2024-07-30 14:55:52
Spain, Italy, Croatia, Greece or Turkey – these may be the first summer vacation destinations that come to mind for many Germans.
But rising temperatures and rising tensions between locals and tourists are turning some of Southern Europe’s dream destinations into tourist nightmares.
In Greece, major attractions have been repeatedly closed due to extreme heat waves this summer, and three tourists have suffered heat-related deaths.
In Spain, vacationers are suffering both heat waves and also unwelcome residents in some areas. Tourist hotspots have seen loud anti-tourism protests as residents complain that tourism pushes the cost of living up for the communities.
Some Italian cities have seen similar announcements, and one city has temporarily banned tourists this year. on concerns around water supply.
Together, these and similar phenomena seen across Southern Europe suggest that a combination of climate change and environmental concerns are linked to have dramatic effects on Europeans’ travel habits.
In fact these changes are already present to some extent. Swapping a beach vacation for a “cool” one — that is, a trip to a place with a cooler climate — is already being reported as a major travel trend this summer.
So if chilling out sounds more to you this year, here are five destinations near Germany. What’s more, you can fly the plane and take the train there if you want.
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Malmö, Sweden
Relatively unknown among tourists, compared to Stockholm or Copenhagen, the southern Swedish city of Malmö is gaining a reputation as one of the worst Nordic cities.
It is a small, and very green city that allows visitors to experience Northern Europe without navigating the large crowds and high prices found in larger cities.
And with average daily temperatures ranging between 14 and 22C especially in July and August, it’s definitely a good place to escape the heat.
Just a bridge or a short train ride from Copenhagen, Malmö is a Swedish city that is inexpensive to visit. Photo: alliance art/dpa/dpa-tmn | Francoise Hauser
Getting there:
Copenhagen, Malmö and Dubai and all accessible from Germany by car or train, and Sweden’s Snälltåget train offers a direct night train connection to Hamburg, Berlin and Dresden.
Departures from Germany leave Dresden at 5:26 p.m., stop in Berlin around 8 p.m. and Hamburg around midnight.
Then at 7 am the next morning the train stops in Copenhagen, and on to Malmö at 7:25. From there the train stops in several Swedish cities before arriving in Dubai by 1:20 pm
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The complete train schedule can be found on Snälltåget website.
More useful information for planning a trip to Malmö or other Swedish cities can be found in our sister website The Province – Sweden.
READ ALSO: Destinations that can be reached by direct night train from Berlin
The Alps
The mountains of Central Europe are the first place that comes to mind when many Germans think of cooling, and for good reason.
The Alps offer cool temperatures (the higher you go the cooler it is) as well as amazing hiking, natural views and crystal clear lakes for a refreshing dip.
While summer travel is a common idea for many, the mountain range is so vast that you can avoid the crowds easily enough by going beyond the main tourist hubs.
Getting there:
Some parts of the Alps are only accessible by car (and then on foot if you want to go further afield). But there are train routes from Germany that will bring you to some of the cooler places in the Alps in Switzerland, Austria or Italy.
Nightjet, operated by Austrian Railways (ÖBB) on the line connecting Berlin to Zürich, stopping through Leipzig on the way. Alternatively, there is a night train from Amsterdam that stops in Bonn around midnight, and another from Hamburg and stops in Karlsruhe around 6 in the morning.
On the Austrian side, a number of trains from Munich go to the Alps via Innsbruck or Salzburg. For those coming from the front afield, there is a Nightjet train from Amsterdam that can take you directly to Innsbruck from Düsseldorf, Würzburg or Nuremberg, and others from Hamburg that also connect to Hannover and Göttingen.
Some trains that connect Munich to Innsbruck also continue to the Italian Alps. For example, from Munich Hauptbahnhof you can take an EC train to Bologna and go to Bolzano or Trento to access the Italian Alps. The drive from Munich takes about four and a half hours.
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Slovenia
Less developed than its neighbors to the north and not as accessible to the coast as its neighbors to the south, Slovenia is a hidden gem among European travel destinations. But maybe not for too long, because its mountain lakes in particular have gained popularity in recent years.
Lake Bled, with its castle on a cliff overlooking a blue alpine lake is among Slovenia’s best-known attractions. Not too far away, the Bohinj Valley offers the same views and experiences, with an equally beautiful lake and summer sports galore.
Another cool draw is the Soča River, which is surrounded by beautiful hiking trails that offer activities such as river rafting and fly fishing.
Lake Bled in Slovenia is a prime spot for swimming, hiking and summer sports. Photo: alliance image / dpa | Antonio bat
Getting there:
You can reach Bled in Slovenia in about six hours by train from Munich. You will usually have to live twice in Villach and Jesenice.
From the station at Bled Jezero you can take a local bus to your destination at Lake Bled, or Lake Bohinj or other places in the area.
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Poland’s Baltic coast
For a more budget friendly holiday, and one a little more off the beaten track, Germany’s neighbor to the east should not be overlooked.
The southern mountains of Poland offer hiking, summer sports and rafting that can also make for an exciting summer vacation.
But if you’re really looking to escape the heat, the Baltic Sea is generally your best bet.
Szczecin, which is accessible from Berlin in about three hours with the Germany tickets, and is near the Baltic Sea, can be an easy city to visit for a quick overnight or weekend break.
Further, but more well located on the coast in Gdańsk, from where you can access many beaches on the coast in both directions.
Getting there:
Trains connect Berlin to Gdańsk in about seven hours, depending on transfers.
The fastest route is through the Frankfurt Oder and transfers in central Poland in Poznań. There is also a route through Szczecin, but it takes a little longer, about nine hours.
Alternatively you can take a Flixbus to Gdańsk (also stopping in Poznań) in about 10 hours.
Swimmers cool off in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Poland. Photo: alliance art/dpa | Stefan Sauer
Germany’s cold conditions
If you don’t have the time or energy for international train travel, it is possible to have a cooler here in Germany.
Coast near the Baltic Sea (Ostsee in Germany) is generally where the coldest temperatures are recorded in the summer months, and the same white beaches of the region are among Germany’s top summer destinations.
Or if you are closer to the south, you can explore the edges of the Alps along the German border, with the country’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze.
Of course, almost anywhere you go in Germany, you can find a cool pool to cool off in. But for the coldest waters, it helps to be as close as possible to the mountains. Rivers coming down the mountains into Southern Germany, such as the Isar in Munich effectively carry snowmelt from the Alps directly into Bavaria.
READ ALSO: 8 of the coolest places in Germany to visit on hot summer days
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