Kat Nickola

Kat is a travel and lifestyle writer based in Kaiserslautern, Germany with a special interest in anything theatrical, outdoorsy or ancient. She has a bachelor’s degree in geography from Penn State University and a master’s degree in archaeology from the University of the Highlands and Islands.

nickola.kat@stripes.com

Visit Germany’s five greatest rivers

Visiting one of Germany’s five largest rivers is an experience not to be missed, and each one offers something a little different.

Gamescom is the biggest games event in the world and held in Köln, Germany.

Gamescom IRL: What, where, when and why to go

The Art and Music of the Danube

Balanced diet food concept. Assortment of healthy food low cholesterol, spinach avocado red wine green tea salmon tomato berries flax chia seeds turmeric garlic nuts olive oil. Copy space background

The Mediterranean Diet

Your Snapshot: Cochem

Thanks to Robert A. Ortiz for sending in this charming photo of the medieval Reichsburg in Cochem.

Beautiful Croatia

Youth writer Mykayla shares the details of her family trip to Croatia where they enjoyed the water swimming, kayaking and even jumping off cliffs!

Scene from the manuscript of the epic poem of Parzival, written in the 1200s.

Parzival, Germany’s Medieval Hero

A German Arthurian epic poem by Wolfram von Eschenbach featured “Parzifal” - or Sir Percival - as the primary character.

Unraveling Scottish Tartans

While the kilt may be an iconic part of Scottish identity, the tartan patterns are what sets this fabric apart.

Medieval Germany: Castles and Commoners

Would you have been a commoner or a noble in medieval Germany? Find out what life was like during the Middle Ages at these castles and open-air museums.

The best medieval festivals in Europe

Here is your resource to finding historical-reenactment festivals in 2025 near you. Figure out how to find small local fairs and huge multi-day themed events.