It almost feels like a lifetime has passed since we started AsWeTravel.com exactly two years ago today – so much has happened in our lives since then.

Last year we posted a blog about some of the things we learned from our first year of blogging, in the hopes that you might learn something from our experiences as well.

This second year has been different in so many ways and we have learnt as much about travel blogging as we have about ourselves and the kind of life we want to lead.

Here are some of the main things we’ve learnt from our second year of travel blogging…

1) Limit Your Daily Time Online

During our first year of blogging we became obsessed with having internet access everywhere and being connected online all day every day.

During our second year we realized that the blog doesn’t ALWAYS need ”round the clock care”, it can take care of itself for most of the day – and, more importantly – many things you think you need to do can wait.

We realized that we were spending many more hours online than we actually needed – the work we had to do could have taken only a few hours, but we were messing around, working ineffectively which would result in us spending 6-8 hours instead.

By giving ourselves a deadline, or a time limit, we worked much more effectively, and gave ourselves more free time to explore the places we visited.

Decide how many hours you really need to spend online every day, and then only spend that time working.

2) Learn How To Separate Travel & Travel Blogging

When you travel full-time like we have for the last 2 years, it is very important to learn how to separate work and travel, then draw a clear line between the two.

Rather than sitting in a café or bar tweeting on your iPhone (for your blog) – sit back, relax and look around you – learn to enjoy the moments just as a traveler, not always as a travel blogger.

By always being connected with your iPhone, updating Twitter telling everyone where you are etc – you risk not actually enjoying the places you visit.

As a travel blogger, it is easy to lose yourself in work, and by always “looking for the story” you might actually miss it.

We noticed that when we disconnected and simply went out as travelers – the right story for the right city came to us by itself.

3) Ask & You Shall Receive

This year we’ve realized that if you want something – sponsored trips, free hotel stays, travel products to test etc – all you really need to do is ask.

After getting sponsored stays in over 30 hotels and hostels in the last year, and getting plenty of other sponsored attractions, passes and activities with tourism boards – we’ve realized that the worst that could happen is to simply get a ‘no’, and that shouldn’t put you off but instead push you to grow your site & connections even more.

The same goes for other things as well – if you tell yourself that you will reach a certain goal (monthly traffic, twitter followers, earnings etc) eventually you will find a way to achieve it – if you just trust and are passionate enough to work hard for it.

We’ve really learnt how to appreciate the power of positive goal setting and mental focus on what we want, rather than giving any focus to negative events which may show up.

4) Pace Yourself & Don’t Try To Do Everything

In the last year, we completely overwhelmed ourselves and tried to do too many things rather than taking one thing at a time - one example was the Europe Train Challenge.

During the train challenge we traveled to 33 countries in 75 days, spent 2 days in each place, filmed a video episode from each city & wrote 2 articles about each city – phew!

That really was an amazing experience, and it forced us to really focus and work hard, but looking back we have learnt that it is better to focus on fewer things and do them as well as you can, than trying to do too many things at once.

By trying to film, take photos, stand in front of the camera, write articles and at the same time capture and experience every place we visited – traveling became pretty stressful, especially with a time-limit.

We learned to focus on one thing at a time and pace ourselves so that we wouldn’t get overwhelmed - remember that you can always go back next year again.

5) What Others Think Of Your Blog Is None Of Your Business

You will meet a lot of people who don’t understand why or what you’re doing when travel blogging (my parents still don’t understand what we really do), and some will even disapprove, but just because people don’t agree with what you do, that doesn’t mean they’re right.

Never do anything you don’t want to do, and never give up on something you believe in just because others don’t.

When I heard Wayne Dyer say “what you think of me is none of my business”, I could really relate this to travel blogging.

Learn to meet jealousy, doubt, ignorance and confusion with a smile.

Our second year of blogging has been full of many great successes and a few big mistakes, but that’s what life is for – to live, to learn, and to see every mistake as a learning curve which helps you grow as a person.

