Our Eastern European October… part seven

Tuesday, October 6th, was another incredibly beautiful day. I was thinking maybe it would be fun to go to Poprad, the local town, south of where we were. I wanted see if they had a nice old town we could visit, and perhaps look for something to bring home with us. We had heard there was a nice church there, and our host’s son had mentioned something about an old castle… I was in the shower when he visited, though, so I base that comment only on what Bill said.

I looked on the Internet, and I thought it looked like there was a proper centrum in Poprad, a city at the base of the Tatra Mountains. There’s an art gallery, and I knew there were some restaurants.

So we ate breakfast, and headed out, stopping to greet one of the several cats that live at the panoraMic Mountain Residence. But, when we got to Poprad, we had trouble finding exactly what we were hoping to find. The main thing we hoped for was parking, and that proved to be elusive. We followed the signs for the centrum, but never saw a place that invited us to stop. Instead, I got the feeling that Poprad hadn’t yet evolved from its communist history.

Before anyone comes at me… let me state that I’m sure that if you know where to look, the city of Poprad does have its charms. It has an airport, after all, and a connection to London’s Luton Airport, as well as a few other seemingly obscure and inconvenient destinations. But we were not successful in finding anything that made us want to explore. So we decided to head back to the mountains and search for something to do there. I got a few photos on the way.

*This was at the airport… which actually kind of resembled a hospital.*

We decided to stop at the apartment so Bill could pee, and on the way there, I got a couple of pictures of a deer near where we were staying. Maybe she was related to the gorgeous buck we saw the first night. Yeah… I was “horny”, too…

We decided to explore in the opposite direction of where we had gone on Monday. We got on the road, and soon found ourselves driving through some splendid scenery. At one point, we saw several men standing on the side of the road holding out baskets, as if they were offering treats.

Bill said, “It looks like they have goodies to share. What is that? Bread?”

Looking at the man who offered a basket on Bill’s side, I could see why he thought it was bread. It kind of looked like the guy was holding bread, based on the color. On my side, a different man held out his basket, and I got a better look at the wares, which were clearly visible– much to my horror. They were selling wild mushrooms! If you know me, you know that I would never consider that a treat! In fact, that’s my idea of a nightmare! But mushroom hunting is very popular in the region, so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised.

In spite of the mushroom nightmare, it was a good decision to explore in the opposite direction, as we soon found several things to do. There were a couple of caves to visit, some traditional looking restaurants, and also the place where we ultimately decided to stop, Bachledka Ski & Sun.

We had no plans to stop at Bachledka before we stumbled across it. It simply looked like an appealing place to go. And it turned out to be a good decision to stop there, because besides a hotel and apartment rentals, this place offers a “tree top walk”, mountain carts, restaurants, shopping, and The Forest Kingdom, an adventure park for the whole family.

Bill and I are very familiar with treetop walks. We’ve done the one in the Schwarzwald. We’ve also done one in Bad Camberg, which is close to where we live now. The two treetop walks we had done before our visit to Slovakia were made by different companies, though. The one we encountered in Slovakia was made by the same people who made the treetop walk in the Black Forest (Schwarzwald). I noticed that the treetop walks in the Schwarzwald and the Tatras differed from the one in Bad Camberg, because they don’t have any steps, and they seem to be more focused toward education.

The treetop walk at Bachledka is very similar to the one in the Black Forest, in terms of its height and length. It started operations in 2017, and offers stunning views of the national park where it’s situated. Like the treetop walk in the Schwarzwald, the walk at Bachledka also has a slide to the bottom, although it wasn’t operating on the day we visited.

As we pulled into a parking space, we noticed a group of people parked near us. They started speaking and I realized I understood what they were saying, even though they weren’t speaking English. Sure enough, they were Germans, and they noticed our license plate. The father in the group said hello, noting that we were “neighbors”. For the second time on our trip, we’d run into people who live in Mainz… which is VERY close to Wiesbaden! 😁 And once again, we were mistaken for being Germans.

