Short trips are easier to fit into your schedule than long vacations – and they tend to be cheaper, too. According to surveys and studies, Gen Z and Millennials in particular appreciate both. A microcation often focuses on exceptional experiences, such as a spa weekend at a unique hotel, a city break, a short outdoor adventure or special tours. Because of the shorter travel distances, a microcation also benefits sustainable tourism.

Sustainable microcations – what to look for

A microcation (a portmanteau of “micro” and “vacation”) is one to four nights.

1.   How long is the travel time for a microcation?

A good rule of thumb is to allow 2 hours travel time. This distance will allow you to make a stress-free trip after work or early in the morning without much planning. 4 hours is acceptable if it is a comfortable train ride or an extremely worthwhile destination 🙂 Anything longer than 4 hours should only be done by night train or planned as a bike trip (keyword: the journey is the reward).

The ideas in this article are meant to inspire your next microcation. You can and should customize these ideas based on where you are and what transportation is available!

2. Choosing the right accommodation is essential – regardless of whether you are staying for a short or long period of time

A short trip (without a plane) is not the only thing that makes a microcation sustainable. As with longer vacations, your choice of accommodation also plays an important role. Sustainable Green PearlsⓇ hotels and vacation rentals rely on renewable energy, local organic food, and eco-friendly concepts such as zero waste or circular design.

3. Traveling sustainable means living sustainable

It also means making sure you use resources consciously:

• Less luggage means less emissions
• Visit local restaurants and shops instead of international chains and support the local community.
• Activities can also be sustainable – from nature experiences to eco-friendly city tours to sustainable spa options.
• For more tips on sustainable travel, check out this overview.

Microcation ideas for every taste

Whether you are looking for relaxation, new adventures, or a digital break – Here are sustainable inspirations for your next microcation:

#1 Wellness & Relaxation

Perfect for giving your body and mind a break. Sustainable wellness hotels rely on natural skin care products, environmentally friendly wellness areas (e.g. natural swimming ponds), green energy from renewable sources and advanced technology (e.g. use of waste heat). Complemented by healthy and regional (organic) cuisine.

Sustainable hotel tips:

• Birkenhof**** Spa & Genussresort (Upper Palatinate, Germany): Just want to relax and enjoy? The Birkenhof is a 5-star wellness hotel with a large natural swimming pond, several pools (indoor and outdoor) and a large sauna area. It also has a 2-star restaurant. Despite all this luxury, the hotel is fully committed to sustainability and operates its own combined heat and power plant, which significantly reduces CO2 emissions for electricity and heating.
• Hotel Klosterbräu (Seefeld, Tyrol, Austria): The Hotel Klosterbräu is also a 5-star hotel with pools and saunas, surrounded by the beautiful mountain panorama of the Alps. Built on the site of an old monastery, the hotel has a special charm with its vaulted cellars and candlelight. You will have a particularly sustainable vacation in the hotel’s nature rooms. These rooms were built with almost 95% local materials (e.g. clay plastered walls and wooden floors from the hotel’s own forest).
• SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA (Bad Herrenalb, Black Forest, Germany): Located in the climatic health resort of Bad Herrenalb, this hotel not only offers breathtaking views of the Black Forest, but also has its own mineral thermal swimming pool. It is known for its sustainable initiatives, such as hotel rooms made entirely of recyclable materials.

#2 Inner peace and strength

If swimming, sauna and relaxation are not enough for you and you are looking for something more spiritual, you can combine your microcation with guided yoga and meditation classes, forest bathing or TCM treatments.

Suitable sustainable hotels:

• LA VIMEA (Naturno, South Tyrol, Italy): Daily morning and evening yoga on the sun deck, a natural swimming pond, a saltwater pool, and 100% vegan cuisine -that’s what adults-only hotel LA VIMEA has to offer. The hotel also appeals to younger guests with its vegan focus and a special offer for Gen Z.
• Lifestyle Resort Zum Kurfürsten (Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel, Germany): Located in the Moselle region, the Lifestyle Resort is completely designed according to Feng Shui and includes a TCM center for Far Eastern treatments. You can also incorporate these into your microcation, for example with a nutritional consultation and diet based on the 5 elements.
• Klosterhof – Alpine Hideaway & Spa (Bayerisch Gmain, Berchtesgaden, Germany): Forest bathing (shinrin yoku) from Japan is said to be extremely healthy and healing. You can try it under professional guidance at Klosterhof – Alpine Hideaway & Spa. (Read more about forest bathing in our blog article). The hotel also offers singing bowl massages.
• Naturresort Gerbehof (Friedrichshafen, Lake Constance, Germany): If you are open to alternative healing methods such as biomotivation according to Viktor Philippi, you will find it at the Naturresort Gerbehof on Lake Constance.

#3 Adventure & Outdoors

A weekend in the mountains or on the coast – microadventures are a great way to combine sustainable travel with nature experiences. Whether hiking, biking or wildlife watching, the focus is on conscious experiences.

