Europe Trip 2K19 Series: My Frugal Travel Experience in Hachenburg, Germany
Everything happened so fast. I don’t even remember exactly when and what had inspired me to snatch the getaway retreat to a faraway land for two weeks. All I could remember is that my friend, Kevin, migrated to Germany this year’s January and has been inviting me to visit him ever since.
I looked through my exhaustively packed schedule and decided to strike an adventurous solo trip to Germany, a country that I had neither been before nor knowing the language at all. I was conscience-stricken over the impulsiveness of me leaving all the vexing problems in life and travelling further for self-discovery. Still, it was indeed a unique opportunity I ever have.
I reached Frankfurt airport on the first autumn morning. Kevin and his stepdad, Uncle Ulrich, or we prefer calling him Uli, picked me up from the arrival hall at 6:45am. We spent the next one hour and forty-five minutes appreciating the scenery that we don’t usually see in our home country, such as windmills, signboards in Deutsch, opposite driving directions, and the no-speed-limit culture on the highway.
The moment I alighted from his Volkswagen, I was utterly amazed by their cottage. The house and their lifestyle were beyond what I could imagine before getting there. (I plan to create another article about the family and their home. Thus, I’m going to save the details of that. Stay tuned for the post if you are interested to know how is it like living with an adorable squad like them. *Chuckled*)
After admiring every single corner of their house, Aunty Irene, Kevin’s mom served us breakfast with sandwiches and other fillings that I’ve not tried in my life before, not even in other European countries too. As a Harry Potter fan, I’d describe their family as The Weasley as they took good care of me and pampered my stomach like a hungry baby most of the time.
Apart from picking up a few Deutsch words such as Guten Tag, Danke, and Bis Bald, I have learned a little bit about the place that I visited. It’s Hachenburg, a combination of small-town and countryside that lies between Koblenz and Siegen in Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Not only that it’s well known for the home toare institutions, but reputable for its town library as well.
As someone who grew up in a city, spending a holiday in Hachenburg is a fruitful experience for me. Though there weren’t many events in the countryside, there are still a lot that we could do as an urbanite. Here, I’m going to share a few fun activities I did in Hachenburg, Germany. Enjoy!
Cycling
I cycled a lot from places to another. Those who followed me on my social media, know that I wrote my travel journal each day by sharing things I experience in Germany. One of them was to pick up cycling skills that is acutely important for my trip to Europe.
I spent the first and second day to get used to the e-bike with the assist gear function in it. Looking back to the last time I cycled with friends a decade ago, much less riding a bike that works precisely like a motorcycle, that makes my cycling experience to be much scarier than I thought.
I could remember the second day of my cycling practice with Kevin. It was drizzling, but we didn’t stop practising until I know how to paddle in the right manner and change the gear based on different circumstances. “When there is a will, there is a way”, I successfully picked up the skills after a few attempts and started riding it to everywhere after that.
One of the most memorable cycling experiences I had was to cycle from Kevin’s house to Gehlert (approximately 20km of distance). Gehlert, a community that lies in the Westerwald between Limburg and Siegen, possesses 630 inhabitants with more than 750 years of history (Gemeinde, nd). Kevin and I spent our evening by enjoying the beauty of vast grasslands, the satellite tower, different heights of windmills, the unique culture of Ortsgemeinde, and horse feeding as well.
Sightseeing (Houses and nature)
Travelling to another country is always an eye-opening experience for everyone. Apart from getting to enjoy the beauty of different nature, folk cultures, and the activities that are rare in our hometown, there’s one that’s particularly enjoyable when you are admiring the landscape in a strange place. Housing types that is!
Regardless of the continents I visited, whether it's Asia or Europe, I always find examining houses and their structures merely intriguing. Unlike other western countries, most of the houses in Germany are built with Kalksandsteinmauerwerk, a Calcareous sandstone masonry material for the well-insulated home (Josey, 2015). You may still find houses made of woods, but chances are quite rare compared to the stated materials that they used on apartments and flats.
If you are entering the countryside area, there are still other unique houses for your sightseeing pleasure, such as thatched cottages, log houses in the forest, and turf houses alongside the Rhine River.
I remember the day when I was travelling to Switzerland from Koblenz, Germany by train. Throughout the journey, I couldn’t resist the temptation of looking out of the windows for beautiful scenery. Other than the mountains, blueberries fields, winding rivers, and pedestrians walking along the streets, I saw many houses that deeply elevated my excitement in examining the living conditions of Germans.
Among the architectural buildings I’ve seen in Germany, there’s one that I like the most until today. The Cistercian Monastery is a Gothic Catholic Church that has been established since 1134. Despite its traditional outlook, the interior content itself is fantastic. For instance, the library, the brewery with a restaurant, shop for books and arts, and guest house are all the compelling areas that enhanced the facilities of the building. It’s technically a historical location that got my eyes the moment I stepped foot on that location.
Organic Fruits
During the days in Hachenburg, Aunty Irene made me a lot of tasty local dishes that I couldn’t leave without eating. On top of those, staying in the countryside and small-town gave me perks to enjoy the authentic organic fruits as well.
