Going to Germany to see our friends was exciting enough, but on one of our excursions, they surprised us with a day trip to Austria.  Southern Germany is close to a few different countries so dipping our toes into another one wasn’t that difficult.  Still, it was a surprise for people who enjoy tracking where they have traveled on a large world map!

The first thing we did was grab our tickets to the Highline 179 Bridge.  Opening in 2014, this bridge won a Guinness World Record for being the longest Tibet-style footbridge, coming in at 1,318.9 feet.  Visitors can walk across the bridge, suspended above the highway, between Fort Claudia and Ehrenberg Castle.  A steep incline takes visitors to the platform to admire the view and cross the bridge if you are not afraid of heights and (on that day) forceful wind that was bitterly cold.

After having fun on the bridge, we toured Ehrenberg.  This castle structure sits in ruins, with original portions dating back to the 1200s.  The signs explain that visitors can tour at their own risk due to crumbling portions. We did see construction efforts on certain parts, so it seems like restoration efforts have begun, but everything is still open and somewhat unsafe.

This was a great day trip from Southern Germany. Even though it was unseasonably cold, I was excited to visit my 18th country!