To get to the treetop walk, one can either take a mountain cart, or ride a cable car. We opted for the cable car, but having seen the mountain cart, I’m a little more curious about that option. I could see people on the little carts going up the mountain side from the cable car, where Bill and I were sitting.

Here are some photos from just before we started the treetop walk, which was a pleasant, and not too strenuous, activity for me and my fat ass.

*The colorful bottles in the background are different flavors of a special tea liqueur called Tatratea. They are made in the Tatras.*

I didn’t take any photos on the way up to the walk, because the cable car we were in was completely enclosed, and the view wasn’t very good. But once we got to the top, I had plenty of options for taking pictures, of which I took full advantage! Even the trail to the observation tower is a treat for the eyes, especially on a clear sunny day, like the one we enjoyed on the day of our visit!

As you can see, there is a real emphasis on education. There are a number of stops that are meant to engage youngsters and teach them about the environment, as well as help them burn off some steam. The tower itself is great if you have a stroller, or even a wheelchair. It’s just a 1250 meter ramp that doesn’t require taking any steps.

*My guess is that the toboggan slide was closed because there was no one available to work…*

I got some pictures at the top of the tower, too… The net was stretched across the top, and I assume it was allowed to be on it. I did see one girl on the net, and there were signs advising not to jump on it. Of course, I wasn’t about to try it myself.

We walked down the tower and, after a quick stop in the gift shop, decided to have lunch in the restaurant. That was also a bit of an experience, as it was set up like a cafeteria. The guy who tried to help us was a teenager who spoke almost no English, and Bill was pointing at it and saying yes and no as the guy tried to figure out what we wanted. Fortunately, one of his co-workers was able to explain things. They didn’t didn’t have their whole menu available, but I was satisfied with my grilled salmon. Bill had lasagna. We bought some mustard and mead in the shop.

Soon it was time to come down off the mountain, since the cable cars were soon going to close. I did try to take a couple of pictures going down. I also noticed the tinkling of the cowbells on the cows grazing in the bucolic pastures below. But, as you can see, the views were a little marred by the enclosed car.

*A couple of deciduous trees among the conifers.*

Since it was late afternoon by the time we finished our excursion, we decided to head back to the apartment. I was suddenly sorry we didn’t have another day or two to spend in the High Tatras, as there were other things I wanted to do. For instance, there are a couple of cool art galleries/museums in that area. And if you follow my travel blog, you know I love visiting caves and waterfalls. Ah well… now that I know what this area has to offer, perhaps we can visit again sometime.

For now, there are a few more photos to share… Slovakia is SO beautiful! Especially at this time of year!

For dinner, Bill decided to go out and get us a Hawaiian pizza. I don’t mind ham and pineapple on pizza, although it’s not my favorite. But here in Europe, I often get Hawaiian pizza, because it’s pretty much guaranteed to be mushroom free. I have a phobia of mushrooms and will not eat them under any circumstances. Consequently, I eat Hawaiian pizza… which is probably a nightmare for a lot of other people!

The next day, we went to Poland, and I’ll report more on that in the next post!

German lifestyle, Hessen, YouTube

A kid friendly wine stand!

It was EXTREMELY hot last night. Nevertheless, Bill and I decided to attend last night’s wine stand in our Dorfplatz, which was hosted by the Förderverein der Kindergessettä of Wiesbaden-Breckenheim. Google Translate tells me this is an association dedicated to the promotion of children’s law. My German friend says it’s actually a Kita (daycare center).

In the spirit of being friendly to children and their welfare, this club provided the usual wine, along with a bouncy house and someone making kid tattoos! The ice cream guy was also there to sell his wares!

*The ad on one of the local Facebook pages for this event.*

Last night also happened to be the first day of Wiesbaden’s annual Rheingauer Weinwoche. I’m sure that event was packed, since it’s huge, and there are thousands of wines to be tasted, along with lots of food and entertainment. I’m sure Bill and I will pay a visit. It’ll probably happen tomorrow, since Bill has some chores he wants to do today. It’s also going to be hot again today. Maybe it’ll be less sticky tomorrow. I’m not holding my breath.

