Tour de Germany
In addition to culinary delights, many guests also discover their next travel destination at Grüne Woche. They find what they are looking for in the halls of the federal states.
From reservoir to reservoir on the Thuringian Sea
Do you know the Thuringian Sea? That's the name of the largest contiguous reservoir area in Europe: in the Saale-Orla region, the Saale meanders from the Bleiloch dam - the largest reservoir in Germany - to the fourth largest, the Hohenwartestausee just outside Saalfeld. A little Norwegian fjord feeling arises here all by itself. Ideal for cruising on the water by boat, cycling or hiking by the water - or casually hanging out in the sauna. You can do this at the Ardesia Therme in Bad Lobenstein (camping pitches right next door) or, for a more exclusive experience, hire a private sauna boat on the Hohenwart reservoir.
Saxony-Anhalt: mill village and town of towers in Jerichower Land
The Jerichower Land region stretches east of Magdeburg to the state border with Brandenburg and can be explored on numerous cycling and hiking trails. The Elbe Cycle Route starts in Saxony-Anhalt from Gommern via Magdeburg to Jerichow. Along the way, you can marvel at the impressive waterway cross at Hohenwarte (the same name as the reservoir in Thuringia is a coincidence). In Burg, the town of towers, you can have the witches' tower and cow tower explained to you or visit the mill village in pretty Parey.
Lower Saxony: tranquil meadows and old animal breeds in the Wendland-Elbe region
Heathland and wide floodplains, dense forests and cosy round villages - this is the Wendland-Elbe in eastern Lower Saxony. You can discover all sorts of things by bike or on foot, for example on the trails put together by the tourism association: e.g. the ‘Vogelkieker-Tour’, the Grenzand-Tour, the Beaver-Tour or the Göhrde-Neetze-Tour with giant boulders from the Ice Age and graves from the Neolithic Age. Wendland-Elbe is a biosphere reserve and an ark region, which means that many hobby breeders and professional farms preserve old animal breeds, including, for example, the Michaelshof adventure farm in Sammatz near Hitzacker.
Nature and culture in Meck-Pom
Many people are familiar with Rügen's chalk cliffs or the kilometres of Baltic Sea beaches. But Mecklenburg-Vorpommern also has a lot to offer inland. The tourism association recommends a cycle tour through the Feldberg lake district. Clear lakes and beech forests as well as a good network of cycling and hiking trails make the region a destination for nature lovers. More than 1,000 castles and manor houses open their doors as part of the autumn of castles, often combined with concerts or exhibitions.
The best relaxation in Bavaria
‘Servus Bavaria’ is the motto in Hall 22b, where various tourist regions in Germany's largest federal state will be presenting themselves. Farm holidays in the Allgäu no longer mean the smell of stables and uncomfortable beds. Angelika Soyer runs an Alpine wellness farm with various saunas in Rettenberg. ‘We prioritise personal relationships with our guests,’ says the chairwoman of the “Mir Ällgäuer” tourism association. Farms in her region offer more than 7,000 guest beds. Many have specialised in a particular target group, for example hiking enthusiasts, families - or those seeking relaxation.
Barrier-free through Saxon Switzerland and the cultural capital of Chemnitz
How can you explore the majestic Elbe Sandstone Mountains in a wheelchair? Where can you find rubber dinghy tours or climbing courses for guests with disabilities? The Saxon Switzerland Tourism Association has compiled a comprehensive and beautifully illustrated brochure entitled ‘Experience Saxon Switzerland barrier-free’ for people with disabilities. It contains barrier-free accommodation, restaurants, hiking trails and excursion tips, as well as information on how to get here and an overview of tourist information centres. Also to be found in Hall 21b: the complete programme for Chemnitz as European Capital of Culture 2025.
Hiking, wine and food in the gourmet region of the Palatinate
The Palatinate is the largest Riesling-growing region in the world. So what could be more natural than visiting one of the 200 or so wine festivals in the region? Or stopping off at wineries along the 85-kilometre German Wine Route or stopping off at wine taverns? The tourism association also recommends the three long-distance hiking trails in the Palatinate: the Palatinate Forest Trail, which leads through the Palatinate Forest Biosphere Reserve. The Palatinate High Trail with impressive views and a detour to romantic Meisenheim. And the Palatinate Wine Trail with eleven challenging stages for ambitious hikers.
Watch the video to find out which of the travelling regions in Hesse, Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony will inspire visitors to Grüne Woche.
