Frammenti di paesaggio: geografia, turismo e sostenibilità in Germania

Divided into eleven chapters, this volume aims to provide the reader with a geo-cultural analysis of contemporary Germany from a multidisciplinary perspective, encompassing history, geography and environmental challenges. The first chapter traces a historical path from Luther’s Reformation to the reunification of the country, examining key events such as the World Wars, the Shoah and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The second chapter explores Germany’s contemporary geography, highlighting the diversity of its landscapes, the challenges of an ageing population, immigration and the fight against anti-Semitism. The third chapter focuses on the peculiarities of German federalism, while the fourth looks more specifically at residential development, examining the transition from suburbanisation to re-urbanisation, green space planning and the challenges of gentrification. The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth chapters are particularly devoted to the study of sustainability. The fifth provides space for new environmental challenges, including those arising from the consequences of climate change, nature conservation strategies and the transition to sustainable energy sources. The sixth chapter offers an excursus on education for sustainable development, examining the initiatives of the German education system and illustrating virtuous projects. The seventh chapter focuses on good practices in urban biodiversity. The eighth chapter explores sustainability through the analysis of a controversial building law and the difficulties of achieving truly sustainable mobility, with practical examples of CO2 reduction and an analysis of environmentally friendly public transport. In particular, the experiment of issuing season tickets at the symbolic price of 9 euros is taken as an example. From the ninth chapter, the reader will find topics related to tourism. It examines the post-Covid recovery, marketing strategies and the specificities of cultural holidays and natural destinations such as the Wadden Sea or the UNESCO World Heritage routes. Among these, the German Fairy Tale Route, a unique cultural route that illustrates how sustainable policies can enrich the tourist experience and the lives of citizens, deserves an entire chapter - chapter ten. Finally, chapter eleven presents a curiosity: kosher wine from the Mosel, which offers an insight into German wine traditions.