Here on our blog, we often talk about the disappearance of plants, animals, and nature – but did you know that the number of villages is dwindling as well? Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, an increasing number of people moved to the cities. In 2008, more people were living in cities than in rural areas for the first time in human history. In our hit list, we would like to introduce you to some beautiful villages in Italy and Germany still forming a vibrant community. Some of our Green PearlsⓇ partners actively support the preservation of these villages with their accommodations.

What is a village?

According to the Oxford dictionary, a village is “a rural settlement of rustic character”. But a few houses standing together don’t form a village yet. It also has a place of worship, craftsmen, a place to eat (the village pub, an ice-cream parlor, etc.), and shops.

The end of the mom-and-pop shop

By the way, in Austria the mom-and-pop-shop is called a “Greißlerei” and in German “Tante-Emma-Laden”. It’s a small, owner-operated store where you can buy “everything” for your daily needs. As the newspaper “taz” reported, in 1990 there were 65,000 such mom-and-pop stores in Germany. In 2019, there were only 8,550.

The reason there are fewer and fewer of these owner-operated stores is that discounters offer a much more diverse range of products and negotiate lower prices. A German farmer I talked to a few years ago about sustainable agriculture told me: “If you have to sell to discounters, you’ve lost. They say, ‘We’ll sell the lettuce for 29 cents.’ They don’t care if it’s profitable for the growers or even a loss”.

The rural exodus in Italy

There are many reasons for the rural exodus – first and foremost, the villages no longer offer any employment. Therefore, young people move to the cities for education, university, and work, then send their children to school there, and unfortunately, their old village has nothing left to offer them.

This global problem has gained particular attention in Italy, where many communities have decided to sell houses for one euro – or even to give them away and add money for renovation. The goal: The houses shouldn’t be vacant anymore.

Buying houses for one Euro in Italy

At one point, I myself was intensively looking into the purchase of a “one euro” house in Italy. Various platforms and addresses on this matter can be found on the web. However, as I quickly found out, the local authorities are not interested in you simply handing over a euro and getting a piece of land in return. If you want to do something like this, you really have to be willing to revitalize the house. Meaning: Committing yourself to renovate and maintain the house (at your own expense). You don’t necessarily have to use it as a permanent residence, but it should be inhabited as a vacation home, etc.

How an Albergo Diffuso can be a village revitalizer

Another idea to save Italian villages from decaying is the “Albergo Diffuso”, which means distributed accommodation in the village.  Elena Scalambrin, for example, demonstrated this approach with our Green PearlsⓇpartner Relais del Maro.

Enchanting village: Borgomaro in Liguria

Borgomaro is a small Ligurian village of only 800 inhabitants, about 13 kilometers from the Mediterranean coast. A small river with a picturesque bridge, flows through the village surrounded by mountains and olive trees with the church in its center. Elena’s family originates from here and has owned several commercial and residential buildings. These buildings were vacant and the whole village of Borgomaro, despite its beauty, was in danger of being forgotten. It was here that Elena and her parents had the idea of opening an Albergo Diffuso (following the example of other villages), now a 4-star hotel spread over the old family estate.

The former butcher’s shop became the main house with six rooms and a reception. A large breakfast terrace was built for the guests and a swimming pool excavated. The remaining hotel rooms locate in various residential buildings in Borgomaro, and for breakfast guests simply enter the main house. To explore the area, you can rent e-bikes directly at the Relais del Maro. Thanks to the hotel, the bakery has been able to remain in the village. And even a hairdresser and a pharmacy have returned!

You can learn more about Elena Scalambrin’s Albergo Diffuso in this video from “Grenzenlos”:

A’ Cràpa Mangia: How an old Italian farmhouse became sustainable vacation homes

Our Green PearlsⓇ partner A’ Cràpa Mangia is another example for the usage of old existing buildings. In 17^th century Catalonia, the noble Perotti family built a country house on the coast, near the town of Castellabate. Over the years it changed hands several times and was abandoned in 1968. In 1998, 30 years later, the current owners succeeded in acquiring the property. They decided to make it not only a vacation home – but also their new permanent residence and moved from Germany to Italy.

