Maura had spent five days in Greifswald, North Germany, sorting out the paperwork and insurance for our new car, a BMW 320d Estate.
Having our own car would give us the freedom to explore more of Europe, especially the smaller towns and villages away from the larger cities.
With the paperwork completed, we were ready to drive Germany to Italy; it would be 10 Countries in 10 Nights.
Our Europe Road Trip – Ten Countries in 10 Nights Map
This 10-country Europe road trip will take us to:
- Berlin (Germany)
- Wroclaw (Poland)
- Brno (Chechia)
- Bratislava (Slovakia)
- Kittsee (Austria)
- Hevis (Hungary)
- Zagreb (Croatia)
- Ljubljana (Slovenia)
- San Marino (San Marino) and finally to
- Moresco (Italy) is where our next house sit is located.
For our road trip from north Germany to Italy, we will visit ten countries in ten nights. Here is our introduction video on YouTube.
Related Posts:
Day 3 – Five Highlights of Wroclaw, Poland
Day 4 – Driving Eastern Europe to Four Countries in One Day
Day 5 – Bratislava Old Town 9 Highlights to Visit
Day 6 – 10 Must-See Sights of Zagreb, The Ultimate Guide to Croatia’s Capital
Day 7 – The Beauty of Lake Bled – It Will Steal Your Heart
Day 8 – How to Spend a Day in the Friendly City of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Day 9 – Experiencing Some Lesser Known Northern Italian Towns
Day 10 – Why the Republic of San Marino is the Perfect Romantic Getaway
Visiting Greifswald in Northern Germany
Greifswald in Northern Germany is worth a visit if you want to unwind, go fishing and enjoy long walks. Having the many inlets and islands to explore means fish from the Baltic Sea is always on the menu.
However, the surprise was finding thatched cottages in the picturesque village of Gristow near Greifswald.
The bonus was a climb to the top of the 13 century church tower with spectacular views. It was worth every step.
Terry had stayed behind in Water Orton near Birmingham to complete the housesitting assignment. So, we were both pleased to reunite at Berlin Tegel airport on Tuesday morning after Maura had completed the 3-hour drive.
Day One – Germany to the Polish Border
Our Day One plan was to head towards the Polish border to a town called Gablenz, with a stop in Luckau on the way.
Luckau is regarded as one of the prettiest towns in this part of Germany; it has been dubbed “the Pearl of Lower Lusatia, and we did agree.
Two km from Gablenz was Rakotzbrüke, a stone bridge built in the 1880s that created a perfect circle in the reflection of the small lake where the bridge crosses.
Our GPS did a great job getting us to Gablenz, but then we spent 90 minutes frustratingly searching the three roads leading out of town for the bridge.
The weird thing was that we couldn’t match any of the roads to what was showing on the GPS. Argh!!!
The first tip is don’t ask for help from the guy cleaning up the churchyard. He doesn’t speak English at all, and he is crazy!
The second tip is to check to see if there are two towns called Gablenz that are only 23 km apart. Are you kidding? Why?
We had gone to Gablenz Brandenburg, not Gablenz Saxony!
The lady in the butcher shop was a lot more helpful and way less crazy than the guy in the churchyard, so off we went for another half-hour drive to find this famous bridge.
We finally made it to Rakotzbruke around 5:30 p.m., and the timing was perfect: the sun was coming from the right direction for taking photos.
We had seen a campground in the nearby village of Kromlau.
We intended to use our newly purchased small tent, but the ground looked a little lumpy.
So when the owner pointed out that we could spend €10 for a tent site or €20 for a cabin with access to a kitchen, we chose the more comfortable option.
We aren’t in our 20s anymore, or even our 30s or 40s.
And we remembered to use the One Little Item We Never Travel Without.
Day 2 – Border Crossing to Wroclaw, Poland
Terry had the best night’s sleep in a long time, so we were both awake at 8:45 a.m.
We would be leaving Germany and heading into Poland, our 42nd country. There are only 155 countries to go, lol.
As we crossed from Bad Muskau, Germany, into Lenica, Poland, we felt we were back in Asia.
It was a busy roadside market with lots of German residents buying goods for lower prices.
Wroclaw was our destination for Day 2 of the roadie, with a stop planned at Castle Ksiaz.
The drive would be around 3.5 hours.
But as you do on a road trip, you get distracted as we take a side road that leads to the small town of Roztoka.
At around 1.30 pm we arrived at Ksiaz and walked through the park to the castle.
Ksiaz Castle is an impressive and well-preserved building constructed in 1288-92. It survived occupation by two foreign countries (Germany and Russia) in the 20th century.
We loved the entrance, which led through a gateway to a small path with cafes and bars lining each side. It was really welcoming.
We then headed to Wroclaw, a city of 650,000 residents, for the next two nights. We found the campsite on the outskirts of the city and again opted for the cabin rather than the tent. Was it because the cabin reminded us of Hobbiton, or because we like some comfort, or because the nights here are a little colder?
We now have one full day in Wroclaw to explore the city, then head south to Brno. More stories to follow …..
Day 6 of our 10 countries 10-night road trip from North Germany to Italy saw us leave Bratislava, Slovenia, to travel via Lake Heviz, Hungary, then on to Zagreb, Croatia. As a result, we knew we would be short on time when we got to Zagreb. Consequently, we chose 10 must-see sights of Zagreb.
When we arrived at the border to Hungary, we paid our road tolls and continued along the quiet, straight road surrounded by flat terrain. Seeing so many dried-up fields of sunflowers made the area look barren.
Once again, we had an unplanned stop at a roadside market. We couldn’t resist buying the largest watermelons we have ever seen. This area grows local produce, and the fruit and vegetables are flavoursome.
Lake Heviz, Hungary
What we found was a typical little resort town.
We discovered the second-largest thermal lake in the world (Lake Echo in New Zealand is the largest).
As a result, we were a little overwhelmed with the number of bathers bobbing about with their floatation devices. Of course, we hadn’t thought of that.
While the water is naturally replenished every 72 hours, the green algae, giving therapeutic relief to swimmers, can be a little off-putting.
With the air temperature at 35 degrees, the lake was refreshing at a lower temperature.
Hi Priti, we love being on the road, but our next roadie we will stay longer in each place. The cabin was very cosy, and a bit more room than our small tent or the back of the wagon 🙂
Really enjoyed the blog and the pictures too. What a beaut part of the world
Thanks Joe – it was good to travel a less touristy route to find some unexpected gems