We still have a lot left to learn, and I’m really looking forward to see what lessons this year (2012) will bring.

What have you learnt from travel blogging in the last year?

2 Years of Travel Blogging – 5 Things We’ve Learnt. - As We Travel - Travel Videos & Travel Blog

Tucked away on the second floor of a theater building in the center of Berlin, the Tajikiztan tea room is well hidden for those who are not looking for it.

Even if you do have a rough idea of where it is chances are you still won’t find it. Last summer we spent a good half hour looking for it without success.

That was the reason we did not want to give up this time. But when we finally entered the fancy theater building we were wondering if we had really found it, or just gotten lost again. It just didn’t seem to be a place for a tea room, and it was far to late for the usual afternoon tea.

But this tea house is very different from the English tea houses you’re used to.

Before entering the room you have to take your shoes off and leave them outside. Once you’re inside you sit down by one of the low tables surrounded by colorful cushions in different sizes.

It is almost impossible to sit on the cushions. Sooner or later you will find yourself half lying down, but that’s OK because everyone else is doing it too.

And once you get used to the idea, it is really cozy. In fact I have never been in a cafe where I have felt as much at home as in this odd place.

The atmosphere is relaxed, almost drowsy, and people sit and drink their tea for hours on end.

To give you an idea, at 11 pm after having been there for about two hours we basically forced ourselves to leave, and everyone who was there when we arrived was still there, ordering a second, third perhaps fourth refill.

The waiter brought us a thick menu of different teas to choose, and we picked a Russian smoked tea flavor, curious of how a tea can possibly taste of smoke?

Surprisingly, it tasted just like smoke. This tea was far from the fruity flavor of berries or the fresh mint teas you normally find. It was a strange but somehow still nice flavor similar to burned wood – strong and manly, and exactly the way I would have thought Russian tea would taste like.

In Tajikiztan women are not allowed in these tea rooms, they are strictly meant for men to meet with friends, drink tea and do business.

So I am glad that this place which was initially set up during the Soviet era for Tajikiztanian people/ soldiers? Was still there. When the Soviet era saw everything else falling down, the Tea room remained, and little has changed since.

So if you want to experience part of Berlin’s history but in a different way, this is a good place to visit.

It is right in the middle of Berlin’s Mitte – but once inside you feel like you’re a world away from all of it.

Which are some memorable café experiences you’ve had?

Tea In Berlin – The Tajikistani Way - As We Travel - Travel Videos & Travel Blog

While I have seriously cut down on all kinds of shopping since I started traveling so much, I have found it very difficult to resist spending all of my money on clothes and shoes while in Asia – the shopping malls and prices in Europe simply can’t compare to those in Asia.

The only thing that has stopped me from filling my backpack with shoes and dresses is that I hate the extra weight.

I’ve dealt with my shopping-cravings by saying that one day I will go back with at least one large empty suitcase to fill up with all the shopping I want before I leave again.

When I do this, these are the places I will visit – which are known to have some of the best shopping in Asia…

Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok is a shoppers haven, offering everything on earth for some amazing prices, even compared to other cities in Thailand.

From Thai silk and handicrafts, budget rip-offs to high end fashion, local designers to international brands, everything is right here in Bangkok, and often under the same roof.

We experienced some amazing service from the shops, one which actually sent a microphone we bought via express flight up to Chiang Mai half an hour after we bought it online, and we received it the same evening.

Top places to shop are Central World Plaza (biggest mall in Bangkok), Chatuchak Market, Paptong Night Market, MBK Mall, Siam Discovery, Pantip Plaza, Siam Paragon among others.

Hong Kong, China

Shopping in Hong Kong is more than just a social activity, it is treated more like a serious sport, and it’s an important part of their history, culture and way of life.

Hong Kong is smaller than Bangkok which makes it a lot easier getting around, something which is crucial when you are out to simply shop.

The best time to go for Hong Kong holidays is either in July to September or late December to February when the city has some truly amazing sales.

