When my Czechman moved to Berlin over three years ago, he brought his cross country skis with, ever hopeful that there would be enough snow one day for him to ski to work. So far it hasn’t happened! Rumour has it when it snows enough you can cross country ski in Tempelhof, the old airport that is now an open park in Berlin, but that hasn’t happened yet either. But for cross country ski lovers, never fear, the beautiful Harz mountains lie only three to four hours away from Berlin. Continue reading
outdoors
Autumn Highlights 2015
So it’s almost December, the trees are bare, the afternoons are dark, the first snowflakes have fallen, the Christmas markets have started – autumn is pretty much over. I thought I would reminisce over some of the highlights of autumn, before its memory has faded. Here’s a look back. Continue reading
Outdoor adventures
So you love the great outdoors? Here are some of the blog posts I’ve written about nature, hiking, biking, swimming, skiing and other sports.
Hiking
The Disa hunters: exploring the top of Table Mountain
The Bavarian and Austrian Alps
Multi-day trail in Namib-Naukluft national park
The Thomas Tucker Shipwreck Trail, Cape Point
Battle of the Seelow Heights and a walk near the Oder river
Hiking in České Švýcarsko/Czech Switzerland
Snow hiking in the Harz mountains
Two late-winter hikes in Brandenburg
Cycling
An introduction to city biking
Brandenburg bike rides: Fürstenberg/Havel to Templin
Brandenburg bike rides: Potsdam to Brandenburg an der Havel
Biking in the Moravian winelands of Czechia
Cycling from Berlin to Poland in 1 Day
The Spree cycle trail (Spreeradweg)
The last stage of the Spree cycle trail (Spreeradweg)
The Elbe cycle trail (Elberadweg) – Magdeburg to Havelberg
Cycling from Havelberg to Waren (Müritz)
Watersports
Watersports and beaches at Müggelsee
Kayaking at Müggelsee/ Neu Venedig
Canoeing in the Rheinsberg lake area /Müritz National Park
Camping and canoeing on the River Havel: Fürstenberg to Burgwall
Canoeing on the Spree river: Hangelsberg to Erkner
Canoeing on the Havel river: Pritzerbe to Hohennauener See via Rathenow
Skiing
Cross country skiing in the Harz mountains
More cross country skiing adventures in the Harz mountains
Cross-country skiing in the Czech Republic: Hejnice/Smědava
Snow sports in the Czech Republic: Bedřîchov
Cross country skiing in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains)
Nature
Autumn biking in Naturpark Barnim
We enjoyed a long, warm and golden autumn this year, but finally the rain came, followed by strong winds, and now the trees are bare again. It made me sad to see them at first, knowing that it would be many months before we would see them coming alive again. Once the leaves had fallen, the temperatures dropped rapidly, and we have even had some light snow already. Before we get too far into deep, dark winter, I wanted to share some photos of our glorious autumn season. To start with, here are some photos from a bike ride we did in Naturpark Barnim, a big nature area in Brandenburg near Berlin. We started at Karow and followed lovely cycle paths all the way to Eberswalde. Brandenburg is really the perfect place for cycling. Continue reading
About us
We are a South African and a Czech living in Berlin, Germany, and we love visiting new places, whether close to home or far away. We love the outdoors, and whenever we get the chance we head to the mountains, fields, forests, lakes, rivers, seas and oceans. I started this blog as a memoir of our experiences living in Germany, our outdoor adventures and our travels to the countries around us, and further afield. Some of them may be about places you have visited, and some of them may give you ideas for your own travels. On our outdoor page, you can search for posts specifically about sports such as cross-country skiing and hiking.
Why did we name this blog Middle Europe? In English, the term Middle Europe is rarely used – Central Europe is the usual term. However when visiting a friend in Finland I was curious to hear that up north that’s what they call us down here. And coming from the southern hemisphere, travelling through the countryside and forests of central Europe reminds me very much of scenes from Middle Earth in “Lord of the rings”. Whatever you choose to call it, this region basically refers to the countries in the middle or central region of Europe which share some common landscapes and history (although of course each country also has its own histories and culture). This includes countries such as Czech republic, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Hungary and Liechtenstein.
Of course, I will also share some stories from South Africa (my home) and about our travels to other regions beyond Middle Europe.
Enjoy!