A SLOW-PACED ADVENTURE
TEXT & VISUALS BY MARC SCHIELE
AN ADVENTURE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXTREME TO BE MEANINGFUL.
A MOTORCYCLE
THE CAVE CLASSIC
A BEAUTIFUL PLACE
PERFECTION
#whereveryogo
Adventure on the doorstep
Sometimes it doesn't have to be Scandinavia or Iceland to experience the feeling of vastness, freedom and nature. Sometimes a day off, a Heimplanet tent - and a motorcycle. I didn't have to travel far - because my home, the Ostalb, offers exactly what I was looking for. My destination was the Wental, a landscape that seems so tranquil, pristine and almost a little surreal that it's hard to believe you're here in southern Germany.
BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
I'm Marc, photographer, storyteller and actually constantly on the move somewhere between continents and cultures. In recent years, I've been drawn far and wide around the world - from the starry nights in the Australian outback to the lush greenery of Colombia and the wild coasts of Brazil. But sometimes I'm deliberately drawn back to where it's easier. Where I don't have to get on a plane in the morning, but simply turn the ignition key.
Rediscover the familiar
I have known the Ostalb for many years - and yet it always manages to inspire me anew. The Wental valley with its bizarre rock formations always feels like a little escape from the familiar, almost like a hidden movie set in the middle of the south. Between narrow roads, meadows and sudden vistas, there is plenty to discover - and this is the perfect place to be on a motorcycle. Winding roads, hardly any traffic and lots of little stops where you can take off your helmet, take a deep breath and feel the moment.
Engine off - nature on
This time I had my Heimplanet tent with me - and there was no better place to pitch it. A quiet clearing, the crackling of the trees, the last ray of sunshine on the rock - that's exactly what this tent is made for. And after that night at the latest, it was clear to me that I would stay longer next time. Because that's exactly the appeal of this region: it invites you to linger. To be outside. To switch off.
Even though my travels often take me to faraway countries, this trip was a conscious reminder of how close adventure sometimes is. You don't always have to go far away to feel the vastness - Germany can also be wild, quiet and beautiful.
Marc
MARC SCHIELE
If you want to see more of my travels - whether by motorcycle, on foot or from above - feel free to check out my website or Instagram. And who knows, maybe we'll bump into each other somewhere between rocks, tents or somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
BACK IN STOCK
