Czech: A Day Trip to the Beskyd Mountains
On the east side of Czech Republic, about an hour away from Brno, there is a small mountain range called "Beskydy." We had the chance to do a quick day trip to these mountains on a beautiful winter's day. We took the lift up to the top of of the mountain and then strolled through the snow-covered woods to the statue of Radegast - the god of sun, prosperity, and harvest. It was an extremely chilly day and the ground was slippery which made the hike all the more adventurous. Th
Celebrating the Cows Coming Home
A beautiful tradition takes place every fall in many Alpine villages across Europe. Around the end of August and beginning of September, the cattle that feed high up on the Alpine pastures during the summer start coming back down to the valleys for the winter. Right before they depart their pastures high up in the Alps, the cows are adorned with elaborate wreaths and headdress full of colorful flowers and ribbons. As they make their way through the village in a parade, the cl
GALLERY: The Bavarian Countryside
A beautiful Sunday morning hike near lake Tegernsee on my day off.
The early morning bike ride to the train station was a treat in itself as the sun rose behind the misty Bavarian forest. The cows outside were enjoying their breakfast while I munched on a freshly-baked marzipan pastry as I enjoyed the scenery on the train ride to Tegernsee. From there, it was the most peaceful hour and a half hike uphill to Riederstein. There were barely any souls around on the way up in th
Matterhorn's Majesty: Exploring the Zermatt area
One of the world's most beautiful mountains with its unique near-symmetrical pyramidal shape rises above the village of Zermatt in the southern part of Switzerland. Matterhorn itself actually straddles both the countries of Switzerland and Italy from the other side (known as Cervino on the Italian side). The only place from which the mountain can be seen in its full beauty is the car-free village of Zermatt. The drive from the nearest large city, Visp, winds up curving roads
Slovakia: Hiking up to the Skok Waterfall
When people talk about visiting Europe, Slovakia probably isn't one of the first countries on their list. But for those that love nature, mountains, and a simple kind of life, this country is a must-do. The High Tatras span a large portion of the north side of Slovakia and their beauty remains pure as most foreigners still flock to the Alps. Most Czechs and Slovakians, however, are aware of the Tatra's beauty and they flock to these mountains to enjoy skiing in the winter and
A First-timer's Paragliding Experience: Why Run When You Can Fly?
"What if I fall? Oh but my darling what if you fly?" It was one of those things that's been on my bucket list for years, yet whenever we were in a location that would be ideal for it, I always found some excuse for not going through with it. However after finally mustering up the courage and deciding that it's worth the cost, I can only say that my first time flying high above the Alps was so amazing that I am hooked and look forward to experiencing more tandem flights in the
From Sunrise to Summit: Hiking Up Kitzbüheler Horn
During our Workaway in Austria, we were lucky enough to be stay in the village of Sankt Johann in a house right on the ski slope of the Kitzbüheler Horn, a mountain that rises up to 1,996 meters (6,548 ft) above sea level. Although we walked up the steep hill to the house many times and I made myself intimately familiar with the bottom part of the mountain through my frequent short morning runs or afternoon hikes, nothing was as fulfilling as hiking up from the bottom of this
GALLERY: Austrian Alps' Awesomeness
Rugged and wild mountain peaks, fields of vibrant Alpine flowers, streams of fresh water from the glaciers, sounds of cowbells, steep climbs up winding paths, and eerie yet divine silence near the summits. The Austrian Alps present awe and magnificence at every turn.
Here is a collection of some of my favorite shots from my countless hikes through the area near Sankt Johann. A gorgeous hike near Wilder Kaiser (from Sankt Johann): Hikes from Sankt Johann up to the cable car s
Norwegian Fjords: Nature at Its Purest
Mountains of lush green and snow-white dramatically arising out of deep blue waters - pictures and descriptions such as this have added the Norwegian fjords to my bucket list over the years. When we decided to take the Transatlantic cruise to Europe and had the opportunity to add on a week cruising through Norway, I knew it was the perfect chance to be able to mark that one bucket list item as complete. Fjords: Valleys Carved by Glaciers Fjords are formed by the movement of i
