There’s a lot of world to discover—but a few old favorites keep drawing me back
The flags says Switzerland. There are other tells.
My travels pull me in two directions: like many travelers, I love discovering someplace new, and so every trip has at least one ‘discovery’ stop on it. On my current trip, that should have been Normandy, France—but a 24-hour bug put a stop to that, thanks very much. Instead, this has been a trip of visiting places that feel like old friends.
First stop: Switzerland. There’s a little village up in the Alps that’s my go-to, and though it’s in peril of becoming over-touristed, there’s still so much to see and do, including some of the world’s best alpine scenery. Just thinking about the view from our hotel there lowers my blood pressure. I’ve been here a dozen times—and enjoyed the heck out of doing the same things all over again.
Your intrepid travel agent visits mountain sights.
Second stop: Vienna. Still my favorite city in Europe, and I seem to end up here on almost every trip—three times last year, and I’m booked there twice already in 2025. That’s because it, like other great cities, offers so much beyond the tourist sights most cover in a couple of days to get down to the essence of a place. Palaces, museums, nature, shopping, culture, FOOD—it’s all here.
Kandinsky, via the Albertina.
Final stop: Dresden. Bombed all to $%#@ in the war, Dresden is Germany’s second most architecturally striking city (after Lübeck, a place few Americans visit). Its history stretches back long before WW2, and its grand buildings represent that. Its castles and churches and spires and museums are all perched over the Elbe River. It’s also close to lots of other places that should be on your list, including Leipzig, the Saxon Switzerland National Park, Görlitz—and the Polish and Czech borders.
View from my room ay the Hilton.
Saxony’s famed Bastei Bridge.
This trip, I used some of my time exploring the towns nearby, as well as Germany’s only national park, Saxon Switzerland. In particular, the Bastei Bridge is just spectacular—is like a slice of the Grand Canyon dropped into a forest. But mornings and evenings were spent in the relative ease of walkable old town Dresden.
This year, I’ve found myself more willing to pass on adventure/discovery and stick to the familiar. Maybe it’s an age thing, or maybe it’s a reflection of the state of the world circa 2024. That looming (as I wrote this—it’ll be past when you read this) election . . . yeesh.
When things seem to be going haywire, we search for comfort and ease—in food, people, surroundings—but even in travel. I didn’t conquer much new territory this trip—but seeing those greatest hits one more time made this a truly enjoyable trip. [Below, scenes from the Frauenkirche in Dresden.]