Bill and I were a little late last night, so our usual spots at the far back corner were already taken when we arrived. We ended up sitting at a front table close to the kiosk. It was a very HOT place to sit, as the sun beat down on the Dorfplatz. But it did give me a front row seat to the lively action at the bouncy house.

Wow!

Bill and I had wineschorles (wine spritzers) and steak sandwiches, as we chatted with a few people we know. Our new local friend, who grew up in West Berlin, came back and shared more about his experiences moving from there to Frankfurt in 1976! That was surely an experience… along with moving to a new city and having locals treat him like an Ausländer (foreigner).

We saw our American friends who have bought a house very close to where they currently rent. They won’t even need a moving truck to move into their new home, when the time comes in November.

I got some photos, too…

*Our village library. I probably should put a few English books in there.*

Although it was pretty hot, there was a nice sized crowd. In fact, I was glad it wasn’t super crowded. Then, as the neighborhood eccentric passed our table, the sun suddenly dropped low, and it got darker and cooler. That probably was the time we should have arrived… But Bill likes to do things early.

After a couple of hours, we decided to go home and enjoy some more conversation in our dining room. So ends another work week in Germany, and another fun wine stand in our village. I really enjoyed this one… the bouncy house was a great feature, not only for the kids, but for big kids like me. These days, I just watch the fun, though… I don’t miss the smell of plastic, mildew, sweat, feet, and the odd urinary accident. 😉

Edited to add: I took a couple of photos of the local ambulance service on Thursday. I’m not sure what was going on. They didn’t have a patient (which is why I took the pics). I did hear a lot of sirens on Thursday afternoon, hours after these pics were taken. It looked like maybe they were involved with the weekly market that started up on Thursday.

German lifestyle, holidays

Wow! Halloween was quite the success this year!

Halloween in Germany seems to be hit or miss. There have been years when we’ve had candy and no one comes to the door, leaving us with leftovers for months. A couple of years ago, we had a moderate turnout for Germany… maybe a dozen kids. This year, I was thinking it was going to be a bust. I turned on the porch light at 5:00 PM and by 7:00 PM, no one had rung the bell.

But then at 7:00, several waves of kids showed up. The last wave was about six or eight kids, and they were like feral animals! When they came to the door, the bowl was about half full. When they left, it was completely empty! They were grabbing candy as if the bowl was a pinata! At 7:30 PM, I was done!

I guess it helps that this year, Halloween is on a Friday. It looks like the neighborhood was participating, because I saw kids with a fair haul of candy. I guess they’ve never really learned Halloween etiquette, though, because it wasn’t a custom their parents participated in, back in the day. So they don’t seem to realize that they should let the person with the bowl hand out candy, rather than grabbing it! I suppose it’s my fault, though. I was shocked into speechlessness, plus I don’t speak German that well.

Anyway… so ends another Halloween. I turned off the porch light and blew out the candles in the jack o’ lantern. If we’re still here next year, we’ll have to get more candy. 🤣 I think Halloween has officially caught on in our neighborhood!

Good news… Mr. Bill is going to come home tomorrow morning, instead of on Tuesday. So that means tonight is the last night I’ll be spending alone. I made a music video earlier tonight, when I was looking forward to Tuesday, but it’s even more appropriate now. I’m “wild again”…

I know the syncing is messed up toward the middle, but there’s nothing I can do about it…

Hessen

Breckenheimer “Kerb” or “Kerwe” October 12, 2025…

Yesterday, Bill came back from walking the dogs and said our village was having some kind of event in the Dorfplatz. He looked it up on the town’s Facebook page, and discovered that for the first time since 2009, they were having a “Kerb” or “Kerwe” (depending on your preference). This is a regional term for a street or village fair.

