Germany offers you vivid cultural landscapes in unspoiled nature. Take advantage of good transportation links throughout the entire country to experience the vibrant pace of metropolitan regions, or respectfully roam deserted landscapes.
Discover romantic and dreamy settings,
or experience unique natural landscapes up close during active pursuits, such as hiking, cycling or canoeing, donkey trekking or on board a houseboat. Enjoy traditional, homely cuisine and a hotel sector that regards careful use of resources and environmentally-friendly operations as integral components of hospitality. A regional approach and seasonal produce are a matter of course for many chefs. Accompany your meal with a fine wine or a cool beer – the brewing and wine-making sectors combine tradition with skilled expertise and a characteristic regional touch.
A holiday experienced with all the senses in Germany is unforgettable – an enduring memory.
Most of Germany’s towns and regions are easily accessible. Choose the mode of transport offering the best combination of comfort and environmentally-friendly mobility.
“We travel
not to arrive, but
for the sake of travel itself.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
Fast and comfortable Deutsche Bahn trains will take you all over Germany – you can even opt for 100% green power for your trip. Alternatively, services such as the long-distance coach network operated by market leader Flixbus offer fast, inexpensive and environmentally-friendly connections on many routes. The transport system links different long-distance train and coach lines with regional transport authorities. Local, regional and national ticket offers, as well as many tourist cards including free use of public transport, make climate-friendly travel a particularly attractive way of getting around. The benefits include seamless reservation, direct connections and top service – all with minimum impact on the environment.
ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY TRAVEL BETWEEN GERMAN REGIONS
Even after you reach your destination, you can still very easily explore your surroundings with respect for the environment. Larger cities offer rental bicycles at all train stations, and you can find bicycle hire facilities in many holiday areas – often including e-bikes.
Careful use of resources is now standard practice for many accommodation providers across all price categories and regions. Energy efficiency standards are high and environmental specifications strict, even in the construction phase. Hoteliers also pay attention to economical use of electricity and water, use of renewable energies, heat recovery and recycling in their own operations. Many accommodation providers even choose to take this a step further by signing up to ambitious environmental and exemplary social practices:
use of healthy building materials, joint projects with local and regional suppliers, fresh and high-quality seasonal cuisine. Special certifications provide guests with evidence of the professionalism and credibility of this commitment, as well as serving as reference points for independent and continuous verification of quality standards.
Visitors can choose from a wide range of sustainable accommodation, from hostels to holiday homes or hotels offering very high standards of service and quality – whether in a vibrant city or scenic countryside setting.
Experience wind and weather, sunshine and stars up close in a tent, or opt for a cabin or caravan for a little more comfort. Over 1,200 campsites throughout Germany are on hand to ensure your holiday leaves no unnecessary traces in the natural environment. You can filter a list of sustainably certified environmentally-friendly campsites in our Campsite search.
Enjoy your holiday with a clear conscience.
The list of audited criteria is long. Here are just a few examples:
Regular follow-up audits ensure sustainable quality standards. To view a list of certifications, click here.
In cooperation with:
Regional dishes are featuring increasingly frequently on menus in simple, homely restaurants and inns. However, even in upmarket restaurants, “sophisticated rustic cuisine” increasingly involves combinations of fresh and local ingredients in top-class culinary creations.
Gourmets are welcoming these innovative new interpretations of classic dishes. The high level of training and service also reflects the German catering sector’s social responsibility and long-standing focus on quality.
Many German restaurant owners work hand-in-hand with producers. For their part, producers are increasingly turning towards cultivation of traditional local fruit and vegetable varieties and rearing local breeds of livestock. Some 23,000 organic farms have already committed to traditional and environmentally-friendly cultivation methods. Their organic products are strictly monitored and clearly identified by a quality seal. Many farmers sell their produce in their own farm shops or at nearby farmers’ markets.
They say that food and drink keep body and soul together. This of course also applies to beer, which has been brewed according to the German beer purity law for 500 years. Whether it is produced in a small or medium-sized rural brewery, a famous monastery brewery with traditional rustic bar service, or a large operation producing branded beer for export to international markets, German beer consists purely of hops, malt, yeast and water. The near-natural foodstuffs of beer and wine are, of course, also available in organic varieties.
