Our wonderful trip to Munich and Nuremberg began on Monday, August 19, at Berlin Central Station. From there, we took the ICE to Munich to spend two days exploring this inspiring city. After that, we were headed to Nuremberg.
After checking in at our youth hostel, we headed to the Tushita Tea House, where we were treated to our first gourmet experience. The wide variety of teas, the different ways of preparing them, and the sheer pleasure of the experience helped us settle into the moment and get a feel for the theme of the trip, but we also had time to get to know one another.
From the teahouse, our path led us to the Viktualienmarkt, where we got a taste of Munich’s and Bavaria’s food culture and picked up a few things for our afternoon picnic.
We strolled through the streets of Munich for a bit and found a spot in the park… that was perfect for playing our first group games and having our snack break. Afterward, to wrap up the day, we visited the Turkish restaurant “Annes Haus Mamas Kost,” where we were able to put together our own meals with some truly delicious dishes. There was something for everyone, and with our stomachs full, we took a short walk back to our lodging. That wrapped up our get-to-know-you day.
After a leisurely breakfast at our lodging, we set off on the second day of our trip to the Giesing neighborhood in Munich. There, we took part in a self-guided audio tour that showed us and briefly introduced us to sites related to food policy, important social and sustainable initiatives, and urban gardens.
Armed with this new knowledge, we headed to our next stop for a midday snack in Neuperlach at the Community Kitchen—a project that prepares meals using rescued food and promotes food recycling.
Our afternoon program included a visit to the Deutsches Museum, focusing on the agriculture and food exhibition, which offered a wealth of theoretical insights.
As a little break after the tour, we sampled exciting vegan flavors at the ice cream parlor “der verrückte Eismacher” and rested our legs for a bit.
This already eventful day was followed by a highlight of the trip: a meeting with Verena from the Munich Food Policy Council at their local office.
There, we had the opportunity to make our own mustard, discuss fascinating topics in food policy, network, and prepare summer rolls with regional products for our group dinner.
Many members of the group found this visit to the Food Policy Council to be particularly memorable and inspiring for future initiatives by our Weltacker Youth Council.
Still buzzing from yesterday’s experiences, we met up for breakfast in the morning at our lodging in Munich. On the third day of our trip, we headed on to Nuremberg! Fortunately, it wasn’t far from our lodging to the train station. Well-fed, we made our way to our regional train, which took us to Nuremberg in less than two hours.
We got to marvel at just how beautiful Nuremberg is right on the way from the train station to the youth hostel. Our route took us right through the old town and up to the castle. On this warm and sunny day, carrying our luggage up that hill was quite the workout!
Once we arrived at the youth hostel, we needed a little breather. Then we were finally able to begin our Youth Council session on the terrace surrounded by greenery. Here, we had time to discuss everything important. What events are coming up? What should our art project look like? …but we also made sure not to skip a nice little lunch snack. Some Youth Council members went out to buy treats so we could snack during our heated brainstorming session.
After our Youth Council session, with its clever ideas and stimulating discussions, we headed to a vegan Vietnamese restaurant. With full bellies, we made our way back to the hostel, taking a short stroll through downtown Nuremberg along the way.
Our legs were heavy and our heads were full of new experiences, but we weren't about to miss out on a few more rounds of Werewolf. There was delicious tea in the youth hostel's lobby, so we played one round after another until we all fell into bed, exhausted.
A colorful breakfast buffet awaited us at the youth hostel in Nuremberg. A little tired but still excited for our last day, we sat together at the breakfast table. After checking out of our rooms, we set off with our backpacks and luggage on a short tour through Nuremberg. Before we left, we had to check out a few more spots!
We were absolutely thrilled by a small medicinal herb garden at the Hallertor, located right in the middle of the city. We strolled through the garden, looking at the flower beds. The birds were chirping, the weather was pleasant, and we were amazed by this wonderful project.
After following the short educational trail on herbalism, we continued along the Pegnitz River to a small organic market, where we bought some food for a light lunch.
Next stop: Weltacker Nuremberg…our final stop. Here, we were given a great guided tour of the Weltacker and learned a lot of fascinating facts and insights about global food systems and our own food system. We got into conversation and had a lively discussion. It was a very impressive and inspiring place—and the perfect way to wrap up our trip.
While we couldn’t stop chatting, we set the table for lunch. After a quick snack, we pitched in with the wheat harvest and processing.
The wheat is cut from the field with a sickle and gathered up. Next, we moved on to threshing. Finally, we tried to separate the remaining chaff from the grain using a homemade fan.
Filled with wonderful impressions, we made our way to Nuremberg Central Station. We said goodbye to Munich and Nuremberg and expressed our gratitude for all the amazing encounters, experiences, the dedication, and the projects we had the chance to learn about! The time was very inspiring and, as the WeltackerYouth Council, it has opened our eyes a little further to how our food system works, which adjustments still need to be made, and where committed people are already trying to make small changes to move a step closer toward a sustainable and inclusive food transition! Thank you to everyone who made this trip possible!
The “Future Package for Physical Activity, Culture, and Health” is a program of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth (BMFSFJ). It is implemented by the Society for Social Management Consulting (gsub) and the SPI Foundation. The program component “Youth-Friendly Communication and Grant Application Counseling” is managed by the German Children and Youth Foundation (DKJS).
Since 2022, the Weltacker Youth Council has been working with us—an exciting project that brings young people in Berlin together. They all share one goal: a voice in Berlin’s food policy!