Mishula Shrestha travels to Europe for the first time and visits two beautiful cities

Some experience in our life can completely change the view towards life. My Europe travel journey started in October 2014 when I landed in Germany. I stayed in Dresden city. Germany, the country that occupies at the heart of Europe, is one of the most diverse and charming travel destinations. It offers iconic architecture, flourishing arts, historic core, nightlife panorama, beautiful Alps, river and vast forest. The capital city Berlin is the symbol of dynamism with ground breaking creativity and glorious history. Many beautiful cities like Munich, Hamburg and Cologne are the highlighting destinations of the country. Among them, Dresden, capital of Saxony, is the major city of eastern Germany with growing national and global tourism.

Dresden lies in the broad basin of the Elbe River. It is only about 120 miles south of Berlin and about19 miles from north of the Czech Republic border. Several autobahn routes and rail lines are connected to Dresden from the rest of the Germany and the nearby Czech Republic. Therefore, Dresden is easy to reach. Neustadt (New town) and Altstadt (Old town) are the two main sections of Dresden City. Neustadt is popular for restaurants, bars, cafes, shops and for night parties. Many attractions, Frauenkirche (The Lady Church), Semper Opera House, BrühlTerrace(Europe’s Balcony), Der Fürstenzug(The Procession of Prince) are located in Altstadt. With the gothic buildings those were reconstructed after the Second World War maintains the classic architecture of the 15th- 18th century. Moreover, Baroque churches and the Rococo-style Zwinger, a palace associated with the royal residence of the Saxon Kings, still attract the tourist from all over the world.

Generally, the weather of Germany is unpredictable. However, in any weather condition it’s always great to spend leisure time in Dresden. In summer, colourful flowers brume everywhere that create more striking in traveling. Sunny days, warm temperature, green surroundings, refreshing street music, open-air festivals, fireworks and many other outdoor activities really make anybody feel relax. Participating in such kind of events is a wonderful experience for travellers. There are dozens of ways to enjoy the best side of winter. In December every German city celebrates Christmas markets, the German traditional festival. Being there in Christmas markets is a different pleasure to learn some native culture and taste local foods as well. The whole town changes into white subsequently after the snow fall. Then the person starts enjoying the winter sports. Ski adventurers are seen around the Alps in the countryside.

In my summer vacation, I went to Saxon Switzerland with my some friends. It is located around 30 kilometers southeast of Dresden. The National Park of Saxon Switzerland is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe and has so many natural things to see like Arches, stacks, the Bastei Bridge, the river Elbe. The region’s strangely eroded rock formations that provide extra and unforgettable experience of hiking for visitors. Besides, it is an ideal holiday region for rock climber and cyclists. The hiking was a magical for all of us with its uniqueness characteristics. On the same day, after hiking, we hired two small boats from Bastei. Before that I have never driven a boat on my own so I was little afraid to get in. However, my friends were with me and finally I started to drive on the Elbe River. My first boating experience was wonderful. We had a great time together.

Travelling to new places is always a glorious experience and sharing those old memories with others can help to double your trip experience. Therefore, I would like to collect and share more stories, reflections, and memories in my future too.