The moment they fall to the ground and uprooted, does it mean they´re totally done with life? Is there actually beauty in a dead tree?
Fallen, but not forgotten #treeSquares
While everyone else is crazy squaring and displaying their perfect, beautiful, green and colorful trees, I tought I might share that it´s still wonderful to ponder on the wonders of a dead tree.
It´s ain´t totally dead yet– dead trees may not be the most attractive part of a forest, they are essential to its health. As dead wood is decomposed (by fungi, bacteria and other life forms) it aids new plant growth by returning important nutrients to the ecosystem… or simply a wildlife nesting site.
“Trees exhale for us so that we can inhale them to stay alive. Can we ever forget that? let us love trees with every breath we take until we perish…”
Exploring my neighborhood is always a joy to me. Everyday I found something unique about it. From where we lived right now, we can experience the best of city life and rural indulgence such as sights of different fields and the modern amenities of the city.For me, fields here in Bavaria is a normal sight. In Spring, we enjoy the vast fields of wild flowers, the endless Yellow Rasp Fields, and in Summer, we are lucky to cycle around the Red Poppies stunning fields, Sunflower fields and the Wheatfields. Of course, our summer won´t be complete if we don´t visit to the Spargel (Mushroom) and Strawberry fields! Another top field to explore is the green paradise of the Hop Fields—the green gold in Bavaria where the key ingredient for Beer is from.
So you see, we have a LOT of fields over here. Every season, it´s different except in Winter where fields become a place for sledding!
I decided to compile all my Wheat Fields nature photos and share it here in my Blog so here are some of my favourite photos.I realized that Wheat as well produce flowers, which is called “Florets“. . Florets in wheat are very small , inconspicuous and green. They are arranged in an inflorescence called spike of spikelets.It can make it to Cee´s FOTD-Flower of the Day Challenge, though not in the garden but at least it´s in fields!
As a foreigner living here in Germany, a sight of Wheat crops is quite a surprise to me. I grew up seeing only fields of corn and rice fields but here, I was acquainted with Wheat .No wonder that Wheat ( 20,2 million tons/year-2018 data) belongs to the top 3 agricultural crops that Germany produces, making it to 10th place as world producer.
Almost ready for harvest
Close up encounter with wheat crops
Lovely landscape full of Wheat crops
Wheat fields in Bavaria, Deutschland
While Wheat is the largest crop followed by Barley and Rye, some fields are also planted with beans, potatoes and other agricultural crops.For me, It´s a joy seeing them while I am running and cycling through them while they are still green from late Spring to mid Summer.
By late Summer, these Wheat fields turns into “Gold ones”.They exude an exclusive natural beauty in the morning mist, on a foggy day, after the rain, and even covered with spider webs!
A single Poppy flower among the green wheat crops and a lovely sight of Wheat Florets. (Wheat fields in Bavaria/Justbluedutch)
I found this great video below explaining about the Beauty in Cultivating Wheat in Bavaria. Quite not a surprise since “Weizen” (Wheat in German) is essential here for making bread.Bread is a stable product here ,I mean we even eat Bread for lunch & Dinner! Germany is actually a Bread country and (Brot-German word for bread) consuming carbs is a significant part of German cuisine. Living here made me eat so many bread for the past 5 years. It´s quite shocking when I found out that we have about 600 main types of breads and 1,200 different types of pastries and rolls are produced in about 17,000 dedicated bakeries and another 10,000 in-shop bakeries.
So you see, Wheat fields explains the beloved German culture of “Kaffee und Kuchen” ( Coffee and Cake).
They even study and do constant researches to make Wheat “fit” to climate change!
Today, I did my morning run and I stopped for a while to admire them again, wet from today´s rain. I just realized that in every 1 square kilometer area of this wheat field, out of the 18grams of seeds planted, it produces 800grams of grain, and eventually roughly around 500 grams of Flour (weizen mehl) which can make 23 yummy German buns! Every sunday, I cycled to the bakery and buy 4-5 buns to enjoy in our Sunday breakfast!
What´s your favourite type of Fields?
Until then, I´ll be writing more about my life here in Bavaria in my next Posts.