The most popular places to shop are Festival Walk, SOHO, Causeway Bay and Kowloon.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The first time I went on Malaysia holidays and visited KL I was completely shocked by the sheer size of the shopping malls.

Just like in Bangkok you can walk from one shopping mall to another without ever even going outside.

Berjaya Times Square mall is enormous, and you will find that a lot of tourists inside are carrying maps of the mall as it’s so easy to get lost.

For more luxurious shopping KLCC mall underneath the famous Petronas Towers is the place to go, a place where I found myself surrounded by cat walk models on a shopping spree – this mall is worth a visit just to see the towers themselves.

The most famous malls are Bukit Bintang Plaza, Low Yatm Sungeu Wang Plaza and Starhill Plaza.

There are also a lot of interesting night markets around town where you can do some more budget retail shopping, like Petaling Street in China town.

Which is your favorite shopping city in Asia?

3 Best Cities In Asia For Shopaholics - As We Travel - Travel Videos & Travel Blog

Walking the streets of a new city is one of my favorite things to do, and they have a lot of influence on the way I experience each place.

The narrow, steep streets of Lisbon and Porto with its tiled buildings made me fall in love with both cities, and the streets of Tallinn made me feel like I had taken a step back in time.

So I thought I’d put together a list of some amazing streets around the world that stand out from the rest. By visiting these streets you have experienced something special…

The Most Romantic Street - Lower Slaughter, England

Lower Slaughter, a picturesque village famous for its beautiful Cotswolds cottages, now have something else to be equally proud of:

Last year a street in the city called Copse Hill Road, was voted the most romantic street in Britain by voters on the Google Street View award.

Perhaps the perfect street for a romantic stroll on the upcoming Valentine’s day?

The Steepest Street - Dunedin, New Zealand

Many of the cities in New Zealand were designed by British town planners who had never even been to the country, let alone knew what the areas really looked like.

They simply overlaid a grid pattern on the map, having no idea how ridiculous and impossible the designs would turn out.

In some places, like in Christchurch, this worked – in others, like Wellington and Dunedin – it didn’t…

This resulted in streets like Baldwin street, which at 35% grade is one of the steepest streets in the world.

The Narrowest Street - Exeter, England

Parliament Street in Exeter is a 50 meter long street dating back to 1300′s, known as the narrowest street in the world.

If you’re wider than 0,64 m (25”) you would probably get stuck at its narrowest point, that’s how narrow it is..!

The Crookedest Street - San Francisco, United States

With eight bizarre hair-pin turns, also called switchbacks, Lombard street in San Francisco is known as the crookedest street in the world.

Unlike Dunedin, they realized that without the turns the street would be too steep for most vehicles, and today it is a one way street to make it safer.

There are a number of luxury villas and five star hotels jotted along this famous street if you want to stay close.

The Shortest Street - Wick, Scotland

This is my favorite, and how they can call this a street I don’t know – but in 1887, the Ebenezer Place was officially declared a street.

Measuring at 2.06 meters (6.9 ft), Ebenezer Place in Wick is the shortest street in the world. There is just one house on the street, which today serves as a hotel, and the owner was instructed to paint a street name on the house.

Have you visited a crazy, beautiful or amazing street you would like to share?

5 Amazing Streets Around The World - As We Travel - Travel Videos & Travel Blog

Out of all the trips in the world, I personally think a trip back in time would be the most amazing of all – today we can travel almost anywhere, even into space, but can we travel back in time?

Well, perhaps not the way that we ultimately would like to – but there are a few places that at least leave the impression that you have traveled back in time, and with a bit of effort from your side you can make it feel that way even more…

These days a popular way to re-experience a world from the past is to go on escorted holidays, where they take you around to historical places, tell its history and mix it up with some themed dinners and other experiences to make you feel like you really are experiencing the past.

Here are a few wonderful places which I think definitely makes you feel as though you have taken a step back in time…

Tallinn, Estonia – Medieval Spirits

There are many well preserved medieval towns in Europe, but when it comes to remaining the charm, Tallinn has managed to do it the best.

