This is one unforgettable side trip you must take. Known as the Golden Round Trip, this includes the boat trip from Lucerne to Alpnachstad and a ride up the world’s steepest cogwheel railway to the Pilatus Kulm peak.

The ride to the top of Mt. Pilatus is one of the most spectacular you will ever experience. It is hard to imagine that the engineers and workers who built the track were able to construct such a massive feat (more…)

Here is more of the trip I took on some lovely canals in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France aboard the Panache, one of the boats in the European Waterways fleet. This video features some of the areas we visiting including Saverne, Lupstein, Detwiller and Strasbourg.

There’s a reason why people who have taken canal cruises are often repeat customers. Pastoral landscapes serenely pass by at 4 mph, allowing you to take in all that your senses intended. Add to this gourmet food, personalized service and daily excursions and you have the perfect relaxing vacation.

My wife and I booked a trip with European Waterways through Alsace-Lorraine, a region of France created by the German Empire in 1871 and encompassing parts of the Rhine, Moselle Valley and Vosges Mountains. (more…)

The first thing I noticed stepping out of the train station in the city of Münster was the huge number of students and bicycles. Crossing the street, it seemed like a river of both flowing around me. I guess that’s why it is called Germany’s Bicycle Capital.

The earliest roots of the city started with the emperor Charlemagne who sent out missionaries to Münsterland in 793. This sowed the seeds for the first cathedral in 850 followed by the construction of some parish churches and a protective city wall. Today, the wall has been replaced by a scenic tree-lined promenade greenbelt which runs alongside the River Aa and is a very popular place for strolling or, of course, cycling. (more…)

Just a short 20-minute train ride from Münster, the town of Osnabrück is the only major German city located within a nature park. The Natural Reserve of the Northern Teutoburg Forest, Wiehengebirge Hill or TERRA.vita for short is the largest one of its kind in the country, covering 1,200 square miles. (more…)

Founded in 15 B.C. by the Romans, Augsburg was the seat of provincial government of the Roman Empire.

Augsburg became a Free Imperial City during the 13th century. Since then, many notable figures of history have either lived or visited here including Leopold Mozart, father of the famed composer. The Mozart Museum has a nice self-guided tour along with some rare artifacts from the family collection.

The Romans founded Zurich almost 2000 years ago, and ruins can still be seen around the city. Today, with 380,000 inhabitants, it is truly a bustling metropolis. It also has a rich religious history as the first Swiss city to take part in the Reformation in the 16th century.
One of the things I love about Zurich is that there are so many things to see and do. In the Old Town area, winding cobblestone streets give way to open squares ringed by shops, cafes and public fountains (There are 1,200 here). In the spring, colorful flowers adorn residential window boxes and I found photo opportunities literally around every corner.

At the other end of the country is Geneva, the world’s smallest metropolis. Home to 200,000 inhabitants, it is best known as the birthplace of the International Red Cross as well as the home to 32 international organizations, including the United Nations. The Red Cross museum is particularly impressive with moving displays of humanity in the face of decades of world war. (more…)

Geneva is the world’s smallest metropolis. Home to 200,000 inhabitants, it is best known as the birthplace of the International Red Cross as well as the home to 32 international organizations, including the United Nations. The Red Cross museum is particularly impressive with moving displays of humanity in the face of decades of world war. (more…)

Built around a hairpin turn in the river Aaar, this medieval city has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. Bern is cosmopolitan and one which boasts the longest covered arcades in Europe. Thousands of shops line these arcades including cellars (originally wine cellars) that now house businesses offering everything from flowers to clothing to a puppet theater. (more…)

This string of about 40 islands and cays is located around 575 miles southeast of Miami and is officially classified as a British Overseas Territory. For travelers, the island of Providenciales or Provo, as it is known to locals, is the one that is most frequented by visitors, and their slogan Beautiful by Nature is well deserved.