Amsterdam to Munich: The journey that changed my life

• Amsterdam can be easily enjoyed by foot or by public transportation, but upon arriving in the city, I immediately rented a classic “omafiet” from a nearby bike shop. If you choose to see Amsterdam by bike, as countless locals do, make sure to learn the rules of the road — I got my bearings in the Vondelpark before cycling in the streets.  
• To dive further into local life in Amsterdam, check to see if your visit overlaps with one of the craft markets regularly held at the Hallen. On my first visit to Amsterdam, I stumbled upon a “Maker Market” with local artists selling jewelery, ceramics and more. 
• I recently visited Pakhuis de Zwijger for the first time for an event celebrating Slow Travel and came away wanting to recommend it to everyone, locals and visitors alike. What was once an old dockers’ warehouse has been transformed into a modern space offering free poetry nights, documentary screenings, lectures, and other community events.  

• Frankfurt residents spend their sunny days (and sometimes the cloudy ones, too!) alongside the Main River, which cuts through the center of the city. Don’t miss one of my favorite hidden gems — Portikus, a small contemporary art gallery tucked among the trees on a small island on the river.  

• Green spaces make up about 50% of Frankfurt, which means travelers can’t begin to understand the city until they spend time in its parks. Not sure where to start? Begin with a picnic in lush and lovely Grüneburgpark in Frankfurt’s Westend. 

• After experiencing the city center, take the Frankfurt’s S-Bahn trains (also included in the Interrail Pass Network) to nearby Bad Homburg and Kronberg. Each town boasts a castle and easy access to hiking trails in the Taunus Mountains. 

• After exploring Strasbourg's charming streets, give back to the city’s rivers by joining a kayak tour/waterway clean-up organized by Strasbourg Eaux-Vives.  

• Strasbourg restaurants are known for their Alsatian specialties (flammekueche comes to mind!) but visitors shouldn’t miss dining at local favorite Le Jasmin, a Tunisian restaurant in the Orangerie district.  

• Souvenir seekers can find locally-crafted gifts at L'in ô sens, a shop just a few blocks from the city’s centerpiece: the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg.  

• St. Gallen is full of beautiful buildings — but the ornate Abbey Library of St. Gall is a particular highlight, especially for book lovers.

• Appenzell, under 20 kilometres from St. Gallen, is known for its cheese-making and other agricultural specialities. You can sample foods from Appenzell and other nearby regions at one of St. Gallen’s farmers markets, held throughout the week.  

• Don’t leave without savouring its hyper-local delicacy: the St. Gallen "biber," a gingerbread made of honey dough.  

• In summer, take a dip in the Bodensee, also known as Lake Constance, with a visit to one of its outdoor pools (the 200-year- old Mili, on outdoor stilts, looks especially appealing). In the colder months, slow down and catch the sunset on a walk along the lakeshore.   

• After experiencing the lake, it’s time to go up — 1,064 meters up, to be exact. From the top of the city’s Pfänderbahn cable car, I caught sight of snow-capped Alpine peaks for the first time, an experience that inspired many more trips to the Alps.  

• Ready to head indoors? Bregenz is home to quite a few museums — but the most meaningful one may be the Juppenwerkstadt. A museum and workshop in nearby Riefensberg, it is uniquely dedicated to preserving and celebrating the traditional clothing crafted and worn in the Bregenz region.  

• I’ll never forget the sunny morning my family and I spent walking the stately grounds of Nymphenburg Palace. It was a Thursday in March, which meant we had the lavish, Rococo-style landmark largely to ourselves. 

• The next time I’m in Munich, I plan to visit Klinglwirt, an “eco-inn” specializing in sustainably produced Bavarian cuisines (think schnitzel, goulash, sauerkraut, schupfnudeln and beyond). 

• Since my first visit to the city, life has brought me back to Munich a few times. During my last trip to the city, I stumbled into the Wortwahl Buchkultur, a unique bookstore and stationary shop — perfect for picking up a last-minute souvenir or a riveting read before returning home.  

Rachel Schnalzer is a senior writer at Eurail, based in Utrecht, the Netherlands.