Southeastern Kazakhstan was the final stop on my summer journey through Central Asia. I spent two days at Kolsay Lakes National Park, located on the northern slopes of the Tian Shan mountains, about 300 kilometers from Almaty. The Kolsay system comprises three mountain lakes at varying altitudes; I visited only the lower lake, an emerald-green gem nestled in a wooded valley at an elevation of 1,800 meters. Surrounded by dense coniferous forests and steep mountain slopes, the two-kilometer-long lake reminded me almost of my home in the Black Forest!

The Kolsay Lakes were formed following a massive earthquake in the late 19th century. Huge quantities of rock and soil slid into the gorge, creating natural dams that blocked the river and allowed the lakes to form.

Hiking along the lakeshore is a wonderful way to explore the area. The path offers constantly changing views of the clear water, dark forests, and the Tian Shan mountain backdrop. I enjoyed strolling along the shore in peace – far from the tourist crowds – breathing in the fresh mountain air and photographing the landscape from various angles. It was a nearly windless morning, and in the calm conditions, the surrounding forests and mountains were perfectly reflected in the clear mountain lake. A symphony of green and blue!

For those wishing to hike further, a moderately challenging trek leads from the lower Kolsay Lake to the middle lake; the latter is located a two hours walk away at a higher elevation. I didn’t do this hike, and it wouldn’t have been worth it for me either: the second lake and the landscape don’t look much different!

The “Golden City” of Prague in the Czech Republic had long been on my travel bucket list, and in mid-September, I finally spent nearly a full week in this beautiful city. Naturally, photography was high on the agenda alongside sightseeing -especially during the early morning or early evening, at the “blue hour.”

For me, the Charles Bridge – offering a view of Prague Castle – was one of the most beautiful and atmospheric spots in the city. This historic bridge connects the Old Town with the Lesser Town and has spanned the Vltava River since the Middle Ages. Construction began in 1357 under Emperor Charles IV after the older Judith Bridge had been destroyed by a flood. Particularly impressive are the numerous Baroque statues of saints adorning the parapets since the 17th century – some are original, while others are replicas. A walk across the bridge offers repeated views of the Vltava, the towers of the Lesser Town, and the vista up to Prague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral. The Charles Bridge takes on a truly special atmosphere in the evening during the blue hour, just as the city’s lights begin to twinkle on.

One of my favorite views of this Prague landmark was from the Old Town Bridge Tower. From up there, the Charles Bridge appeared as a sparkling line across the Vltava during the blue hour, while the city’s warmly illuminated buildings and towers were reflected in the water. In the background, Prague Castle loomed majestically over the city – an evocative sight where Prague’s historic silhouette blended beautifully with the unique evening light. It was an absolute dream for photographers, offering a wonderful array of ever-changing subjects.

The Crozon Peninsula on Brittany’s Atlantic coast captivated me immediately with its wild and diverse landscape when I visited this beautiful region in June. Rugged cliffs, striking granite formations, hidden coves, long sandy beaches, heathlands and the endless expanse of the Atlantic define this fascinating area. Along the red-and-white marked GR 34 coastal trail – known as the Sentier des Douaniers (Customs Officers’ Path) – spectacular views of the beautiful landscape of southwestern Brittany constantly unfold.

The Customs Officers’ Path winds its way for over 1,800 kilometers along the Breton coast. The Sentier des Douaniers was originally established in the 1790s to allow customs brigades to monitor the coastline. At that time, the coast was divided into sections, each overseen by a brigade of customs officers. Their task was to patrol in pairs,day and night, from small guard huts and to track down smugglers arriving primarily from England or the Netherlands. Today, hikers can traverse almost the entire Breton coastline along this path and admire the scenery.

The coast is no less spectacular when viewed from the water, as I discovered during two boat trips from the little harbour of the town Morgat.

In fact, the entire Crozon Peninsula is composed of sedimentary rock with stacked layers that are clearly visible on the cliff faces. More than 360 million years ago, this region lay entirely underwater. Layers of sand and mud gradually accumulated on the seabed, where they were compressed and transformed into sandstone and shale. Later, tectonic forces came into play: they folded, bent, and tilted these rock layers, shaping the landscape as it appears today. The once-grey, smooth rock faces are now adorned with vibrant hues, shades of red, yellow, white, and green. These fascinating colors result from a chemical reaction between iron-rich minerals and the algae and lichens covering the rock faces. The two photos here offer a glimpse of this true spectacle of color.

You can view all the photos from the boat tours along the Crozon Peninsula coast and the landscapes at Cap de la Chèvre in the Crozon Peninsula section of my travelogue website. Enjoy!

Kyrgyzstan boasts some stunning landscapes, and the Skazka Canyon – also known as “Fairytale Canyon” – on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul is certainly one of them. This landscape truly lives up to its name! As soon as I entered the canyon, I was immersed in a surreal world of reddish-brown, ochre, and yellowish rock formations. Over millennia, wind and water have sculpted the soft sedimentary layers into fantastic shapes resembling castles, towers, animals and mysterious figures. The deeper I ventured between the canyon walls, the more the landscape shifted; around every bend, I discovered a new, unusual formation – I was in a rock-lover’s paradise!

