Traveling sustainably and consciously? – We'll show you how these two points can be combined, using three scenarios. This helps you to specifically tailor "your sustainable trip to Regensburg" to different travel purposes and needs.
Bauer family from Munich
In our first example, the Bauer family from Munich (two adults, one child) visits the World Heritage town. On their journey by train, which is one of the most sustainable modes of travel, they produce the following emissions. For comparison, the table also shows the emissions that would be produced when traveling by car.
The Bauer family spends a weekend in Regensburg, staying at the family-run Castle Hotel, which is within walking distance of the main sights. The hotel pays special attention to the use of high-quality regional products. In addition, portion packaging (e.g. jam, butter) isavoided. Due its the proximity to the central station, they quickly arrive at their accommodation. The view of the Thurn & Taxis castle sets the mood for their stay. The hotel is also easy to reach with public transport.
They take a look around Regensburg's old town, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006, thus making an enormous contribution to Regensburg's sustainability as a city destination. To get around the old town, they use the E-Bus Emil. Emil runs on 100 percent green electricity produced at the local hydroelectric plant. You can't have a better environmental footprint in public transport.
Suddenly Jan, the little boy of the family, discovers a store with lots of transparent tubes full of baking ingredients and spices.He's found the „Füllgut“ store, where food is sold unpackaged, thus saving on packaging materials.
They enjoy lunch at the „Maier“, a cozy restaurant with partly historical decor. It's located in a former brewery building in the well-known "Stadtamhof" district. Organic and fair trade products, vegetarian food, and regional cuisine are significant components of the gastronomic selection.
Marco from Berlin – business trip
Marco is from Berlin and is in Regensburg on business. He's attending a seminar at the marinaforum Regensburg which he also organized. It's important to him and his company to travel sustainably, so he chooses the train as a means of transport. Flight times are shorter, but since Regensburg doesn't have its own airport, traveling by train is not only more sustainable, but also faster overall.
He's booked an overnight stay at the Novotel Regensburg Zentrum, which opened in 2020. The hotel has an official certification in the area of sustainability (Planet 21), most of the lighting on the premises uses LEDs, and on top of that, the information is available in several languages.
He has downloaded the Regensburger Verkehrsverbund (RVV) app. The digital maps not only save a lot of paper, but also time, as he can easily find his bus route using the search function. If he desires, the staff of Regensburg Tourismus GmbH will support Marco throughout the seminar, with preparation, implementation, and follow-up. This ranges from the individual selection of event rooms, to the conception and planning of technical equipment and catering, to the creation of a supporting program. With the "Green Score Card" – a tool for measuring the sustainability of an event – Marco can decide for himself how sustainable his event should be.
He rounds off the evening with a Bavarian beer in the „Kneitinger" – – an iconic locale among the traditional houses in Regensburg. Since Marco has a gluten intolerance, he's very happy to be informed about possible allergens on the menu. Meanwhile, his seminar colleague Hanna, a vegetarian, has also found a delicious dish thanks to the menu notes.
Sara and Petr from Prague on tour in Germany
Sustainable but no budget? – No problem, as our third scenario shows. Sara has just finished school and is now traveling around Germany with her boyfriend Petr. They start their trip through Europe in their hometown of Prague. Regensburg is the first destination on their journey. It's important for them to travel cheaply, so they've chosen the train and bus. The slightly longer journey is not a problem for them because traveling by train and bus means they can discover a lot of interesting places in Europe. As young people, the topic of sustainability holds special significance for them.
Sara and Petr chose the youth hostel in Regensburg because they wanted accommodation at a reasonable price and because they were looking for international encounters. The Regensburg Youth Hostel was the ideal choice to fulfill both criteria. The topic of sustainability also plays a decisive role at the youth hostel: Most of the electricity comes from renewable sources. In addition, the hostel has GfRS certification (organic component certification).
After also checking out some sights, such as the Porta Praetoria, and taking a selfie on the Old Stone Bridge and posting it with the hashtags #regensburg and #regensburgoldtown on Instagram, they stroll past the many small shops in Regensburg. Since they're particularly interested in (German) handcrafts and Sara wants to study design after her trip, they don't pass up an opportunity to visit the „Hantwerck“. There they find not only traditional Bavarian pottery, but also unique sculptures made of stone and wood.
Petr had already visited Pilsen and drunk a beer or two there, but he was not aware that the Spital brewery records could be traced back to around 1350. Especially in summer, the Spitalgarten with its view of the cathedral provides a very special atmosphere. The Spitalgarten is also one of Regensburg's most sustainable hospitality businesses. It currently meets nearly all sustainability criteria of Regensburg Tourismus GmbH.
As you can see from our examples, sustainable travel doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. If you consciously plan a few items such as the choice of transportation for your journey there, getting around the city, and the type of accommodation, you can significantly reduce your negative impact on the environment. We hope that our scenarios gave you some tips and suggestions for sustainable travel in our World Heritage town and we look forward to your visit soon.
For more tips on activities, accommodation, or conferences, visit our website at www.tourismus.regensburg.de
