A 12-day journey through Switzerland, Austria, and Bavaria, starting at the Gorges du Fier and ending at the Gorges de l’Ardèche. Highlights included Neuschwanstein Castle, Lindau, Berchtesgaden National Park, Oberammergau, and Augusta Raurica. Return stops featured swimming in the Rhine in Basel and scenic viewpoints along the Ardèche.
The trip began with a visit to the Gorges du Fier, exploring its narrow walkways and rock formations. Later, a detour due to a highway accident offered scenic views of Mont Blanc from local roads.
We explored Lucerne, visiting the Löwendenkmal, Hofkirche, Chapel Bridge, Jesuit Church, and Spreuer Bridge. We also walked the city walls, toured the Old Town, and ended at the Bachmann chocolate shop.
On the third day, we visited Stein am Rhein, explored its medieval Old Town, and continued to the Rhine Falls. Later, we headed to Zurich, where we walked through the Old Town, and along Lake Zurich.
On the fourth day, we traveled to Liechtenstein, visiting Vaduz with its castle views and main landmarks. We also explored nearby villages, including Balzers and Steg, before continuing our journey toward Austria.
We began the day exploring Innsbruck´s historic center, visiting landmarks like the Golden Roof, Hofburg Palace, and St. Jacob’s Cathedral. In the afternoon, we traveled to the Krimml Waterfalls, hiking up to the second tier.
We started in Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden, photographing its iconic church and river view. Then, we took a boat across Königssee to Salet, hiked to Obersee for a swim, visited St. Bartholomä, and returned to Erpfendorf after dinner.
We explored the Zauberwald, walking through its forested paths and rock formations, then continued to Hintersee to walk around the lake and surrounding landscapes like Wimbachklamm Gorge, before returning to Erpfendorf closing the day.
We traveled from Erpfendorf to the Höllentalklamm in Grainau, completing the gorge hike along bridges and tunnels, following the Höllental river, before continuing to Oberammergau, where we ended the day after dinner.
We visited Linderhof Palace and its grotto, continued to Ettal Abbey to explore its church and local products, and finished the day in Oberammergau, discovering its historic center and traditional painted houses.
We explored the exterior viewpoints of Neuschwanstein Castle, including Marienbrücke, then continued to Füssen to walk through its historic center, visit key monuments, taste a Schneeball pastry, and end the day at Lechfall waterfall.
We visited Lindau following a walking route through the old town and finishing at the harbor, then continued to Basel to explore Augusta Raurica, swim in the Rhine during a heatwave, and see the Messe Basel area.
We drove through the Gorges de l’Ardèche during extreme heat, stopping at eleven viewpoints from Belvédère du Ranc Pointu to Pont d’Arc, where we ended the day with a swim beneath the natural stone arch.