They had a carousel for kids, a game booth, snacks, beer, wine, cakes, and live German music. They also had tractors pulling trailers that played music. I don’t know much about who organized the Kerb, or what it was about, but it looked like several youth clubs put it on. It was very well attended, so I have a feeling that it will be something they do more often.

One thing I really like about living in Breckenheim is that there are a lot of social events. They are family friendly, and promote community. And, as a foreigner, I never feel unwelcome, even if we are “Ausländer“.

Below is a video I made of clips I took. I wasn’t very steady with the camera, because I didn’t want people to think I was focusing on them. I also took some photos…

Eight minutes of German style community fun!

I don’t know how much longer we’ll get to enjoy this community, but I really have enjoyed my stay here so far. I love this about living in Germany. I wish we could do stuff like this in the United States and not worry about idiots with guns or people getting violent over politics. We could learn a lot from the Germans.

Sundays

A lovely Sunday afternoon enjoying Wein am Stadtpark in Mainz!

As I was writing yesterday’s post, Bill came into my office and asked if I wanted to go out and do something. We quickly decided to visit the Wein am Stadtpark festival in Mainz. We have been to that fest before, but I think it was a few years ago. I know we went in 2019, but then the pandemic came, and we usually travel for Labor Day weekend, which is when the event usually happens. Last year, for instance, we were in Iceland.

Wein am Stadtpark usually occurs during the last weekend of August and the first weekend of September. They don’t run it during the week. I’m not sure if they take all of the food trucks and such out during the week. Seems like that would be impractical, since there are people from all sorts of wineries there.

Anyway, we had nice weather yesterday. It was partly cloudy and not super hot, so we decided to go. We parked at the shitty garage near the Römische Theater, then walked through a tunnel, which had train tracks running over it, and up a hill, which put us on the road to the city park. That’s my one complaint about this fest/market. It’s not very close to a parking garage, and to get to it, you have to walk uphill. Because we didn’t eat before we went, I was unusually winded when we climbed the steps up to the street. But I recovered soon enough, and we walked on a lovely forested path to the celebration.

I got lots of photos…

We kind of took it easy at the fest. Bill had a wine schorle (white wine with sparkling water) and grape juice. I had two glasses of white wine. We also had salmon wraps for lunch. They were really good! I don’t know why the salmon truck never comes to the Wiesbaden fests! Of course, they also had a truck devoted to mushrooms (eew).

The festival was very well attended with people of all ages. They had kid friendly activities and plenty of food, wine stands, and even a Biergarten. Bill and I were noticing how beautiful the park is and saying we need to go there sometime when there isn’t a fest. I’d like to go just to try the Biergarten, which is connected to a hotel there. The park also offers views of the Rhein/Rhine River, and it’s not far from St. Stephan’s church, which is where Marc Chagall’s beautiful blue windows are.

After we visited the park, we went home and enjoyed our backyard for a couple of hours. Bill is getting ready to fly to Lausanne for the night. He’ll be back tomorrow, and then we can plan our visit to Budapest.

I do appreciate the festivals here in Germany. They’re always celebrating something. And if I had to compare the Wein am Stadtpark to the Rheingauer Weinwoche, I think I’d prefer the Wein am Stadtpark market. I just wish the parking was a bit closer. The parking garage is usually pretty full; it’s not a nice garage; and getting to the park requires a steep walk uphill, which makes it harder for fatass housewives and people with mobility issues. 😉

Hessen, Sundays

We finally tried Hans im Glück in Wiesbaden…

Ever since we arrived in Wiesbaden, back in late November 2018, I have been curious about a burger joint downtown. The place is called Hans im Glück, and it’s a chain restaurant. I’ve been wanting to go there for a long time, but every time I summoned the nerve to walk into the place, it’s been unappealingly busy. I was also a bit afraid that I wouldn’t like the food. I often find German style burgers lacking. People here seem to like the molded style of patty, which is perfectly round and tightly packed together, making it less juicy.

