Ideas for micro-adventures: little breaks from everyday life on your doorstep
The term "microadventure" is slowly establishing itself in our vocabulary. These little adventures on your doorstep, as you would translate it, to escape the daily grind. Of course, the adventure needs a cool name. This is how "microadventures" have been translated from the American term and firmly established in people's minds. But before you leave your comfort zone and head outside, it often requires an idea and some tips. Ass-kicking included.
No time. No desire. No idea. No equipment.
Do you know that?
You can always find reasons to postpone an adventure on your doorstep. Next weekend then, okay? Then it's too hot or it's raining. We're never at a loss for excuses. I frequently find myself making them. I'm curious to explore the world when I'm traveling, but I'm typically too lazy at home.
The best and most beautiful experiences are often right on our doorstep. Especially in the last few weeks - thanks to Corona - friends have been writing to me again and again: "Katrin, why don't you tell me what we can do? The ceiling is falling on our heads."
No problem because we also think about what we can do every day. Preferably in places that are not open to everyone but are still "open" and you are allowed to visit them. There are plenty of opportunities around the next corner. You just have to see them!
Here you can find my inspiration and best things to do for micro-adventures!
When do we talk about micro-adventures?
Micro means small. A little adventure to clear your head. Get out of the daily grind and into nature. Even if it's only for a few hours. Some examples and ideas are so banal that you don't even need any equipment.
Only one thing counts: Take a deep breath, clear your head, and come down. Try something new and break out of your everyday coronavirus routine! You'll soon realize how good this change of scenery is and how eager you'll be to get back to your actual work.
When I realize that I'm not being productive, and I'm not getting anywhere with my work, I take a break. I go outside and take a little time out. It helps, believe me!
Walking in circles around the home
Leave the computer off and spread out a map of your home on the table. Place a cup or glass on your hometown or the street where you live. Run the pen around the edge of the glass. This is your path.
Walk once in a circle around your home.
The level of difficulty is easy. Because you are still in your familiar surroundings, but you will look at them with different eyes. Try it out! Not everything will be pretty and beautiful. But slowly exploring your home feels like a little adventure!
When I tried this out, I realized more intensely that there are ancient trees in the park next door that I otherwise only "see" and photograph when I'm traveling. Crazy!
Alternative:
- Take a larger or smaller object and expand or reduce the radius.
- Walk 5 km in one direction, always straight ahead along the path. In Heilbronn lies the river Neckar, ideal for following it for a predetermined number of kilometers.
Climb the highest point in your area
Think about the highest point in your immediate vicinity and climb it. When you reach the top, you may be lucky enough to recognize other hills, mountains or elevations. Climb these hills next.
Ok, it's a bit difficult if you live in the Alps. Here around Heilbronn (Germany), everything is a bit more limited.
Alternative:
- Next, find the highest elevation in the apartment. Then in the region. This way you can expand the game without limits.
Go ahead and flip a coin
This micro-adventure is easy and can be continued for as long as you like. Even for several hours during your lunch break or at the weekend.
Go out and toss a coin at every intersection. Heads or tails? Left or right? The coin determines which way you go. Simple, isn't it?
Themed hike: visit all lakes, castles, or forests
Go on themed trips. Are there many castles in your area? Then visit them one after the other. Not everything has to be hiked.
Write down a list of all the lakes or rivers and visit them. If there are themed stories, such as the "Käthchen von Heilbronn" or Götz von Berlichingen, then write down the places and explore them.
In the land of poets and thinkers, there are legends, fairy tales and matching places almost everywhere, right? Here you will find inspiration for the most beautiful castles and palaces in Germany (will be constantly expanded and added to).
Ride a train to the end of the line
Pack a rucksack with water and small snacks. Take the S-Bahn or (regional) train and get off at the terminus. Walk back on foot.
You will notice how consciously and differently you suddenly perceive your surroundings. You will notice places and spots that you never noticed before.
- There are numerous castles along the Neckar in Heilbronn. You can visit them all one after the other as part of a hike.
- Friedrich Hölderlin once lived in Lauffen near Heilbronn. There is even the N3 Hölderlin Panorama Trail.
Swim in a river
I am a water rat. We used to regularly jump into the river Neckar when I was a child. Venture into the nearest river around the corner and jump in. Of course, it must only be a river where swimming is allowed.
Note: In Germany, swimming in rivers is generally permitted. However, you must be aware that there are signs in certain areas indicating areas where swimming is prohibited. These are mainly the 100-meter sections before and after harbor entrances, bridges, weirs, locks, and ferry and ship moorings.
Watch out for this: After storms, large pieces of tree often float in rivers. Watch out for this and postpone this micro-adventure to another day.
Never swim against the current. Rivers often travel and are stronger than you think. Swim close to the bank so that you reach land more quickly.
Rivers I can recommend in Germany: Neckar near Heilbronn, Isar near Munich, Weser near Bremen.
Make your own camp
As a "tent camp kid", I spent every summer at camps in the countryside - so-called tent camps. In all kinds of wind and weather. Not only did I learn to love nature, I also learned how to bake bread in an oven made of earth and how to keep my tent dry in the event of flooding.
Find a place where you can pitch your tent in the forest. Ideally, there should be a stream with fresh water nearby.
Note: As wild camping is prohibited in Germany, you should contact the forestry administration before your adventure. The forester can recommend places where you can and are allowed to spend the night. Take your garbage back with you and dig a pit for your excrement.
Stargazing: Sleeping under the stars
What could be nicer than looking at the starry sky above you in a warm sleeping bag? Nothing better for me.
There are enough places in Germany where light pollution is low and you can observe the stars and the Milky Way.
