You can’t just stroll around Moelln without stopping every few steps to gasp at the dreamy landscape. The tiny lakes streaming through the town, dotted with swans and lined with charming houses cast a spell on its onlookers. It is best to visit Moelln in spring or summer, for you can choose a bench in one of the many beautiful parks and enjoy a scenic view of the dense forest from across a lake while licking a cone of ice-cream.
I’m a sucker for scenic castles and the legends that entail them, and Germany is full of them, 20,000 castles to be precise, and I’m still counting the legends. My excitement knew no bounds when I discovered there was a stunning castle just 100 km from Hamburg. Thus, one fine spring morning, we set off on a day trip to Schwerin, a picturesque town and home to the renowned Schwerin castle.
The iconic Heidelberg castle overlooks the Neckar valley as the river Necker glistens through it. A stroll through the long, narrow lanes of the old city, laced with Baroque architecture, unveils the romantic landscape of Heidelberg: the famous old bridge (Alte Brücke), an arch bridge surrounded by the forest-clad hills. At sunset, drenched in the warm glow, the town puts up a show that inspired many a poet and artist alike.
While exploring the artsy neighbourhoods of Berlin, admiring the graffiti-ridden walls, one of my friends, a Berliner, once told me that Berlin is the sexy lady of Germany while Hamburg is the pretty lady. I could not agree more. If I have to describe Hamburg, a city I now call home, in a few words, […]
Germany abounds in well-kept parks and ponds. To my surprise, I started spotting wildlife like deer and wild boar casually go about their business even in ordinary parks where people go walking or beer drinking.
I feel at home the minute I set foot in some countries and feel like a total stranger even to myself in some others. With Scotland, it was love at first sight.
The spires of beautiful monuments and hilltop castles dominate the skyline in cities. Cattle grazing on rolling hills with a scenic backdrop characterize the Highlands. And the fishing villages are full of spirit and seagulls. Scotland, brimming with lochs (lakes) overflowing with legends of monsters and heroes, is now my favourite country.
Dutch villages are known for iconic windmills, beautiful tulip gardens, impressive old town with stunning architecture in the form of churches, archways, museums, and bridges.
Peppered with wealthy people, expensive real estate, and expat community, Sintra is synonymous to splendour. It is home to three palaces and a castle and one of the most expensive municipalities in the Iberian Peninsula. The affluent district is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, and need I say a popular tourist destination.
Only 31 km west of bustling Lisbon, with 30 km of coastline, this seaside village feels like a completely different world. The green of the Sintra mountains framing the azure blue Atlantic Ocean makes for a stunning landscape.
Cascais is like a one-stop shop for vacationers. Beaches, museums, history, culture, sports, stories about spies, food, shopping, you name it, the historic village has it.
Malaga is the sixth largest city in Spain. Palm trees -allegedly nonnative- lined alleys, parrots screeching their lungs off, narrow side lanes packed with cozy restaurants and shops selling knickknacks and over a dozen beaches within the city limit, make it a perfect destination for any kind of traveler.