We really wanted to finally go on a camper trip, so after actively organizing, we got a camper and are now slowly crossing Poland.
Many thanks to Kemperi 365 for the opportunity to embark on our first journey with a home on wheels.
Our team on this trip consists of Rodrigo (10 years old), Grandma Vija (I won't say her age, but she's more than 70 like Rodrigo 
), Evita Eidina and me. Our ages are more than Rodrigo's, less than grandma's, but if you add us together, we're more than grandma :)
Our goals for this trip are:
1. to understand if we like this way of traveling,
2. to catch summer by the tail,
3. to film this trip and share our experience,
4. we will spend two days in Prague, filming the largest aqua park in the Czech Republic,
5. our friend Simon Požek has developed an excellent plan for Slovenia; we will see many beautiful places and fabulous mountains,
6. we will spend two days in Venice,
7. on the way back, we will visit Austria, Tyrol, film a great spa complex in the mountains, and relax at an equally great campsite.
8. but most importantly, we will work hard, film, write blog posts, take photos, and all of this to please our awesome viewers, readers, and followers.
The hardest part of this trip is the packing day; you have to figure out and remember to take everything that might be useful on this journey.
As usual, many bags are filled with technical equipment, cameras, drones, lights, computers, and other useful things.
Once all our belongings are packed, we are ready to hit the road. I receive a call from my acquaintance Dmitrijs Salatkovs, who works at Evelatus.lv. He tells me he has good news: since they appreciate my hard work on the "Travel Without Borders" show, they are willing to give me a new camera, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. Of course, I am more than happy about this turn of events, and I haven't let go of this camera for the first two days. Soon, you will be able to appreciate its quality as well.
Once the car is finally loaded, all our belongings are in place, the fridge is stocked with food, Grandma has fried two mountains of pork chops, and Rodrigo has already made his bed on the second floor, we can hit the road.
Our goal for the first day is to reach Warsaw, the capital of Poland. We'll see how we roll and what the roads will be like on Saturday, how many cars there will be. But the car, or rather the house on wheels, rolls well, it's comfortable to drive, and the average speed is around 100 km/h. The car's fuel consumption is about 11 liters per 100 km, which is very acceptable for such a large and spacious car.
These campers come in various sizes; some are for 2 people, some for 4, but our camper is designed for 7 people, so it's very comfortable for our team of 4.
On the way, we stop for lunch at one of the Lithuanian petrol stations, make some soup, spread some sandwiches, and enjoy a delicious meal.
There are no cars at the Lithuanian/Polish border, and there are few cars on the main roads in Poland.
We arrive in Warsaw after dark, go to the M1 supermarket, buy a few more things that we've realized we'd definitely need on the way, and head towards the town of Lodz, as we've found a nice campsite on the Park4night app.
After more than an hour, with a few GPS deviations, we found the campsite: a small area, 100m from a lake, with amenities and electricity connection.
The first campsite, the first dinner, and the first night in a camper.
Everything is clear with the campsite, very cozy and a pleasant atmosphere.
For dinner, we don't want anything complicated, so we eat instant noodles and pork chops.
We make up the beds, Rodrigo in the back, up top, grandma below him, Evita and I in the front, above the driver's seat.
I turn on the heating for the night so we don't freeze, as it's only +8 degrees outside. It's warm inside, and we go to bed. During the night, I feel my nose is cold, I realize there's a problem with the heating, I go downstairs, switch from electricity to gas, and after a while, it's warm again. Only in the morning did we find out that there was a problem at the campsite and the electricity was out, but that didn't stop us from getting a good night's sleep and enjoying our first night in the camper.
The morning starts with a walk along the lake. I cast a few times with my spinning rod, catch nothing, and go to prepare breakfast.
We take out our picnic chairs and table, boil coffee, fry an egg, make sandwiches, and enjoy breakfast.
But since it's still only +9 degrees outside and our campsite is directly behind the pine trees, where the morning sun's rays don't reach, we move our chairs into the sun, in the middle of the campsite, drink our morning coffee, enjoy the lingonberry jam we brought from home with bread, and unhurriedly savor this moment.
Soon we're packed up, back in the camper, and on our way to Prague. The next two days we'll spend in the Czech Republic.
Czech Republic, Prague, Aqua Palace hotel.
Europe Camper3 journey continues!
Once on the main road, Evita Eidina takes over the driving, and I can finally walk around our home on wheels while it's in motion. I eat a pork chop sandwich and grab my laptop to write something about the first few days.
Evita drives 150 kilometers and says it's not that hard to handle this big vehicle on the road.
Our goal this afternoon is to reach Prague, where for the next 2 nights and 2 days we will stay 12 km from Prague city center, in the excellent Aqua Palace hotel.
After leaving the main road and crossing the Czech border, we stop at a petrol station, boil water for soups, make sandwiches, and enjoy a delicious lunch.
A couple of hours later, we arrive at the hotel and settle into our rooms. We have two rooms, but both are connected by a shared door, which is very convenient for a family, so you don't have to walk around to each other through the hallway.
We put on our bathrobes, swimsuits, and swim trunks and go to explore the aqua park.
Aqua Palace is the largest aqua park in the entire Czech Republic. Here you'll find a relaxation zone with several pools, many different slides, an outdoor area, various bars and cafes, but one of the best zones, from our perspective (mine and Evita's), is the Sauna World. It truly lives up to its name, with various relaxation options, 19 saunas, different zones, and sauna rituals throughout the day, although we escaped from one ritual, but more on that later.
After exploring a few saunas, we go to find Rodrigo and grandma, meeting them just before they are ready to head back to the room. Of course, if the slide area wasn't closed, Rodrigo could have spent all night there.
The youngest and oldest team members go to rest in their room, while Evita and I continue to enjoy the pleasures of the saunas.
We swim in the pool, relax in the jacuzzi, go to saunas, enjoy rituals. They happen every 30 minutes in different saunas, with varying intensity and themes. For example, in the Turkish steam bath, there's a salt peeling ritual. Everyone gets salt mixed with oil, and after scrubbing, you shower, and after this procedure, your skin is as soft and silky as a baby's.
I forgot to mention that you're not allowed to visit the saunas in swimwear. Everyone gets a sheet, and then it's up to you; if you want, go to the sauna in a sheet, if you want, go completely naked.
The final and hottest ritual was in the birch sauna, where the ritual master brought three large ice balls and two buckets of water. Before the ritual, he warned the assembled people that it would be very intense and hot. Many people moved from the upper benches to the lower ones, and the ritual could begin. To rock music, the first ice ball was placed on the stones and water poured over it. The ritual master began to walk around in circles, waving a towel. The first round was endured honorably; we lost only one member from the whole group; perhaps it got a little too hot for him on the upper bench.