Watching the boats pass by in the Danube river in Regensburg
So here´s another post for “What I have seen..” This time I´ll take you to Regensburg.
Regensburg is such a fascinating city here in Bavaria. I find it quite nice and totally enjoyable for a family day outing.I have a kid so when we visit a new city, we always consider things for kids and something for her to enjoy as well, and Regesnburg has it all.My Blog is mostly about my wandering here in Germany with my little family and how I see this place as an expat.
We visited Regensburg on a fine summer day and we had fun. We decided to take it slow and enjoy exploring the city without a rush. We had a weekend stay in the hotel because we wanted to take a boat ride the morning after to Walhalla.
There were colorful houses along the banks of the Danube River
We took the early train and arrived at Regensburg in time. Deutsch Bahn has constant train connections to Regensburg and the train ride was super smooth, this was pre-Corona so we don´t have any worries about the virus and naturally we don´t need to wear masks all through out the day especially on a hot summer day.
We began strolling the old city, with its beautiful harbor lined up with quaint colorful houses. The view reminds me so much of Innsbruck. On the same location, we had a great view of the famous Regensburger Dom ( Cathedral of Regensburg) with its two 105 meter-spires. This church was really magnificent.The other side was being renovated on the time of our visit but this church was really beautiful.No wonder it was labelled as the finest gothic Church in Bavaria.It was actually very impressive!
There was the finest Gothic Church in Bavaria
Then we moved on and walked further through the city harbor with the view of Danube river.We spent some time admiring the views of the old Stone Bridge ( which was also under renovation on the other side) and yes, the views of the Danube from this side is actually nice, with all the old wooden boats passing by is quite a sight to marvel. I looked back that the view of the river is totally different from what I´have seen in Ingolstadt, Kelheim, and Riedenburg.
I mean I don´t see them everyday so I find it really interesting.There´s the Bridge Tower Museum adjacent to the Brückturm, the last of the remaining towers of the Bridge where we saw some of the city´s worthwhile piece of history, and bridge construction works . Here we had one of the amazing view of the city as well.In the museum, there is an interactive learn materials for children so my daughter had actually great time exploring there.
There´s always so much going on in the Regensburg Harbour
As we entered the old city, we were surprised to see some traces of the Roman times…quite interesting! In the streets of Regensburg we found the town´s oldest tower, Porta Praetoria, which dated back as early as 179 AD.I realized that Roman influences is found in many parts of Bavaria as well, and not just in Trier. Actually, just like the other walls and gates,the Romans built this gate conncting to the other walls of the city and it´s quite cool to see it. I posted in my other post about another interesting street local sight here is the David fighting Goliath mural. It´s such a great mural and my daughter loves to reiterate the story between the two.
Great details of the old town City Hall ( Rathaus)
Regensburg has a UNESCO World Heritage City Hall and Square, the locals refer it as Rathaus, or Alte stadt. It really made me wonder why it was a UNESCO-World-Heritage, then we began to explore and found out why. Regensburg´s Old Town, the Alter Kornmarkt, or also known as Old Cornmarket as they called it.I´ve heardi it’s here you’ll see the oldest surviving part of the town, the Roman Tower dating from the 2nd century, and the Herzogshof, a residence of the Dukes of Bavaria first mentioned in AD 988.
Yes here in Bavaria, there are many traces of Dukes, Kings, and many Royalties!
Take me back to the Roman times in Regensburg
I am not a history buff, but sometimes a guided tour of a city is quite boring for me, plus it can be expensive. But knowing the facts of history is also another thing. So on some occasion, I love taking a decent tour. Traveling gave these options to me. I could get to know the city by it´s landmarks, at the same time, through dates and rightful events of history, same time I could have a sense of the place´s personality. I mean, I have a toddler tagged along with me so I cannot dig into history for 2 hours. But given these glimpses and important landmarks, I can now understand why people took their time to explore this city.It really worth to visit.