Nevertheless, it had been awhile since my last excursion, and I wanted to try a place we have never visited. I suggested to Bill that we go out for lunch, and after some thought, decided I’d finally try the burger joint that had made me curious for so long. Bill made an online reservation for 1:00 PM, and we showed up there right on the dot. We were crammed into the waiting area right next to the dining room. A party of four was just ahead of us.

As usual, the restaurant was busy, and most of the tables were occupied. We ended up at a small, somewhat cramped table right next to a window and the kitchen. Originally, I was going to sit with my back to the window, as the seats were basically backless hard benches that, in some cases, were shared with nearby parties. I shared a wide bench with another person. Our backs were toward each other. If I had been sitting where Bill sat, I would have had a bench to myself. But I decided I would rather sit with access to the aisle. I could hear music piped into the restaurant, but there was a lot of noise from talking, babies crying, and children shrieking.

A young woman asked us if we knew what we wanted to drink. Hans im Glück has a full bar and offers all sorts of drinks– everything from soft drinks to cocktails. I ended up ordering a hefeweizen beer, while Bill had a lemon thyme drink, which is house made.

Bill and I both decided to have beef burgers, which is the restaurant’s speciality. They also offer chicken burgers, salads, loaded fries, bowls, and desserts. Vegan and vegetarian sandwiches are available as well. In January, the restaurant is offering deals on vegan dishes as well as non-alcoholic drinks.

I ended up getting a bacon cheeseburger, while Bill had the Elsaesser burger, which was a burger with camembert cheese and cranberry sauce. We both got a side of fries. The waiter suggested we get the “menu” deal, which would be cheaper and give us a coffee drink at the end. We agreed to that. Then we waited. The restaurant was pretty busy. We weren’t in a hurry, so it was no big deal. As I watched other people’s burgers coming out of the kitchen, I realized that this is a place that offers those “molded burgers”. I figured I probably wouldn’t be very impressed…

Meanwhile, I took a few new selfies… I wanted a new photo that didn’t look so much like my dark haired older sister, but with blonde hair and fuller cheeks. I swear, the older I get, the more I resemble my sister, Becky, if she weren’t a really petite person.

After awhile, our burgers came out. I had ordered mine with a brioche bun. Bill got a sourdough bun. His was messy, while mine wasn’t. Both had the restaurant’s own burger sauce on it, which I couldn’t really taste. I was dismayed to see the cheese wasn’t melted on my sandwich, but the burger was hot enough that it melted enough by the time I ate it.

What can I say? The burgers were okay. They weren’t mind-blowing, but they weren’t terrible, either. I thought the service was a bit slow, even after the place cleared out, as we were finishing up. We had to wait a bit for our espressos and the check. This is even taking into account that service generally is slower in Europe than it is in the US. However, the wait staff spoke English (though they didn’t have to) and they were pleasant. The prices weren’t too exorbitant, and I liked the non-alcoholic drinks they offered.

Would I go back there? Probably not. I don’t know that I would make a special trip to go there, anyway. But I wouldn’t refuse to go back, either. It was okay. I did find the seating kind of uncomfortable, and both Bill and I bumped our heads on the low hanging light fixture over the table. The bathroom could have used some attention, too, mainly because there was no toilet paper in the stall I used. Fortunately, I had tissues in my purse.

The total bill was 41 euros, which isn’t too bad. I would probably opt for Five Guys over Hans im Glück, though. I felt like Hans im Glück could use a good cleaning. It looked a little grungy to me. Still, I can see why it’s a popular place. It’s very kid friendly, while offering libations for adults.

Anyway… now my curiosity is satisfied. It was nice to get out of the house for awhile. Next weekend, we’ll be in Switzerland, dreading Trump’s inauguration. Stay tuned for that, because we have lunch plans at one of the top fifty restaurants in the world.