Dark sky places in Germany, where you can see the stars particularly well:
- Sternenpark Winklmoos-Alm (Chiemgauer Alpen, Bayern)
- Sternenpark Westhavelland (Brandenburg)
- Nationalpark Eifel (Nordrhrein-Westfalen)
- Sternenpark Rhön (Bavaria, Thuringia und Hesse)
- Swabian Alb (Baden-Württemberg, not yet officially recognized star park)
- There are numerous other dark sky preserves for observing the stars without light pollution in Germany
Tips for photographing the Milky Way can be found here
Being out in nature with a camper van or tent
Grab your camper van or simply a tent and head out into the great outdoors.
Wild camping is prohibited in Germany. You are allowed to stay overnight with a camper if you need to restore your driving ability. However, you are not allowed to set up chairs and a table outside. However, there are apps and forums where you can find out where you can go wild camping.
Incidentally, there are places in the Black Forest where this is permitted.
This is my camper, with which I will soon (after Corona) just drive off. The adventures will hopefully continue soon! Ideal for a little micro-adventure with the right equipment.
Spontaneously setting off by bike
Grab a map (possibly a cycle map) of your home country. Think about how far you want to cycle. Then cycle the number of kilometers in one direction. I think about how long I have the time and inclination. Then I grab the bike and ride along the Neckar for 15 km in one direction, for example.
You can also choose a different route. I like routes along rivers. Here, there are often castles and fortresses or vineyards to the left and right of the banks. In my home region, there is the beautiful Neckar Valley cycle path. For further inspiration, I use Komoot and travel guides such as the german book 52 small & big escapades in Germany - By bike: Get outside!
Watch the sunrise from the next hill
Tear yourself out of bed early in the morning. The first thought is not a good one, but the second is all the better. Sunrises are great, especially on hills with a view of the city. The fog lifts and the city or town below you comes to life.
If you live close to the mountains, you have a big advantage.
- Best place in my hometown Heilbronn: Wartberg.
- Best place in the Black Forest: Belchen
- In Bavaria close to Munich: Zugspitze
With a SUP on the lake or river
Paddling on lakes and rivers with a paddleboard is no longer a rarity. I've had my own for two years now and pack it with me on every trip to a lake or river, especially in summer.
You can now also hire SUP at many lakes or river stations. It doesn't cost much and is really great fun!
Best locations in Germany: Neckar, Lake Constance, Breitenauer See, Eibsee or Elbe.
Into nature with the hammock
Do you have a hammock? Then pack it, find a shady spot with a view and relax with a book or doing nothing. I always have a light hammock in my luggage.
Build your own equipment
A real microadventure starts with making the equipment yourself. For example, a raft with which you can paddle on a lake or river. Or the wooden cutlery and plate for eating?
Carve yourself a walking stick, probably the easiest task. Sewing a rucksack for hiking is a little more challenging. As you can see, the adventure can begin with moving the equipment.
Take a hike at night
Who wants to go on a night hike? When traveling, I've often got up at 2.30 a.m. to hike towards the sunrise on the summit with a headlamp and warm clothes. At home? Not a chance.
My wish and dream: night hiking in the Black Forest. I found this website of Adventure Blackforest.
Mountain biking on a designated trail
There are many single trails in Germany for beginners to professionals. There are many designated routes in the Black Forest, the Swabian Alb and the Alps.
Even here in Heilbronn, there are five different ones to choose from. There are also bike parks and opportunities for MTB tours and great single trails in the Sauerland, the Eifel, the Harz or the Palatinate Forest.
Bikepark Winterberg is one of the best bike parks in Europe for downhill and free riders.
Check out your local branch of the DAV (German Alpine Club). They often offer trips and courses for beginners.
Paddling with the kayak
Whether on a lake, river or canal. Grab a kayak and just paddle away. In the Müritz National Park, you can even go on tours lasting several days. The classic tour is of course the Eibsee below the Zugspitze.
Around Heilbronn, the old Neckar arm, the Jagst or the Gutach in the Black Forest are ideal for kayaking.
Tandem paragliding flight
I think paragliding is great. I don't have to steer the glider myself, but enjoy being a guest on a tandem flight. The flights towards the Austrian border with a view of Lake Constance or the Alps are particularly great! I love it and will certainly do it again soon!
Climbing garden
Be honest: I'm not a fan of climbing gardens. Nevertheless, I have already visited several. Even if I'm already getting sweaty palms again when I think about wobbly car tires stretched at great heights.
Funny, because I don't mind steep via ferratas (Sacred Valley in Peru) or routes in climbing gyms.
I can recommend the forest climbing park in Weinsberg near Heilbronn. On this website you will find a list of all climbing gardens in Germany.
Explore (stalactite) caves
There are numerous caves in Germany. Near us, there is the Eberstadter Tropfsteinhöhle in Buchen (Odenwald). This stalactite cave is around 600 meters long and is open to visitors.
The Laichingen Deep Cave in the Swabian Alb is also nearby.
More caves in Germany:
- Teufelshöhle in Pottenstein (Bavaria)
- Schellenberg ice cave, Berchtesgaden (Bavaria)
- Herbstlabyrinth – Schauhöhle Breitscheid (Hesse)
- Kalkberghöhle in Bad Segeberg (Schleswig-Holstein)
- Atta Cave in Attendorn (North Rhine-Westphalia)
- Saalfelder Feengrotten (Thuringia)
- Rübeländer stalactite caves (Saxony-Anhalt)
You can find more caves on the website of the German cave and karst researchers .
Venture onto a via ferrata
I'll be honest: I don't like climbing gardens. I prefer a via ferrata in the great outdoors. There's bound to be one near you. In Germany, you can find via ferratas in Saxon Switzerland, the Southern Palatinate, the Franconian Jura or the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.
Do you have any other tips for microadventures? Or places for the outdoor activities I mentioned?
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