Wines from the 13 German wine-growing areas are known and appreciated all over the world. Whether Riesling from the Rheingau region, Trollinger from the sun-drenched Baden area, Franconian Bocksbeutel or rare varieties from Saxony or the most northerly wine-growing region in Europe at Saale/Unstrut – you’re sure to find skilled craftsmanship combined with pleasure and unforgettable travel impressions.
Popular festivals often revolve around regional specialities – from the wine festivals in the south to the cabbage days in the north, where celebration is a guilt-free pleasure.
Food and drink in Germany – a natural taste adventure.
All VIDEOS on the topic of
“FOOD & DRINK”
are available here
“Food and drink
keep body and soul
together.”
Saying
Germany is synonymous with both modernity and tradition. Many German inventions have been ahead of their time. Some former trend-setting innovations have been saved from oblivion through loving care to become a living and integral part of our tradition.
As you travel throughout Germany, you will experience a very different take on sustainability – awareness of values, lovingly perpetuated traditions and customs forge a sense of identity among the people who practise them. Extensive restoration work preserves testimonials to world history; responsibility for people and the environment are deeply ingrained in German society.
Many traditions have come into being through the seasonal cycle, some are based on Christian festivals, while others are rooted in pagan customs, such as ‘Carnival’, when people engage in foolish antics to drive out winter. Easter also celebrates the awakening of nature with the arrival of spring. A long series of folk festivals accompanies the warm summer months through to autumn harvest time, from marksmen’s fairs to church consecration festivals, wine festivals and the “Wies’n” - Munich’s Oktoberfest. The arrival of the Christmas season then heralds a return to contemplation and winter peace.
Take a trip back in time to the origins of ground-breaking inventions such as the bicycle, the tram or the car and admire the craftsmanship of a bygone era. Go with the flow at festivals and markets and join the Germans in celebrating the perpetuation of traditions which have been passed down through the ages.
“Anything old, if it is truly
so,
we should love, but
for the new
we should truly live.”
Theodor Fontane
(1819 - 1898)
Moving images that stir emotions.
Video recordings of selected traditions and customs that are still alive today.
The everyday lives of previous generations are portrayed very vividly at many open-air museums in Germany. They provide a real insight into the ways in which our ancestors lived in harmony with nature. Old craft traditions or disappearing trades, such as indigo dyer, rope-maker and blacksmith, can be witnessed first hand in demonstration workshops with original equipment. In many places, expert guides are on hand to explain the traditions and craftwork. There is also often an opportunity to sample and purchase regional products directly.
The exhibits range from complete historic villages of reconstructed houses to more recent history, from historic fairs to agricultural machines from the 20th century.
Other open-air museums combine portrayals of distant eras with the entertainment attractions of an amusement park. Most open-air museums also offer interactive activities for families with children.
Take a trip back in time and watch history unfold at first hand:
Only outstanding testimonials to cultural and intellectual history with exceptional universal value can be added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Sustainable cultural and natural tourism is obliged to maintain these sites and also make them accessible to as many people as possible. With no fewer than 41 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Germany holds a top position in Europe. Every single one of these sites is preserved for posterity by detailed protection plans – sustainability in practice.
Embark on a very special journey through time – from prehistoric stilt houses to the industrial culture of the 20th century, from unique natural phenomena to imposing sacred buildings.
A trip to Germany is an ideal opportunity to slow down and experience more, to savour the pleasure and hold onto that holiday feeling for longer. Take time to explore all the different aspects of your destination. Simply lace up your hiking boots, get on your bike, saddle up a horse, or start paddling in a folding boat. Take breaks, linger a while, and find peace.
Travelling at a slower pace allows you to see more, take pleasure in the details, and get more out of your holiday. A wide range of wellness and spa facilities can help you make the most of this time out and do something positive for yourself. Or rediscover a traditional form of travel: pilgrimaging, a combination of walking and a personal spiritual journey.
Let yourself slowly enjoy Germany with all your senses.
Over one third of Germany’s surface area is designated as “National Natural Landscapes” and, as such, is subject to special protection. 16 national parks, 15 UNESCO biosphere reserves and more than 100 natural parks combine protection of nature with opportunities for relaxing escapes.