It does something to offer…
After passing through countless shops and colorful houses, we got back to the harbor and enjoyed some quiet time watching people and the boats.We found a playground near the VHS School so it was really a plus! In this area, you can do a lot of things as well.I´ve heard that Regensburg has the Oldest Sausage Kitchen in Bavaria(Würstkuchl) so of course we head on to this kitchen and try some local delicacy. They offer many kinds of Bavarian traditional dishes but their sausage has also a lot of history.Typical Bavarian scene for weekends is that people flocked in the Beer gardens and drink some beer after cycling or meet with friends and families.
More than 800 years old tradition of Sausage making!
Of course, another typical sight in Bavarian towns is some local musicians playing their tunes to entertain the passers-by. We found it very entertaining and the atmosphere is so lovely!
Pre Corona, the atmosphere is so much different!
Some random street musician having a selfie in the alley of the Old Stone Bridge.
Our visit to Regensburg won´t be complete without the boat ride or Schifffahrt. It is really such a great thing to do with kids to ride in the ship that cruise over the calm waters of the Danube, offering us so much needed lush green sights of Regensburg. I love cruising the Danube and I can recall wonderful memories when we did it as well in Weltenburg in Kelheim and in the most beautiful lake in Bavaria, the Königsee in Berchtesgaden.I can´t explain it but I find peace sailing in a ship, especially with a view like these.
This time, our ship took us to the majestic Walhalla, the famous German Hall of Fame. Its like the Greek Parthenon, only the German version. Its located along the Donaustauf, approximately 11km east of Regensburg. Perched high up in the hills, mighty and tall. It´s really one of the tourist magnets over here in Bavaria.
Look at that view…
Crusing through the Danube was so peaceful.We have enough space in our seat, by the window side on the right, far from large groups, so we are doing okay.The ship has great amenities and very kid-friendly. There was an audio guide tour inside and very informative but we are actually busy entertaining the kid. Our stroller has a place to stay until we embark so that was actually a plus.The price as well is very reasonable and there is an on board restaurant just in case we got hungry .I would definitely recommend this trip if you have elderly and active kids with you.
Visiting Walhalla with a child and a stroller was quite a challenge at first but we managed to make it. After embarking from the ship, there´s a small pathwalk which leads us to a main road going to Walhalla. We decided to take the short hike and it was doable. The path was a bit steep but our stroller made it. I observed that there are more families with children doing the hike so I think it´s actually good to burn some energy.
Walhalla temple is huge. Just look at how majestic it looks. When I saw it, with its giant pylons and colums, Oh men I thought I am in the old times of the Greek mythology.
Really crazy wide temple with long collonades. You need to do 358 steps in order to climb up this temple.The views above here are breathtaking. This place was built under the inspiration of King Ludwig II; the Märchenkönig, or the fairytale King of Bavaria. He is really so busy building great temples, castles and palaces during his time. I can´t imagine Bavaria now without his ludicrous yet extravagant ideas. After seeing the Neuschwanstein Castle in Füssen, I realized he had so much in his mind about building memorable temples such as the Walhalla.
Walhalla is designed by neo-classical architect Leo von Klenze, and is actually a place to honor people, persons who have done a great job in whatever field they´ve excelled. Poets, mussicians, politicians, warriors etc. It´s a huge Bust-hall of Fame. Inside, I have met some very very prominent people in German history… I think by this time it will be 130 busts and 65 memorial tablets, in total, and at least I have seen how they actually looked like.
But of course, in the center of the great hall is King Ludwig II himself.
Back to the outskirts of Regensburg, I saw many facets of the local neighbourhood as well such as great street art.this one I saw while we took a walk near the hotel and watching people cycling along the banks of Danube.
Souvenirs from Regensburg
I haven´t seen enough but at least I have a glimpse of this beautiful Bavarian city. We had so much fun and definitely loved to go back there once again.
Also,when I think about Regensburg, I would definitely remember that red Vespa parked right in front of the stone bridge, that sight is really funny for me because it was facing the main traffic and whoever parked his Vespa there, He probably had his reasons for sure.
Here´s my entry for this week´s Lens- Artist Challenge, One Photo, Two Ways where our dear clever and artistic Tina of Travels and Trifles asks us to share and interpret this theme ,a photograph ( or subject) in two ways.
