During our stay at Camping Vrachos in Kastraki at Meteora monasteries we also had the idea of a first exploration to the Pindos mountain range in Ioannina, especially to "explore" the  famous Vikos Gorge.

During our stay in Lohmen we had already undertaken a few hikes in the area, now we wanted to go to the megalithic tomb and the mound of Groß Upahl, also in the hope of finding more well-kept or more easily recognizable megalithic tombs here.

We had heard several times about the GR 2013 long-distance hiking trail, a 365 km long hiking trail that took us through the landscape of Provence to the metropolitan region of the southern French port city of Marseille.

In the mid-1990s, bulldozers were levelling the area for the construction of the Lohmen rehabilitation clinic when a Bronze Age settlement was discovered.

Once we were gripped by the fever of collecting stamps to receive the Harz hiking badge, this was simultaneously linked to research and subsequently visiting other highlights in the Harz.

A few years ago, we had already searched for a path through the Wadden Sea to visit the Minsener Oog bird sanctuary. At the time we were with some friends from the south of Germany who wanted to get to know the mudflats for the first time and thus the healthy effect of the mud and the fresh sea breeze (click here for the article from that time).

Today we took the bus to the Vieux Port in Marseille for the first time, which turned out to be the best option as the terminus of bus line 82 is just a few meters from our accommodation.

Why look into the distance, …. although you can also take an interesting hike through a gorge relatively close by.

It will soon be that time again, because then lovers of nature and especially friends of the lady's slipper will be drawn to the Tyrolean Lech Valley, because the Lech flows through the valley in the most beautiful turquoise nuances.

During our stay at Camping Legjenda in Shkoder “long” years ago, we took tours into the Cem Valley, which runs almost parallel to the border mountains between Albania and Montenegro.

We were guests in Velbert where the Sunday sunshine invited us to go outside for a “long” walk. It was also extensive because there was no immediate gradient that had to be mastered on the way there and back.

We had packed our backpacks with some provisions and something to drink quite early in the morning, because today we were going to the small mountain village of Garnbach near Wiehe, a distance of around 14 kilometres plus the return journey.

Finally – so many enthusiastic winter sports enthusiasts – it’s that time again. With the heavy snowfall of the last few days and the drop in snowfall depths to below 500 meters, the slopes and meadows in southern Germany are covered with snow again.

Coming into an area, that "virgin" is a relative good expression for, means a region that still seems to be relatively undeveloped, you are very grateful if you meet someone who has devoted precisely on this problem.

We had already made an appointment several times to meet with Ömer for a canoe tour on the Oymapinar reservoir, at the so-called "Green Canyon", but something always came up.

Once again, we were out with Ömer for our own physical exercise after a long winter in the Taurus, this time taking us to the mountain village of Sarihacilar. During a previous hike we came across the mountain village, which at that time only had a few inhabitants and most of the houses had collapsed and were abandoned.

Once again, the time had come - Ömer had invited people to hike a section of the Seljuk caravan route across the Taurus Mountains. Despite his many years of experience, which he had gained during the various routes through the Taurus between Manavgat and Akseki, the planned section was a first ascent for him too.

After our exploration tour through the Breitachklamm and further back through the truly natural Breitachtal, we go back until we come across a narrowing of the valley again in Riezlern.

As part of our project "Cultural journey along the Roman road system", the topic of mountain hiking is for us, in addition to attractive sports, outdoor and leisure activities for everyone, which can be carried out without large investments in equipment or local facilities, also an important topic that is meaning of the project could be successfully implemented elsewhere.

Unexpectedly, encounters that initially appear to be quite normal acquaintanceships, or how to describe them, often lead to deeper insights into comparable interests, perhaps even to a long-term relationship.