Recommended accommodation:

• Hotel Bella Vista Zermatt (Switzerland): A family-run boutique hotel with just 21 rooms and direct views of the Matterhorn. Located in the car-free mountain village of Zermatt, it is the perfect starting point for a short nature vacation including hiking.
• Summit Lodges Pfunds (Tyrol, Austria): If you are not traveling alone on your microcation, but rather with friends or family, the Summit Lodges are two first-class vacation homes that can accommodate up to 6 people. The log cabins have their own wood-burning fireplaces, saunas, and are surrounded by Tyrolean nature. In addition to hiking, you can go windsurfing on Lake Reschen in the summer.
• Naturhotel Outside (East Tyrol, Austria): Naturhotel Outside is located in the middle of the Hohe Tauern National Park – Austria’s largest alpine national park – around the Grossglockner and other 3,000-meter peaks. The eco-friendly hotel has a top-notch restaurant (3 Falstaff Forks) and in-house hiking guides. Microcation Tip: Look for the “Big Five” of the Alps (ibex, golden eagle, bearded vulture, chamois and marmot).

#4 Detox & Digital Detox

New content on your Instagram and TikTok accounts is the LAST thing you want on your mini-break? Then you might prefer the opposite: a digital detox. A few days without constant connectivity can work wonders. Conscious relaxation and offline activities will help you clear your head.

Tips for sustainable hotels:

• STURM (Mellrichstadt, Rhön, Germany): The redesigned (and award-winning) garden-view rooms deliberately forgo televisions. Instead, they overlook a large natural swimming pond. The Rhön Biosphere Reserve, with its rolling hills and exciting moors, is perfect for a relaxing vacation.
• Hotel Okelmann’s: (Warpe, Lower Saxony, Germany): We recently featured Warpe as a “hidden gem” on this blog. Here you can experience pure nature in a traditional family hotel with a barrel sauna and yoga classes. It’s the perfect place to unwind for a few days.
• Gut Sonnenhausen (Glonn, Bavaria, Germany): About an hour’s drive south of Munich, you’ll find Gut Sonnenhausen, surrounded by forest and farmland (managed according to the principles of permaculture). The renovated and restored former stud farm offers a relaxed atmosphere of eco-consciousness, tranquility and inspiring art.

#5 Romance & Togetherness

Rekindeling the spark in your relationship with a vacation is very popular. A microcation, where you spend some quality time together, is often all that is needed. With the right setting and accommodation, the rest will take care of itself.

Our hotel recommendations for a romantic getaway:

• Hotel Das Rübezahl (Füssen, Allgäu, Germany): Nestled among Germany’s royal castles, a forest, and a view of Neuschwanstein Castle, the setting is nothing short of magical. Hotel Das Rübezahl features a beautiful natural spa in front of the hotel, many romantic nooks and crannies, and top-notch cuisine by Erik Wendt.
• Lifestylehotel SAND (Timmendorfer Strand, Baltic Sea, Germany): The Lifestylehotel SAND, located directly on the Baltic Sea, offers romantic extras like the possibility to spend the night in a wicker beach chair on the roof of the hotel. You can read more about this in our blog post about a romantic weekend by the Baltic Sea.

#6 Cities & Culture

Are you drawn to the city? The hustle and bustle, the crowds, the museums, the cafes, the shops… The advantage of a city break is that you can usually get to your destination by train, bus or carpool in an environmentally friendly and affordable way. In the cities themselves, there is public transportation – or you can take your bike. Did you know that Paris, for example, has expanded its network of bike paths and is now a great place to explore by bike?

Hotel tips for a city trip:

• Green Spirit Hotels (Paris, France): In the heart of the centrally located 7th arrondissement, you will find three green pearls: Hotel Le Pavillon, Hotel Malar & Hotel Amelie. Hidden oases with green courtyards and organic food within walking distance of the Seine, the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides and other highlights. Read more about a stay at Hotel Le Pavillon and a guide to eco-dining in Paris here.
• Hotel Milano Scala (Milan, Italy): Milan is not only the city of the Last Supper and Milan Fashion Week. It is also home to progressive contributions to sustainable urban development, a vegan scene, and the zero-emissions Hotel Milano Scala in the city center. In this article, we have compiled tips for a sustainable weekend in Milan.
  
• Green City Hotel Vauban (Freiburg, Germany): The university city of Freiburg, near the French border, has a great atmosphere. Located in the modern Vauban district, the sustainably-run Green City Hotel Vauban offers direct access to the tram and a free ticket for public transportation. Our tip: Ideas for a sustainable and affordable weekend in Freiburg.
• Hotel Luise (Erlangen, Germany): The Franconian university town of Erlangen, with its baroque cityscape, is an ideal destination for a “second city” visit (instead of Munich or Nuremberg). In this blog post, Laura Heufelder from Hotel Luise shares some insider tips for Erlangen.
  

Getting away from it all without having to fly halfway around the world is what makes Microcations so popular. We hope that we have given you some inspiring ideas. At the moment, the hotels mentioned are mainly from Germany. If you are looking for another region, check out the Green Pearls website.

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