The second ball was placed, and more water was poured. Evita and I exchanged glances, but we were determined to endure and enjoyed the ritual, if you could call it that. Sweat poured from everywhere, the heat was intense, the towel was replaced by a large fan, and it was so hot that the ritual master put on gloves. We endured the second round, but out of approximately 25 people, only 8 of us remained, the most resilient; the rest had escaped. The third ball was placed, and water was poured. We felt such intense heat that we felt like we were in a soup pot, and soon the meat would be falling off the bones. As soon as the master waved the first fan, Evita sped up and aimed for the exit door. I thought for a moment and realized that I didn't have to prove anything to anyone. As soon as I stood up to escape, everyone else ran out behind me. This time, it seemed to have gotten a little too hot.
However, we cooled off in the cold pool and regained our strength to reach our rooms.
After the intense heat, we slept wonderfully. I started the morning by filming breakfast before seven, before people arrived. I would describe the breakfast in one word: excellent. Everything you could possibly want for breakfast, starting with various egg dishes, salads, fruits, desserts, and pastries. Everything was so colorful and appetizing that it was hard to move after breakfast! :)
At nine, we met the hotel manager, Veronika, and together with her, we went to the Sauna World to film and photograph the entire complex before people arrived.
We spent the afternoon at the water park, rode various slides, even capsizing on one with Rodrigo, enjoyed the wave pool, and had lunch at the local bistro.
After lunch, we waited for Rodrigo to finish playing in the Wild River, which is an outdoor tube that is quite extreme, or so you can tell from the faces of the people who just rode it.
Once Rodrigo returned, we got into our camper and headed to the center of Prague. We found a place to park our home on wheels right in the center and went for a walk across the main pedestrian bridge. We entered the city center and arrived just in time for the full hour, when the windows of the Prague Astronomical Clock opened and the figures changed. There were many tourists here, all enjoying the Czech capital, despite the weather not being very warm; it made you want to put on another jacket.
After exploring the center, we headed back to the hotel. Rodrigo went to his wild river, we had dinner and visited the sauna complex again. But tomorrow, we have to drive 600 kilometers and will spend the night in one of Slovenia's beautiful mountain campsites.
A campsite that blew our minds and the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana.
The Czech capital has been seen, Hotel Aqua Palace enjoyed, time to move on.
We leave right after 9 AM. Ahead of us are 600 beautiful kilometers through Austria, but the overcast skies and dark clouds prevent us from enjoying the beauty of Austria's nature and the majesty of its mountains. We can only guess at the beauty up there; what it actually looks like, we can only imagine.
The journey passes quickly, and we enter Slovenia after 6 hours on the road. Our average speed is 110 km per hour. We only stopped once to refuel; at the Czech-Austrian border, we filled up the diesel tank, and it cost 1.26 Euros per liter there.
A few kilometers before the Slovenian border, the road starts to lead us up a steep mountain, surrounded by forests, rain clouds, thick fog, and in the middle of it all, a white camper with four Latvians, struggling up the hill in second gear.
Upon reaching the pass, we realize we are at the border. There is a large shop selling everything from clothes to sweets and a Slovenian Vignette. We buy one for a week, paying 16 Euros.
Our friend Simon Požek has sent us the name of a campsite, Špik, and we head in that direction. We drive through a charming village, cross a mountain stream, and turn left towards the campsite.
One night here costs 80 Euros, but it includes hot showers and toilets, all beautifully renovated, and the main material is wood. But the most beautiful thing about this campsite is the view of the mountains. We know this because we’ve seen pictures, but currently, we can’t see anything, as there are thick rain clouds here too.
We made ourselves dinner, washed up, and fell asleep to the sound of the first raindrops.
I started the morning hoping the clouds had dispersed and we would have the chance to see these beautiful mountain views with our own eyes.
The clouds are still there, but they are starting to dissipate, occasionally revealing mountain peaks. And in moments when we spot bright sunbeams, our hearts and brains start releasing happiness hormones, and you feel full of joy, a child of the world who doesn't need much in life.
Today's plan is to explore the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, and Simon has arranged for his colleague, Sharon, to show us the main sights and tell us a bit about the most interesting things and places.
It's about an hour's drive to Ljubljana, but we can't rush because we want to photograph the mountains with the camper, the trees with the mountains, the mountains with the mountains, and so we get delayed by at least 15 minutes.
We arrive in Ljubljana 20 minutes late, and Sharon Kaufman is waiting for us at the lift that leads to the castle, but since we have a large camper, finding a parking spot is not easy. Sharon comes with us and helps us look for parking spots, but we only find one next to a large park after driving out of the city center.
On the way to the capital, we noticed several parking lots along the highway, designated only for campers. They have toilets, showers, some even have cafes, and campers can spend the night there for free.
The fact that you can't find a spot for a camper in the city doesn't mean they don't care about them here.
Sharon only has 3 hours to show us around the city, as she has to work later. She is a certified guide in Ljubljana, but as she says herself, she also works all over Slovenia.
I won't go into detail here about where we went and what we saw; you'll see all that in our series about Slovenia on the "Travel Without Borders" YouTube channel.
But I can say one thing: this city surprised us, and Sharon's enthusiasm to show and tell us all about it made this tour unforgettable. When a person is in their element and loves their job, you can feel it in the first few minutes, and Sharon truly is a fantastic guide.
For lunch, we had local, traditional sausages with mustard, horseradish, and a bun. Everyone enjoyed it and ate with gusto. We paid 30 Euros for 4 portions and 3 cans of cola. But maybe it tasted good because we were hungry!
We said goodbye to Sharon, took the funicular up to the castle, climbed the observation tower, saw the whole city from above, watched a 4D film about the castle, and after descending, headed to our home on wheels.
We were so happy to see our car because the 20,000 steps we walked around the city made themselves felt, and we just wanted to plop our luggage down on something soft.
Our next stop is the town of Postojna. Tonight we are staying at a lovely campsite called Pivka Jama, and no, that doesn't translate to "Beer Pit"!
Wow, wow, wow, the whole day was one big wow, Slovenia continues to delight.
Are there really green rivers in Slovenia? Postojna Caves, Predjama Castle, Triglav National Park, and the Soča River.
Morning as usual, we wake up before 6 AM, prepare breakfast, wash up, get ready, and it's good that we're at a campsite near the Postojna Caves. The previous evening, the campsite manager recommended arriving at least 30 minutes before the caves opened, around 9:30. Knowing this, we arrived at 9:00 AM and managed to buy tickets for the very first tour at 10:00 AM. 10 minutes later and there would have been no tickets left for 10 AM.
What are the Postojna Caves?
The Postojna Caves in Slovenia are one of Europe's most impressive underground wonders. Here, visitors embark on a unique journey with an underground train, the only one of its kind in the world, to see magnificent stalactites, immense cave halls, and encounter the mystical olm – a rare underground creature. It is a world where nature has created a true underground castle with magnificent works of art at every turn over millions of years.
I've been to many stalactite caves so far, but none have impressed me as much as this one.
