2025 Touchpoint Tally Travel Awards - "The Rhythm of Travel " Category

The "Rhythm of Travel" Catagory

While finding a "rhythm" often means settling into a favorite café or a daily walking route, it can also be found in the silence of a morning hike or the thrill of a cross-border day trip. This section is about how we found our stride—not just by covering distance, but by learning how to slow down and live like locals.

The Awards

Award: Most Jaw-Dropping Moment in Nature

• Northern lights dancing over Svolvær, Norway: A long-held bucket-list dream that came alive as vibrant colors were painted across the sky.
• Northern Lights & Comet Lemmon: A rare celestial backdrop of stars and a once-in-a-lifetime comet meeting the aurora.
• Steg to Brueniger Aelpell Hike: Sunlight glistening through ice-encrusted trees as fog rolled into the valley peaks.

Winner: Northern lights dancing over Svolvær, Norway. This was a bucket list for a long time, so to not only see the lights, but to see them dancing as if being painted along the sky… there are no words. It wasn't just a glow on the horizon; it was an electric, moving performance that made us pause and just enjoy being part of nature.

Award: Best Natural Wonder

• Ayia Napa Cliffs: The impressive strength of the ocean clashing against the majestic backdrop of the blue lagoon cliffs.
• Northern Lights with Comet Lemmon: A breathtaking combination of multiple natural wonders occurring at a single moment.
• Troll Fjord: An amazing experience navigating a small ship deep into the fjord, incredibly close to the sheer rock walls.
• Fairy Forest of Bergen (Mt. Fløyen): A unique, mystical forest hike paired with waterfalls that felt like a hidden world.

Winner: Northern Lights with backdrop of stars and Comet Lemmon. To see multiple natural wonders at one time took our breath away. Standing on the deck with the stars, the aurora, and the elusive comet all visible simultaneously felt like a private show from the universe, making the cold night on the North Sea entirely worth it.

Award: Best Park

• Metz Lake Park: A beloved local spot where we still talk about our peaceful afternoon walks.
• Parc du Cinquantenaire (Brussels): A grand, historic park located up by the palace.
• Amsterdam (Vondelpark): A vibrant city park famous for its rose garden, mansions, and the energy of its people.
• Sculpture Park (Ayia Napa): A unique, oceanfront park where global art meets the Mediterranean coastline.

Winner: Sculpture Park in Ayia Napa, Cyprus. This park was so memorable due to its difference from others. We loved reading about the artists from all over the world who have created sculptures for this park, with the ocean behind as a perfect backdrop.

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Award: Best Unexpected Cultural Experience / Festival

• Limassol Thriller Dance: A spontaneous and fun cultural moment in Cyprus.
• Beaune Light Show: An architectural illumination that transformed the heart of Burgundy.
• Krampus Run: Stumbling into a historic, horned-monster parade in Germany without any warning.
• Vineyard Walk (Obernai): Walking through the wine fields to meet a local producer for a private appointment.
• Obernai Wine/Christmas Markets: The perfect blend of festive spirit and local vintages.
• Ribeauville Wine Village: Hiking to the castles and then stopping for wine in the historic village.
• Eguisheim with friends: A quaint and fun village day spent exploring with good friends.

Winner: Krampus Run. We had no idea this was happening when we arrived. Stumbling directly into the middle of a parade of terrifying, horned "Krampus" monsters was a shock to the system, but it provided a raw, fascinating look at a local tradition that we will never forget.

Award: The Best 'Slow Travel' Hub

• Metz (France): A perfect mix of local life and easy day trips to places like Luxembourg.
• Colmar (France): An ideal basecamp for day-tripping to dozens of intimate Alsatian wine villages.
• Beaune (France): The historic soul of the entire Burgundy wine region.
• Ghent (Belgium): A medieval masterpiece perfectly positioned for trips to Bruges, Rotterdam, and the coast.

Winner: Colmar. Colmar is the ultimate hub because the city itself offers so much, yet it serves as the perfect jumping-off point for the rest of Alsace. Within minutes, you can be hiking to mountain castles or tasting Riesling in a nearby village, making it the perfect home base for travelers who want to see it all without moving every three days.

Award: The Great Outdoors (Best Natural Wonder/Hike)

• Ribeauville Castle Hike: A scenic climb up to the ruins of three historic castles.
• Bergen (Mt. Fløyen): A magical hike through the "fairy forest" with goats waiting at the summit.
• Steg to Brueniger Aelpeli: A challenging trail specifically chosen for its superior views.