I remember eating raspberries in Gehlert, trying out German plums, plucking apples from the trees, and tasting reddish for the very first time in my life. These are the things that made me deeply fell in love with nature.
An evening before my departure, Uncle Uli drove me around Hachenburg’s town, forest, and the neighbourhood with his All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV). Not only that he showed me the historical sites (that includes the drugs rehabilitation hospital, army huts, monuments, hidden places for cannons in the first world war, and the traditional excavators they used to cut down old-tress), but we spent our lazy evening plucking fruits from the trees on grassy hills as well.
I began to appreciate the chill, healthy and slow lifestyle they cultivate in the countryside, which I never had in the city before.
Friendly Neighbourhood
One of the wonders that I wish to highlight in this post is the friendly people I’ve met there. Before my visitation, many friends around told me some stereotypes they have had about Germans such as being distant and rough. Still, my personal experience gave me a definite conclusion that these statements are straight-up incorrect!
There are still some rough people I had seen in public places, unfortunately, but I’d say they are just being themselves, not because they are being Germans. They may represent the minorities, but absolutely not representing Germans as a whole. You see, the world is full of good and bad people, it’s the same everywhere, regardless of nationality.
Generally, the Germans that I encountered during my trip were all pleasant and approachable. Though mostly all villagers in the place I stayed aren’t English speakers which makes communication tougher than it is, I still find the hospitalities I received from them are far cordial than anybody else. Word isn’t enough to describe how amazing these people are!
Kevin spent his morning taking German classes everyday. While he’s away, I walked out of the house occasionally and spent my quality reading time alone at the field behind his house, or toured around the nearby houses if I was in the right mood.
There were times I bumped into strangers who smiled and spoke more than just a ‘Hallo’ to me. It was hard to understand what they were saying at the beginning, but I gradually picked up their language from there. Ultimately, I became more aware of things they told despite with my poor Deutsch proficiency.
There is a particular family that I like the most, apart from the Sager’s (Kevin’s family), is the Pacheco’s. They live opposite Kevin’s house and have played an important role in my trip as well.
David, the son of the family, is a tall, strong, and intelligent friend I’ve made in Hachenburg. I remember being so taken aback when Kevin told me that he’s exceptionally skillful in fixing vehicles, and capable of IT technologies as well. We spent one of the afternoons seeing him fixing his bike at his backyard before our cycling trip to the river nearby. His aptitude and inventiveness have won my utmost admiration. (Ps: He’s a huge fan of Darth Vader in Star Wars)
His sister, Anna, on the other hand, is the sweetest and the most gentle person I’ve met so far. During our cycling journey in the woods, she turned to me regularly to make sure that I was catching up and always took her initiative to help me up on my gear settings when there’s an issue with my bike. I felt a little ashamed that I wasn’t good at cycling and dragged their anticipated arrival time to the destination. Nonetheless, she was so patient and kept telling me “it’s alright, not a problem…” just to help me relax. Thinking about the compassionate she has portrayed in this situation gave me warm fuzzies.
Their parents, Mr Pacheco and Mrs Pacheco both treated me with warm and benign as well, especially Mr Pacheco, who used to travel to Spain, Portugal, and Japan, shared with me a lot of exciting experience he had. Though I don’t understand Deutsch that much, I’m beyond grateful that they tried their best to help me blend into their social circle. Most importantly, they made me feel like I’m a part of their family.
Bonding with Animals
While getting closer to nature is the essential reason to stay in the countryside, one shouldn’t neglect the bonding with animals. Our evening in Gehlert on the second day was another eye-opening experience for me.
As mentioned, our activities in Gehlert included horse feeding as well.
Growing up in a confined city doesn’t get me exposure to wildlife. The only places to see horses in my hometown are usually racecourses, horse ranches for touristy, zoos, and horse riding parks near beaches. Thus, I was never given a chance to see anyone owning horses on their farm and doing horse-breeding themselves before.
My first horse feeding experience was simply astonishing. I got caught off guard when seeing a large and robust horse walking closer to me for the food on my hand. It was a little scary at the beginning, but after a few attempts and listening to their chewing noises, it somehow soothed my soul as though I could finally feel refreshed for the first time in my life.
On the last day of my trip, David and Anna took Kevin and me to Wildpark Bad Marienberg, a recreation spot known for walking circuit, petting zoo, playground, and viewing tower in Westerwald. Apart from donating some cash to help to preserve animals, we fed silage to the wild animals for instance deers, sheep, goats, cattle, rheas, boars, and more wild creatures.
I am overwhelmed by the contentment as I have finally grown my maturity in general knowledge that I did not acquire before.
Needless to say, my stay in Hachenburg was an extraordinary exposure for a venturesome man like me. I’m not sure if my article will be able to play the magic and make you fall in love with the countryside lifestyle, but if you are eager for a stress-free getaway and the fresh air to cleanse your soul, give it a shot. You won’t regret having it occasionally during the holiday.
Likewise, this marks the end of the first article under my Europe Trip 2K19 series. There will be more coming up soon for your wanderlust satisfaction. Please stay tuned, and I hope you had a good time reading this.
