Our family recently returned from a two-week-long road trip to Europe in celebration of our oldest daughter’s graduation from college and our 30th wedding anniversary.
Here are my favorites from the trip, in the order in which we experienced them…
1. Nostalgic Frankfurt, Germany
We began our trip in Frankfurt, Germany where I lived with my family when I was 9-13 years old. I’d never been back until now. Our first day in Europe, we visited the home where we lived for two years, the apartment where we lived for two years, and the school where my parents worked and where my sisters and I attended class. It was wonderfully nostalgic to see those places again as an adult!
2. Porsche Museum and Factory, Stuttgart, Germany
My husband and son both love cars. There was no way they were going to Germany without visiting the home of Porsche. It turns out that all five of us loved the museum and the factory tour. The museum is inexpensive and easily accessible to all but I had to book the factory tour months in advance. We couldn’t believe we were allowed to stand there and watch the assembly line for the 911 while robots carrying materials zipped around us. Fascinating! [I do not have any pictures of the factory because they require all guests to turn in their phones before entering.]
3. Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany
We were able to tour the real-life castle that’s so fairy-tale-esque that it inspired Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle. The exterior is beautiful, creative, imaginative. The interior is intricate and exquisite, with paintings on almost every inch of wall space. The setting offers jaw-dropping views from every side.
4. Stunning Grindelwald, Switzerland
My family and I remember Grindelwald as one of the most gorgeous places we visited during the years we lived in Europe, so I wanted to return. I’m so glad we did. Grindelwald is a small town perched in the Swiss Alps with towering mountains on every side. It’s an “I can’t believe my eyes right now because this nature feels too amazing to believe” type of place. In the below pictures, it even looks like we’re photo-shopped into the scene!
5. Black Forest Charm in Gengenbach, Germany
We saw many adorable, historic towns on our trip. But the most adorable historic town of them all was Gengenbach. Every building in the entire old section of the city, still partly encircled by its medieval wall, was brimming with charm. It won my heart with its little curving alleys, town square, cobbled roads, flower boxes, and the entrance towers complete with portcullis. No wonder the Grimm brothers set their stories in this region!
6. Medieval Cathedrals
We were fortunate to see numerous medieval cathedrals on our road trip. In one, we climbed a tiny circular staircase to the top of a spire. In others, we went inside and marveled at the building techniques and skill and work involved in the creation of these churches that have stood for centuries.
7. The small towns and canals of The Netherlands
The small towns in the Netherlands are well-kept and darling! Residents ride from place to place on bikes, giving the atmosphere a peaceful, healthy vibe. We had some of the very best food of our trip at restaurants in these towns–several of those meals served on picturesque outdoor patios. At night, we returned to our favorite AirBnB of them all, located on a shimmering canal.
I was able to meet several of my European readers on this trip, which definitely does rank as a favorite. But I’m saving more about that for a future blog post!
If you’ve been to Europe, what was one of your favorite places? Have you been to any of the locations mentioned above?
Becky Wade
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Our oldest son lived in Berlin for 4+ years and sadly we were never able to visit while he was there but we have a trip planned to Europe (not Germany this time, alas) for this fall and it’s a dream of a lifetime so I’ve watched your travels with longing eyes! Loved seeing your favorites in order of your travel. Looks like it was a FABULOUS trip your family will never forget!
We did, indeed, have a fabulous trip! I can’t wait to hear more about your Europe trip this fall. 🙂
Germany has been on my bucket list for years (3 family members having spent time there courtesy of the military) and your pictures made me want to pack my bags and leave immediately! I took a trip to Europe in 2015. Cinque Terre, Italy was my favorite. I was least excited about our time in France, but wound up loving Cassis.
Joy, my daughter and husband loved Cinque Terre, which I had never of.
Germany (especially Bavaria and the Black Forest) is definitely bucket list worthy. 😉
While I haven’t traveled in Germany, my husband and I did land in Frankfurt on our way to Prague. The German airline Lufthansa was well organized and efficient. Of the places you mentioned, I have been to Strasbourg, France, to see the cathedral. I took a photograph of local ladies in their regional dress sitting in front of the cathedral looking charming.
We thoroughly enjoyed Strasbourg’s cathedral and the whole “petite France” region of the city. We ate a very memorable lunch on the canal there!
