{"id":13219,"date":"2025-01-10T23:25:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-10T22:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/angiestravelroutes.com\/?p=13219"},"modified":"2026-01-05T01:08:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T00:08:09","slug":"year-in-review-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/angiestravelroutes.com\/en\/jahresrueckblick-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Year-In-Review 2024: Challenges and New Perspectives"},"content":{"rendered":"

What a year! 2024 demanded a lot from me, but also rewarded me with many special moments. My health was a real challenge at first, but thanks to physiotherapy, a great health studio and a completely new approach to fitness and nutrition, I not only overcame pain, but also lost almost 6 kg - a real gain in quality of life!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There has also been a lot of progress on my travel blog Angie's Travel Routes: from my first guest article for the well-known travel blog WE TRAVEL THE WORLD<\/strong> from participating in exciting blog parades to my own blog parade in August, the year was more productive than ever. I am particularly proud of the increasing number of visitors and the fact that my blog article about the best German Christmas markets<\/a><\/strong> went through the roof with the help of Pinterest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In terms of travel in 2024, I not only discovered the beauty of Croatia on a varied road trip, but also explored Berchtesgadener Land and my home region around Stuttgart extensively. Beautiful days with my daughter in Innsbruck, the impressive Berchtesgaden Alps and a trip to the glass skywalk in the Biokovo Mountains remain special memories for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, 2024 was not only a year of travel and health issues, but also a year of change: my father moved into a retirement home and I am delighted to be moving into his former apartment - a place full of memories and a big step in my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this review, I share all these experiences and my most important insights with you and take a look at what 2025 will bring. I hope you enjoy reading it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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My topics and highlights in 2024<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Focus on health: small steps, big impact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Since the end of 2023, I had been struggling with pain in my left knee, which spread down my entire leg and meant that I could no longer sleep without painkillers in February 2024. After long car journeys (more than 20 minutes) and sitting on chairs with hard edges, which unfortunately can be found in almost every restaurant and beer garden, I felt particularly bad. I thought that's how it is when you get older and found it very depressing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My own health problems faded completely into the background when my daughter, who lives in Innsbruck and had been on sick leave since the beginning of the year, was diagnosed with a frightening, rare autoimmune disease. I found out about it shortly before Easter. I was so worried that I spontaneously went to Innsbruck the weekend after Easter to spend a few days with her, which did us both a lot of good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of April, I had an appointment with an orthopaedist, who suspected that the cause of the sciatica was an intervertebral disc problem. An MRI scan confirmed the worn discs and the physiotherapist at Momenth<\/a><\/strong> - a new health center in Sindelfingen, where I quickly got an appointment - immediately identified the fibula head as the culprit during the first treatment. I'd never heard of this thing before - it's also called the fibula head and is located on the outside of the knee. With cortisone and two to three physiotherapy sessions a week, the pain went away. I was very happy that I no longer had any pain at night in bed or when climbing stairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of May, Momenth offered me a 6-week training program with nutritional coaching, the costs of which were largely covered by my health insurance. I suspected that less body weight would not harm my intervertebral discs, joints or fibula head and signed up. What a turnaround! After 4 weeks, I had lost 2 kilos and felt much fitter and more flexible thanks to the strength training in a pleasant atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I set off on vacation to Croatia in September in a good mood with my Australian friend Paula. We spent the first week of our vacation in \u0160ibenik and Split, where I was able to manage longer uphill and downhill hikes without any major problems. Then we went on to the Makarska Riviera, which meant a slightly longer drive. When I went into the kitchen of our vacation apartment the next morning to make breakfast, I suddenly felt a sharp pain not in my left fibula, but in my right ankle. It hurt so much that I could hardly walk. So I swallowed ibuprofen again, put Voltaren ointment on my