The photos are beautiful, but the videos will be even better, and you'll be able to see it all on the Travel Without Borders YouTube channel.
After the caves, we head to the nearby Predjama Castle, which is the largest castle of its kind in the world. It’s not just a castle in a cave; it’s built into a 120-meter high cliff, and beneath the castle lies a more than 14 km long cave system that served as hiding places, escape tunnels, and supply routes in the Middle Ages. Here, we photographed the castle from the outside, flew a drone, and filmed it from various perspectives. We got back into our camper to head to Triglav National Park.
A little over an hour later, we are in this park. We drive past our first day's campsite, Špik, and within 10 minutes, we are at a mountain lake surrounded by mountains on all sides. We quickly take pictures, Rodrigo casts his fishing rod, and we jump back into our home on wheels to continue our journey. There's another sight on today's agenda that we definitely want to see and understand whether rivers in Slovenia are really green, or if everything we've seen in pictures so far is just Photoshop!
We have to drive a little over an hour. After just 15 minutes, we enter Italy, and then, via small mountain roads and through tiny villages, we re-enter Slovenia. Mountains are all around, and the further we drive, the more majestic and impressive they appear.
At one point, I realize I need to pull over, take pictures, and fly the drone. After my phone and the new Dji Osmo Pocket 3 camera are full of footage, I leave the drone in tracking mode and we drive down the mountain. At one point, I notice the signal starting to drop. I slow down the car, but even though I'm driving slowly, I'm already past a bend and the signal is completely lost. I pull over to the side of the road, run towards the mountain, but the drone signal doesn't reappear. This means I either have to run further, or come back to the camper, try to turn it around in the middle of the narrow mountain road, and go look for the drone. I choose the second option, but turning around isn't easy. Once the car is facing the opposite direction, I press the gas pedal to the floor and we start moving back up the mountain.
After a few minutes, a signal appears on the remote control, and from the picture, it's clear the drone has landed in the same spot where it took off earlier. We got lucky this time, a weight lifted from our shoulders, and we continued on our way to the Soča River.
After 30 minutes, we reached our destination, the Great Soča Gorge. Rodrigo took his spinning rod, and we walked down the mountain to the river. Suddenly, a fishing inspector stopped us and warned us that fishing with a spinning rod was not allowed here. There was nothing else to do but put away the spinning rod and go to the river with just the camera. But the camera wasn't the worst option, as the views here are fantastically beautiful, and indeed, Slovenia has green rivers; we can confirm that.
This place is a real feast for the eyes, mind, and senses. Here you can see how the river, over many thousands or even millions of years, has carved its way through the rocks and how it meanders and swirls behind every large stone. The water is so clear and transparent that you can see both small and large trout. It makes you want to cast a spinning rod or fishing pole, but this time we are honest and don't break the rules.
The sun began to set, and twilight descended. We ate some canned food with bread and for dessert, grapes we bought yesterday at the market in Ljubljana, and then started driving towards Koper.
However, tonight, we decided to stay at a campsite right on the banks of the Soča River, near the Soča bridge, which we will visit again tomorrow morning before continuing to Koper, where we will meet our friend Simon Požek, who has prepared a 2-day tour of the towns along the coast.
I had never driven on such an extreme road, especially not in a camper. Adrenaline mixed with fear!
We slept well last night because the gas ran out and the heating turned off; it's always better to sleep in the cold, but it's not very pleasant when you have to get up in the morning.
Rodrigo and I had agreed to wake up before six in the morning and go fishing, but when I stepped outside in the morning, it was still pitch black, so I went back to bed and lay there until 6:30.
The first thing I do is change the gas cylinders so we can eat breakfast in the warmth.
Outside, there's a thick fog, and it's hard to see further than 5 meters. We can hear the sounds of the Soča River, so we get dressed, and Rodrigo and I head to the river.
The river is 20 meters from our car. We quickly find a spot to get to the water, and I try the first cast. Rodrigo continues while I enjoy the surrounding mountain silhouettes that loom out of the thick fog like huge dinosaurs.
After the third cast, Rodrigo's lure got stuck between rocks, and we couldn't pull it out. There was nothing else to do but roll up our pants, take off our shoes, and wade in after it. After the first 10 seconds, I couldn't feel my toes anymore; the water was freezing cold, and my feet hurt from walking on the rocks. The current was so strong that I could barely keep my footing. My pants were already wet up to my waist, and I was holding on to avoid falling completely into the water, but I had only reached the middle of the river. The water was even deeper further out, and the lure was about 4 meters away from me, so I started tugging on the line, and managed to get the lure out of the rocks.
Rodrigo stays fishing, but I go to the car to change and put on warm socks.
We eat breakfast, Rodrigo returns from the river empty-handed, we wash up and get ready to leave, but before the drive, I decide to fly the drone. The views are fantastic; we are in a small valley, between mountains. The entire valley is in thick fog, but after just 50 meters, there's no sign of fog, the mountains are warming in the sun after the cold night when the temperature dropped to +4 degrees. The video will be great, such a combination of fog and sun is rare to catch, and it will all be on the "Travel Without Borders" YouTube channel, in the series about Slovenia.
We pay 50 Euros for the campsite and head towards Koper to meet our friend Simon Požek.
On the way, we stop in the town of Most na Soču, fly the drone again, put Koper into the navigation, and leisurely set off. We drive along the river, chat, enjoy the mountain views, and accidentally drive past our turn, but the navigation quickly recalculates everything, and after 9km there's the next turn, to the right. So we do that, drive further, turn right, and continue on a narrow mountain road that winds higher and higher up the mountain. At first, we didn't pay attention, but after a while, we realized that the road was getting narrower and narrower, and we even remarked that it was good no other car was coming from the opposite direction, otherwise, it would be difficult to pass.
We continue driving, and the mountain becomes steeper. Our speed is 30 km per hour, and we can't even shift into second gear. The curves also get larger, and we start to wonder if this road really leads to Koper.
At one point, we stop and switch places with Evita Eidina. She's ready to drive, but I fly the drone. I wouldn't say I felt very comfortable with Evita driving on this steep and narrow road, but I'm catching beautiful views and trying to fly so that I don't lose signal.
After 10 minutes of driving, Evita is tired, and we swap back. I drive for another 10 minutes, and the road has become so narrow that our car mirrors almost brush against the cliff face.
There is no place here where you could pass another car if one were coming from the opposite direction. We reach some houses, find a wider spot, stop, and get out to take pictures.
High up in the mountains, we see a barrier that looks like a road barrier, and we joke among ourselves that there's a road there, which we'll also have to take. We laugh at the joke, even though we're 50% sure that's exactly where we'll have to go.
Everything would have been fine; we're used to narrow roads. When the tire goes right along the edge of the slope, we've also gotten a little used to it, but now our asphalt ends, and a dirt road begins. We weren't prepared for that, but there's no place to turn around; no one has provided such an option, so we keep driving.