The city with its stone wall surrounding old buildings with colorful wooden doors, narrow cobbled streets and long history is a great place to dream yourself away to the past, and all the wooden stalls and restaurant waiters dressed in medieval outfits make it even easier.

Venice, Italy – Rococo & Glamour

Venice with all its bridges and canals, narrow cobbled streets and the beautiful Venetian Gothic architecture makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in the world of ”Giacomo Casanova”.

To make you experience it even more the best time to visit would be during the Venice Carnival when the streets are crowded with people dressing up in traditional Venetian masks and colorful 18th century costumes.

Edinburgh, Scotland – Medieval Ghost Town

Edinburgh is one of Europe’s most beautiful cities, with historical closes running like a maze through the medieval gothic houses, covered in black stains from a time when it was one of the most polluted cities and used to be called ”Auld Reekie” (Old Smokey).

But there is something slightly ghostly about this city, especially at night, and the truth is that it’s one of the most haunted cities in the world – so if this makes you slightly worried, make sure you arrange travel insurance before you leave.

To really get into the mood of this haunted city and get a glimpse into the life in the old days, you can take several different tours.

There are many ghost tours at night which take you around the closes and underground, with guides disguised as famous ghosts of Edinburgh.

Vienna, Austria – Rococo And Coffee

Follow in the footsteps of royalty and take a stroll in the huge gardens of Schönbrunn Palace, sip some coffee and take a bite of your Sacher torte in one of the many pretty cafes that look the same as they did 200 years ago, and where famous artists, philosophers and composers used to hang out.

It is easy to pretend you’re in a different era, catching a horse wagon instead of the bus and buying tickets to classical concerts from salesmen dressed in white curly wigs and read coats.

Kent, UK – Haunted Castles

UK is full of history and amazing castles, and today there are many cool variations of tours you can take which have fun themes like Murder Mystery or Haunted Adventures.

There are as many as FIVE haunted places in Kent, which explains the many tours offered:

You can visit haunted castles, and stay in haunted hotels, and in the evening throw a twist on the dinner party and have a Murder mystery play with actors – where you try to solve the mystery of who had murdered the victim.

Kent offers a lot of these kinds of tours, and of course one of the most popular is a trip to the most beautiful haunted castle in UK: Leeds Castle.

A Tip To Seeking Out History!

Many places in Europe like to celebrate their history with festivals and carnivals – in Scandinavia and UK you will find many different medieval festivals, in Austria you will find classical music festivals and so forth.

A good way to really experience a country’s history is to attend these kinds of festivals, so before you plan to visit a country, make sure you check if they have any of these kind of events on (usually during summer) – it could be a fun bonus to your trip.

Which are your favorite places that make you feel like you’ve taken a step back in time?

(photo credit: 1 - 2)

How To Time Travel In Europe - As We Travel - Travel Videos & Travel Blog

(Our trip to Berlin was in part sponsored by the VisitBerlin tourism board.)

Berlin is the city everyone is talking about, and has grown in popularity to become the third most visited city in Europe.

My friends keep returning over and over, and when I ask what they love so much about Berlin that makes them return again they say – ”well…it’s Berlin!”.

Last time we were in Berlin we only spent two days there, and while we managed to see a lot of things despite the rainy weather we still felt like we had not given the city a chance and wanted to return to see what all the fuss was about.

Now, after having spent two weeks exploring the many streets and corners of Berlin at a slow pace, I can see what they’re talking about.

Berlin is a city which is alive, and ever changing – while many European cities’ main attraction is its history and past, Berlin is the past, the present and the future – all mixed into one.

It’s a cocktail of ugly, beautiful, sad, quirky, and the charm and fascination about the city is nothing specific, but everything in a confusing mixture.

I have never been to a city where everything seems to change as often as in Berlin.

In Berlin, there is no specific ”party street” or ”shopping street”, but more like ”party street of the month”.

Berlin is very much like Asia in the way that you never know what’s around the corner, and the best thing to do is to get lost and see what odd places you will find next.

