The sun woke us up quietly in our accommodation in Rudolstadt today and we started the second day of our short Whitsun trip in good spirits. After a short detour to the cheapest petrol station and breakfast at the golden M, we set off for our destination for the day: the Hohenwarte reservoir.

The evening before, we had looked at what we could do there and had a few destinations in mind. The hope: a nice spot for Vitaralino, preferably somewhere on the water, maybe even a small boat – and then just drift a bit. The Hohenwarte reservoir is part of the Saale cascade and, together with the surrounding area, is often referred to as part of the “Thuringian Sea” for good reason. Water, forest, hills, bays – that sounded pretty much like what we had in mind for day two.

Even on the way there, there was plenty of nature and countryside to the left and right. Sometimes slightly hilly, sometimes more undulating, with great views and glorious weather. We arrived at the dam relatively quickly. And it is quite impressive: around 75 meters high, over 400 meters long and therefore quite a piece of concrete in the landscape. But our plan to “arrive, see the water and sit comfortably on the bank” didn’t work out quite as romantically as we had imagined.

There was a jetty for boats, the first one was just leaving – and that was basically it. There was supposed to be a boat rental a little further on, but the jetty was empty. The parking lot at the dam wall seemed to be used primarily by hikers. No wonder, as this is where the Hohenwarte Reservoir Trail, a 75-kilometre hiking trail around the reservoir, begins. Cycling is obviously also very good here. Only our idea of “we park right by the water and dangle our feet in the lake” needed a little update.

Well then, just carry on along the reservoir. We’d find somewhere where we could get to the water. Or so we thought. In fact, the road somehow led further and further away from the lake. You see water, you suspect water, you want water – and yet you still drive through woods and hills. Then finally a sign: water ski center. That way!

Shortly afterwards, there was even a bit of an off-road feeling. Vitaralino probably woke up inside for a moment and thought: “Ah, you finally understand me.” However, disillusionment soon followed: we weren’t allowed to go any further without a permit. Which, of course, we didn’t have. So we returned to the regular route. Nevertheless, we drove up to a spot again to get our bearings and Marco took off the copter. Maybe you can see more from above – and at least from the air, the reservoir really did look the way we had imagined it: green, spacious and with these many small bays that are difficult to reach from the car.

Then the next plan was set: the mill ferry near Altenroth. So we continued to wind our way through the beautiful countryside, up hill, down hill, bend after bend. A dream for every biker – and even the man at the wheel was clearly shining by now. When we arrived at the water, we were practically right next to the small ferry. Just a few cars and a handful of pedestrians or cyclists could fit on it per trip. Less than five minutes later, we were on the other side and driving on towards Saalthal-Alter.

There finally had to be some action for us here. And yes: in Saalthal-Alter, things looked more like what we had imagined. A busy beach, a beautifully situated campsite and finally a boat for us. Not a motorboat, not a luxury liner, but a pedal boat. For an hour – or, as the saying goes: “When you’re back, you’re back.” Very nice. You like sentences like that.

At the beginning, we struggled a little with the steering. It wasn’t exactly elegant, more a mixture of “we’ve got everything under control” and “why is this thing going there now?”. But eventually it got going and then it was really nice. We drifted or pedaled calmly here and there, cruised along the nearby bays and simply enjoyed this moment on the water. Although the beach was busy, the lake itself felt pleasantly relaxed. A few small boats, a couple of stand-up paddlers, an excursion boat – that was basically it.

After just under an hour and a half, we were back at the jetty. On the one hand, we didn’t want to take too much advantage of the rental company’s friendliness, and on the other, we were of course without sun cream. Classic Pawtrail move: water, sun, boat – but sun cream? Oh well, there’s always something.

In Saalthal-Alter, we then enjoyed Spanish-style tarte flambée with Iberian sausage, burgers and beer. After so much nature, water and pedal boat workouts, it was a pretty good idea. But at some point, unfortunately, it was time to head home. Four hours there means about four hours back.

From Diemelstadt, we continued overland. The highway was fine, but we wanted to see a bit more of the area instead of just reeling off the kilometers. And so the return journey was also a small part of the day before our spontaneous two-day short trip finally came to an end.