Rheinland-Pfalz, Sundays

A lovely Christmas lunch at Hofgut Laubenheimer Höhe…

A couple of days ago, I asked Bill if he’d like to go out for lunch sometime over the weekend. He said he would, and immediately started looking for a place for us to go. He was hoping to find a new venue, rather than going to our tried and true favorites in Wiesbaden. After some searching, Bill found a spot at the Hofgut Laubenheimer Höhe, a popular wedding venue and restaurant near Mainz.

This week, in addition to their popular brunch buffet, the restaurant was also offering a goose meal that was served family style. Bill worried that I wouldn’t be interested, but I was game to try it. So he booked us a 1:00 reservation, and off we went.

The Hofgut Laubenheimer offers beautiful views off the hilltop. A lot of people were at the restaurant today, enjoying good food and service, as well as ice skating on the temporary rink behind the restaurant. Parking was in short supply. Bill ended up letting me out by the door and parking the car in a nearby muddy field. We had some rain and sleet today, before the sun came out briefly.

The pace of our lunch was leisurely, and we enjoyed a nice local Riesling to go with the goose with all the trimmings– potato dumplings, red cabbage, and roasted chestnuts, along with fresh bread, ham, and Schmalz. Below are some photos…

*Roasted goose with red cabbage, potato dumplings, chestnuts, and gravy.*

I noticed that the restaurant doesn’t get the best reviews or ratings on Google, but we had a good experience there. Not only was the service kind and professional, and the food tasty and plentiful, but the clientele was also very pleasant. And the prices were pretty reasonable, too, especially for the wine, which was about 35 euros. My only observation is that the ladies room could have used some attention. But I also recognize that it was very busy there, today, and it’s likely that the restaurant is short staffed, as a lot of German restaurants seem to be these days.

On our way out, a lady asked me in German where the elevator was. I didn’t know, and much my shame, said so in English. Then, Bill tried to climb a bank to get to the car and ended up slipping and falling. I waited for him to come around, because I was wearing a new sweater that I didn’t want to get muddy if I fell down.

I’m glad we went out today, even though I was a bit tempted to cancel and stay home. We did have some hail briefly this afternoon, as well as some rain. But once we got out of the house, I was happy to be out, and I really did like the restaurant, with its charming and cozy ambiance. The buffet looked really good. I was eyeing the salmon they had. I’m sure Bill would have loved to have tried the cheese.

We were even reminded of an experience we had when we used to live near Stuttgart. It was a German buffet— very crowded and obnoxious. But it was fun for us, because we ended up sharing a table with three young guys who were taking full advantage of the buffet style of dining! What they had at the Laubenheimer was definitely better looking and more upscale than the first German buffet we went to, several years ago.

We came home with leftovers, and probably won’t need to eat again for the rest of the night!

When we got home, we found the customary Christmas goodies from our landlord and his wife– three bottles of wine, chocolate, and a very nice card with a Christmas ornament. It’s so nice to have thoughtful landlords! Bill gave him some bubbles and chocolate with a big bottle of Tylenol. Our landlord says he can’t easily get that on the German market, and he likes it best for pain relief. No wonder he likes American tenants. We tend to pay more, stay shorter, and we can hook him up with over-the-counter drugs!

That about wraps up our last weekend before Christmas… I’m ready to get the show on the road and unwrap some presents!

Charlie and Noyzi

Bumper cars, Brats, Beer, and Bill… Dorfplatzfest 2024!

Bill came home from the United States on Wednesday. He has to leave again for Stuttgart tomorrow. However, he was around this weekend, and we were able to attend Breckenheim’s annual Dorfplatzfest, which is a fun event that celebrates our little suburb of Wiesbaden. Since we didn’t have anything else to do, we went to the Fest on Friday and Saturday nights.

The first night, there was live music provided by a local band featuring none other than our neighbor, Dr. Blendinger, the veterinarian who, along with his veterinarian wife, owns the veterinary clinic where we take our dogs. Dr. Blendinger is also a singer-songwriter and guitar player. He wrote a song about Breckenheim, which he sings every year. There’s a snippet of it in the video below.

