Barrier-free travelling: Nadine discovers Gemünd Youth Hostel

Nadine, a travel and outdoor blogger, is travelling all over Germany - with a rollator, electric wheelchair and electric scooter. On her Blog she reports honestly and inspiringly on how travelling is possible despite mobility restrictions. This year, her tour took her from Schleswig-Holstein to the Eifel - with a special stop in the Gemünd Youth Hostel.

Youth hostels as ideal holiday accommodation

Due to her progressive muscle disease, Nadine is dependent on accessible accommodation. „I can still walk independently, but only to a limited extent,“ she writes. That's why ground-level rooms with enough space for aids such as a rollator, wheelchair or mobility scooter are particularly important to her.

In the past, she and her family mostly stayed in holiday flats and looked after themselves. But now she appreciates the combination of comfortable accommodation and good food: „Ground-level accommodation combined with delicious meals that I no longer have to cook myself makes our holiday hearts beat faster.“

From Schleswig-Holstein to the Eifel

This year, Nadine started her trip to Germany with overnight stays in the Plön Youth Hostels and Dahme in Schleswig-Holstein. Both hostels impressed her with their barrier-free access, friendly service and beautiful location. After the north of Germany, she was finally drawn to her home region - Gemünd Youth Hostel in the Eifel National Park.

Holidays right on the doorstep

Gemünd Youth Hostel is idyllically situated at the foot of Lake Urft and is an ideal starting point for barrier-free excursions into the Eifel National Park. Nadine was particularly impressed by the new hiking bar, which was opened on Easter Monday. It is not only open to hotel guests, but to all hikers who want to take a short break. Hot and cold drinks are available here - a cosy place to recharge your batteries.

The accessibility of the hostel itself is also impressive: the rooms are spacious, accessible at ground level and offer enough space for aids. The Urftseerandweg trail, which is around ten kilometres long and is ideal for wheelchair or mobility scooter users, also starts from here.

On the way, the trail leads over the Victor Neels Bridge to the barrier-free birdwatching station and on to the Urft Dam. There is a small refreshment stop and an accessible toilet with a Euro key. Afterwards, you return along the same route - a tour of around 20 kilometres through the nature of the national park.

Conclusion

In her reports, Nadine impressively demonstrates how diverse and inclusive youth hostels are today. Her stays in Plön, Dahme and Gemünd have shown her that barrier-free holidays don't have to be a compromise - they can offer freedom, comfort and relaxation. It is the combination of practical facilities, good cuisine, a beautiful location and attentive teams that makes youth hostels the ideal holiday destination for her.

About the author

Nadine is a partially mobile travel and outdoor blogger. She explores Germany with a rollator, electric wheelchair and scooter, tests accessible accommodation and reports authentically on her experiences. On her Blog, at Instagram and YouTube It shows that travelling with limited mobility is not only possible, but also enriching.