Our family trip started in Hamburg, Germany, where we got to explore the city and see some really memorable places. One of my favorite stops was Miniatur Wunderland, which had incredibly detailed mini planes, trains, cars, and cities. We also took a boat tour on the Elbe River and saw the Elbphilharmonie, which was really impressive from the water.

Hamburg street scene with a cat in the foreground
Hamburg street scene with a cat in the foreground 1 / 12
Miniatur Wunderland fairground scene
Miniatur Wunderland fairground scene 2 / 12
Miniatur Wunderland train scene
Miniatur Wunderland train scene 3 / 12
Miniatur Wunderland miniature town scene
Miniatur Wunderland miniature town scene 4 / 12
Hamburg city lights at night
Hamburg city lights at night 5 / 12
Miniatur Wunderland train tunnel scene
Miniatur Wunderland train tunnel scene 6 / 12
Night drive across a bridge in Hamburg
Night drive across a bridge in Hamburg 7 / 12
Miniatur Wunderland harbor and ship model
Miniatur Wunderland harbor and ship model 8 / 12
Miniatur Wunderland harbor and landscape model
Miniatur Wunderland harbor and landscape model 9 / 12
Miniatur Wunderland airport model
Miniatur Wunderland airport model 10 / 12
Miniatur Wunderland coastal scene
Miniatur Wunderland coastal scene 11 / 12
Hamburg church spire against blue sky
Hamburg church spire against blue sky 12 / 12

After Hamburg, we drove to Gnoien, where part of my grandma’s mom’s mom’s side of the family, the Kelsey/Kölzow line, came from. I ran down a cobblestone road, and i sat on the sunroof of the car that we had (BYD seal)

Church near Gnoien
Cemetery near Gnoien
Wooded stone structure near Gnoien

Next, we traveled to Szczecinek, Poland, which connected to my grandma’s dad’s dad’s side of the family. It had a cool park, little bronze statues scattered around, and a big church.

One of the most peaceful parts of the trip was kayaking through the river in Spreewald. We went through little waterways and under some bridges.. After that, we stayed in a castle, but it didnt have an elevator and we were on the 2nd floor with lots of luggage, also no wifi.

Kayaking through the waterways in Spreewald
Drink stop during the Spreewald part of the trip
Countryside animals during the Germany trip

We also visited the Bastei Bridge, Pirna, and Königstein Fortress. The views were amazing, especially around the cliffs and old stone buildings. The Bastei bridges was underwhelming, but there was really high, steep, cool viewpoints overlooking the towns, and we could see the Königstein castle from there.

Family overlook above a German town
Tower view during the Bastei, Pirna, and Königstein stop
Bastei Bridge and sandstone cliffs

In Dresden, we visited the zoo and also watched Dixieland music in the park, which counted for my honors band credit. After that, we took a long train ride to Frankfurt, where we explored the old town, rode trams, and went to the Illusions Museum.

Tree display at the Dresden zoo
Tree display at the Dresden zoo 1 / 10
Green garden scene at the Dresden zoo
Green garden scene at the Dresden zoo 2 / 10
Bonsai display in the Dresden greenhouse
Bonsai display in the Dresden greenhouse 3 / 10
Reptile habitat at the Dresden zoo
Reptile habitat at the Dresden zoo 4 / 10
Giraffe at the Dresden zoo
Giraffe at the Dresden zoo 5 / 10
Orangutan at the Dresden zoo
Orangutan at the Dresden zoo 6 / 10
Lizard at the Dresden zoo
Lizard at the Dresden zoo 7 / 10
Antelope at the Dresden zoo
Antelope at the Dresden zoo 8 / 10
Airplane on the travel day
Airplane on the travel day 9 / 10
Train station travel moment at the end of the Germany trip
Train station travel moment at the end of the Germany trip 10 / 10