I’m kind of glad we don’t live closer to the Dorfplatz. It’s probably annoying when there’s a Fest and you don’t feel like a party…

There were brats being fried on the grill, as well as a wine stand, and a stand for beer drinkers and teetotalers. Yesterday, there were even a couple of bumper cars for the kids! I was surprised to see that!

We enjoyed yesterday more than Friday night, because we ran into an American couple who were housesitting for another American couple we know who are on vacation. It was fun chatting with Americans, especially since this is their first time in Europe. We brought Noyzi and Charlie with us yesterday, mainly because they blocked the door and wouldn’t let us go without them. Noyzi gets nervous at events, but he also loves going to them, and meeting new people. Charlie had no problem at all fitting in and was charming everybody he met!

Below are some photos from the event. We were blessed with decent weather, although we did have a few rain clouds last night. Next weekend, Wiesbaden Wine Week starts. That will be a lot of fun!

I also swabbed Charlie’s mouth for an Embark DNA test. It’ll be interesting to see if he’s got anything in him besides Eastern European Village Dog, like Noyzi.

I will try to hang in there this week, while Bill is gone again. When he comes back, we can plan in earnest for our long anticipated trip to Iceland at the end of the month! I like August better already.

Sundays

Our first visit to the Bad Camberg Treetop Walk!

“Tree walks” have become extremely popular in Germany, and in Europe as a whole. When Bill and I first moved back to Germany in August 2014, we heard about the very cool Black Forest Treetop Walk (Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald). It was completed in September 2014, and Bill and I visited there in May 2015. We were amazed by the innovative, well-built, family friendly structure that offered easy views of the Northern and Central Black Forest as visitors also got their daily exercise. We meant to visit again, but never got around to it, since there are so many awesome things to do in the Schwarzwald.

Fast forward to today. I am a member of a few Facebook groups that feature photos and ideas for things to do in different parts of Germany. Yesterday, someone shared a post about the Bad Camberg Tree Walk, which opened in May 2023, and is only about a 35 minute drive from Wiesbaden. Since Bill and I are hoping to get moving again, for the sake of our health, we decided to go there today. We had a great time!

The Bad Camberg Baumwipfelweg is much like the Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald in terms of its concept. However, it does not appear that these attractions are run by the same companies. The Bad Camberg tree walk is administered by an outfit called Forest Adventures, while the Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald is operated by Adventure Academy AG.

I noticed differences between the two walks. The one in Bad Camberg is extremely solid and sturdy and family friendly, just as the Schwarzwald tree walk is. But the walk in Bad Camberg doesn’t have a slide, nor does it have as many kid friendly activities. It also has a lot more steps to climb than the Schwarzwald tree walk has. However, I bet that once this attraction has been around a bit longer, they’ll build some activities for children. Bill and I think the next upgrade will be a playground, probably with tables and chairs and a kiosk, so the parents can have a drink while their kids play.

Unlike the tree walk in the Black Forest, the Bad Camberg location allows dogs. Parking is free of charge (at this writing), and there is a restaurant connected to the walk itself, rather than run outside of the tree walk. I thought the Bad Camberg tree walk offered better views and a slightly more “adult” experience, although the tree walk in the Schwarzwald is stroller friendly and doesn’t require steps. The Schwarzwald tree walk is a gradual ramp to the top, while the Bad Camberg tree walk requires climbing many stairs.

You have to walk about five hundred meters on a gravel road to get to the Bad Camberg tree walk. There are hills on the walk, but it’s got a lovely canopy of trees shading the way.

Tickets for adults are 9,90 euros. Family tickets are available, and children between the ages of 6 and 17 get in for 5,90 euros. It was clear to us that this attraction is very new, but there were many people visiting. I didn’t hear any other Americans besides us, though. You enter and exit the tree walk at the same place, which is also different from the one in the Schwarzwald, where you don’t backtrack at all.

