A few thoughts to conclude…

It was exciting and adventurous, just as we had hoped. And so much more. It was intense. Not just because we had a pretty tight plan with plenty of places we wanted to see and experience. But because the impressions and experiences in incredibly beautiful nature, the encounters with open-minded and friendly people in places where we would never have expected it, were so much more than we could have imagined.

We’ve been back home for a few weeks now. This follow-up report should have reached you sooner, but as it happens, everyday working life has caught up with us far too quickly and is taking up our time. Nevertheless, in conversations with family, friends and acquaintances, we keep realizing how many more situations and circumstances we still have to tell, apart from what we have already reported in the articles. We were amazed and confused, delighted, sometimes annoyed or simply fascinated. We will certainly remember this trip for a very long time and revel in the many memories. The horrors of the Strategica have faded, the “mountain of death” is just a hill – instead, everything beautiful becomes much bigger again when we look through the pictures (and we do that quite often). We are proud and quite satisfied to have made this trip.

We were accompanied by 123 hours of NDR2 playlist, countless fields of corn and sunflowers, sunshine and a bright blue sky. We started the day in search of coffee (preferably cappuccino), talking, chatting and keeping quiet. Sometimes too tired for words, but mostly far too moved by what we saw.

“You’ll just be sitting in the car” – yes, that was the case, but on the one hand we often stopped and walked around, and on the other hand traveling in the Vitara (despite the fact that it’s not that big) is surprisingly comfortable and pleasant. The little one bravely got us through and across everywhere.

What we have learned: you get used to everything – even a completely unmotivated navigation voice. Always stick to the first plan, however impassable it may seem. If you want to go down, you usually have to go up again. It’s always steeper and steeper *eyes closed*. Our world is beautiful.

Conclusion: these are memories for life. But – we’ll do it again! In fact (Regine’s favorite word) the planning for the next (small) road trip is already underway – stay tuned – the adventures continue!

Good evening from home!

The night at the B&B Hotel Baden-Baden Airport was surprisingly quiet, even though our room was directly opposite the airfield. Perhaps it was because we had simply slept soundly after the last few intense days. It was a pleasant surprise to spend the night so undisturbed in this location.

As we were so close to the French border, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to start the day with breakfast in France. A short detour across the border and we were already standing in a small café that exuded typical French charm. Freshly baked croissants, café au lait and a selection of delicious éclairs – it was the perfect start to the last day of our trip.

But now it was finally time to head home. The mood was a little wistful, but also filled with joy at the many experiences of the last few weeks. During the drive home, we reviewed the last two weeks. We had seen so many different countries and landscapes, experienced numerous little adventures and met so many different people. And the best thing was that we never felt rushed or lost – the planning was just perfect. I really have to praise Marco for that: He prepared this trip so well that we didn’t have to worry about anything and could fully concentrate on the experiences.

Now we are back home, with many wonderful memories and a feeling of satisfaction that will stay with us for a long time. It was a fantastic trip that not only showed us many wonderful places, but also many interesting people and personalities from different countries.

We would like to thank you for reading, the comments and the great feedback we have received and say: Until the next blog post, when it’s time for another adventure!

Good evening from Baden-Baden.

We ended yesterday’s pass odyssey with a good Wiener schnitzel and spent a really good night in our “emergency accommodation”. This small inn is strategically located. Right at the nasty red traffic light. They probably often have guests at such short notice… But the surrounding mountains are also impressive, so we were already in pole position in the morning. After a good breakfast, we set off to finally ride the Timmelsjoch. And what can I say? It really was a great experience. The pass winds its way up the mountain in at least 15 hairpin bends and down again with around 11 hairpin bends on the Austrian side.
We’ve been thinking the whole time about whether we can put the routes we’ve ridden into some kind of ranking. But that doesn’t really make sense. These roads are not comparable with each other and even if we are constantly throwing superlatives around, each one is extremely impressive in its own way.

All in all, it was really good that we were able to ride the Timmelsjoch so early this morning. It was still relatively quiet and not so crowded. We were able to take in the stunning nature and mountain massifs in peace and quiet. This pass is popular with everyone. Lots of cyclists tirelessly work their way up the meters, always in line with a number of motorcycles. But many hikers and mountaineers also find their destination or starting point here.

The Timmelsjoch lies at 2474 meters above sea level. For a one-way trip, you pay a toll of 19 euros for a car.