Winner: Bergen hike Mt Floyen. This experience stood out for its pure atmosphere. Hiking through the magical fairy forest and meeting the goats at the top provided a whimsical, quiet contrast to the busy fish market below.

Award: Place We’d Return to Tomorrow

• Munich (Germany): A brief walk during the Christmas markets that left us eager to explore more of its history.
• Paris (France): The City of Light that always gets our hearts racing with each return visit.
• Bruges (Belgium): A place so lovely that a single day trip wasn't enough to experience it all.
• Colmar (France): A city that offers the best of everything—hiking, wine, and storybook charm.
• Eguisheim (France): A quaint and fun village that deserves even more time to explore.

Winner: Colmar. Colmar is a great hub in that the city itself has a lot to offer and the daytrips are some of the best if you like hiking, wine, and small villages. It’s the kind of place you leave already planning how to come back.

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Award: The "Great Escape " Award

• Eguisheim (France): A unique and charming village with a wine focus that matches our style perfectly.
• Bruges (Belgium): A beautiful town that was almost overwhelming to try and see in a single day.
• Haarlem (Netherlands): A perfect blend of market history, beauty, and a fabulous wine lunch.
• Luxembourg and its Caves: A great city escape that blends dramatic nature with subterranean architecture.
• Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle: A restored fortress that makes it easy to imagine medieval life.

Winner: Eguisheim. Eguisheim is so unique and charming, and its intense focus on local wine culture makes it a perfect match for our interests. It felt like a true escape from the modern world into something timeless.

Award: Top Architectural Find

• Metz Cathedral (Stained Glass): A "Lantern of God" featuring multiple diverse and historic window styles.
• Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle: An amazing reconstruction that puts you directly into the shoes of those who lived there.
• Brussels Main Square: One of the most impressive and decorative squares we have ever seen.
• Strasbourg Cathedral: An awe-inspiring wonder that set the perfect mood for the Christmas markets.

Winner: Haut-Kœnigsbourg castle. It was amazing, but the reconstruction made it so much more interesting and truly helped us imagine what it was like to live there. The great audio guide brought every room to life.

Award: Best Museum

• Wine Museum (Beaune): A fascinating dive into the history and cultural impact of wine making.
• Hospice de Beaune: A historic hospital tour narrated by the founders through an exceptional audio guide.
• Van Gogh Museum (Amsterdam): A deeply insightful look at the artist and those who influenced him.
• Street Musicians (Munich): A high-standard, live "museum" of music ranging from solo piano to ensembles.

Winner: Hospice de Beaune. Done in the characters of the founders, this was the best audio guide we’ve ever experienced. It transformed a beautiful building into a living, breathing story of charity and history.

Award: The Best Man-Made Wonder

• Metz Cathedral Glass: A brilliant display of art through the ages in a single building.
• Brussels Main Square: A collection of architectural styles and stories that create an impressive town center.
• Haut-Kœnigsbourg Castle: A reconstruction that turns a ruin into an understandable window into the past.
• The Mystic Lamb (Ghent): A virtual reality experience that made showcasing this historic masterpiece even more special.
• Paphos Mosaics: Ancient stories captured in stone by the very people who lived in those homes.

Winner: Mystic Lamb. The history and the virtual reality tour design made showcasing this man-made wonder even more special. It brought a centuries-old altarpiece into the modern day in a way that felt deeply engaging.

Award: Place We’re Glad We Saw (Once Was Enough)

• Nuremberg (Germany): A city full of history that we felt we explored fully in a single visit.
• Ghent (Belgium): We enjoyed the old town atmosphere but didn't feel a strong draw to return.
• Amsterdam (Netherlands): The Van Gogh Museum was a standout, but the city itself wasn't a favorite for a repeat visit.
• Larnaca (Cyprus): A nice coastal city, but others in Cyprus would be higher on our return list.

Winner: Larnaca. Larnaca is a nice city in Cyprus, but other cities on the island would be much higher on our list to revisit in the future.

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The "Rhythm of Travel" is what sustains us between the meals and the milestones. It’s the pace of the walk and the height of the hills. But travel isn't always polished—sometimes it’s messy, funny, and perfectly imperfect. Join us for Part 3, where we look at the bloopers and the snapshots that defined the year.

Continue the 2025Touchpoint Tally:

Part 1: The Flavor Profile

Part 3: The Unfiltered Year

Part 4: The Grand Finale

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