“We’d like you to think about the various ways you create your images. Show us the same subject captured using multiple, different approaches.”
Well I thought about this theme, photo in two ways? Hmm, I simplified my thought and just narrowed it down to angles, perspectives and scope. I am not a professional photographer, and I am not really into technical details while taking photos. On normal days, I just love using my iphone to take snaps and my gallery is actually filled with photos of my daughter and our daily Wandertags and outings. I normally used my decent Canon camera on travels and when I really wanted to do good photos.Like sieze it and capture it, anytime!
But then I realized, I also took many nice photos using my Iphone so definitely it´s not just the gadget. A lot more. Anyway, we see beauty based on our perceptions so for me, sometimes I prefer trusting photos, and not words…but photos can also be photoshopped, or edited..so basically, anything is possible.
So enough of my babbling, Here´s an example how I see my subjects with two different interpretations.
St. Bartholomä in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria
I´ve seen hundreds of photos of this beautiful chapel in internet while I was researching for our trip to Berchtesgaden.Most of them are taken with the angle where it settled with the whole landscape surrounded with Königsee, the Watzmann mountains and the harbor. But I realized why not take an “up close” shot where the two cupolas are actually kissing each other and looked like sausages bundled to each other.
Oh Yes, my architecture views are sometimes twisted.
But then, here´s another perspective of the church, the one that I actually envisioned in my mind. In this shot, the whole view shows the 3 onion like cupolas, very imminent, plus the tower behind it and I was actually pleased with the result.I tooked this shot while I was still in the boat and approaching the harbor. Here, the geometric forms are much emphasized while the other photo shows the ” strength” of the boulder-like structure of the chapel.In here also, the fine details of the mountains, the lake and the lush surroundings complement the aesthetic composition of the photo, and not therefore completely blending with the subject.
St. Bartholomä in Schönau, Berchtesgaden, Bavaria
“Photography helps people to see ” – Berenice Abbott
Another example to show my photo in two ways is actually just using some common sense. As a viewer, I tend to quickly notice the “grand”, “big” or “flashy” side of the subjects. We are born to be easily attracted to these objects where our senses immediately detected. Just like in this photo, I clicked my camera because I love the view of these Virginia creepers creeeping to the walls of Botanical Institute in Münich .I just noticed the greens because it´s so immense and having the look of nature.I guess this photo helped me to see more than the climbers itself and also took notice of the stonework, the facade and the detail of the stone work in the Iris Garden.
That´s why I am actually glad that I took another shot, but this time focusing my level shot on the stone work. I still noticed the green nature surrounding it but my attention was shifted to the expression of the stone work. I guess the saying above is true, taking pictures really helped me to see more..to search more, and to perceive more.
Iris garden in the Botanical garden in Münich, Germany
“The two most engaging powers of a photograph are to make new things familiar and familiar things new.” – William Thackeray
Iris Garden in Botanischer garten -Nymphenburg in Münich, Germany
“Wherever there is light, one can photograph.” – Alfred Stieglitz
And lastly, my favourite element to play while taking photos is how Light ( natural light) makes different versions of my photos. Light here is so vital that I have taken lots of photos with the Yellow Raspöl Fields but I always get different versions.But I love all of them.
Here´s one taken with two different phases. Same fields, different angle, same skies, a little bit of time lapse and switching the direction.
Which one do you like?
Light here played an important factor to create the “drama” effect, or something like ” Oh it looks like rain!” but still, the fields are beaming with beauty. The landscape is very catchy… On the other photo below, light was reduced, and the silhoutte of the trees creates a borderline of different tones and mood.
Is it dusk, or dawn?
“You can look at a picture for a week and never think of it again. You can also look at a picture for a second and think of it all your life.” – Joan Miro
In the end, when I looked at these last two photos of Yellow fields, I am actually reminded of the many times I have seen them and different weather of my time of visit. I was reminded the first time I saw it, for the very first time in Spring, and when I am deeply in need of inspiration. I have seen it actually in many different ways.
What do you think of these photos? Did I ever make sense in here (Lol!)
