Half-timbered meets organic: A visit to Hardter Wald

Since the end of 2022, Florian Darius has been managing the Nettetal-Hinsbeck Youth Hostel as well as the Mönchengladbach Hardter Wald Youth Hostel. Time for a visit to the certified organic youth hostel.

Since its construction in 1938, the building in the centre of the Hardter Wald recreation area has been used as an environmental youth hostel. The lovingly designed and furnished half-timbered house has 104 beds in 20 rooms - everything from single to 16-bed rooms. This makes the hostel the perfect setting for school groups. And these are also responsible for the majority of the 13,500 overnight stays recorded by the youth hostels last year. „This means we were back to pre-corona levels,“ says hostel manager Florian Darius happily.

Many of the schools that come to Mönchengladbach Youth Hostel are regular customers - and some have been for 40 years. School trips are mainly centred around forest, nature and environmental education. The forest is right on the doorstep and there is an urban biotope that can be used. This is why all the programme focuses take place on the grounds of the youth hostel and in the adjacent forest. And: „Since this year, we have been working with a new cooperation partner who explains, for example, what function beetles have in the forest, how animals protect themselves and what role birds of prey play,“ explains the 38-year-old hostel manager. In addition to school classes, other groups of guests also regularly visit the youth hostel. Individual travellers, sports groups, families, organisations and music groups are frequent guests, especially at weekends. There are seven day rooms, which are also used as dining rooms. This means that the groups are among themselves and have sufficient peace and quiet for rehearsals, meetings, conferences and courses.

Hostel manager Florian Darius is particularly proud of the hostel's organic certification. Meat is only served at breakfast and dinner in the form of sliced sausages - and everything is organic, of course. A vegetarian meal is served at lunchtime. „Green spelt bolognese and oat patties are the favourites,“ reveals Florian Darius and explains: „Vegetarian food has advantages and makes it easier when you have to consider food intolerances or religious dietary restrictions. The children like it and they don't even realise that it's meat-free food.“ The food is delivered from Germany, 95 per cent of it even from the region. Sustainability is not only important to the 38-year-old business economist and accountant when it comes to catering. He and his team also endeavour to operate in a climate-friendly manner in other areas.

Despite the age of the youth hostel, the father of three has big plans for the future of the Hardter Wald site. For example, he would like to work more closely with the town in the programme area and offer holiday programmes for children and young people whose parents cannot afford a holiday. After all, the youth hostels have been committed to the common good since they were founded and are therefore particularly important. „With us, you are safe and in good hands and can take advantage of an educational programme. Families, including single mums and dads, can simply get away for a week and benefit from shared experiences,“ enthuses the hostel manager about his youth hostel.