I found the varying color layers in the rock particularly fascinating. Depending on the position of the sun, the rocks glow in vibrant shades of red, orange, and brown, creating a striking contrast against the deep blue sky of the Kyrgyz steppe. From the canyon’s higher vantage points, the view stretches far across the barren landscape to Lake Issyk-Kul, its waters appearing like a blue ribbon amidst the mountains. The combination of bizarre rock formations, arid steppe, and the vast lake made Skazka Canyon one of the most unique and beautiful photographic subjects of my journey through Kyrgyzstan.

The name “Skazka” means “fairytale” in Russian, and indeed, I felt as though I were wandering through a fairytale landscape crafted by nature. As a photographer, I found the colors endlessly captivating; with every step, the perspective, light, and shadow shifted, making the rocks appear different each time. For me, Fairytale Canyon is therefore one of the places at Issyk-Kul that impressed and delighted me the most.

Looking back, Kyrgyzstan was the country I enjoyed the least overall, yet the Tash-Rabat plateau – with the historic ruins of its caravanserai – was an absolute highlight. Surrounding Tash-Rabat, located in the Naryn Region of southern Kyrgyzstan, is the impressive high-mountain landscape of the Tian Shan range.

The historic caravanserai sits at an altitude of approximately 3,200 meters in a secluded, treeless valley framed by gently rolling green pastures and stark, towering mountain slopes. The mountains and meadows glowed beautifully in the golden evening light, and I found the contrast between the lush green of the summer pastures, the bare mountain ridges, and the clear sky truly captivating. Horses and yaks graze on the expansive meadows, while traditional yurts stand nearby – a landscape that still offers a glimpse into the nomadic way of life in Kyrgyzstan’s high mountains.

The valley’s remoteness, the majestic mountain backdrop, and the near-total silence made Tash-Rabat a particularly memorable stop on my journey through Kyrgyzstan.

The caravanserai is a massive stone structure that, set amidst the vast green mountain landscape, looks almost like a fortress. Its exact date of construction remains uncertain; the complex was likely built in the 15th century upon the remains of an older structure. It served as a sheltered resting place for travelers and merchants along a Silk Road spur that wound through the high mountains of Central Asia.

Inside, numerous small chambers are arranged around a central courtyard; here, merchants, travelers, and their companions could find shelter from the extreme weather. Their goods and livestock could also be safely accommodated within the complex. History felt somehow alive here, and I could easily picture how caravans with horses, camels, and precious goods used to stop here centuries ago.

Traveling along the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan – bordering Afghanistan and flanked by the towering peaks of the Hindu Kush – was one of the scenic highlights of my journey through Central Asia. After leaving the border zone, we reached the Tajik National Park in the GBAO region, where the landscape underwent a dramatic transformation. Gone were the high-altitude ranges with their snow-capped peaks; in their place lay a mountain landscape of breathtaking colors, dotted with deep blue-green lakes.

GBAO stands for Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast; visiting the region requires a special permit that must be obtained prior to the trip. This vast mountainous area covers nearly half of Tajikistan’s territory yet remains sparsely populated, encompassing large sections of the Pamirs with their deeply incised valleys, high-altitude lakes, and colossal mountain scenery.

In the Tajik National Park, I was particularly captivated by the mountains, whose rock faces glow in varying shades of red, brown, gray, and yellow depending on the light. Combined with the deep blue sky and the clear water of the lakes, the result was an almost surreal color palette. One of these bodies of water is Yashilkul Lake – meaning “Green Lake” – and it certainly lives up to its name. The landscape here feels incredibly vast and devoid of human presence; only the occasional yak or bird can be spotted.

Yashilkul Lake is undoubtedly one of the most impressive lakes in the eastern Pamirs. Situated at an altitude of around 3,700 meters, this freshwater lake – shimmering in shades of turquoise and green – is nestled amidst expansive, barren mountain terrain. Yashilkul lies within the extraordinary high-mountain world of the GBAO and is also part of the Tajik National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013.

A stunning landscape in Tajikistan that shouldn’t be missed on any trip.

To kick off my summer trip this year, I spent a week in late June on the idyllic Channel Island of Jersey. As the largest and most scenically diverse of the British Channel Islands, Jersey lies just a few kilometers off the French coast, fascinatingly blending a British way of life with French charm.

The island captivated me with its varied landscape of rugged cliffs, golden sandy beaches, picturesque bays, and green pastures. Interspersed among these are historic fortresses, lighthouses, and charming towns that tell the story of Jersey’s eventful past. A perfect combination!

I was particularly drawn to the north coast with its green cliffs; I explored the area by bike, on foot, and – for a completely different perspective – by boat. One especially delightful attraction is the larger-than-life “Kissing Puffins” sculpture in the northwest of the island. The two puffins are crafted from a steel framework wrapped in woven willow branches. With their beaks touching, they look like a pair of lovebirds – simply adorable!

