance. Although, to be honest, we did it 2 weeks before departure and everything was perfectly fine. At every step of our booking process people were flexible and very helpful! Now let's begin, shall we?

Prague: A feast for the eyes and the soul

Prague Castle

Our first visit to Prague was for the great party of New Year. We hopped on the car again and arrived at our perfect little BnB just outside of Prague. This way we were able to both experience the city and its surroundings. And by surroundings, I mean some really nice hiking paths.

At the New Part of the Prague Castle

Triglav National Park and its wonders

Slovenia is the home of a small corner of the Alps Mountain Range, also called the Julian Alps, where they rise to 2,864m at Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia. A large part of them is included in the National Triglav park, which was our aim for this summer. There are two ways you could travel through this gorgeous piece of nature - either by backpacking from hut to hut, or, as in our case, making one of the lovely small villages your headquarters and exploring the region. We stayed at a sweet Airbnb in Srednja vas v Bohinju. This was a real relax for the soul. The view to the mountains is amazing, the village is really quite and a perfect starting point to whichever place you want to visit.

The first waterfall

On the first day we visited the Martuljek Waterfalls. There is a free parking almost at the beginning of the path. I specifically mention that it was free, because, as we found out later, it could be a real chance to find a cheap parking lot, let alone a free one. From there, take the bike alley for 2min and then at the first sign turn left. Follow the yellow signs with "1.2.Slap" (slap meaning waterfall). Getting to the first one was relatively easy. The harder part is getting to the second one, as the path becomes steeper and more slippery at some sections. The last about 100m are a bit rocky, with the path becoming more narrow, but there are enough metal ropes to help your way up and down.

But once you get there though, you will immediately forget all that was before.

Ljubljana: Europe's little treasure

We decided to book a room in a district a little bit further from the city center. This would be a good idea if you travel by car, because the street parking is only 0.40€/per hour till 17.00 on Friday, after that till Sunday it is free. It was also a good decision because we were able to have a nice walk to the town center through the Tivoli park, which is the largest and most beautiful park in Ljubljana. 

Ljubljana Castle with country and city flags

It has everything you could wish for in a park: playgrounds for the children, grand walks, relaxing places for picnic and sunbathing. There is even an outdoor gym. Here you can also find the International Center for Graphic Arts, which is actually an old mansion turned into the epicenter of the artistic world. Behind it is the Bistro Švicarija where, if you're lucky, you may share a drink with some of Slovenia's finest artists.

Bratislava and the Mountains

If you are tired of the overcrowded, over-touristed cities, travel to Slovakia. If you are looking for place where history and nature live in a perfect harmony, go to Slovakia. If you want to go to e new exciting place, visit Slovakia.

We had been dreaming visiting this country and nothing could stop us, even cancelled flights. So, we hopped in the car one evening and drove straight to...Vienna. Considering the fact that both capitals are some 60-70 km from each other, we had to make a stop first at the beating heart of Europe. We spent there 3 days, absorbed as much of the city of music, art, culture and fine food as we could and continued to our so long desired destination: Bratislava and the Slovakian Mountains.