It’s a city full of randomness, where things seem to ”just happen”, almost by mistake.

There are hidden treasures around every corner, from small cinemas and shops to galleries and bars that will pop-up and close down before you know it.

Despite the tourism boom, Berlin is a rather poor city, which is one of the reasons why it has become one of the most popular graffiti-hubs – the government simply can’t afford to take it all away.

Artists from all over the world come to leave their mark, and you can see some pretty amazing work by just walking down the street.

It’s an interesting city, with no real center – it’s neighborhoods, Kiez, actually feel more like small cities in themselves, and are treated as such by locals as well.

Talking to the locals, they say they rarely even leave their district, and are just as lost as any other tourist in the rest of Berlin.

Living in Schönhausallee I could really see why – you have everything you need right by your doorstep; there are shopping malls, boutiques, supermarkets, cafes, restaurants, bars, theaters, cinemas in abundance.

On the same street where we lived there were restaurants serving food from all over the world, you would almost be silly to go through the hassle of finding a nice restaurant in another neighborhood when there were so many right across the street.

When we told people that we would travel down to Bavaria in southern Germany, they kept saying that Bavaria was ”different”, or that it would be very different from Berlin.

I would agree, but from another angle, down south it really is different from Berlin, but so is everywhere else as well.

In fact, I don’t think that there is any place like Berlin, I think Berlin is the place which is ”different” … and that’s what makes it such a wonderful city.

Have you been to Berlin? What were your impressions of the city?

(Our trip to Berlin was in part sponsored by the VisitBerlin tourism board.)

Berlin – A Mixture Of Ugly, Pretty & Everything In Between - As We Travel - Travel Videos & Travel Blog

A few weeks ago we talked about settling down somewhere for a while, but we couldn’t quite decide where.

Well, it is now official: We will be moving to the winter wonderland of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany – tomorrow!

As much as we love Asia, sun and warm weather – this just feels so right, and we figured that following our gut would be the best thing to do.

We initially settled for Zell Am See in Austria but missed our chance on the apartment we wanted, so Garmisch-Partenkirchen it is.

While Asia would have been cheaper if you stayed in the same place, we knew that we wouldn’t have been able to stay away from traveling all the time while we were there.

Which sort of takes away the point from what we wanted – staying in one place, focusing on our new business projects and taking them to the next level, while at the same time having fun skiing.

We made a few rough calculations on predicted costs to live in Europe vs South East Asia and found some interesting data.

After comparing flights, food costs, accommodation and extras, it would cost about the same traveling around and living in South East Asia on a budget as it would staying in a ski resort in Europe including all ski gear and ski passes for 3 months.

This would make some people think ”Wow, you can travel to all of these places in Asia for the same price?”, but for some reason we didn’t feel all that excited about that.

And in the end, the calculations and positive vs negative-lists are really just guidelines, it all comes down to what you want to do.

So after a month traveling around different parts of Germany, we are now ready to move in and spend some time in this little Bavarian resort right on the border of Austria…

Have you been to Bavaria? What did you think?

This Will Be Our New Home! - As We Travel - Travel Videos & Travel Blog

Spending New Year’s eve in a new city is always a bit exciting, as they celebrate in such different ways around the world – some more beautiful and romantic, others more crazy and even dangerous.

Some people don’t like New Year’s eve because of all the expectations that the night usually doesn’t live up to.

The best way to avoid being let down by your expectations is to simply go somewhere you know will be truly awesome.

Here are 3 great places to celebrate the New Year…

Thailand – Watch Your Problems “Float Away” In The Sky

While the ”real” new year in Thailand is Songkran, celebrated in April, the calendar new year is also celebrated around the country, and whether you’re on the islands down south, Bangkok or in one of the cities up north, New Year is a great time to celebrate in Thailand.

Last year we celebrated in Chiang Mai, where they have a wonderful market where you can sample traditional Thai foods and snacks, but the most memorable events of the evening is when people light flying lanterns which rise to the sky and mix with thousands of other lanterns, like stars.