We realize we've reached those steep edges we saw from below, and the views downwards are both captivating and terrifying at the same time.
We drive past one bend, then another, and I decide to fly the drone, but there's no real place to stop because the steepness of the mountain is such that we might not be able to start driving again, as this isn't a 4x4 car this time.
We find a spot, launch the drone, Rodrigo operates it and captures the best shots. But after three more sharp turns, we see a large arch in the rock ahead, and from a distance, it looks like we might not be able to pass through.
Evita gets out, goes to see what's going to happen. Meanwhile, I slowly drive on, and we realize we'll conquer this. Happily, we drive on, continuing to film with the drone. After 4 turns, a bus drives towards us. We stop it and ask the local person if our bus has a chance to get through this road. He says it will be tough because there's an arch ahead that is only 3 meters high, but our car is 3.07m.
We start thinking about letting air out of the tires, but first, together with the bus driver, we go up the mountain to examine this arch. We walk to the second bend, but there's no arch. We've walked two more bends, still no arch. The driver is puzzled as to where the arch has gone. On the way, there are some more complicated sections with cliffs on both sides and sharp turns, but I'm not worried about those; I'm more concerned about that arch.
We walk another 200 meters or so, and the arch is still nowhere to be seen. I ask him how many arches there are in total on this road. His English isn't great, but he understands something and says there's only one arch.
I happily tell him that we've already passed that arch and it's behind us, not in front.
We walk all the way back; we definitely walked for 20 minutes. In the meantime, another local car had stopped behind us and couldn't pass, complaining that he would call the police. But as soon as I pulled the car to the side, he was in his car and disappeared into the mountains.
While I was exploring the road, Rodrigo didn't land the drone. Its battery started to run out, and it flew back to the spot where we had last launched it, which was at least a kilometer downhill.
I talked to the bus driver, and he drove me to the spot where the drone should be. We were lucky again and found the drone, but we had to climb back up the mountain on our own. After 20 minutes, I was back at the car, sweaty, exhausted, but happy about both the drone and the fact that we had made it through the only arch.
We continue up the mountain, spinning our wheels on the rocks, but we make progress. Another 15 minutes and we start descending, soon asphalt appears, and then a village.
Driving to Koper, we also went through Italy, as it is faster and that's where our cheerful navigation leads us.
We meet our friend Simon and he takes us to a wine and olive oil producer, a home producer, so to speak. We were supposed to be there 3 hours ago, but the adventures in the mountains were more important to us.
Simon drives his car ahead, we follow him and after 20 minutes we are in the small mountains heading to his friend's place.
Here we learn many things about Extra Virgin olive oil, how to distinguish real from fake, what to buy and what not to buy, we walk through olive groves, we learn that black olives are harmful to health, we eat various snacks with olive oil and then we head to the car, on the way we visit a winery, from whose terrace there is a view of the sea and in the distance, you can also see Venice.
On the way to our dinner and accommodation, we visit another of Simon's partners, a family of winemakers, who have been producing wine, some spirits, and olive oil for three generations.
Here we learn about their ancestors' story, how they started this business and how it has developed now. We taste several wines, eat homemade meat dishes and cheeses.
After tasting the wines, our journey continues to Simon's friend Martin, with whom we will prepare dinner and taste it. Martin lives and works right on the Croatian border, he has his own private restaurant and apartments for rent. We park our camper in the parking lot and go to the restaurant to meet Martin and find out what awaits us for dinner tonight. Martin was well prepared and our involvement was not very necessary, but we were there and saw how they prepare pasta (homemade) with truffle mushrooms and cheese, and how they prepare a steak that has been aged for 40 days in the refrigerator. Everything was excellent, from appetizers including cured meats and goat cheese, to the pasta and steak.
The meat was so delicious and juicy that I can definitely say it was one of the best meats in my life. A few more conversations at the table and then it's time to rush to the camper to write about the day's events!
Cycle along the entire Slovenian coast! And we want to go to Venice.
Sleeping in a camper is already routine, I'd almost say I feel at home, but sometimes I miss the spaciousness. However, in the morning, when we get out of our home on wheels, every day we are in a different place, and each place is more beautiful than the last.
This morning we wake up in Chef Martin's village, in a small parking lot next to the forest. After getting out of the van, we walk 10 steps deeper into the forest and we are already in Croatia. We can say that we have also been to Croatia, so that's another country.
We eat breakfast, wash up, and drive to Koper, where we have to meet Simon, and today we plan to cycle along the sea and see several small towns.
At 9:10 we are at the agreed parking lot and walk to Koper's Old Town, pass through the ancient gates and head to the main square.
Did you know that Koper used to be an island and now land has been filled around it and a city built?
We will definitely talk about this in our show, "Traveling Without Borders," in the series about Slovenia.
Having walked through the old town, we go down the stairs to the port and are already at the bicycle rental company, where we get 3 electric bikes. My mom, however, decides to explore the old town of Koper on foot, rather than ride with us.
After listening to the main recommendations for riding an e-bike, we are ready to go. This is our first long ride with electric bicycles.
The first thing we do is go into the center of Koper's old town to eat delicious pizzas, which we had once before when we visited Simon about 2 months ago, while driving jeeps to Albania.
Bellies full, ready to go further, we navigate the city's labyrinths and then the bike path begins, which will not end until the last Slovenian town. Our route runs along the sea and riding an electric bike is pure pleasure, you have to pedal, but it moves forward so easily that you don't get tired even when going uphill.
We ride, stop, take pictures, film, fly with a drone, and then at some point we deviate from the coastline and enter a garden area, surrounded by vineyards, olive trees, and other fruits, with a bike path running through it, people in groups or families with children, everyone riding bikes. We get onto a wider road and Simon Požek tells us that this road we are currently on used to be a railway track. We even go through a mountain tunnel that was once built for the railway.
After covering the first few kilometers, we arrive in the town of Izola, a beautiful, small and romantic seaside town. Simon takes us to a sweet shop, @Sladoledarna in Kavarna Pri Ekremu, where they make cakes, pastries, ice cream, and various sweets on site. This time, the owner recommends we try their signature dish, which cannot be tasted anywhere else in the world: Izolanka. It's a cake that is so airy, so delicious, so enjoyable that it's hard to describe. I agree with Simon and the owner of this establishment that nothing so good has been eaten until now. Rodrigo also admits that this is the most delicious cake of his life. When it was brought, it seemed impossible to eat in one sitting, but it turned out to be so light that I even borrowed a piece from Evita Eidina.
After feasting on sweets, we drive through the town center, which is rich in small and narrow streets, similar to Koper. After that, we take the bike path and an even longer underground tunnel to the town of Portorož, where we view from the outside one of the oldest hotels in Europe and the oldest in Slovenia, the Kempinski Palace Portorož. You can see some resemblance to the Ķemeri sanatorium, though the Latvian hotel is a bit larger.
