Monday, May 18, 2015

Triberg, Germany - A hidden treasure

Sometimes the smallest places turn out to be the biggest surprises. Triberg was definitely one of them. A 3 hour train ride from Stuttgart took us to this beautiful cosy town which hosts Germany's highest waterfall and also has the House of 1000 Cuckoo Clocks - something people all around the world are excited to buy :) It also falls under the Black Forest area making it even more scenic.


Though Triberg is so tiny, it is a very tourist friendly town with directions given everywhere, even in English. We were surrounded by prettiness right from the moment we got out of the train station and it did not just end there. A 1.5 km walk takes you to the City Centre which has a few restaurants, cafes and ofcourse the souvenir shops. We were quite hungry since we started early morning so we decided to have lunch first and then go see the waterfall. Diagonally opposite to the House of 1000 Clocks I noticed this pretty restaurant called "Landgasthof zur Lilie" which had an authentic and a rustic feel to it and it turned out to be a very good choice. We sat in the terrace soaking in the sun enjoying our crispy fish, fresh salad, chilled beer and tasty wine and ofcourse the popular Black Forest Cake!


After the sumptuous meal, we started our trail along the Waterfall. It was a fairly easy hike provided you are wearing good shoes. It was nice to see so many different types of people all enjoying their hike, clicking pictures, couples kissing and telling other couples to take their pictures. The cute dogs accompanying their owners made my day even more entertaining. The waterfall itself is absolutely beautiful with marvelous rainbows emerging from within the water. There are bridges built across the waterfall at regular distances which make it even more fun to stand and feel the little droplets of water fall on you like being in a nice shower. After the waterfall trail we walked down to a small pond and just sat there enjoying the view. Once that was done it was time for us to walk back to the train station with no baggage but lots of memories to carry along with us.




Triberg is perfect for a short one-day trip or a day's stay for the honeymooners ;). It is sooo damn pretty that it makes you forget what the real world looks like. But that's exactly why we need vacations, don't we?! The only regret I have was not carrying my camera along so the pictures taken are from my Nexus phone.

This one-day trip was something I definitely needed to get some peace and quiet and just spend some quality time. It helped me disconnect from a few things and connect with things which actually needed to be connected with. A trip to Triberg is definitely what should be on your to do list when in Germany. Especially for the couples. It will help you disconnect and connect at the same time! So as I say - Lift up your bums and go travel!


Friday, May 8, 2015

Picturesque Prague

So Guys! I visited Prague recently in Easter with a few friends...Man! We had fun!

Prague for me was all about new experiences...The food, the stay, the drinks and the places I visited...

So I took a Bus from Nuremberg to Prague and I was in a different country by Bus in 3 hours..How cool is that?! I wouldn't even be in another State in 3 hours when in India! I had booked a Student Hostel for my stay and was a little apprehensive about how it would be with regards to hygiene and safety...But it turned out to be pretty cool with big clean bathrooms, cleans beds and a nice breakfast everyday. I stayed at the "Hostel Florenc" http://www.hostelflorenc.cz/?lan=en and would definitely recommend this Hostel to you guys. It's not so far away from the city centre and in a very good condition and not costly either.

I took the free walking tour by "Sandyman" on the first day and the tour guide showed us almost all the historic places of Prague except the Charles Bridge and the Prague Castle. The walking tour was quite good but not as good as the one I took in Berlin..We were shown the Old Town Square, the Astronomical Clock, the Paris Street and the Church near the Old Town Square but I would still recommend the walking tour as , Number 1 - it's free! So it's perfect for students and Number 2 - it's the only way you actually get to know the city as the guides tell you a lot of things you wouldn't get to know by yourself. The tour guide also suggested some bars and restaurants to us and they turned out to actually being as good as claimed. I would highly recommend this Uptown Bar that we accidentally entered in: 
http://www.potrefena-husa.eu/en - Good food, good cocktails, good beer and very friendly staff :)


One important thing to know in Prague if you are on a budget trip is that the restaurants close to the Old Town Square are way costlier than the ones a little farther away..So be ready to walk the extra mile if you wanna save those extra bucks :)

The street food at the Old Town Square was lip-smacking! The sweet cinnamon roll (Trdelnik), the curly potato fries (forgot the authentic name) and the "Langos" - this heavenly flatbread topped with garlic, cheese and tomato sauce were all to die for! I felt like my taste-buds have become active again when I was in Prague ;)

The second day I visited the Prague Castle which is on top of a hill once you cross the Charles Bridge. Nothing can beat the view from the Charles Bridge and from the various watch towers of the Castle. You got to keep a day aside to visit the Castle as its one of the biggest in the world by area! We also paid a few Krona to go up the watch tower and see the view from there..It was money worth spent as it was one of the most picturesque views I have seen till now! The street musicians also wowed me! You have to stop walking and listen to these bands play.. They are incredible!

For me Prague was all about getting drunk, wandering through the streets at night with my best friends, acting crazy and eating! I would definitely recommend you guys to visit Prague and enjoy the view that the city has to offer and ofcourse the food! Here are some of my favourite clicks