Germany’s breathtaking scenery, rich comfort food, and impressive knack for charming villages, made it a place that truly exceeded my expectations. I was lucky enough to have a friend from Pfullendorf take me on a whirlwind German roadtrip many scenic road-lovers would drool over. Winding down the country roads of the Swabia–the southwestern region of Germany–we wandered from village to village, passing by vast fields of grass, all while taking this opportunity to snap away with my NX300.
Swabia is home to some of the most tantalizing cuisine for those who love meals that fill your appetite and warm your belly. For a self-proclaimed soup-aholic such as myself, it definitely set the bar high, from brothy Maultaschen soup, a sort of ravioli-dumpling hybrid; to Flädle soup, a broth with strips of pancakes mixed in. I am still trying to convince my friend to send me a care package filled with Maultaschen my way.
A trip into the Swabian countryside wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Lake Constance or the “Bodensee,” as Germans call it. On one side of the lake lies Meersburg, a village equipped with fortress, palace, and vineyard. From there, a simple ferry ride will take you to Konstanz, the main city in the region, known as one of the shopping hubbubs for Swiss weekenders.
One of my favorite parts of Konstanz, besides the peaceful lake views, was the giant Lenk statue that shot up from the dock. Peter Lenk is a famous German sculptor known for creating controversial, satyrical works that are either shock- or laugh-inducing. The statue at Lake Constance is especially well known since part of it depicts the Pope naked.
Moving out of Swabia, we reached the grand Neuschwanstein Castle, most famous for being the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty’s castle–and let me just say, it lived up to its fairytale ties.
The views from the castle grounds were some of the most amazing I’ve ever seen—up there with the top of Yosemite Falls–and by using the panoramic mode on my NX300, I was able to capture one of Germany’s many magical landscapes.
After some time wandering outside of Swabia, we couldn’t keep away, and returned back to explore a town called Freiberg. Known as a big part of Germany’s wine scene (you can buy a liter of wine for 3 euros!), its other main attraction is the towering Münster, or church, which stands as a great example of detail-oriented architecture.
NX300 | 1/80 | f/3.5 | ISO 200 | 18mm; NX300 | 1/80 | f/3.5 | ISO 100 | 18mm; NX300 | 1/200 | f/3.5 | ISO 200 | 18mm
From Freiberg you can steal some more spectacular views from the nearby Schauinsland, one of the highest mountains in the Black Forest. Its literal translation is “look into the country” and it’s no wonder why, since being there makes you feel like you’re on top of the world. Naturally, it became the perfect ending to our German adventure.
Comments are closed.
