What is a Wandervogel, anyway?
For Lynn and me it’s homage to a social phenomenon that begat the International Youth Hostel movement in the 1930s. We first experienced its influence through American Youth Hostels local council program in the San Gabriel Valley in the 1960s. Cycling in SoCal and touring in Europe brought us together, brought us new friends, and many adventures.
One of the few good things to come out of Weimar Germany, it was a program to get school kids and teenagers out of the gritty industrial cities of the Ruhr and Rhine Valleys and into the healthy countryside. Feathers in their Alpine hats were common. In German Wandervogel literally means wandering birds, or romantically “birds of passage.” The term was used to describe lovers of fresh air, green landscapes, cycling, hiking, climbing, fun, camaraderie, adventure. These were the goals of the teachers and church members who founded such groups and they remain our goals today. As the groups became co-ed, the Youth Hostel idea of chaperoned overnight accommodations expanded the popularity.
Yes, it was the 30s in Germany. And, yes, the Wandervogel and Youth Hostel movements were momentarily co-opted by a certain mustachioed Austrian painter. But after the horrors of WW2, countries around the world recognized that brotherhood and shared wonder of nature needed promoting more than ever, and the International Youth Hostel Federation flourished.
No longer teenagers, the fun and excitement of travel “under your own steam” still delights us. That’s why we love sharing our little program of bicycle tours, point to point daily rides that take our guests along routes intended to promote discovery. Aside from a distinct preference for 3 and 4 star hotels– no more youth hostels for us– we expect riders to actually ride themselves from hotel to hotel. No luxury van option. No catered lunches. Only a few dinners included. We want you to “get out into the local economy” and decipher those menus for yourself.
And route finding? Well, we favor small roads, tiny as possible through villages and towns. Big name cities– we avoid them unless they harbor special attractions. Look up Bolzano, for instance. Lido de Venizia. Sarlat-de-Canada, Carcassonne, or Luzern. Yes, we plan our ride’s carefully and ground proof them as best we can, but the surprises, the turn by turn adventure makes for lifetime memories.