The restaurant has just opened, and we had lunch there. Although the service was a bit slow, mainly due to everything being cooked to order, the food was quite good and reasonably priced. They offer burgers (including vegan), Flammkeuchen, salads, and a variety of snacks and beverages. Restrooms are clean, although on my first visit, the ladies room needed to be restocked. The job was done by my second visit. Please note, the restaurant only accepts cash payments! If you just want ice cream and/or a beverage, you can get that at the entrance where you buy your tickets.

Below are some photos from today’s adventure. I think we’ll be back. I’d love to visit when the leaves are changing. We did get a little rain when we were at the top of the tree walk.

And below are a few shots I got as we were leaving Bad Camberg, which is a cute town that begs to be explored more…

Overall, we really enjoyed ourselves, and I hope we can visit again. If not, I hope this post will inspire a few readers to make the trip. Just be sure your knees can take it before you go! There are a lot of steps to climb. Also, be aware that if you get vertigo at heights, you might not want to try this activity. I’m not afraid of heights, but I did notice that I got a little dizzy at the top!

Hessen

A very popular wine stand… attended by Noyzi!

Last night, the weather was nice, so Bill and I decided to attend the wine stand hosted by the Feuerwehr Wiesbaden Breckenheim. They also hosted the wine stand at the weekly market this week, but I didn’t venture down the hill for that.

I probably shouldn’t go to the wine stands, given the state of my liver these days… On the other hand, I was on the proverbial wagon while Bill was away on yet another business trip. I will be on it again later this month, when he goes to Texas for work and then visits his daughter in Utah. So yes, we tried some wines last night, and Noyzi had a good time getting used to be out among the neighbors. He was pretty nervous for the first hour or so, but then calmed down and even relaxed on the pavement a few times.

One thing I noticed last night was that there were so many children at the wine stand. Normally, the community events in Breckenheim are very family friendly and popular, but last night, it seemed especially so. There were so many kids there, and they were so incredibly innocent and beautiful. As I watched a group of them playing with toy dinosaurs, I noticed how they managed to be so effortlessly gorgeous. Then I realized, there was probably a time when Bill and I were like that… In fact, it seems like it wasn’t so long ago that I was young. And now, I am well into middle age, starting to experience the “joys” of chronic health issues. Time flies!

At one point, this very ethereal looking little boy, maybe about two years old, came over and obviously wanted to pet Noyzi. He warmed my heart with his platinum blond hair and blue eyes, and his obvious affection for dogs. I noticed his mom was similarly dog friendly. She’s to be commended for teaching her children to respect dogs as well as they did. The little boy has an older sister who, I swear, looked like a literal angel in her white cotton dress. Like her little brother, she had big blue eyes and blonde hair. I imagine that she will be quite stunning when she’s older. The kids were all very well-behaved, too.

I hope these effusive comments about beautiful children don’t seem weird or creepy to anyone. I was really just observing that moment in time, remembering how it doesn’t seem that long ago that I was still a child, untouched by the relentless march of time and the sins against my health. But, unlike most of the children I saw last night, I was a bit of a terror. 😉 See the below early 80s era photo of me with my cousins at our Granny’s house in Virginia…

*I’m the one in the red nightgown. I look kind of devilish with my bowl haircut and baby toothed snarl.*

Below are some photos from last night. You can see that it got crowded. I love watching Breckenheimers at wine stands, interacting with their friends and relatives. So many of the people in this village act like they’re long lost relatives. Some of them probably are… as this town seems to have a lot of families within it. It reminds me of my own family in the States, back before politics ruined everything.

*I took this a couple of days ago. One of my neighbors has interesting taste in decor.*

I’m not sure what we’ll do today. There was some talk about visiting Darmstadt. Maybe we’ll do that. Maybe not. It’s nice to have Bill home again. I’m glad July is almost half over. It’s usually a terrible month for me.

One more development pertaining to travel… Bill made a deposit on our Iceland trip yesterday!

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: kid friendly