It is considered good luck to release a lantern, and they are symbolic of your problems and worries floating away – can there be a better way to end the old year than to release all your problems and worries, and starting a new year with good luck?

Edinburgh – One Of The World’s Biggest New Year Celebrations

In Edinburgh one night of celebrating the new year is not enough – there, they celebrate for four days with a festival called Hogmany.

The festival kicks off with the Torchlight procession on December 30^th, where thousands of torch carriers create a river of fire in the street, leading to Calton Hill.

If you want to celebrate New Year in Edinburgh you can still buy tickets for the festival, and could stay at one of the many great hotels such as the Jurys inn Edinburgh.

The festival is full of fun events and shows, with a street party, concerts and live bands, the whole city comes alive and celebrate the New Year with a bang.

Edinburgh hotels are known to be booked up long in advance for their many festivals, but it’s always worth a try.

Samoa – Celebrating A New Year The Way It Has Never Been Done Before

One of Samoa’s main draws has been the ability to stand on Cape Mulinu’u, the western-most point of Earth, and with the dateline barely 20 miles away, gazing into tomorrow.

Now, all of that is about to change - Samoa has decided to change their time zone, and no longer be one of the last countries to celebrate the New Year – but one of the first.

So if you want to be one of the first to experience such a strange once-in-a-life-time events, head to Samoa and see the New Year at a completely different time.

Those visiting Samoa during the end of this year, will ”lose” a couple of days, going to bed on the 29^th , and waking up on the morning of 31^st of December, just one day away from the New Year of 2012.

While it’s too late now to book a trip to Samoa over the New Year, every new year after this will be very different.

Since American Samoa will stay on the California side of the dateline, you will be able to celebrate the same day twice without leaving the Samoan chain – this means that you can celebrate New Year’s eve on the same date on two different days, by taking an hour’s flight across the islands!

Where are you going to be spending New Years eve this year?

(photo credit: 1 - 2 - 3)

3 Best Places To Celebrate New Year’s Eve - As We Travel - Travel Videos & Travel Blog

Unless you have escaped the cold and gone to a warm country, chances are that you will have a couple of cold, snowy months ahead from now on.

But cold months and snow is only what you make of it – you can go and hibernate in front of the TV for the next couple of months, or you can choose to make the most of it and really enjoy the winter.

If you want to go for the second option, but forgot what winter really offers, here are a few reminders of the awesome things you can do in winter…

Winter Hiking

There is nothing more relaxing and calming than walking among nature in the winter.

The winter landscape is incredible, with forests covered in glimmering snow and the shiny frozen lakes where it feels as though time has stopped for a moment.

The peacefulness and quietness is unlike anywhere else – taking long walks and hikes in winter wonderlands are one of the best things to do in winter, and there is nothing better than to stop over in a warm little place and order a cup of hot chocolate after a couple of hours walking.

Staying In An Igloo

More and more countries are starting to offer igloo accommodation, where you get to sleep in an actual igloo, then there is the famous Ice Hotel in Sweden, which is completely made out of ice and is rebuilt every year.

But if you can’t afford going all the way to Sweden, why not build your own igloo?

Another reason to sleep outside, whether it’s in an igloo or a tent, is the amazing opportunity you get to take photos of the night sky without any light pollution – totally worth it, at least for a few hours.

Playing Golf In The Snow

Yeah, I am serious – you can play golf in winter, in fact there are several resorts open where you can play, and even take some weekend golf breaks - it will be different, that’s for sure – but that’s part of the fun!

While you can book golf breaks and spend a weekend playing golf in the snow, it’s also just a fun thing you can do for a day when you’re in a ski resort.

They set up this golf course in Vulpera, Switzerland when we were there a few winters back and it was really fun to play a few rounds, although sometimes hard to find the ball!

Ice Skating

Is there anything more beautiful than a frozen lake, cleared from snow? Ice skating in the nature is one of the best things I know.