The next stop is Piran. Upon arriving, we realize that this town is truly beautiful and we need to come back here again and explore it on foot, at a leisurely pace. Therefore, we now drive this entire section of the road back to Koper, return the bicycles to the rental company, park the camper in the parking lot, and Simon takes us to Piran in his car.
While we saw many parking lots, campsites, and various stopping places for campers in many parts of Slovenia, it's not easy with campers here, near the sea and in the small towns.
Even for Simon, it's not easy to find a parking spot for his Audi, as all of them are full, so he drops us off and we go to explore the city while he looks for a place to park.
Walking down the hill, we reach the main square, then stroll along the seashore, walk through the narrow city streets, go up to the cathedral, and head back to Simon, as evening is approaching, and we still haven't decided where we will stay tonight.
Back in Koper, we stop at a supermarket to buy some food for breakfast and dinner, and say goodbye to Simon, but not for long, only for a month, because in a month there will be a big tourism exhibition in London and we will meet there.
Simon, as a farewell, recommends a campsite that is very close by, located on the seashore.
Currently, I am sitting on a camping chair, a few steps away from the sea, looking at the illuminated city of Koper and writing this article.
The name of this campsite is Adria Ankaran.
We can't wait for tomorrow to see what it looks like during the day, but even now, in the dark, we understand that we have arrived at another great place.
The only thing that is a bit scary is that tomorrow, heavy rain, wind, hail, and possibly even floods are expected.
The night passes peacefully, in the morning, before five, I hear rain drops starting to hit the camper roof and the sound gets stronger and stronger, soon it's impossible to sleep anymore, the wind also picks up and starts rocking us, as if it understood that because of the rain we can't sleep, so it's ready to lull us, but it doesn't succeed. I occasionally remember how we fared in Albania, when the wind tugged at our roof tent all night and it seemed like it would throw us into the abyss. If anyone hasn't read about our adventures with a jeep in Albania, they can do so on our website www.celotbezrobezam.lv.
We realize it's no use staying in bed; we have to get up and at least boil water for tea. Soon everyone is up, we're having breakfast, but outside, the wind and rain are so friendly that it seems like they're competing to see who's stronger this morning. Good thing the wind quickly tires out and only a light drizzle remains; none of what was promised yesterday came true—no hail, no snow, no storms.
Nevertheless, it's raining outside, today is Sunday, all shops in Slovenia are closed, but we'll only find this out later when we go to the shop to buy something to eat and it turns out that in Slovenia you can't do that on Sundays.
I put on my slippers, grab an umbrella, and go to the campsite reception to ask about activities available during the rain. It turns out there's a spa center, a large pool, several saunas, and a jacuzzi on the premises, all for an extra fee, but still available.
We get dressed and all head to the Spa, warm up in the saunas and soak in the pools, then go back to the camper, pack up and drive on.
First to the shop, which turned out to be closed, then we put the address of the campsite, which is near Venice, into the navigation and start our two-hour journey.
We refuel in Slovenia, diesel here costs 1.491 Eur and this price is the same at all gas stations. Their price only changes every 2 weeks and the price is determined by a state body, so the price is the same everywhere.
After 10 minutes we have already entered Italy and there the price is 12 to 30 cents more expensive than in Slovenia.
Along the way, we see charming mountains with snowy peaks, and they pleased us for a large part of our journey. We even stopped at an outlet to fly a drone and photograph these beauties. Each one more magnificent and more muscular than the last, it feels like these mountains have come out on stage to show themselves, similar to how bodybuilders do in competitions.
Since we've stopped at an Italian outlet, we have to go in and maybe even find something useful in a store. Rodrigo got new pants, I got new shoes, Evita got new cosmetics, and Grandma got new impressions of outlets.
Another hour and we have arrived at the peninsula where our campsite is located, we are very close to Venice and closing our eyes we can even imagine gondolas floating through the canals.
We check in, they show us where to park our home on wheels, we are very close to the sea, about 10 meters from the beach, I get out of the car, take out my camera to film the sea, but a German woman, about 55 years old, sticks her head out of the neighboring camper and starts cursing at us not to film them. At first, I didn't understand what she really wanted, I thought, like other camper neighbors, that this was how they introduced themselves, but she immediately started an attack and her husband or a colleague joined her and started yelling at me to put the camera away. Perhaps the lovebirds were secretly enjoying romance away from everyone, but after a while, when both came out of the camper, we understood why such aggression – neither of them could walk in a straight line, it turns out Italian wine is not only tasty but also not advisable for German lovebirds.
Despite the crazy neighbors who quickly went to bed, we set up our campsite by the car, put out a table with chairs, set up the gas grill, which Uldis from wekamper had given us for Albania, grilled sausages with onions and had a delicious dinner.
Upon entering the camper, we watched our new episode about our adventures in Energylandia, about how we lured Grandma onto the carousels.
After that, we went to the nearby showers to wash up and I am ready to sit at the table to write about the second day's adventures.
Venice and Venice again.
We start the morning watching the sunrise on the beach, and even though the air is quite chilly, at least our hands and nose are finally not cold.
Then, everything as usual: breakfast, shower, packing cameras into bags and getting dressed to go to Venice.
Bus and ferry tickets can be bought at the campsite reception, costing 24 Eur per person, round trip.
Once we've bought the tickets, we go to the main road to wait for the bus. It runs every 30 minutes here, starting from 5:30 in the morning until 23:00 in the evening.
We waited for the bus, which arrived 20 minutes late, and we were packed in like sardines. Good thing the ferry ride is less than 15 minutes. As soon as we got off the bus, we transferred to the ferry and in 5 minutes we were already heading to St. Mark's Square in Venice.
Less than 15 minutes and we are in Venice, Evita Eidina has been here several times, the last time was 2 years ago, I have been here many years ago, as has my mother, but this is Rodrigo's first time. I even envy him a little, because discovering new places is always much more exciting than returning to places you've already been, even if you like them very much.
I remember my first time in Venice, it was in 2000, 25 years ago, and by the time we got to Italy, with a group of friends, we had run out of money completely, because the police in every country had given us fines, both for not having a Green Card and for other violations, so we couldn't even afford to buy water in this city. How that adventure ended for us is a completely different story!
We've arrived in Venice and the first sight is St. Mark's Square. If I said there were a lot of people here, that wouldn't mean anything; there are a lot, a lot of people here. It's as if the summer season is over, but there are still many tourists here.
At first it's annoying, because to take a picture, you have to catch that perfect moment, while Chin Janj Kun and his wife walk past and John Walker hasn't gotten into the camera yet.
After an hour we are used to it and are taking pictures left and right, with all the Jackie Chans and other Venice guests!