However, the renovation was more difficult than expected. The old barn, oven, coach house and masonry had to be completely demolished and later rebuilt true to the original. Now the A’ Cràpa Mangia consists of 11 apartments and a room for events – all of them built in the traditional style of the Cilento region.

At 8,658 people (in 2022), Castellabate is already too big to be considered a village. In Europe, places with 100-1,500 inhabitants are considered villages, and places with 5,000-10,000 inhabitant’s small towns. Nevertheless, you will like Castellabate and its historical center – it belongs to the association “I borghi più belli d’Italia”, in English: “The most beautiful places of Italy” after all.

Beautiful villages in Germany

There are a lot of charming villages in Germany to discover while on vacation as well. Here we want to introduce you to some of these places, as well as the sustainable accommodations that help preserve them.

Balderschwang: A village that has seen its population more than double

The Allgäu village of Balderschwang is located in the prealpine region only 3km from the Austrian border. It has Germany’s “highest village center”, situated 1,044m above sea level. The village was famous for its cheese production in the 18th century and boasts a beautiful location amidst meadows, mountains, forests and the Balderschwang ski area.

It’s remarkable that Balderschwang, contrary to the general trend, was able to increase its population by about 70 percent! In 1988, Balderschwang had a population of 206; by 2018, it had already grown to 353! No other village in the district of Oberallgäu was able to achieve such a result. This feat was mainly achieved thanks to tourism, which is why the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio Allgäu should definitely get a mention here. The family-run hotel has been located in Balderschwang for more than 60 years and has become famous for its reorientation as a sustainable wellness hotel in the mountains. At the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio Allgäu, you’ll be right in the middle of nature, a delight for hikers, mountain climbers and winter sports enthusiasts. In addition, there is a huge wellness area, yoga classes and yoga retreats.

Warpe – a beautiful village in Lower Saxony

Warpe currently has a population of 799. In Wikipedia there are pictures of three village attractions: grazing water buffalo, the bus stop, and Okelmann’s Eco-Hotel (a “country inn” according to Wiki). The building is run by The 5th generation of the Okelmann family runs the hotel nowadays. It has been part of the village since 1879. “Love your homeland” is written above the reception desk. The hotel has 16 lovingly decorated rooms, a yoga room, and a sauna in a converted shepherd’s cart. In addition, there is the café “Heimatliebe” and a small concept store.

The Okelmann family has a great love for nature and will gladly provide you with tips on how to explore the area. There are biking tours (created by Komoot) or Geocaching and many family destinations such as the Wolf Center Dörverden or a hike to Alpacas.

Beautiful Villages of the Spreewald

The Spreewald is a biosphere reserve and historical cultural landscape in the east of Brandenburg, between Berlin and Dresden. Its main feature is the river Spree. Along with the river’s natural branches, many canals have been carved out, making the Spreewald especially interesting for canoe trips which will take you to many of the 37 Spreewald villages.

In the town of Lübben (approx. 14,000 inhabitants) you will find our Green PearlsⓇ partner, the Strandhaus Boutique Resort & Spa. Located in the middle of the tributaries of the river Spree, it too comes with a long history. The beach café opened in 1930 and was expanded in 2012 to include a hotel with 20 rooms and suites. The boutique resort includes a spa area with a panoramic sauna, and the cuisine is based on the regional specialties of the Spreewald. Canoeing and boating tours start right outside its doorstep.

A popular village in the Spreewald is the island village of Leipe. It’s entirely surrounded by water. Even to this day, you can reach some of the farms in Leipe only by boat.

As you can see, villages are exciting contemporary witnesses. When I think of my own family, all of them live in the city. It’s only from my grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ generation that I know stories of rural life. It’s a shame, really. How is it for you?

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