We all know it: traveling is a wonderful thing. Period. But it is often also full of contradictions and dilemmas. To me, some of the biggest of these are to justify all the pollution and problems it can cause. To put it bluntly, I wonder often if we have to harm our planet in order to discover its beauty. I don’t know; one sounds antithetical to the other, doesn’t it? If this is how a friend would describe her relationship to me, I might be all like “step away girl, this is toxic!”
Far from perfect and not morally superior at all, I’m aware that I chose my desire to travel far over my ecological footprint often enough when going on a journey. I’m talking planes, and also the tourism business in general, which is beginning to face some really tough ecological and social issues. It’s a rapidly growing industry, and coming up with ideas that are delightful for visitors but still good for the local people, economy and environment takes time, creativity, will power and huge amounts of sensitivity.
It’s possible though. And hesitantly happening. So, apart from trying to make up for my choices when I’m at home by living as sustainably as I can, I always search for ways
I love myself some little experiments, so when I read about the
So, I took the train to northern Germany and found a temporary home in the wooden walls of
Their holistic approach towards sustainability goes far beyond the stuff that only looks good on the outside. They have an amazing restaurant, different conference halls and an ongoing interactive exhibition which allows people of all ages and kinds to explore the magic of our forests in an entertaining fashion.
I love the concept of such multifunctional spaces and this one is really well executed. Every little detail has been thought of and the whole design concept is just gorgeous – cool and modern, but also very inviting. The Wälderhaus is located in the heart of Hamburg’s multicultural
Did you know, that mushrooms can communicate with each other? | Photo: Johannes Arlt for Wälderhaus
The building itself is made out of local, untreated wood and ferroconcrete, has a fully green rooftop and is almost a hundred percent self-sufficient, running on solar power and geothermal energy. Pretty cool, right?
Apart from all of this, the hotel rooms are super comfortable and calming. They are covered in wood as well and entering them feels like walking into a forest. Or a Finnish sauna. A sauna in the forest maybe? Point is: I slept like a baby in the soft cotton sheets, surrounded by clean, woody air.
Every one of the 82 rooms features a certain local tree. Mine was the “
Talking of surroundings: The
Since coffee breaks actually are just my thing, wherever I go I try to remember the bring my own cup. It may feel like it’s not that big of a deal to use a paper or plastic cup, but the numbers are actually shocking: in Germany alone, we use 2.8 billion to-go cups per year – that means 320.000 (!) per hour. It’s an actual problem – way too many resources are being used, and in this case the solution is so easy and obvious.
I will admit it’s a bit of a readjustment – sometimes you may be annoyed by always carrying your own cup with you, especially when on a journey. So I really dig the deposit system, that “
Speaking of zero waste, there also are quite a few shops in Hamburg where you can do your (grocery) shopping without unnecessary packaging. Bring your own boxes or bags and stock up on fresh goodness at
If you want someone else to prep your food, I’ve got some favorites for you as well.
They tackle the art of a real good and satisfying salad, make some mean burgers and pamper you with #breakfastalldaylong on weekends. The space is cozy and always pretty packed – satisfied customers are always coming back for more.
Some other place I would also return to is
If you are looking for a bit of a finer dining experience check out
A more thoughtful way of buying clothes can also change a lot, whether you are at home or en route. I like to visit different second hand shops wherever I go. Reusing things really helps to save resources and I personally love it when the things I buy already have a story.
Hamburg
For an inspirational little stroll, walk through
If you’ve got the curiosity, creativity and the desire to try out new things, traveling more thoughtfully is really easy and fun. The cool ideas I’ve seen in Hamburg – that are happening all around the world – give me hope that we are well on the way towards a greener way of living and getting around.
What are your green travel tips or favorite destinations? Let us know in the comments below.
All images except stated differently
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