Travel Log: A Lens into Europe

12 weeks in Europe.
7 countries visited.

From January to March 2024, I interned at the Max Planck Institute for Informatics in Saarbrücken, Germany. While abroad, I had the chance to explore places in Germany and neighbouring countries, many of which left me with strong impressions.

I visited cities of all sizes, from small towns like Cochem, population: 5,000, to bustling metropolises like Paris, the 2nd largest urban area on the continent. Across various trips by train, I peered through windows at beautiful landscapes: the stunning mountains and lakes in the Swiss Alps, the picturesque villages and castles along the Moselle river, and more — many of which I would love to revisit in a better season.

I photographed my favourite sights and wrote about places that, to me, stood out. With this travel log, I hope to give you my first impressions of Europe — or at least that of where I visited.

• Saarbrücken, Germany
  
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• Strasbourg, France
  I strolled through the picturesque Petite-France, passing by colourful buildings laced with crossed, wooden beams. I stared in awe at the massive Notre-Dame Cathedral, once the tallest building one could see. I wandered through narrow, stone-paved roads, artisan signs hanging above my head. The first major city I visited, Strasbourg left me impressed. Walking along the Ill river, I listened to the church bells chime, coalescing into a cacophonous yet beautiful sound, as if symbolizing Strasbourg itself: a mix of French and German influences that, together, form a remarkable city.
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• Heidelberg, Germany
  As I hiked the path traversed by many great thinkers of the past, I looked down at the Altstadt. The Old Bridge, which I crossed to get here, leads to the ornate old-town, which the omnipresent Heidelberg Castle, further ahead up Königstuhl hill, overlooks. The castle, now in decay, conjures images of a glorious past: a former king's residence and the home to Germany's first university. An undeniably captivating town.
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• Basel, Switzerland
  
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• Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
  
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• Zurich, Switzerland
  I pass an LV photoshoot along the glitzy Bahnhofstrasse, where rows of romanesque buildings line the famous shopping street. Moments later, with church spires at eye-level, I overlook a pastel rainbow of six-story, riverside houses from atop the quaint Lindenhof square. From the architectural beauty of the Swiss Museum and opera house, to the scenic vantage points in Limmat River and Üetliberg Peak, to my winding excursions through the old city and the Lindt factory, Zurich lives up to its reputation as a world-class city.
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• Lucerne, Switzerland
  From day to dawn, the carnival roared. Smoke machines mist the air; marching bands compete to draw my ears; floats floating through waves of costumes flooding the streets of old-town Lucerne. Robed while eating street food, I dip my toes in. Before the mighty Alps, the Reuss River, stamped with the crisp reflections of timeless buildings, cuts the city in two. Earlier, during daytime, I admired the cityscape from both up close and afar — from Chapel Bridge to the Rigi Summit — picturesque from all perspectives. Beautiful and lively. Lucerne.
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• Bern, Switzerland
  
  I leave the train station for a broad, busy road
  flanked by proud, stone buildings; trams zip down in two rows.
  To both my bow and stern, stand towers telling time.
  The clockhands tell eleven as the church bells start to chime.
  I take a sip of water from the clear fountain stream
  spouting from a man-like statue centered in the car-less street.
  I cross the Nydegg bridge and exit old-town Bern.
  I look behind — real life or fantasy? I can't discern.
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• Trier, Germany
  
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• Cologne, Germany
  
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• Metz, France
  
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• Salzburg, Austria
  White walls line the narrow streets and winding tunnels, with houses petruding from the cliffside edge. Beautiful baroque buildings — churches, palaces, and others — take center stage, spearing through the skyline with eyecatching turquoise spires. On the old city's edge, shrouded by fog, stands the Hohensalzburg Fortress, elevated atop a fortified, dome hill. I've seen the city from the cliffside, from the riverside, and from inside old-town, and Salzburg was striking from them all.
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• Munich, Germany
  A vibrant city all day and night, Munich offered much: grandiose churches at every corner, world-class breweries and beer gardens by each other, talented city surfers riding endless, man-made waves, and many more. My favourite was the Residenz Museum, a former palace for Bavarian rulers, some parts reconstructed, other parts preserved, all parts opulent with hundreds of ornate rooms. After an hour and a half, I reach the end, where the king's throne stood. I marvelled, like I did with Munich as a whole. A fitting monument for Bavaria's cultural “king”.
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• Cochem, Germany
  
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• Koblenz, Germany
  
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• Luxembourg, Luxembourg
  
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• Aachen, Germany
  
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• Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  
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• The Hague, The Netherlands
  
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• Antwerp, Belgium
  
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• Bruges, Belgium
  
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• Ghent, Belgium
  
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• Brussels, Belgium
  
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• Paris, France
  
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• Frankfurt am Main, Germany
  
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