This year's summer vacations will not include beach parties, trips to Bali for surfing, or cruises to the Mediterranean coasts. Instead, many people would end up visiting the promenading sites near their homes. Manuel Andrack, guide and hiking master told the German News Agency (DPA): "This new trend can never be boring."

 

 

Andrack explains that there are many landmarks to explore, citing several places that can be visited in Germany such as the open fields in the Rhön Mountains, the low mountain range in the Eifel province near Belgium, and the Swabian Mountains to the north of the Danube river.

 

 

The hiking master notes that people "can explore these places without a passport," and says "I don't understand why people travel in planes all the way to the Spanish Island of Mallorca for hiking."

 

 

The German authorities expect the domestic tourism activity to recover more than international travel after the coronavirus pandemic. The recreational hiking would contribute to a significant part of this recovery, and experts expect the popularity of this exercise to increase after the pandemic. The number of hiking fans would likely see a significant rise in Germany this year, said the spokesperson to the German Hiking Association. In fact, walking has already started to recover in the country, as many locals have been leaving their house to walk in local sites. People also found that walking under social distancing rules is a lot easier in vast fields and remote lands covered with trees, than promenading in the crowded urban parks.

 

 

Nature experts believe that taking a walk outside is a healthy habit not only because it allows people to exercise, but also because the green spaces could have a healing effect on the body and the soul.