Fun in the Alps

In August, Joe and I rented a car and drove to Bavaria to go hiking in the alps for the weekend. It is something we've been talking about doing since we moved here and left all of Colorado's beautiful mountains behind, but just hadn't managed it yet. We played hooky with a Friday afternoon and drove the backroads through the Swabian Alb to Bavaria, along the way encountering the Zwiefalten Abbey. The church is a beautifully preserved example of German Baroque, and a good example of why we like living here: the luxury of exploring the region and finding places off of the main tourist itinerary.

We stayed two nights at the University's mountain cabin near the border with Austria. We've reported about our stays here in the past, but always in the winter. For some reason I wasn't expecting much because I love it there in winter so much, but the mountains are breathtaking in summer (literally!).

We spent an entire day hiking, probably 15-20 km, and summitted three different peaks. It's a very different experience of hiking somewhere like Colorado, with far fewer people especially as you go further away from the front range. In the Alps we can also stop for lunch at a mountain hut, only really an option at designated ski areas in the western US. But one thing is the same: cows. Fortunately we knew to expect them for a few km because they really do wear cowbells! In fact, every "herd" has a bell with a slightly different sound.

We summitted a few more (lower) peaks the next morning before hopping in the car. On the way home we got stuck in traffic on the Autobahn so again diverted to the backroads. It was a good chance to see another local attraction that has been on our list: the Blautopf ("blue pot") in Blaubeuren. It is a karst-fed spring with a beautiful blue color.