On the south-eastern shore of Lake Garda lies Lazise, one of the region’s most charming towns – a historical gem that impressively combines history, culture, and a Mediterranean way of life. A stay in Lazise in late winter, with the first signs of spring, was a completely different experience from a classic summer holiday – quieter, clearer, and more intense. Read more
On the way back from my trip to Florence, I added a stay in the autumnal Dolomites. I was actually two weeks too late for the visit to Lake Federa near Cortina d’Ampezzo: the peak of the yellow-golden larch colours had already passed in these mountain regions. The trees were already shedding their needles and the nights were getting very frosty for sleeping in the roof tent. Despite a good down sleeping bag and insulation, it’s still uncomfortable and always takes a lot of effort. Since it had snowed in the previous days, the snow-capped higher mountain regions already signalled the transition to winter.
What could be better than spending the last calendar and weather-wise summer weekend outdoors – and this time not on a mountain, but on Lake Chiemsee, within sight of the Alps. At late summer temperatures, I was invited by a friend to go sailing and swimming on her sailing boat on the “Bavarian Sea”. Read more
Geigelstein in the Chiemgau Alps impresses with its great prominence (relative height) and its extensive dominance. With an absolute height of 1,808 m, Geigelstein rises about 1,148 m above the surrounding landscape. This is its topographic prominence, i.e. the difference in height to the lowest col or valley floor that separates it from higher mountains. Read more
After almost a year, I was once again a guest at the Rossalm, the highest alpine pasture in the Chiemgau. Today, Conny, the dairymaid from the neighbouring Haidenholzalm, was also visiting to make fresh alpine cheese. She had once spent three summers “apprenticing with Sepp” on the Rossalm, as she put it. This gave me the opportunity to follow and learn about the entire cheese-making process, from milking the cows to the start of the ageing process.
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Having already scouted a perfect spot for the sunrise during the evening tour of the Breitenstein, after the trip to Alsace, nothing stood in the way of another visit to the Bockstein summit. Read more
The Maria Himmelfahrt Birkenstein pilgrimage church in Fischbachau, Upper Bavaria, is a true folk sanctuary. Located in the Leitzach Valley in the Mangfall Mountains at the foot of the Breitenstein, it is famous for its late medieval statue of the Virgin Mary, which has been venerated here as a miraculous image since 1673. Every year, numerous pilgrims come here from near and far. During my visit early on the morning of 1 May, I found two touching elderly ladies busy preparing the outdoor altar for the arrival of several walking pilgrimages. Read more
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