Thank you so much Tina for the inspiration and for the chance of little photo reflection.Its a pleasure to take part in this fun-engaging Challenge.
if you have more time to kill, please do check her amazing photography, lovely stories and bright lessons through her wanderings.
Green wheat fields full of Red poppies or papaver rhoeas.This red beaties are real stunner. They are wild ones, keeps getting back every summer, and yes, it´s not the same without them. When I cycle around, I can´t help but to stop by and look at them. The closer, the better.I just love how they swing with the warm summer breeze and their red petals so translucent from the sun.
At first I thought they are just weeds. They just pop up everywhere and nobody wants to pay attention to them.But not me.
Delicate flower bud, Red Poppies, the German Flower of the Year in
There is such a notable character to these common Red Poppy. For me whenever I see them, I am amazed just how resilient they are. They grew almost everywhere here in Germany. In the side of the streets, on an empty fields, near the garage, in pots , in perennial gardens, and yes, it´s as tough as weeds.Probably they are the twin sister of Dandelions.
Red poppies contains the alkaloid called rhoeadine, which is a mild sedative.It´s interesting to know that Red Poppies symbolizes the lives of the people who died in Military service.They are often made into wreaths and put unto the graves of the people who lost their lives during the war, especially, for the veteran´s lapels.It symbolises eternity, a continuity of the cycle of life.
The mystical charm of Red Poppies
In the ancient times, poppies have long been used as a symbol of sleep, peace, and death. In both Greek and Roman myths, poppies were used as offerings to the dead. Poppies were also used as emblems on tombstones to symbolize eternal sleep.
After all, opium is extracted from poppies and used as a sedative. Therefore, the added appeal of its use to represent eternal sleep prevails.
View of the Essing old Town in early Spring with Burg Randeck Ruins on top
This is the first hike we did this year, I mean out from Ingolstadt. We visited Essing before a couple of times in early Summer, during the peak of Corona Lockdown. Now we are back again, still in Lockdown ; but for another reason than sightseeing.With strict Corona measures and restrictions, the places we´ve been through are all outdoors, where we did almost hiking and walking.
Good thing about Lockdowns,we adapted to slowing down, staying outdoors as a family.Apart from cycling together,we opt to go to nature parks and go hiking, exploring the old cities since there is no other places actually to go. Museums are closed, play grounds are open but only the one outdoors.Nothing else to do.
In this hike, we aim for four things ; hiking with a view, seeing Ruins and Castle, and doing some exercise, lastly, and most important–having fun!
Almost there…
Hiking with a Stick
Old town of Essing
Essing is quite a small , beautiful town. It´s known for Burg Randeck, and the long wooden bridge, the Essinger Brücke. It lies within the vicinity of Kelheim and the River Altmuhl flows here. Just like most of the Jura towns in Altmuhl valley, towns like Essing have predominant features– a river, an old town, a Ruin or Castle perched on top of the Mountain cliffs, and various hiking trails to offer.What I love about this place is it´s idyllic setting beneath the rocky mountains behind it. Of course it´s not as grand as Königsee, or hiking thorugh Obersee or in the villages in Mosel, but then this place has won our hearts in a simple way.
Driving to Essing from Ingolstadt takes about 45 mins. We parked and started our hike that assumed to be good for families with children. It´s about 7,7km and is doable with small children from 5 yrs old up. It can´t be done with strollers so it´s not suitable for very small children as there were steep stones and cliffs. During our hike, the temperatures were mild and most of the paths are in shaded trees so we really enjoyed it.
Some Ritter ( Knight) wood engravings we found inside the ruins of Burg Randeck ( Essing)
The first 2 km we walk on flat grounds and going steep. The paths are well marked and plenty of tree views to enjoy.As soon as we reached the vast field, we took a break since the Little Miss already starts to whine. She kept on insisting to look for a playground but there isn´t. Good thing we opt to tell stories and do quizzes once again to entertain here.
Below is the photo of the wooden bridge that we visited from last year. From here, you can have a beautiful view of the Altmühl river
Typical and very Bavarian landscape, Jura cliffstones, quiet and serene flow of the River Danube and a row of quaint houses along the banks of the river.Cycling through this path is really one of the best outdoor activity that locals and visitors loved to do.