My only task is to buy a Venetian mask to put on the shelf in my home studio, next to the Sri Lankan mask. Initially, mask prices start from 15 Eur, but as we go deeper into the town, the price drops to 10 and even 8 Eur. But we decide to buy the mask only at the very end, before leaving, now we are heading to the Rialto Bridge.
We walk along the narrow streets, cross canals over small bridges, occasionally browse souvenir shops, and drop into a sweet shop, so to speak, to whet our appetite before lunch.
When we reach the bridge, our appetite is already quite good, so we quickly take pictures and go looking for a free table by the canal to have lunch. Of course, prices are also important, so we decide that for lunch, Italian pizzas and a drink will suffice.
We find a restaurant where pizza starts at 11 Eur, but everything here is booked. Evita arranges for us to have a table reserved in 30 minutes, and we'll be able to enjoy lunch right by the canal. If we need anything, Evita can arrange it all, because Italians like it when foreigners speak their language, and Evita is good at it.
We take a short walk around the canal and after 30 minutes our table is already set.
We order two pizzas for four, Evita gets a cocktail, we get sparkling water, and lunch is a success. We're rested, well-fed, and it was cheap, only 42 Euros. I think that's not expensive for central Venice.
We put the next attraction, Acqua Alta, into the navigation. It's a bookstore, which the Venetians themselves call the most beautiful bookstore in the world. All the books there are placed in boats or bathtubs, so that if floods start, the books won't get damaged.
On the way to this bookstore, we see many other squares, canals, bridges, and notice a huge queue standing outside Suso, Venice's most popular ice cream shop.
The bookstore isn't big, but indeed all the books are in bathtubs or boats or on higher wooden shelves, there's also a window right there and the house is right on the edge of the canal, so if floods start, all the water flows in through this window.
After the bookstore, we head to Ponte dell Accademia, a bridge that spans the grand canal. Along the way, there are again many shops, souvenirs, sweets, many interesting places to photograph, and so we continue the day, enjoying Venice and all it offers without rushing.
After admiring the views from the Academy Bridge, we head back to St. Mark's Square, where we will have some coffee, eat some sweets, buy a mask or masks, and then head back to our peninsula, and then to the campsite.
Instead of one mask, I ended up buying 3 masks, one for myself, one for Evita, and one for you, my followers. Throughout this trip, I have collected 3 great gifts that I will definitely give away in a contest when I return home.
We successfully reached the campsite, happy and joyful that the weather spoiled us today and we could enjoy Venice, but also tired, as we walked many kilometers.
So, what's the deal with the campervan? Pros and cons!
Camping in Italy, near Venice.
We have been living in a campervan for 11 days now, not counting the 2 nights we spent in a hotel in the Czech Republic, Aqua Palace.
So, a total of 9 nights spent in the campervan, more than 4000 km driven, through countries such as Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, and Italy.
We are traveling in a campervan designed for 7 people, but there are only 4 of us, and I would say this is the optimal number, especially now, in autumn, when we have breakfast and, mostly, dinner in the campervan.
Campervan pros:
1. A real home on wheels, it has everything you need for life.
2. Heating works with both electricity and gas; if there's no electricity, you can heat with gas.
3. I hadn't imagined it would be so comfortable to drive such a large vehicle.
4. It turns out you can drive into many big cities and even find parking spaces.
5. You can stop at any time, cook, and sleep if you wish.
6. Compared to caravans towed by cars, everything is under one roof; if it rains, you don't need to run from the car to the caravan.
7. Comfortable sleeping, we all always get a good night's sleep.
8. Large refrigerator, enough space for food for a long time, refrigerator volume 140 liters.
9. Large shower, even I, with my 100 kg, have enough space.
10. Comfortable place to work on a computer or have meals.
11. Large luggage compartment, where we store 4 camping chairs, a table, a fuel generator, a fuel can, and our suitcases, and could still fit 4 Kurdish refugees.
12. Fuel consumption averages 10.5 liters per 100 km, which is very acceptable for such a large vehicle.
It's not without its drawbacks:
1. In Slovenia and also in Italy, you often see parking spots that are not suitable for campervans or cars with caravans.
2. You can drive into big cities, but maneuvering is harder than with regular cars.
3. For complete happiness, a washing machine would be needed, but they are available in almost all campsites.
4. And this, in my opinion, is the biggest drawback: if you've arrived at a campsite, found your spot, settled in, and set up your cozy picnic area, and then you need to go to the shop because you've run out of something or forgotten something, then you have to pack everything up, or move things around, put everything back in its place in the campervan so it doesn't fall over while driving, and then go to the shop. But if you've come with a caravan, a trailer, you just unhitch it and go to the shop as often as you like.
But now a little about the campsite, Vela Blu, located on the Cavallino peninsula.
This campsite is designed for both campervans and caravans, and it is also possible to rent cabins, both newer and older, all depending on the price.
The new cabins, which can accommodate up to 6 people, cost 150 euros per night during the off-season, but during the summer season, the price for these cabins is 300 euros, and to get one, you need to book well in advance, at least a year ahead.
The campsite is located right on the seashore, our campervan is about 20 meters from the sea sand.
The area has a pool zone and a restaurant where you can have breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and here, when booking, it is possible to order one meal, only breakfast, or two meals, or all three, similar to hotels.
There is a shop where you can buy food, hygiene products, and other daily necessities that might be useful here at the campsite.
There is a separate room where you can wash clothes and also dry them immediately.
There is a large building with toilets and showers, and outside, places to wash feet and dishes. Entering the men's restrooms, to the right there are at least 10 sinks for brushing teeth, but walking straight down the corridor, to the right are toilets, each with a sink, and to the left of the corridor is the shower room, also with a sink and a hairdryer. Everything is very clean, tidy, and very fresh.
Since many families with children come here, the campsite has its own entertainment team that organizes activities for children and young people, both during the day and in the evening.
It is also possible to rent bicycles at the campsite, and we used this today, cycling a loop to the city center and back. We were pleasantly surprised by the excellent bike paths, especially those along the lagoon, where there are special wooden boardwalks for cycling for kilometers.
During the summer, everything here is busy, and the total capacity of the campsite is close to 1000 people.
This campsite is very popular with Germans and Swiss; even now, we can see that most campervans are from Germany.
As the campsite manager explained, Germans often come for 30 or even 50 days at the end of the season, and then they get special discounts if they stay that long.
The season here runs from the end of March to the end of October, and the hottest season, of course, is July and August.
This is also a great place for those who want to see Venice, 15 minutes by bus to the ferry and 20 minutes to the center of Venice, plus both the bus and the ferry run every 30 minutes.
In total, there are at least 25 campsites in this region, so everyone tries to be better than their competitor and improves something every year. Two years ago, 16 new excellent Scandinavian cabins were built at this campsite, and they are now fully booked for next year.
Today we had time to relax and get to know this campsite better, but tomorrow we will go to the neighboring campsite, where we will spend another day exploring the main competitor and also a collaboration partner of this campsite. So to speak, we will compare two similar campsites.
