Nomadic Tales My perception of small countries is that the chances of finding a secluded spot to pitch a tent without being seen are very low. The land tends to be expensive and fully utilized, and I imagined that landowners wouldn’t appreciate tents on property they’ve paid dearly for. I resisted the temptation to try even a single night of wild camping in Switzerland, fearing a hefty fine. However, I did camp in Luxembourg, not one, but two nights. In Kehl, Germany, just across the river from Strasbourg, I managed one night of wild camping, but it was far from comfortable. Two men walking in the distance kept watching me for about half an hour. Despite my green tent blending into the grassy ground with a forested backdrop, and being 400 meters from the road, they appeared suspicious, stepping left and right, perhaps trying to get a better view. Since wild camping is generally frowned upon in Germany, I usually avoid it, but I wanted to try anyway. I had spent a full week near ...
Nomadic Tales In Serbia, on the road from Niš to Belgrade, I stopped at a roadside shop to get something to eat. The gazebo next to the shop, where I had my meal, seemed to be the gathering place for locals to drink beer. Friendly and generous people, just looking for a moment to relax, and despite the language barrier, we could even have a bit of a conversation. One of them, before leaving, asked me if I had been to Vrnjačka Banja and pointed off into the distance, to the other side of the valley. The road to Vrnjačka Banja branched off the main road just 50 meters before the gazebo, and I would’ve missed the opportunity had I not stopped at that shop. After a quick search on Google, I understood that the spa town of Vrnjačka Banja was worth the detour, so I went to visit it. As expected from Serbia’s most popular resort, the town has plenty of peaceful spots, well-maintained parks and decorated houses, thermal baths, and mineral springs. By comparison, the Borsec resort in Romania is...