The next place we visited was a municipality called Seefeld, which was in the district of Starnberg in Bavaria, Germany. We came here because we wanted to go camping, or rather, glamping at this place called Campingplatz Pilsensee. The campsite is situated right on the edge of a lake, with caravans, tents, and barrels surrounding the area. We paid ~S$227.76 (€160) for two nights in these cute little barrels.

The barrels are small and can fit two people comfortably. We would sometimes squeeze four people into one barrel, especially at night when we wanted to hang out. It will get cramped with four people, but it's still rather cosy. Though the mornings are sunny, the nights are really cold, so you'll want to keep the heater on.

The campsite has a very clean public toilet on-site where you can shower, as well as a small shop selling snacks and beer. There are also numerous restaurants around the area, but they are often closed or are not selling hot food. You can also do your laundry at the washing machines here.

To get here, you need to take a train from Munich, which takes about an hour. It's a bit complicated to come here, so I'll just link the directions so you can see them for yourself! We spent a whole afternoon doing watersports such as kayaking and paddle boarding. The rates start from ~S$22.78 (€16)/person for a one-hour paddle-boarding rental. The current on the lake is really strong, so don't paddle too far out if you're not very experienced! I was stuck out on the lake for about two hours and had to get help because I couldn't row back...

As there are limited restaurants on the campsite, we usually had to walk out to find food. There are some nice Italian restaurants a few bus stops down, but we would usually walk to this nearby restaurant called Bräustüberl Schloss Seefeld. This Bavarian restaurant offers typical Bavarian and German food and has a lovely courtyard as well.

Our next stop was Nuremberg, the second-largest city in the German state of Bavaria. We stayed in this lovely hotel called Astoria Apartments and booked the One-bedroom Apartment for ~S$173 (€121.53)/night. The apartment had one large double bed and one sofa bed.

The entire check-in and check-out process is automated and very seamless. The hotel is also near the subway and has many things to do around the area, including Nuremberg's old towns, the Christmas Market, Kohlenhof Art Museum, and Albrecht Dürer’s House.

What to do in Nuremberg

There are many things to do in Nuremberg, especially the area where our hotel was located. One interesting place we visited was Nuremberg Imperial Castle, which is a group of medieval fortified buildings on a sandstone ridge. It also dominates the historical centre of Nuremberg and is considered one of Europe's most formidable medieval fortifications. There's also a bridge that we saw called the Maxbrücke, which is the oldest solid stone bridge in the city. From here, you can walk to another three-arch bridge and see the Hangman's Bridge, also known as the roofed wooden bridge.

Nuremberg also had the Hauptmarkt, which is a market with a plethora of stalls selling food, fruits, vegetables, and trinkets. There are also restaurants and cafes in the area.

We also saw The Beautiful Fountain, a fountain from the 14th century. It's located right next to the main market and has two brass rings that are said to bring good luck to those who spin them!

If you wanna visit churches, St. Sebaldus Church is just nearby as well.

Nuremberg is known for gingerbread and red beer, so be sure to try them when you're here! It can be harder to find gingerbread when it's not the Christmas season, but some markets may have them. We also had a lot of sausages, German pretzels, sauerkraut, and pork knuckle.

The city is also known for toys and has been known for toys for more than 600 years. When we were there, we saw many toy shops selling wooden dolls and wooden puppets.

We also stumbled into the red light district by accident, as it's quite unassuming. We saw a few druggies and drunkards along the way but didn't think much of it until we saw women waving at us from their windows.

We also experienced a serious storm while we were in Nuremberg. It was pretty scary and was blowing tents away and toppling signboards. We were about a 15-minute walk away from our hotel when this happened, so we hurried back as fast as we could while trying not to get sand in our eyes. It was one of the scariest storms I've experienced, and it even warranted a weather alert, so thank God we made it home in one piece.

My second cousin lives in Frankfurt, so he took on the responsibility of bringing us around. He first brought us to lunch in Hauptwache, at this restaurant called Café Hauptwache. The restaurant is actually a former police station and serves typical German fare as well as beer. After the hearty lunch, I was craving something sweet, so we walked around the markets nearby and found myself some gingerbread.

We also visited the Old Town, where the famous colourful houses are at. There were tons of tourists here, so you can expect lots of souvenir shops for you to do some last-minute shopping. The iconic square also had some historic markets, as well as numerous restaurants with an alfresco area for you to sip coffee and people-watch. We also visited the St. Bartholomäus Cathedral, which was nearby.

My cousin also brought us to the Main River, where we bought a beer and just sat down on the grass. People were drinking and dancing, and some were even making out... and it was just fun fun all around. We were also quite exhausted, so we just relaxed and enjoyed the sun.

There's also a famous bridge in Frankfurt called the Eiserner Steg, which is something like the love locks bridge in Korea. The bridge spans across the Main River and has gorgeous views of the downtown skyline.

Ironically, this (supposedly) used to be a suicide bridge, but I guess it's a good thing we're now counting love locks instead of bodies...

We also did some last-minute shopping here in Frankfurt and bought a shit ton of stuff from Gucci, Balenciaga, and Lululemon. I even managed to fit in a quick spin class at a German studio! The only thing I didn't do that I wish I had was go clubbing.

Throughout our one month in Europe, my boyfriend and I did not experience any nasty encounters, except for one single instance in Frankfurt. We were basically looking for a seat at a cafe, and there was a middle-aged German couple at one of the tables. They were staring at us the entire time, so I got a little uncomfortable and looked at them. They kinda smirked and started talking to us in German, and we obviously did not understand, so they literally rolled their eyes at us and then ignored us. My boyfriend and I had the WTF moment when this happened, so we just shot them a mean look and left the scene. But other than this rude couple, the locals were all really friendly. They look cold and intimidating at first, but they're generally friendly people!

Also, I don't recommend not paying for your ticket in Germany. Some people try to board the trains without paying for a ticket, and while you may be lucky enough to get away with it, we weren't and ended up with a €50 fine each, so...

Just follow the rules y'all.

I also got my bank card swiped while in Frankfurt, and it was quite scary because my money got deducted only when I came back to Singapore. When I called the bank, they told me that the transaction was made to a gaming company and was used in Frankfurt. I was physically back in Singapore when the transaction went through, so I informed them that it was probably fraudulent. So yes, just be extra careful when travelling!