Campsite in Italy, campsite in Austria, and the fantastically beautiful mountain pass, Passo Del Rombo.
This morning we get up before seven and go to the beach to watch the sunrise. Just as we set up the camera and tripod, I turn to Evita and say that the sun will be visible any moment, I turn back and the edge of the sun is already visible.
The sun emerges very quickly from the horizon, and it is fully visible in just a few minutes. Luckily, we managed to film it; there will be a beautiful sunrise video, which, of course, you will be able to see on the "Ceļot bez robežām" YouTube channel.
Perhaps you're wondering why I mention every time that you can see it on our YouTube channel?
Here are some answers:
1. On TV, our episodes are only 24 minutes long, but often on YouTube, the same episode is even 50 minutes long.
2. TV has its own rules about what can and cannot be shown, but on YouTube, we can show everything.
3. I often hear this assertion, which, of course, comes from older people, that they don't want to subscribe to our channel because then they'll have to pay for it every month. THERE IS NOTHING TO PAY FOR YOUTUBE SUBSCRIPTION.
4. If you also left your comment, under the YouTube video, about what you liked and what you didn't like, that would be great.
After breakfast, we pack all our belongings and say goodbye to this campsite. We drive to the city center, buy another Tiramisu, because Rodrigo ate yesterday's Tiramisu all by himself, well, almost all by himself.
We find a shop to buy gas for the grill, which serves us very well, and we cook something delicious on it every evening.
We have this grill: https://weekamper.lv/.../ikamper-disco-series-ediena.../
Yesterday, the campsite manager told us to go by bike to Lio Piccolo, but it was quite cool that evening, so we postponed it until today. After buying gas canisters, we drive with the campervan along the lagoon, enjoying the views and the sunny day. Then we turn right, cross two small bridges, and drive our campervan to the furthest point accessible by car. From there, I fly the drone and explore this small village, Lio Piccolo, where only 22 people live.
All these videos will also be available on our YouTube channel. But I can already say that the views will be truly impressive and very beautiful; we never imagined that people live so close to Venice.
Our journey then takes us to a military fort, Batteria Amalfi. Today, it serves as a venue for cultural and historical events, hosting exhibitions, theater performances, and summer concerts.
Batteria Amalfi (Amalfi Battery) is one of the most important Italian coastal fortifications, located in Punta Sabbioni, in the Cavallino-Treporti area—opposite Venice, on the Adriatic coast. It was built during World War I, from 1915 to 1917, as part of the defense line of the Venice Lagoon against possible attacks by the Austro-Hungarian fleet. After decades of neglect, Batteria Amalfi is currently being preserved and restored as part of the "Via dei Forti"—the Coastal Forts Road, which connects historical military structures on the Veneto coast.
After visiting the fort, we continue our journey to our next campsite, which is only 2 kilometers away from our previous campsite, and both these campsites have the same owner.
Campsite Ca' Pasquali is 5 stars and has been recognized as one of the best campsites in Italy and Europe in 2025.
This campsite is similar to the previous one; it has campervan pitches, cabins, both newer and older, restaurants, bars, shops, swimming pools, a magnificent beach, with all the parasols and sun loungers. This one also has a gym, a children's playground, a football field, and many other entertainment options. During the summer season, this campsite can accommodate 2200 guests, and it also needs to be booked well in advance, at least a year ahead.
We are lucky today; we got a cabin with a large terrace, kitchen, two bedrooms, and two shower rooms. During the day, we finally get to relax. Rodrigo throws a spinning rod into the sea, grandma walks along the seashore, Evita and I enjoy the pools, and in the afternoon, we also do a bit of work, filming an interview with the campsite manager.
In the evening, we grill steaks on our barbecue, bake potatoes in the small kitchen, and enjoy dinner on the terrace. If it were +5 degrees warmer, it would be absolutely perfect, but we can't complain; the campsite manager told us that it had been raining and very cool all the previous week.
In the evening, we pack all our belongings in the campervan, and in the morning, we get up early, at 5:30, to head home, but on the way, we'll spend another day in Austria.
In the morning, we depart at 5:50 AM. It's still dark outside, but pleasantly warm, +13 degrees Celsius. Compared to Slovenia's +4 degrees, one could say it's quite warm.
There are few cars early in the morning, and driving is easier. We get on the highway, pay 1 Euro for 7 kilometers driven. On the next section, it's 8 Euros for 40 kilometers, and on the final section, 3.80 Euros for 35 kilometers.
It's already 9 AM, time to find a place for breakfast. Just as we start talking about it, a gas station with a cafe appears by the roadside. We pull over and prepare breakfast. All around us are mountains, and opposite us is a huge cliff. We look at the map; right behind this mountain is Madonna Di Campiglio, a place where we skied this spring and about which our episode will soon be released.
After breakfast, we continue driving towards Austria, and soon we start ascending the mountain, higher and higher. The surrounding views of the Tyrolean Alps and meadows are so beautiful that it's hard to keep our attention on the road, so we stop periodically to photograph this beauty. When we stop again, we see mountains opposite us that look completely bare; there isn't a single tree, not even any greenery, just some yellow grass. But behind these mountains, there are even more mountains, already covered in snow.
We see the road up there, but no cars driving on it; it's possible the road is closed, as this pass, Passo Del Rombo, is open from late May to October, only during the summer season and only during the day, from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
We continue driving up the mountain and encounter a car coming the other way, so the road isn't closed and it hasn't snowed yet on this mountain pass. The barriers along the way, which are closed for the night and winter, are currently open.
At one point, we launch the drone, which diligently follows our campervan. As we drive along the serpentine road in both directions, the drone films both our car and the snowy mountains behind it. A moment comes when the drone starts indicating that it has reached its maximum altitude of 500 meters; it can't go higher. I leave the campervan in the middle of the road with its hazard lights on and run down the road, low enough until I reach the drone.
Once the drone is safe, we also reach the summit after 200 meters, stop, take pictures, and drive through a long tunnel to the other side of the mountain, where a large cloud and a lot of snow await us on the roadside.
We stop so Rodrigo can have a snowball fight, and after driving a few hundred more meters, we see a sign, Passo Del Rombo, so we have reached the mountain pass.
We descend, now on the Austrian side, surrounded by thick fog or a thick cloud, with rare sunbeams visible in the distance. We pay 20 Euros for a one-way trip, only downhill, and slowly continue rolling to our next campsite, called Otztal.
Having passed many ski resorts, we reach our final destination after 30 minutes.
The campsite is surrounded by mountains, and the views all around are incredibly beautiful. A swift mountain stream flows nearby, and Rodrigo can't wait to go fishing in it.
At the campsite, we are allowed to choose our spot for the campervan. We choose a location as close as possible to the facilities, connect to electricity, pack our swim shorts and swimsuits into our bags, and head to the Spa center, Aqua Dome.