foot and mostly used my walking poles on our exploratory tours. I was very frustrated - as soon as one site (the fibula head) seemed to be closed, a new one opened up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in Germany and at the orthopaedist's, he diagnosed periostitis on my right shin, with the pain radiating into my foot. It's unbelievable what can happen and that I get this! Normally, athletes tend to have periostitis and problems with the head of the fibula. Now the treatment was Diclofenac, insoles for my shoes and compression stockings because I have water in my legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, I followed the doctor's and physiotherapist's recommendations and am now largely pain-free and almost 6 kg lighter. A big compliment to the super nice and competent team at Momenth! The health center has become my new \"happy place\". I've never felt as comfortable in a gym as I do here. Who would have thought that I could ever look forward to working out on fitness equipment! I just love the atmosphere - everything is new, the machines set themselves automatically, the staff are friendly and helpful, the customers are normal (no sweaty, smelly beefcakes), the rooms are bright, quiet and pleasant. With this health center, my progress in fitness should be guaranteed even in 2025!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Harbor
During my vacation in Croatia, I often used walking poles because of the pain in my legs, like here on a day trip to the Bay of Kotor.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Between the mountains and the coast: my travels in 2024<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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This year, I was able to live out my spirit of discovery on a varied road trip through Croatia - with a detour to Montenegro - and a wonderful trip to Berchtesgadener Land and Innsbruck, which were previously unknown to me, as well as on interesting short trips and excursions in my home region. My realization of the last few years - that it doesn't always have to be a long-distance trip - has been confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Time for us: Beautiful days in Innsbruck<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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In spring, both my daughter and I were in poor health. Despite this, and precisely because of this, I decided to take the train to Innsbruck for a few days to spend time with her. We went on lovely trips to Lake Achensee, Lake Berglstein and Rattenberg, the smallest municipality in Austria with a beautiful historic town center. There was also something new for both of us to discover in Innsbruck - the botanical garden, which we had only ever driven past. My knee pain kept me from going on longer hikes, but with my walking sticks and a daily dose of ibuprofen, I was able to manage not too steep paths to some extent. We were lucky with the weather and were able to enjoy the days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Berglsteiner
My daughter and her dog Cookie were happy about the beautiful spring day at Lake Berglstein.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Rattenberg,
... and then we took a look at the beautiful old town center of Austria's smallest municipality, Rattenberg.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Between Nazi history and natural idyll: highlights in Berchtesgaden and Innsbruck<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The trip with my friend Jutta to the Berchtesgadener Land <\/a><\/strong>began under difficult circumstances (more on this in the Quarterly review April to June 2024<\/strong><\/a>), but despite the changeable weather we had a varied and impressive week. My daughter from Innsbruck joined us at the weekend, and together we went on a wonderful hike from Ramsau through the magical forest to Hintersee<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We found the Obersalzberg Documentation Center, which was reopened in 2023 after years of renovation, very impressive. The exhibition offered a vivid examination of the Nazi era, and the nearby Eagle's Nest, which we visited, also left a lasting impression. You can find out more in my article about the Documentation Obersalzberg and the Eagle's Nest<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An absolute highlight was the Boat trip on the K\u00f6nigssee<\/strong> and our short hike to Obersee Lake<\/strong>. On the last day, we enjoyed the view from the Jenner summit and the deep blue K\u00f6nigssee in glorious sunshine. After this impressive week, we continued our trip to Innsbruck and enjoyed some relaxing days with my daughter, topped off with a trip to Lake Hintersteiner See.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"K\u00f6nigssee
Contrasting program in the Berchtesgadener Land: Idyll at the K\u00f6nigssee ...<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Berchtesgaden
... and an examination of Germany's darkest period in the Obersalzberg documentation<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Hintersteiner
Unexpected encounter at Lake Hinterstein<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Jenner