Thank you for sharing these beautiful pictures and details of your amazing trip through Europe. I’m sure doing a road trip gave you many opportunities to explore things you would not otherwise have seen. So happy you were able to have this wonderful adventure, and I know your children will always remember it.
As you may see by my last name, my husband’s father’s family came from Germany. He was in the Marine Corps from 1959 – 1979, taking many trips to Europe and elsewhere. When in Germany, he tried to find out info about his family, but was told his family came from East Germany, and unfortunately the country was still divided at that time.
We spent one full day and night in London on our way home from two years in Cyprus (travel restrictions at then). However, I was able to meet my husband’s ship in Barcelona during their two week port stop in 1973. It was amazing walking the streets, seeing so many cathedrals, markets, a Picasso museum, among others. We took a bus trip up the Costa Brava, so very memorable.
Again, thanks for sharing. Any book ideas along the way?
I loved hearing about your connections to Europe, Betty! My maiden name is Clem and I was able to trace that surname back to the Klemms who came to the USA from Germany in the 1700s. On this trip, we visited the town where they lived in Germany and it was incredible to walk in the place where my ancestors walked.
That is wonderful. I know it must have meant a lot to you.
I took a Europe-palooza trip to celebrate my 50th birthday in 2019. Me and my girlfriends visited London, Paris, Rome and Edinburgh. My absolute favorite place was Rome and I’d love to go back. Thanks for sharing your pictures and now it has me hankerin’ to see these places in person.
Europe-palooza is a good way to describe the “see a lot, do a lot” type of trip we took this summer and that you took in 2019!
What a great trip! We’ve never been to Europe, only Great Britain. But oh how these pictures make me want to go!
Yes! Continental Europe is a wonderful place to visit. 🙂
What a magnificent trip, Becky! I’ve always wanted to visit Neuschwanstein castle. One of these days, I will. I’ve been to Frankfurt, Germany and driven around to several small towns. Heidelberg was a favorite stop. I was the guest of my German publisher, so it was a working trip, not for sightseeing, but I soaked in as much of the countryside as I could as we drove around. 🙂 I’m a mountain girl, so I’d love to visit Switzerland. Your pictures are stunning!
We stopped at Heidelberg for lunch on this trip, Karen! I love that city!
Wow, Becky! Just wow. Thanks for sharing those photos and the details about each one.
My pleasure!
I went on a “this is Tuesday, it must be Belgium” trip years ago. I was fascinated by Neuschwanstein. My favorite place was Austria. We went to Innsbruck and Salzburg. I would love to go back soon.
“I was fascinated by Neuschwanstein” Me, too. It completely captured my imagination.
Good luck getting past the jet lag after 2 weeks away! What a trip you had. Yes, we were in Strasbourg, France, last summer as part of a mini-tour through Alsace and western Germany after visiting our son in Madrid. The cathedral there reopened in December 1944 for the first time since the German occupation to observe the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. I hope you patted the head of the puppy on the pulpit! We spent an afternoon in downtown Frankfurt, but I was not impressed. (Honest.) In Stuttgart, where our daughter was attending grad school, we toured the Mercedes-Benz Museum, not the Porsche museum like you did. It was fascinating, and I am NOT a car fan. Our next trip is to Copenhagen to celebrate our daughter’s master’s degree from the University of Copenhagen. Can’t wait to experience the city with her, and yes! Sarah Sundin’s “Sound of Light” is going with me.
Yes, I lived in Bremerhaven, Germany for three years. I have been to Neuschwanstein when I went south to see The Passion Play at Oberammergau. I saw Hohenschwangau, and Linderhof, toured Salsberg, Austria, and we were shown the Von Trapp’s REAL house and the tram station that went to The Eagles’ Nest. We spent the day touring Mozart’s house, and other sites there. (My daughter remembers LEGOLAND in Denmark, I remember the castles, and Ribe, where we spend the 4th of July.) Yes, another country celebrates the 4th! We saw Queen Margarit and spent a week on the North Sea.
This sounds like a super trip!
Yes, our first trip to Europe was 55 years ago when we spent 2 1/2 months driving and camping around for our honeymoon. Hey, I taught school and my husband was in grad school so we traveled and avoided having to pay rent.
Actually several of your locations sound familiar.