There´s so much to explore in this wilderness. We took our time to spot early spring flowers, counting and checking out Bunnies and even had a glimpse on a garden with pools. I actually don´t know if it´s part of the river but it is quite beautiful.
The crackling of leaves on every steps makes the rhythm. We feel exhausted but we kept on. Holding on to branches of trees and rocks saves us always from slides and fall. In the end, we just smiled and laughed at our own sillyness.
Pit stop for a wonderful view
I saw many families are also doing the same hike like we did and it just made me smile. I hear the same tantrums of the kids same as what my daughter did and I just smiled.Looks and feel familiar in every way. One practical tip, engaging your child to participate in a quest, like looking for Knight and swords signs, or who could be the first one to spot a Knight sign then receives a reward is a great motivator. It always works and effective.
What a view…finally!
There are many activities that can be combined in this area. Here´s a sample of our itinerary and the places we´ve explored that is tailored to be family-friendly.Altmühltal offers a variety of activities for all ages but below are some of our personal favourites!
We are still high from the dramatic beauty of Königsee and then out of the blue, we are again rewarded with another shock of natural doses of beautiful landscapes from our beautiful hike to Obersee in Salet up to Fischunkelalm. Actually, Salet is the last stop for the boat trip we´ve had in Königsee and St. Bartholomä.This place is actually remote–meaning, it can only be reached by boat. There are no villages near Obersee, only the few Beer gardens and the Fischunkelalm.
Yes, there is no other way you can see this lake, only through the boat company who runs the tours through Königsee. But then, let me tell you—it is really worth the trip because this place is simply—the alpine paradise in Bavaria!
“It´s not the mountains that we conquer, but ourselves ”
I think I lost count of the different shades of greens, blues, aquamarine, turquoise, and teal colors when I saw this place. They say that the tougher it gets going, then the wonder power gets real. What is true about hidden paradise is that maybe the reason why they are deeply tucked into the mountains so it is well sheltered there.
From the time we step out of the boat, I already started hearing people saying ” Ohhhh” ” Wowww” ” Sehr sehr Schön ” ” Wünderbar“, I , myself included saying these words. I still think my photography skills deluded the naural beauty of this place. It is really worth every step to see this place. Well , with hiking with a view like this , who am I to complain?
” A walk in nature walks the soul back home..”” There are no short cuts to a any place worth going …”
Of course with a little hiker with us, we took our pace. We stop to admire the universe of moutain peaks and listened to the choir of cows making their own thing. With the crystal clear waters of Obersee, we saw tiny fishes swimming It´s probably that they are also rejoicing, hearing some noise after a long pause because of Corona .
My neck kinda hurt from looking up and admiring the moutain views. The rocky formations are so incredible and imagining how a Moraine separated the Königsee from Obersee.Either way, both lakes have their own charm.
We´ve done so far so many family hikes but hiking through Obersee in Berchtesgaden became our number one choice now. For now.We are already thinking of coming back and seeing this place once again, probably in Autumn when the foliage is more colorful. The hike through Obersee is a great experience, at least for us. For such a long time in Lockdown and confined to only nearby hiking destinations, the sight of Obersee takes away our breath and all our worries from Corona.
This place is definitely worth the hike even with small children. Although I personally would recommend to wear your little toddlers instead of bringing a pram since the ascent path to the Fischunkelalm is not accessible with strollers. The photo below is the one I took just after we passed through the flat hiking path before we continue the steep flight of rocky, muddy steps heading to the Fischunkelalm and Röthbachfalls.
Hiking adventure is one of those thing you can do only if you have the determination to do so.
Crystal clear mirror like waters reflecting the mountains creating a perfect Apline fairy tale views, that´s what Obersee is all about. In every angle, I can smell the clean air, the crisp sound of the trees, and the excited steps of nature walkers like me.About the hike, it starts at Salet and ends there as well. The hike length is approx. 8km ( 5miles ) and classified as medium difficulty. It is doable with kids, and I personally recommend doing this with little children.
