One camper van, two journalists and a road trip through Germany.
Hi, I'm Oli and I'm Emily.
Together, we want to show you how to travel through Germany during the coronavirus pandemic.
And have a fun summer holiday despite all the restrictions.
Join us on a road trip from the Baltic Sea in the North all the way to the Alps in the South.
Can you go safely to the beach?
Are there any parties in Berlin?
Can you still have a relaxed beer in Bavaria?
Find out and follow us!
We picked up our camper van in Leipzig and drove to our first destination: the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea!
The next morning we went straight to the beach.
Then we hopped on a boat to see the famous chalk cliffs.
But we also wanted to find out: how is the pandemic affecting tourism here?
Despite the restrictions - Rügen was great and in the evening we decided to
discover more isolated parts of the island by our camper van.
The next day it was raining quite heavily.
But that didn’t stop us from walking along the so-called Baumwipfelpfad.
It’s a network of paths in Prora which enables visitors to walk at eye level with ancient trees.
Eventually, it leads to a huge wooden tower!
The view from the top was phenomenal.
Our journey then brought us to Berlin: A drive of about 3 hours.
Germany’s capital is a vibrant city that offers endless possibilities for having fun.
Due to the pandemic the clubs are mostly closed though. So what do Berliners do for fun this summer?
We went to the Mauerpark and Tempelhofer Feld to find out.
Being outside has also other advantages than just protecting yourself against the virus.
You can also discover a lot.
It was time for our next stop: Saxon Switzerland near Dresden.
An extremely rocky landscape perfect for hiking and climbing.
And that’s exactly what we did.
On our first day we went for a long hike: it took more than 8 hours!
We got a bit lost but the nature is stunning everywhere!
Hiking is a good way to holiday with social distancing and we enjoyed it very much.
After four hours of hiking we finally made it to a nice restaurant and had some lovely food and coffee,
but we also wanted to find out how things are here for locals regarding the coronavirus.
Unfortunately they didn't want to appear on camera
but they did tell us that they now have more customers than they had last year.
And that means during the week they make as much money as what they make on weekends.
And that's quite significant for a small restaurant here in Saxon Switzerland.
The next day we conquered the rocks – despite our fear of heights!
What an adventure.
We booked a beginner workshop that took around 5 hours.
Our trainer Bernd encouraged us a lot – and the fact that even elderly people can safely climb impressed us a lot.
Our next stop on our road trip was Bamberg. The historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Here you’ll find around 2,400 listed buildings!
The Old Town Hall is especially beautiful.
It stands right in the river Regnitz and is considered a landmark of the city.
We also visited Bamberg Cathedral which was founded over 1,000 years ago!
The good thing about Bamberg is: All sights are within walking distance and very worth seeing.
But now let’s go to our next destination: Munich – Bavaria’s capital
We went to Marienplatz square to listen to the famous bell play in the tower of the New Town Hall.
It was packed with people and of course, we wanted to find out what situation is like here in coronavirus times.
Then went to the English Garden. It was full of people like always.
But what changed in Munich's beer gardens?
The Eisbach wave is a popular surfspot - right in the middle of the city.
Surfers line up here |to try out the wave and there are lot of spectators.
But it wasn’t like this some months ago.
The Eisbach wave is only for advanced surfers. But there is also an easier one not far away.
Now it’s our turn to hit the water!
We went windsurfing at Lake Starnberg, a place not far away from Munich.
We booked a beginner workshop.
First we learnt how to handle the board and the sail on shore - how to turn and stand safely.
Then we jumped into our wetsuits and the fun could begin!
We pulled our boards into the water and had a first go.
It was more difficult than we thought but a great experience!
At Lake Starnberg you have crystal clear water and a fantastic panorama!
And also here – no problem with social distancing!
Our trip is nearly over and after 12 days we reached the Allgäu region.
We made it to the Alps!
The region here is unbelievably beautiful and
and you have to stand in line for half an hour to get that view of Neuschwanstein Castle.
Here we finally met some foreign tourists. Before we only ever saw holidaymakers from Germany.
It's been pretty fine . It's a great experience!
We have been in Munich for a few days and then we traveled all the way here just to see the castle.
Probably the spot with fewer tourists would be nicer but of course you've got this beautiful castle here.
I understand that everyone wants to see it and so do we!
The Allgäu region was the end of our road trip and we headed back to Berlin.