Green Route

A preparatory workshop in the capital of the German region Thuringia marks the beginning of the Green Route. You’ll get to know each other and to familiarize yourself with the topics and the outline of your route. In Weimar, a visit to the Buchenwald Memorial awaits you where you will learn about the dual history of the camp and discuss your insights. Afterwards, you’ll visit the House of the Weimar Republic that educates about the history of the first parliamentary democracy of Germany that existed until Hitler came to power.

Leaving Prague behind you, you’ll return to Germany. In Munich, you’ll ask yourselves where National Socialism and its ideology originated. What events led to social exclusion, war and destruction?  You’ll find answers in the Documentation Centre for the history of National Socialism. It’s not possible to return the victims of the war to life, but we can give them back their biography. In the Waldfriedhof, or forest cemetery, you’ll be shown war graves – not simply of dead soldiers, but of people who had lives of their own, and who had plans and hopes for the future. You’ll have the opportunity to take a closer look at their individual stories.

The monument on the Hartmannswillerkopf hill in France clearly expresses the real senselessness of the battles and trench warfare that took place here in World War I. The hill is also known as “man-eater mountain”, since around 30,000 French and German soldiers were killed here during World War I in static battles all around the hill. In 2017, the German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the French State President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated a German-French museum dedicated to the battles and commemorating the men who died there. Particularly impressive are the still very well preserved German trenches, which can be explored on a hike if the weather allows it.

In Verdun, you will come face to face with powerful reminders of trench warfare during World War I in the Lorraine region. Verdun became the symbol of the “Great War”, famous for the longest battle of this conflict. On the former battlefields, you will see the vast National Necropolis with its thousands of graves and visit the Douaumont Ossuary which contains the remains of more than 130,000 unidentified soldiers. The impressive building has often been interpreted as a sword driven into the ground. You will also visit Fort Douaumont which was fiercely fought over during the Battle of Verdun and today shows the living conditions of its inhabitants.

The Green Route takes you through an eventful century of European history. Those who are familiar with the past can shape the future. You will learn about different national views on history and will have the exciting opportunity to meet young people from many different countries.

For 14 days, you will travel this route together with about 30 young people from all over Europe. Most of the journey will be done by a tour bus.

If you want to take part in the adventure, join us on the Green Route that takes you through Central and Western Europe!

Due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, changes to the route may be necessary at short notice to accommodate changing legal regulations.