The last thing I expected to find in a German town was a Roman-Irish bath — but Baden-Baden, on the northern edge of the Black Forest, is known for just that.

We spent a day at the thermal baths of Friedrichsbad, which had warm and hot air baths, thermal steam rooms, cold and warm pools, a quiet room, a cream service, and a reading room.

It's a nude spa, though it offers two days a week where swimwear is required. At first, being naked with a bunch of strangers threw us off, but once we got past feeling awkward, it was a unique, relaxing experience.

The next day, we also visited a nearby family-friendly thermal bath with hot and cold plunges and a sauna.

We planned our trip for the fall for several reasons, but going to Oktoberfest in Munich was at the top of that list.

For our day at Oktoberfest, we arrived at the fairgrounds just as they opened. This gave us all day to visit multiple beer tents and throw back pints like we were in college all over again.

But the festival is more than just beer: It has live music, fried foods, and all sorts of rides. Our day was carefree and filled with good drinks, good food, and good times.

My husband and I love taking long hiking trips on vacation.

I recognize that climbing mountains in the German Alps is not everyone's idea of a good time, but there are plenty of more accessible hikes in Berchtesgaden National Park for all skill levels, including the stunning Wimbach Gorge.

The best hike of our trip, however, was to Germany's highest waterfall. We scaled the cliffside using tree roots as handholds and footholds, dealing with rock scrambles, fallen trees, and slippery terrain the whole way up and down.

It's not for the faint of heart, but it's the most thrilling hike we encountered in Germany.

Of the many castles we explored in Germany and Austria, my favorites were Eltz and Neuschwanstein.

The former is in the Rhine region of Germany and looks like it was plucked right out of a fairy-tale. A third of it is still in use by the descendants of the family who built it, so you can't take pictures inside, but you can learn its interesting history during the tour.

Neuschwanstein is perhaps the most famous German castle — it even inspired Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. Since it's located in Bavaria, it's surrounded by dramatic scenery, including snowcapped mountains and a beautiful alpine lake.

If those castles aren't enough to satiate your need for fairy-tale magic, head to the Black Forest, which is said to have inspired the Brothers Grimm to come up with stories like Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, and Sleeping Beauty.

We went on multiple hikes in the Black Forest, which, despite its name, is one of the greenest places I've ever been.

The area felt lush and dramatic, with constant fog swirling around, occasionally revealing or concealing mountaintops, ancient ruins, and murky lakes.

Plus, while in the area, we got to try a hefty slice of Black Forest cake.

One of the best things we did in Austria was in Innsbruck, where we took the funicular up to the Alpenzoo (Alpine Zoo).

This zoo is built into the mountainside, so be ready for plenty of steep ascents and descents as you wander around. That's by design since it's home to animals who thrive on the mountainside. We saw bears, moose, marmots, otters, eagles, bison, ibexes, lynxes, and more.

After a few hours, we hopped back on the funicular and took it all the way to the snowy summit. Up there, we had sweeping views of Innsbruck below, which is surrounded on all sides by mountains.

We intended to hike to the Eagle's Nest in Berchtesgaden, but it was closed due to avalanche risk while we were there. Instead, we pivoted to a tour of the nearby salt mine, and it was a great decision.

Our guided tour was excellent. We loved taking multiple fun modes of transportation throughout, including a mine train, a funicular, a boat that crossed a brine lake, and, my favorite, multiple long slides that took us deeper into the mines.

Berchtesgaden isn't the only place in the area where you can explore salt mines — Salzburg and Hallstatt also have tours.

Looking for even more things to do in Germany and Austria? Here are a few of my honorable mentions:

• Spend an evening drinking local rieslings in Cochem while enjoying a view of the castle on the hill.
• Go to a Mozart concert in the Marble Hall of Salzburg's Mirabell Palace.
• Order schnitzel at a small mom-and-pop restaurant in Bavaria.
• Hike around Lake Gosau (near Hallstatt) and take the path that branches off to see the greenest swamp you'll ever encounter.

Bracciano, which shares its name with the lake, is close to several other small towns you can explore.

For a day trip, though, I recommend just sticking with one town.

It was easy to take the train from Rome to Bracciano (we spent about $15 for two round-trip tickets), explore the town, relax by the water, and return to our hotel.

The main attraction in Bracciano seemed to be a well-preserved historic castle.

Our train dropped us off about an hour before the castle opened.

To kill some time, we went to a café and sat at tables overlooking the town square and the castle. We enjoyed pastries and cappuccinos and people watched.

This town is much less touristy than Rome, so we mostly saw Italians going to work, running errands, and walking their dogs.

Exploring the Bracciano Castle, or Castello Odescalchi di Bracciano, was a welcome change from the guided tours in Rome.

Rather than ushering past all the highlights with a group of 20-plus people, we got to take our time in each castle area while listening to a free English audio guide.

We visited on a weekday at the end of the summer season and were the only people in the castle for most of our two-hour visit.

We climbed ramparts and saw gorgeous views of the lake during our time at Bracciano Castle.

We stopped for pictures and enjoyed the nice breeze.

After exploring the ramparts, as well as the castle's armory, kitchen, and courtyard, we saw some of the interior rooms curated with furniture, weapons, and artwork from the castle's history.

After a few hours in the castle, my husband and I took a lunch break and headed toward the lake.

The walk from the city center and castle to the lakeside took about 20 minutes.

The castle and the town are technically up on a hill, so I recommend wearing shoes with a good grip for the descent to the water.

All the private beaches with boat rentals were closed for the end of the summer, but there were plenty of public shores for us to relax on.

We got an excellent water-view spot and pulled out our books, which we didn't have much time to enjoy back in busy Rome.

We didn't end up swimming in the lake, but my husband snuck in a nap by the water.

I sat on the beach and watched people swim far out into the water, teenagers canoodle on the beach, and an older woman curse at her phone in Italian while waiting at a bus stop.

We finally felt immersed in Italian culture, far from other tourists.

Though it was the end of summer, a few restaurants were open on the lake.

We grabbed a table on the water, shared a bottle of wine, and ate some of the most delicious desserts of the entire trip.

I ordered a lemon sorbet, and my husband stuck with his tried-and-true tiramisu.

We then hiked back up to the city, which I found to be a much tougher climb, and boarded our return train to Rome.

Having escaped the crowds of the Eternal City for a day, we felt refreshed and ready to dive back into our hectic travels.

This story was originally published on January 13, 2024, and most recently updated on December 27, 2024.