The sun is shining and below us lies the turquoise-blue K\u00f6nigssee. What more could you want on a summer's day?<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Croatia road trip: island hopping, city walls and mountain panoramas<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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I didn't take a long-distance trip again this year, but for my travel friend Paula it was of course a long-distance trip from Australia to Europe, where she always likes to combine a visit home to England with a vacation with me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first stop on our road trip through Croatia was the beautiful town of \u0160ibenik. From here, we explored the Krka National Park before continuing via Trogir to Split, where we also spent a few days. Split impressed us with its Diocletian's Palace and its perfect location for island excursions, such as our unforgettable day trip to Hvar. We continued on to Makarska, where we visited the Biokovo Mountains and the spectacular Skywalk - a guided tour proved to be the perfect choice. The grand finale was Dubrovnik, where we walked the city walls and enjoyed the view from Mount Sr\u0111\u0111. Two day trips, one to the picturesque Bay of Kotor and a boat trip to the Elaphite Islands, rounded off our trip. Despite minor challenges such as a change of rental car, high restaurant prices and my orthopaedic problems, the trip was full of impressive highlights and absolutely recommendable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Dubrovnik,
Paula and I enjoyed the view of the old town and the sea from Dubrovnik's local mountain, Sr\u0111.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Kotor,
The walking poles were my faithful companions on the day trip to the Bay of Kotor.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Discoveries on the doorstep: my most beautiful excursions<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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I didn't take many longer trips in 2024, but I did take a number of short trips and day trips in my home region - that is, around Stuttgart, in the Neckar valley<\/strong><\/a>, in the Northern Black Forest<\/a><\/strong> and on the Swabian Alb<\/a><\/strong>. In May I spent a long weekend in Schiller's birthplace Marbach am Neckar<\/a><\/strong>where I was able to marvel at original manuscripts by Eduard M\u00f6rike, Ernst J\u00fcnger, Erich K\u00e4stner and, of course, Friedrich Schiller in the German Literature Archive and visit the Kafka exhibition in the Museum of Modern Literature. From Marbach, I went on a discovery tour to Bietigheim-Bissingen, Besigheim and the Hessigheim Rock Gardens - all worthwhile destinations for day trips!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other short trips that I really enjoyed and about which I wrote blog articles as part of Caroline Lorenz-Meyer's monthly photo project 12 of 12<\/a><\/strong> led me to Rottweil<\/a><\/strong>, Calw<\/a><\/strong>, Stuttgart<\/a><\/strong>, Kirchheim unter Teck<\/a><\/strong>, Weil der Stadt<\/a><\/strong>, T\u00fcbingen<\/a><\/strong>, Altensteig<\/a><\/strong> and to the Royal winter magic at Hohenzollern Castle<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to my upcoming move, I wasn't able to go to the Christmas markets in Cologne and Aachen this year as planned, but explored Christmas markets in the greater Stuttgart area, such as the Esslingen Medieval Market & Christmas Market, the Altensteiger Christmas Market and the Christmas Market in Calw. There was another highlight on December 23 - I visited the Christmas Garden in Stuttgart with almost my whole family (always a wonderful experience!\ud83e\udd29).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Rottweil
12 of 12 in January: Rottweil <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Hirsau
12 of 12 in February: Calw, here the monastery ruins in Hirsau<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Market
12 of 12 in April: Kirchheim\/Teck<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"BB
12 of 12 in April: The town of Schiller, Marbach am Neckar<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Weil
12 of 12 in August: Half-timbered town Weil der Stadt<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"Hohenzollern
12 out of 12 in December: Royal winter magic at Hohenzollern Castle<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Successes, guest articles and blog parades: My blogging year 2024<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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I think I've learned a lot in my second year as a travel blogger - not least thanks to my membership in The Content Society<\/a><\/strong>Judith Peters' blogger community. Without Judith's weekly blog impulses, I probably wouldn't have had the idea of ever writing a Instructions<\/a><\/strong> or a What-is-article<\/strong><\/a> and these posts are among my most-read on the blog. In 2024, I had more than four times as many visitors to the website as in 2023. My highlights around the blog were <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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