All in all, we had previously imagined the Hohenwarte reservoir to be somewhat different – perhaps more directly accessible, perhaps a little more like Saalthal-Alter. It may well be that we simply didn’t find the right spots or that many beautiful places are more accessible on foot, by bike or from the water. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful and varied day: with sun, hills, ferry, pedal boat, good food and that little feeling that sometimes you don’t have to go far to get away from it all.

Conclusion: The Hohenwarte reservoir didn’t make it quite as easy for us as we had hoped – but perhaps that was precisely part of the day. A bit of searching, a bit of rescheduling, a small ferry, a pedal boat and in the end our feet were at least almost in the water. It was just right for a spontaneous short trip: not perfectly planned, but full of little moments that will stay with you.

We can at short notice! On Wednesday we were still told that we had to work over the Whitsun weekend. Then Thursday came the surprising twist: “No, just Saturday – let’s go away.” No sooner said than done. We quickly drew up a plan, booked accommodation and set off for Saalfeld in Thuringia at 9:30 on Sunday morning. Our destination: the Saalfeld Fairy Caves, a former mine that can now be visited as a show mine.

The route consisted mainly of highway, only towards the end did it become a little more varied with main roads. That doesn’t sound exciting at first, but with a wonderfully green landscape, glowing rapeseed fields and lots of sunshine, even that was pretty easy to endure. Sometimes it doesn’t take much more than a spontaneous destination, nice weather and that feeling of being on the road.

After a good four hours, we arrived on time for the start of the tour. Everyone was given a protective cape, and a pointed cap was optional. It’s around 8 to 10 degrees underground all year round. Sounds fresh at first – but we were still standing above ground in the heat with our jackets and cloaks and briefly had the feeling of being slowly boiled to death before we even entered the mine. Then we finally headed into the mountain.

Our guide was a character in his own right: middle-aged, with a cool haircut and just the right mix of specialist knowledge, dry humor and a love of storytelling. He told us about the old mining days, about the miners who once searched for gold, silver and other coveted metals here – and finally found black alum slate. What was once hard work under difficult conditions has been transformed by nature over many years into a colorful world of stalactites.

And this is precisely what makes the Fairy Grottoes so special: It is not a classic stalactite cave that was discovered at some point, but an old mine that has gradually been transformed into this almost fairytale-like underground world. The colorful deposits are not just a pretty backdrop – they are also the reason why the Saalfeld Fairy Caves are considered the most colorful show caves in the world. Work, sweat and dark tunnels eventually turned into glitter, color and amazement.

Time and again, our guide let his poetic streak flow. Sometimes very technical, sometimes almost a little theatrical, but never boring. We moved through narrow corridors, past colorful deposits, stalactites, small caves and stories from a time when mining was still hard work.

After just over an hour, we reached the end of the tour: the fairytale dome. There we were able to experience two atmospheric light shows accompanied by music. It was quite impressive – not kitschy, but really atmospheric. When light, music and this underground setting come together, you quickly understand why this place bears its name.

At the exit, everyone was given a small piece of fool’s gold – pyrite – as a souvenir. Not a real treasure trove, but at least we came out of the mountain with gold. Almost. After that, it was time to get out of our jackets and capes and acclimatize again.

Finally, we went to the Grottoneum. It is rather small, but still offers a lot of interesting specialist knowledge, clearly presented and with some hands-on stations about mining, stalactites and minerals. Especially after the guided tour, this is a nice addition because you can better understand a lot of what you have seen underground.

There is much more to discover, do and try out around the Fairy Caves Adventure World. We then continued on towards Rudolstadt, where our accommodation was waiting for us. A spontaneous plan, arrived on time, dived underground and emerged with a bit of fool’s gold.

Conclusion: The Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes were a really nice start to our spontaneous Whitsun weekend: interesting, entertaining, a bit fairytale-like and just the right mix of history, nature and adventure. You don’t always have to spend weeks planning – sometimes all you need is a free Sunday, a good idea and the willingness to just set off.