Including worldwide unique natural phenomena, such as the Wadden Sea along the German North Sea coast. Or the artificially created and yet very natural-looking meadow landscapes of the Spreewald in the south-east of the country at Brandenburg. In the national parks, people have left nature to its own primal power, which has allowed it to expand and develop. UNESCO biosphere reserves are designed to serve as model regions for the harmony of people and nature. Over 100 natural parks in Germany’s most beautiful regions offer a wide variety of natural experiences in a landscape maintained with responsibility towards nature.
Discover Germany’s fascinating natural landscapes. Become one with nature – and yourself.
DISCOVER YOUR FAVOURITE SPOT
Simply stop for a while and find your own favourite spot in nature.
Natural, unique and sustainable travel experiences
Germany is a paradise for energetic holidaymakers. Whether hiking, cycling, climbing, horse-riding or gliding over the water in a boat, feel fresh air fill your lungs, gather amazing impressions and enjoy guaranteed relaxation. And you are not just doing something positive for yourself. You are also significantly reducing your environmental footprint, and that’s good for our environment too.
Hiking is a great way of exploring Germany on foot. Many picnic areas and inns along the way make sure you enjoy every moment of your stay in Germany. If you prefer to push pedals, you can cycle leisurely along flat coastlines and river banks, or tackle mountain trails.
Quality-inspected hiking trails and cycle paths help you plan your route by offering a choice of difficulty gradings, as well as practical guidance along the way, with comprehensive signposting, information on sights and opportunities for breaks.
German cities and metropolitan regions are continuing to develop their sustainability concepts successfully, which places them in a strong position in international comparisons. Different international studies have regularly awarded Germany’s urban regions top scores for transport, air and water quality, green spaces and energy efficiency of buildings, as well for social aspects.
As you travel in Germany, you will have an opportunity to experience this vibrant “green city” approach for yourself, with themed city tours providing practical and surprising examples of forward-looking urban sustainability concepts. Find out more about renewable energies, housing and town planning of the future, energy-efficient architecture and environmentally-friendly mobility concepts on expert guided tours. Discover how cities are going “back to their roots” with urban gardening or city beekeeping projects.
All over Germany, you can see just how routinely people separate their rubbish every day: packaging, paper, glass and organic materials are collected separately and recycled. Recycling helps to preserve resources.
One very recent trend that has really taken off in Germany is upcycling. This means transforming worn-out possessions into new products, giving them a new lease of life, often in a completely new shape and function, and always with renewed quality. The principle is: the value of the new products should be equal to or greater than the original item.
Everyday objects that would otherwise have been thrown away are being transformed into fashion items, jewellery, small items of furnishing or accessories. Find inspiration, you might be surprised with the results.
Germany offers a wide range of options to help you improve your health. From hot springs with healing effects which were appreciated as far back as Roman times, to stylish beach resorts, health spas, hydrotherapy and climatic spas, which attracted the jet set to Germany, or simply a comfortable summer break outside the city.
Do you want to unwind, leave all your cares behind and boost your well-being? Then Germany is your perfect destination. Over 350 rated spas and health resorts and more than 1,000 wellness hotels offer a wide range of treatments: peat mud wraps, seawater treatments, active programmes in the salty air, or mineral water-based drinking programmes give you the chance to do something positive for yourself. In the case of medical indications, doctors and specialists in dedicated facilities can help you using typical local methods or continue your GP’s treatment with cutting-edge therapies.
And for acute illnesses, specialist clinics staffed by internationally renowned medical teams help patients find their way back to a healthy and happy life.
Every year, around three million events attract visitors from all over the world to over 7,000 venues.
Germany is the first choice if your conferences or conventions need to take environmental issues into account. Organise your event in venues that meet the highest requirements for careful use of resources. Newly constructed convention centres are setting standards for energy efficiency. Traditional listed buildings or deconsecrated churches have been renovated in accordance with ecological criteria, and cutting-edge event equipment has been installed.
Organise successful and sustainable conferences!
Use the German Convention Bureau’s online database to find the perfect partner for your conference, event or incentive.