Romeo on Mt Wank (Melissa Rall)

Melissa Rall recently submitted an adorable, super scenic photo of her dog Romeo. 

They hiked up Mont Wank, a “stunning dog-friendly, cheaper alternative to the Zugspitze,” according to Rall. She told us that while the Zugspitze is dog-friendly, it is also the tallest mountain and only glacier in Germany and not really a great environment for pets. Mount Wank has a great grassy meadow summit that was perfect for a romp with her furry family member last May. 

Romeo was a rescue dog, adopted by Rall in Texas, who endured numerous moves, lived in two countries and visited nine. Rall says, “Romeo was my soul dog that got me through my 20s. He was an emotional support animal, my shadow, my adventure buddy, my protector, and the best family I could ever ask for.” Sadly, Romeo passed away in March, but Rall was grateful to reminisce about their day hiking in Garmisch-Partenkirchen when this photo was taken.  

“Romeo was ecstatic to hop on his first ever cable car ride and looked out the window eyeballing every cow as we passed over top of them. We were blessed with great weather. The mountain air was crisp and puffy clouds moved through the sky as the sun danced behind them. When we reached the top, Romeo sauntered out of the cable car with sparks in his eyes as he took in the sights and smells. The views at the summit are panoramic of valleys and mountain ranges as far as the eye can see. We spent our time walking around the summit meadow and relaxing on the wooden loungers that overlook the town of Garmisch. I snapped more than a few model-like photos of Romeo on my new Canon camera, which I am now forever grateful for. We stopped at the restaurant up top for a quick snack before making our way down the mountain.” 

Rall misses Romeo, but she encourages other pet owners to travel with their dogs. “I think dog vacations should be the new trend.” She highly recommends taking your dog on both day trips and longer vacations because, “It’s a memory that will last a lifetime, and something you will hold dear far beyond their shorter lifespan. You always think you have more time.” 

Thank you to Ms. Rall for sharing her photo and day out hiking with Romeo. Her submission has inspired us to continue posting pet travel photos each month.  

Have you also traveled with your pet while in Europe? Submit your picture with “pet photo Europe” as the subject to contentteam@stripes.com. Include a brief description of your pet and where you traveled, and you may get featured in our next Pet Travel Photo of the Month on our social media outlets or in one of our print publications.  

(Melissa Rall)

(Melissa Rall)