It’s a little scary since you don’t know where the ice is thin, but that’s part of the fun.

Bring picnic and hot chocolate in a thermos, and spend the day by the lake just like in summer.

Sledding

Sledding isn’t  just for kids – it’s for everyone. If you visit Switzerland and Austria you will see that they take sledding very seriously, with championships and all.

In many of the ski resorts in Europe you will actually find slopes specifically made for sledding, and you won’t have to go through all of the hassle walking up the hill, but can take the gondola up.

Here is a video of us sledding down a 6 kilometer long sled run in Bergün in Switzerland back in winter 2010 (Watch right to the end to see Nathan lose his sled!).

What are your favorite things to do outdoors during the winter?

(photo credit: 1 -  2 -  3 - 4)

Things To Do In Winter (Besides Skiing) - As We Travel - Travel Videos & Travel Blog

(Our trip to Berlin was in part sponsored by the VisitBerlin tourism board)

One of the best things to do in Berlin is to walk – aimlessly stroll around without really knowing where you are or where you’re going – that way you get your own impressions of Berlin, and find your own favorite places and interesting spots.

When you decide to take a walk, one thing is for sure: you will never go hungry – there are cafés and bakeries EVERYWHERE, around every single corner of every little street.

We spent the last week tasting many typical German xmas treats – here are a few that we tried…

1) Quarkbällchen

We found these quark balls in a Christmas market, and while we had no idea at the time what we just had bought, we knew just by the alluring smell around the wooden hut that we had to try them.

They are called Quarksbällchen, and are small balls made from flower, egg, sugar and Quark, which are deep fried and then coated with sugar.

Quark is something very typical German, and it’s very hard to explain what it is and what it tastes like, but it’s a type of cheese similar to sour cream.

You can’t have too many of these balls, they’re just SO tasty!

2) Baumkuchen / Tree Cake

Nobody knows exactly when and where this cake was first baked, but a theory is that it was invented in the German town of Salzwedel.

The cake is very dry and almost paper-like, and in my opinion rather tasteless, but you can sense a bit of almond in there.

Our cake was coated in dark chocolate, which made it taste better, and it was good together with a hot cup of tea.

I was more fascinated by all the effort they put into making the cake than the actual taste – it is almost impossible to make one of these cakes in your own home.

Bakeries use a special machine for the Baumkuchen, which is made on a spit by brushing on layers of batter and rotate it around a heat source – you heat it until it turns brown, and then you add another layer.

This method makes the cake look very similar to the tree rings you see on trees which have been cut down, which is why the cake has the nickname ”tree cake”.

3) Christstollen

If there is one thing that the Germans know how to make, it’s bread – they have even come up with a way of making bread into a dessert, with this famous and loved bread-like fruit cake called Christstollen.

The cake is filled with juicy raisins, candied and dried fruits and almonds, and is mixed with different spices like cardamom and cinnamon.

Some even go all the way and put marzipan and rum in the cake – which is then covered in icing sugar.

The recipe for this moist bread dates back to the early 15th century, and has always been a cake you consume during Christmas.

I didn’t think it sounded like a very good idea to mix bread with those ingredients, but once I tried it I absolutely loved it!

4) Lebkuchen

Lebkuchen is a traditional German christmas treat famously known as Gingerbread.

Lebkuchen is a very old cookie, invented in the 13th century by the medieval monks in Franconia, Germany.

The traditional Lebkuchen is very tasty, soft on the inside and often with marzipan and different kinds of nuts inside (walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds).

The more good quality nuts inside the better the cake, and the taste is heavenly.

You see these cookies all over Berlin’s Christmas markets, often decorated with some nice text like “I love you” – but these are of a harder type and not as genuine.

It’s also common to make “witch houses” from that type of gingerbread, which became popular from the story about Hansel and Gretel.

What do you think? Which treat would you like to try?

(Our trip to Berlin was in part sponsored by the VisitBerlin tourism board)

4 Yummy German Christmas Treats! - As We Travel - Travel Videos & Travel Blog