The uneven rock steps with only a cable support for hand might be a strain for elderly and for families with very small children. The ascent and descent path is one way so it would be really challenging. I noticed this because we travel during the times of Corona so we are still practicing social distancing. The path is rocky and slippery so small children should be guided accordingly.But then, I have seen so many families doing this hike so it´s really worth the hike.
After hiking for almost half an hour, we´ve passed through cascading river, beer gardens, wandered through the lush forest and finally we´ve reached the first resting area. This boat house is quite famous, it´s the image of Obersee, its all over in Instagram and causing quite a traffic in this point. People are waiting in line to do photoshoots and families lined up with heir kids to do selfies .There are banks and tables for people to sit and rest as well.Now I understand why this spot is really worth a photo.
Finally, after a adrenaline hike, we finally reached Fischunkelalm and this view awaits us.I could stare for hours at these panoramic views. So peaceful, tranquil and beautiful in every sense. Families packed a picnic and sitting near the banks of the lake is quite a beautiful thing to watch. Couples hugged each other and taking selfies beside the lake, and some sit and enjoy a cold beer in this unique setting. Children pets the cows and played with them while others play with the waters.
Pretty mushrooms along the way
While trekking, I spotted these rare row of mushrooms on a tree bark. It looks so pretty with light purple color surrounded with lime green moss. Its amazing how nature surprises us in many ways. As we continue our hike, we sing a song, did a quiz to entertain the little one and with a few pops of Gummy bears, the drama and tantrums came to an end.
Upon reaching the Fischunkelalm, we decided to grab a drink and have some snacks. The menu is limited but everything is delicious.We tried their local delicacies of bread with fresh cheese, bacon and some drinks.This is the stop point as well to completely admire the whole view of Obersee surrounded with stone mountains and reflecting waters. This is where I actually get some space to to snap photographs without the crowds.
My daughter busied herself talking to the cows and playing with other children. She was quite thrilled when she heard that some kids are speaking English so she decided to make friends. She played for a while near the lake banks while I got busy taking photos and admiring the views. The water is still so cold but feeling them with your hand is forgivable.I guess in peak summer months, one can enjoy dipping their feet in this glorious lake.
At this point, stretching for another half an hour, one can continue hiking (1,5km) through the mountain pastures that leads to marvelous view of Röthbachfall, Germany´s highest waterfall (400m). Seeing this waterfall, we were reminded by our thunderous experience seeing the Krimml Waterfalls compared to this one.
A panoramic view of Obersee with the enigmatic Boathouse
Our feet are aching at the end of the day and our faces are red from the sun, but definitely, our hearts are full and glad.We started heading back to Salet to wait for our return boat trip. The last trip departing from Salet is 5.10pm, (on peak season 5.40pm) take note of this last departure time because there is no other way to go back to Schönau unless you are prepared to pay for around 250 Euros for a boat to pick you up!
Some practical tips on visiting and hiking through Obersee :
Don´t forget your camera. It´s such a shame if you don´t caprure these wonderful nature.
Start early, especially if you are traveling with small children. The mid- path going to Fischunkelalm can get lots of traffic as noon time approaches so this can strain your child. Bring plenty of snacks and drinks to keep them hydrated.
Wear comfortable and sturdy shoes, preferably closed. The rocky parts can hurt your toes and you don´t want to go home with blisters and cuts. Layers are recommended to wear. You can also discard a light jacket once it gets warm and hot.A hat and sunscreen is always a great idea.
Go to the bathrooms and wash hands frequently before doing the hike. The cable for hand support on the face of the moutain is used by thousands of people who hike there so be aware of personal hygiene.
Decide early if you want to go to St. Bartholomä first or hiking through Obersee. The earlier the better to avoid the long queue lines on returning to the boat back to Schönau-Königsee.
Bring some cash–it´s always wise to bring cash since snacks from the Fischunkelalm is paid in cash only.
and lastly but very important —Bring lots of Good Mood!
What is your favourite hiking adventure?
Have you already traveled during Corona times?
Until then, stay safe and have a happy week. Tschüss!
