Germany
Varied culture, fascinating nature from North Sea to Alps and exciting cities
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ZH Germany, located in the heart of Europe, is an ideal destination for any kind of holiday. Whether an active, city, cultural or educational holiday, there is something for everyone. Germany is divided into 16 federal states and each region has its own diverse exciting holiday destination. Visitors who love the beachside can aim for the northern areas and its’ famous islands. Nature lovers and hikers should head for the south of the country. Bavaria is home to numerous mountains, including Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze. Germany also has countless castles and palaces and the Rhine/Moselle region with its vineyards is just as worth seeing. Culture lovers do not come too short in Germany. There are plenty of destinations; the most popular cities are Berlin, Hamburg, Dresden, or Munich. Imposing buildings such as Cologne Cathedral or Aachen Cathedral are even on the UNESCO World Heritage List and should be on a travellers list.
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Surrounded by the mountainous landscape typical for the Harz, the spa town Bad Grund offers a healthy climate and the starting point for many adventures in the surrounding forest. Within this lush and green environment, nature’s diversity can be found in its purest form – in fact, tree species originating from every continent can be found in this vibrant natural area.
Sustainability
The German Federal Government has developed a comprehensive sustainability strategy based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015. Germany offers guidance with the help of the practical guide “Sustainability in German tourism – requirements, recommendations, implementation aids”. This was created by the German Tourism Association (DTV) together with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety and the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation as well as BTE Tourismus- und Regionalberatung.
Photo: The Moselle Valley
Getting there
Germany is thoroughly connected to its’ neighbour countries. The infrastructure is well organised and one can reach Germany by:
Train – Deutsche Bahn trains can be boarded from its neighbour countries’ cities and can be used to travel to any township throughout the country. Deutsche Bahn gives the customer the option to offset carbon emissions.
Coach – The German company Flixbus offers intercity bus service all throughout Europe.
Air – Airports all over the country facilitate international connections. Carbon footprint can be offset as well.
Getting around
German towns and cities are well connected and travellers have the choice to choose between:
Train – Deutsche Bahn or smaller services such as Flixbus-Train transport people around the country.
Bus: Coach and bus travel is a great option. Flixbus, IC Bus or Blablabus commute between cities and towns. Each city or town has its own regional bus transport system in place.
Car: Germany has a vast network of well-maintained roads. The great connected ones are: Highway (Autobahn) or countryside motorways (Landstraße).
Carsharing: Germany is known for its great options to share a ride. The most popular one is called Blablacar.
Bicycle: Bicycle lanes can be found anywhere you go (marked on site of the road). Furthermore, Deutsche Bahn offers to easily commute by taking your bicycle with you on the train.
Tourism & People
Germany is offering responsible tourism and seeks to foster respect for human rights and the introduction and enforcement of minimum social and environmental standards. The country is doing its’ best in being as accessible, inclusive, and barrier-free as possible. The German Tourist Board gives information on things that people travelling with special needs need to know. That information includes the national rail network, Deutsche Bahn’s dedicated mobility hotline, barrier-free, cities, etc.
Photo: Munich, English Garden
Travel tips from our editors
Get to know the German city life
Germany is one of the densest populated countries and therefore places to numerous cities. The countries capital Berlin is one of the famous ones. People from all over the world have been flocking to Berlin for years. No wonder, because the city enchants you with its very own charm. Every district in Berlin is different and offers you many highlights. How about a shopping trip along Friedrichstraße, a tour of the many cafés and second-hand shops in Prenzlauer Berg, or a Sunday stroll through Mauerpark?
Check out the German beachfront
Germany might not lay within the tropic climate zone but still has to offer long and fine sandy beaches, a picturesque dune landscape, and crystal-clear water. The Baltic and the North Sea islands offer everything you need for a perfect holiday by the sea. Windsurfers, kite surfers, and sailors will find the ideal wind conditions in many places.
Join traditional celebrations
Each German region has its’ own traditional celebrations. Famous ones are the carnival events in springtime where everybody dresses up and enjoys the parades with friends on the streets. But autumn’s celebration shouldn’t be missed when everybody dresses up in their dirndl and lederhosen to celebrate the Oktoberfest in Munich, Bavaria. Germans like to celebrate and always warmly welcome everybody to join them to dance in one of the many marquees.
Waste separation for recycling
Germany is well advanced with its recycling schemes and it is included in everybody’s lifestyle. There is the usual waste separation system which is divided by colours:
BROWN – organic waste
BLACK – domestic waste
BLUE – paper
YELLOW – plastic packaging (marked with a green point, otherwise BLACK)
For plastic and glass drinking bottles as well as drink cans, it is the norm to return them to supermarkets. This is called a “Pfand” system, similar to claiming back a deposit.
Good places to stay
Book your green hotel through EcoHotels!
EcoHotels was founded in 2020, as a responsible and sustainable alternative to the large and dominant online travel agencies (OTAs), whose business model and high commissions severely decimate individual hotels´ identity, concept and bottom line. EcoHotels´ mission is to be a community for hotels, sharing knowledge and best practices, and standing side by side to promote sustainability in the travel industry.
We have with many years in the hospitality business also experienced a demand for sustainable and certified hotels, why we also aim to be a community for travellers, who care about acting as responsibly as possible, and want to have a trustworthy source of information – who also wish to travel as sustainably as possible, supporting high-quality, certified hotels and helping make travel a force for good around the globe.
In this page you can find a selection of accommodations available and bookable via EcoHotels.
Sustainability Recognitions
The German Sustainability Award honours businesses, local communities and cities that are particularly successful in meeting environmental and social challenges with their products and services and thereby use sustainability as an economic opportunity.
German Council for Sustainable Development:
"Sustainable development means placing environmental aspects
on an equal footing with social and economic aspects.
Sustainable management thus means that we must leave sound ecological,
social and economic structures behind for our children and grandchildren.
None of the three is possible without the other two."