The campsite is only a 4-minute walk from this lovely spa center, and walking through this campsite, we see that many caravans have been here for a long time, and neat tents are attached to them. It turns out it's possible to rent a plot here for a year or even more, and many Germans take advantage of this. They leave their caravan and come here to relax whenever they want.
Aqua Dome is a complex of pools and saunas, as well as a hotel. Their three huge outdoor jacuzzis are their biggest calling card and visitor magnet. When you sit in this warm jacuzzi and observe these massive mountains all around, it feels like time has stopped and life is magical. But then security guards appear, who don't allow filming or taking pictures, and then you realize that sitting in your own home's hot tub isn't so bad after all.
Grandma and Rodrigo stay in the pools, while Evita and I go to the sauna complex. Here too, there are several pools, several relaxation areas, both indoors and outdoors, and, of course, various saunas. I've been to many sauna complexes, but one sauna, like the one here, I've never seen anywhere else. It's a sauna designed like a barn, and when you go inside, in the middle there's an enclosure with real hay, and all around are benches where people sit and sweat. For this sauna and their ingenuity, I definitely give 10 points.
After a couple of hours of relaxing at Aqua Dome, we head back to the campsite. Rodrigo goes straight to the river to fish, while we prepare dinner.
Today is our last day at the campsite, and tomorrow we will begin the 20-hour journey home.
The big campervan trip has ended, and we have successfully arrived home!
But along the way, there were still waterfalls, mountains, castles, and roads, many kilometers long!
If you are heading towards Austria or if your path takes you past Sölden, plan to stay at least one night at the Ötztal campsite. The views of the surrounding mountains are indescribably beautiful; it feels as if all bad energy flows away with the swift mountain river, and with the fresh Alpine air, you absorb the energy of life and happiness. And this positive energy pervades everything here; look at any mountain peak you wish, it is a feast for the eyes and your whole body, you feel calmer, more balanced, happier, and 20 years younger.
The large two-story building in the middle of the campsite is designed for showering, relaxing, sitting on the toilet and reading the news, but most importantly, it's unusually luxurious for a campsite. It resembles a 5-star hotel more.
We leave this campsite a little after 8:00 AM; we wanted to leave a bit earlier, but as soon as the first rays of sun appeared on the mountain peaks, we had to take out our cameras again and take pictures in all directions. Autumn, fog, mountains, and the first rays of sun are like a coffee break after a job well done.
We hit the road, fill up the tank with fuel, and after 20 minutes, we're driving up a mountain to see the largest waterfall in this region, Stuibenfall, which is 159 meters high, and the amount of water cascading down here is approximately 610 liters per second.
When we reach a viewing platform from which a magically beautiful view of the waterfall opens up, an equally beautiful view also opens up to the valley and the small village below, nestled between the mountains.
This view reminds us of Switzerland, when last year, also in autumn, together with the children, we were in Switzerland and the Lauterbrunnen region.
You can read the full story of the Swiss adventure on our website, www.celotbezrobezam.lv, or watch the video on our YouTube channel.
For those with more time, stairs have been built from the bottom to the top of the waterfall, leading up to the bridge that crosses it.
Once we've enjoyed the latest Alpine views, we get into our camper van and head further, towards Germany. Looking at the map, we realize that Germany isn't very far, and if we choose to take the smaller roads instead of the highways, we could see many more beautiful mountain views and wouldn't need to buy an Austrian vignette.
So, that's what we do. We drive on small roads, and not far from Innsbruck, we once again ascend into the mountains, heading for the town of Scharnitz, often called "the gateway to the Karwendel mountains," as it's where the Karwendel National Park begins, one of the largest protected mountain ranges in the Alps. Here, Austrian Tyrol meets German Bavaria, two charming regions of European countries.
The town itself is located 964 meters above sea level, and you can see that in winter, this town is active and full of winter sports enthusiasts.
Here again, one could talk extensively about the beautiful mountains and the charming road surrounded by fairy-tale views worthy of Tyrol.
Often, returning from a trip, you always want to get home faster, lie down in your bed, and rest, but this time it won't be the case, because we drive, enjoy, take pictures, and are happy that we are not rushing anywhere. We are like a snail with its house on its back and we know that even if we don't make it somewhere, we can stop, prepare something to eat, sleep, rest, and then continue our journey.
After crossing the border, we arrived in the German town of Mittenwald, which is considered one of the most picturesque places in the Bavarian Alps.
This town is known as the “violin town” (Geigenbauort) – one of the most significant centers for string instrument making in Europe since the 17th century.
There is also a cable car here that takes visitors up to the Karwendelspitze peak (2385 m) and offers breathtaking views of the Bavarian and Tyrolean Alps.
Mittenwald is also famous for its painted house facades, the so-called Lüftlmalerei (Bavarian frescoes). These frescoes depict biblical scenes, rural life, festivities, and landscapes. The main street, Obermarkt, is like an open-air gallery with dozens of such houses.
We realize that there is much more to see along the way, and we could stay in these mountain towns for several days or even a week, so we have to choose our priorities, and we choose a long-held goal: to see Neuschwanstein Castle.
This castle is one of the most famous castles in the world – a true fairy tale icon in the Bavarian Alps, Germany. It is often called the “Disney castle in real life” because this very building inspired Walt Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty Castle” and the symbol of Disneyland.
A little over an hour's drive and we are in the parking lot, where we park our camper van and go to find the way to this fairy-tale castle.
We find a sign indicating that we need to go in this direction and that it could take 45 minutes. The climb is not the easiest, as there are also steeper inclines and even stairs at times, but in less than 30 minutes, we are on the mountain, right at the castle gates. Sweaty, a little out of breath, but satisfied with what we saw from the outside, it's time to take a tour of the castle and see all the beauty from the inside. But what a surprise! Tickets can only be bought downstairs, before the big climb, and if we haven't booked them online, due to the large number of visitors, it might happen that we can only buy them for tomorrow!
A little disappointed, we climb down; this only indicates that we will have to come here again, and we are happy about this idea!
We pay 16 Euros for parking and head towards Latvia, stopping in a small town along the way to eat Turkish kebab, and now it's 19 hours until home.
You can't drive fast with a camper, but you can stop and sleep or rest at any time. I set a goal for myself: to drive until 2 AM, get at least to Wroclaw, then sleep for 4 hours, and continue the journey.
That's pretty much what happened; we rolled along slowly, I slept for a few hours during the night, and on Saturday evening, around 6:30 PM, we drove into our driveway.
It took at least an hour to unload all the belongings and another hour the next morning to clean the camper a bit and prepare it to be taken to Riga, to return our wonderful home on wheels to Kemperi 365.
Thank you Kemperi 365 for this amazing trip, thank you to our followers who read the articles, look at the pictures, hit like, a special thank you to everyone who also comments, this feedback is a great thing to get inspiration for future work, thank you all and see you in new articles and new adventures.