The local company Jersey Seafaris offers various boat tours, such as trips to the Écréhous islands – a place I’ve already written about in my blog post regarding the terns that live there. Another tour takes you along the rugged north coast, offering fantastic views of the shoreline, colorful rock formations, and caves. I was particularly impressed and fascinated by the vibrant colors of the rock strata.

You can find my full travelogue about my week in Jersey – complete with photos, hikes, bike rides and boat trips –  in my Jersey trip report chapter  on my travel website. Thanks for stopping by!

In July, I spent a week in northern Brittany and discovered its fantastic coastline, characterized by spectacular rock formations. Indeed, near Primel-Trégastel on Brittany’s north coast, the region reveals a particularly wild and unspoiled side. Around Pointe Primel and the neighboring coast of Le Diben, bizarre granite rocks rise from the sea, creating a landscape shaped by wind and waves over millennia. Small coves and narrow sandy beaches lie nestled between the rocks, while numerous cliffs and offshore rocky outcrops emerge from the water.

Pointe Primel is particularly impressive; its striking granite formations resemble natural sculptures. Some rocks look like towers, others like massive animals or fantastical creatures. The scenery shifts constantly with the tides: at low tide, vast rocky expanses are revealed and small pools form between the granite blocks, whereas at high tide, the surf crashes against the rocks, showcasing the coast’s rugged, dramatic character.

The landscape is especially captivating in the late afternoon, when the low-hanging light accentuates the granite’s warm hues and casts long shadows between the rocks.

Le Diben is also well worth a visit. Here, the rocky coastline continues the interplay of granite, sea, and heathland. The massive boulders offer ever-changing perspectives of the coast. For me, it was precisely this constantly shifting interplay of shapes, light, and tides that made this stretch of the Brittany coast so fascinating.

After Uzbekistan, Tajikistan was the third country I visited along the Silk Road. The country’s most famous and spectacular route is the Pamir Highway, one of the highest long-distance roads in the world. It follows the historic trade routes of the Silk Road and connects Tajikistan with Kyrgyzstan. The road leads over passes more than 4,600 meters high, past snow-capped peaks of the Hindu Kush, barren plateaus, and deep river valleys along the border with Afghanistan. The Panj River forms the border, and at times Afghanistan seemed just a stone’s throw away, within reach – yet the world on the other side of the river was so different!

The route follows a narrow, rough gravel track through the magnificent, almost uninhabited mountain landscape of the Pamirs – always alongside the border fence, guarded on both sides. Rugged peaks, vast high plateaus, and deep valleys alternate, making each leg of the journey a unique experience.

The Wakhan Corridor, a narrow, fertile valley between the Pamir and Hindu Kush mountains, is particularly impressive. On the Tajik side, the road runs for long stretches directly alongside the Panj River, the border between Afghanistan and Afghanistan. Small villages, fields, or individual people were sometimes visible. This proximity to the border made the drive truly extraordinary.

Between high mountains, small settlements, and ancient fortifications, the Wakhan Corridor offers a fascinating glimpse into life in this remote region. The Pamir Highway is far more than just a road: it’s a journey through one of Central Asia’s most pristine and impressive landscapes, one that also reflects the stark contrast between Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

Turkmenistan impressed me not only with the white city of Ashgabat, but also with the desert and canyon landscape in the northwest of the country. The Darvaza Crater was certainly one of these. In the middle of the barren Karakum Desert lies one of Turkmenistan’s most unusual and fascinating destinations: the Darvaza Crater, more dramatically known as the “Gateway to Hell.” This enormous natural gas field, which has been burning for decades, is a spectacular natural phenomenon and is particularly impressive when the light changes at the end of the day.

The crater was formed in 1971 when Soviet geologists struck a natural gas field during drilling operations, and the ground collapsed. To contain the escaping gas, it was ignited – presumably in the expectation that it would go out within a few weeks. Instead, the gas has continued to burn for decades. Thus, one of the most unusual landmarks of the Karakum was created, a place that is now inextricably linked to any trip through Turkmenistan.

During the day, the surroundings initially appear surprisingly unremarkable. The endless, almost deserted desert stretches around the crater. Only upon closer approach does one realize the immense dimensions of the circular depression, which is 60 meters wide and up to 15 meters deep. Flames and hot gases rise from numerous points within, while the heat shimmers above the crater and is constantly carried towards us by the wind. In the bright daylight, however, the fire appears significantly less intense than later in the darkness.

As the sun sets, the scene begins to change completely during the blue hour. The sky takes on a deep blue hue, while the first flames become increasingly visible within the crater. The warm orange and red of the fire form a captivating contrast to the cool blue of the evening sky. Now the crater is particularly photogenic – the desert slowly disappears into the darkness, and the fire becomes the dominant focal point of the landscape.

After nightfall, the Door to Hell finally unfolds its full effect. Thousands of tiny flames seem to dance across the crater floor, bathing the surrounding desert in an eerie, orange glow. The enormous bonfire appears almost surreal in the complete darkness.

It is precisely this transformation that makes a visit to the Darvaza crater so special: from the inconspicuous fire in the bright desert, through the intense play of colors during the blue hour, to the spectacular glow in the deep night, the scenery changes again and again within just a few hours.