The rest of the journey took us through Obergurgl and Sölden towards Garmisch, past the Zugspitze. Unfortunately, there was always slow-moving traffic and many a traffic jam. This continued after the border with Germany. Nevertheless, we loved the highway towards our destination for today: the Schwarzwaldhochstraße – or Black Forest Panorama Road.

At the beginning, the expectation dragged on a little, a long construction site clouded the view, at a slightly larger parking lot at 1000 meters above sea level, the Black Forest Nature Park invites you to hike and on a small viewing platform you have a first all-round view of the beautiful panorama.
The highest point is at 1035 meters at Mummelsee and here you have a magnificent panoramic view in almost all directions.

Conclusion: Overall, the day was characterized by breathtaking landscapes and impressive pass roads, which allowed us to experience the diversity and beauty of the Alps and the Black Forest up close. Despite a few challenges along the way, every effort was worthwhile. Today will remain in our memories as an unforgettable experience and is the crowning glory of our Balkan trip 2024.

Good evening from the wrong side of the barrier…

It started so well, just around the corner from our accommodation we found a typical Italian café. We treated ourselves to a cappuccino, café latte and brioche.
We found our way out of Venice easily through the many traffic circles that are common in the south. Our first destination for the day: the Menador road (Strada del Menador Punto Panoramico). It is a ten-kilometre-long Alpine road in the Italian province of Trento and leads from the Valsugana to the Lavarone – Luserna plateau.

On the way there, the picture changed constantly. At first it was still Tuscan-style two-storey houses in shades of yellow and beige, the streets narrow but not cramped. The closer we got to the Alps, the more the small and medium-sized villages became reminiscent of the style familiar from Tyrol.

The mountain massifs were clearly visible on the horizon, despite the light haze and spring clouds hanging on the peaks. There were a few motorcycles on the road, a few more cars and a surprising number of cyclists. Both racing cyclists and mountain bikers took on the route. Wow. Our respect for this ambition!

The Kaiserjägerstraße winds very steeply and with really sharp bends through the Alps, and at the top you have a magnificent view of the valley behind, which was much larger than we had expected. In one corner, a few bikers stood together in prayer. As we continued downhill, the road was just as sharp and narrow. Mirrors in the respective bends help to see oncoming traffic in good time and to use one of the narrow passing bays, which fortunately are available from time to time. Nevertheless, we had to back up quite a bit in one of the small and even narrower tunnels

So far so good – our next destination for the day was the Jaufen Pass. But apparently you can only get there on side roads if you drive through what felt like 143 other passes. These include the Manghen Pass – a real highlight and particularly popular and well-known among cyclists. With many hairpin bends, curves, hairpin bends and 15% gradients close together, the ride was a great experience. Here, too, the road is just wide enough for a car. At the highest point, just over 2000 meters, a great view, which Marco captured from the air.

The following Passo di Lavazè, however, was relatively short and unspectacular – we quickly whizzed through it After a short coffee break in the village, we passed through several small tunnels and one very, very long one. Then we suddenly found ourselves in a very large wine-growing area. The vines perfectly adapted to the slopes and once again the scenery with the mountain massif in the background was beautiful. By now all the signs are in German and Italian. We are approaching the border, but it is still about 60 km to the Jaufen Pass.

We slowly started to think about the accommodation we had booked. She wanted to know the exact time of arrival. Difficult to say on roads where 50 was allowed, but our Vitara could only get up in first or second gear. Brave as he is. We corrected the arrival time again to be on the safe side.

The next pass in this endless series: Passo Pennes. The pass climbs upwards in long curves to the summit. Here, the Alps present themselves from their most beautiful side with magnificent views of the mountain massif.

Finally! The Jaufenpass ahead! Approached from “our” side, it wasn’t particularly prettier than other passes at first. After the highest point, however, it is really great and also more challenging to ride. Nevertheless, the Manghen Pass remains our favorite so far. Only the border at the Timmelsjoch remains. A sign at the bottom: “open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.” – WHAT?! A quick look at the clock. 20:05! That can’t be right! Marco and the Vitara did everything they could to get us up as quickly as possible, but unfortunately it really was too late. There’s no room for maneuver here, red light – barrier closed! Because shortly afterwards the toll station to Austria simply closed.

So plan B: we stay up here and drive over the border and the Timmelsjoch Pass tomorrow morning. All other plans are postponed by about 3 weeks

Conclusion: We are pass champions, the Vitara is great and Marco is a declared cornering hero. We say good night from the Hochfirst at over 1800 meters above sea level!