Pick-your-own fields: start your holiday in your head
Perhaps you don't even need a trip in the traditional sense to escape everyday life for a while. For many of us, the holiday feeling begins with taking time for books, visiting the weekly market – or picking strawberries from one of the pick-your-own fields – and finally cooking all those summery dishes we don't have time for in our daily lives.
The Forum Moderne Landwirtschaft lists a nationwide overview of pick-your-own fields
https://www.moderne-landwirtschaft.de/selber-pfluecken
Micro Adventure: Discover exciting travel destinations in your immediate vicinity
Your surroundings certainly have an enormous variety to offer. Whether mountains, beaches, forests, nature reserves or one of the numerous German cultural landscapes. Many of these places are accessible by bus and train or can be explored directly by bike, hiking, or even canoeing.
By the way, have you heard of the term microadventure? It goes back to the British writer Alastair Humphreys, who, in his 2014 book "Microadventures," suggested small and easily achievable outdoor activities in one's immediate surroundings as a short-term escape from everyday life – and thus immediately triggered an entire movement. His ideas? For example, camping for a night in a tent or on your own balcony. What are we waiting for?
We are currently looking for and finding inspiration for microadventures and other activities here: Mit Vergnügen – The Travel Edition (https://reisevergnuegen.com/) and the City Editions (https://mitvergnuegen.com/)
Means of transport 2.0: Making the path part of the journey
If you want to travel further afield, you may learn to see the journey as a valuable part of your holiday. From a climate perspective, traveling by public transport such as train and bus is sensible, as it not only gives us a more ecological footprint but also time to let the journey take its effect on us. However, if you want to avoid public transport, perhaps you could swap your car for a bicycle, a canoe, a kayak, or hiking boots? Longer distances are also enjoyable on/in these modes of transport – and allow us to experience the journey from A to B in a completely different way.
For outdoor enthusiasts, the WALDEN Magazine published by GEO, among others, repeatedly focuses on beautiful tours, e.g., the most beautiful canoe routes: https://www.geo.de/magazine/walden/16275-rtkl-fieldguide-deutschlands-schoenste-kanutouren
Insider tip “Treehouse”: Stay off the beaten track
Furthermore, when we embark on individual journeys instead of opting for package deals, it becomes much easier to support local and small providers. In the end, it's the people and the regions that benefit from our visit, rather than large corporations.
A tip: Small, ecologically-minded tour operators usually work closely with local partners who operate according to ecological and social criteria, and they know the corresponding insider tips – from family-run eco-hotels to treehouses in the forest. Also good to know: There are now certifications for ecologically-minded travel destinations as well. For example, the European and Austrian Eco-labels, the umbrella brand "viabono," or the "Blue Swallow" identify environmentally friendly travel providers. And associations like Bio Hotels and Klimahotels also guarantee compliance with environmental standards.
Extensive information on sustainable travel is provided by fairkehr GmbH's online magazine "Anderswo": https://www.wirsindanderswo.de
