Italy is know for a lot of things – pizza, pasta, the Colosseum, gelato, and Ferrari. But did you know Italy is also one of the countries that has the most caves on Earth? More than 35,000 in fact! And the Friuli Venezia Giulia, the little region in the north of Italy that we call […]
Hiking the Dolomites Alta Via 1
Have you ever wanted to hike a long distance trail? Then you need to give the Dolomites Alta Via 1 (High Route 1) in Italy a look. It starts near the Austrian border and heads south through the beautiful and rugged Dolomite Mountains for 80-90 miles. The best part about backpacking this distance trail is […]
Glacier Hiking on Sólheimajökull
Standing with our backs to the gusting wind, every so often we take a peek back at the massive blue glacier we’re about to climb. Sólheimajökull glacier tongue, the southwestern outlet of the Myrdalsjokull icecap, is about 8 kilometers long and 1 – 2 kilometers wide. And just 20 years ago, the glacier had covered […]
Hiking Capri
As often happens on our travels, we randomly come across something, look at each other and say “Why not?” Unbeknownst to most tourists (and to us) to the isle of Capri are the network of hiking trails on the island. Completely unprepared for hiking Capri, we sort of stumbled upon one of the footpaths and […]
Barfussweg: the Barefoot Trail
Remember I mentioned how incredibly green the grass is around Appenzell from my Hiking High Above Appenzell post? It’s not just a vibrant shade of green, it’s remarkably soft and springy too. So much so that there is a 5 kilometer hiking path actually meant to be enjoyed barefoot! That’s right – barefoot hiking! This […]
Hiking to Aescher Mountain Hut
Perched on the ledge of a 100 meter high narrow cliff and built right in to the rock of the mountain, Äescher mountain hut was just one of those places we wanted to see. Only open in the summer season from May – October, it can be reached relatively easily on the 6-minute journey on […]
Iceland’s Highest Waterfall: Glymur Waterfall
Cascading 196 meters down the deep gorge of the Botnsdalur valley is Iceland’s highest waterfall, Glymur. The river Botnsá leaves the lake Hvalvatn and after a short distance the water falls down alongside the volcano Hvalfell into a canyon with green moss. Unlike many other waterfalls in Iceland, it is not possible to drive to […]
Lessinia Regional Nature Park
It’s not easy to believe that long ago, instead of the lush green Lessinia Regional Park we see today, the area was covered with a warm sea rich in tropical flora and fauna.Today, the 100 kilometer square protected area is an eco and adventure travelers’ dream with tons of adventure activities available all year […]
Portorož and Strunjan, Slovenia
It is the saltpans and their natural elements—salt, brine, and fango mud—that spurred the development of tourism in Portorož, a coastal village in Slovenia. When healing properties of these natural elements were discovered as early as the 19th century, Portorož got its first hotels and thermal centers. Today, Portorož is a modern tourist resort with […]
Slovenia’s Cave Castle
Predjamski Grad, or the Predjama Castle, is perched in a cavern 123 meters up a steep overhanging cliff. Aside from the stunning cave-castle, archaeologists have discovered a prehistoric settlement in the caves of the area which dates back 150,000 years before Christ. The castle dates back to 1202 and has a drawbridge over a raging […]
