I must admit… I used to think Germany was all beer and bratwurst.

So it was quite a pleasant surprise during my first trip to Germany in April to discover how many conscious spots there are to see in German cities! There is no shortage of vegan cafés and restaurants or secondhand, Fair Trade, sustainable and ethical fashion stores.

And certainly Munich was no exception—in fact, Munich had some of the most exciting sustainable spots I’ve seen (including one very unexpected one, but more on that later.)

Here are the eco-friendly and ethical spots we visited during a two-day stop in Munich.

Ethical and Sustainable Stores

Manufactum

While we originally just stopped in this store to find quick refuge from the cold, I was quickly impressed by the collection of goods in Manufactum. The store is dedicated to selling only the highest quality products, meaning what’s sold here is made from durable materials, made with high skill, and will outlive any trend.

And while buying long-lasting goods is a more sustainable approach to begin with, they also have a section dedicated to natural, eco-friendly and Fair Trade certified products as well.

Oxfam

Oxfam is widely recognized as a charity fighting for human rights around the world. What’s a little lesser known is that the nonprofit also sells ethical, sustainable goods to generate revenue that helps fund their work.

The UK-based charity has a couple locations in Munich with secondhand clothing, accessories, and books, along with a small curation of their Fair Trade chocolate and tea.

Freitag

Probably my favorite of the conscious spots we visited, Freitag is a sustainable fashion brand with bags and clothing for men and women. The Swiss brand uses recycled truck tarp for their bags, and a combination of linen and hemp for their clothing. I loved that they clearly communicated the sustainability of their products right in their store.

As you can see in the second image, they have a great image showing the circularity of their garment production. Freitag uses fabrics from nature to craft their clothes, and then once the consumer can no longer wear the clothing, they can compost it and return the garment back to nature. Fascinating, right?!

Vegan Restaurants and Cafés

Schmeckerling

Schmeckerling is an adorable vegan restaurant we visited on our first day in Munich! They have a vegan brunch buffet (which is what we did) as well as a normal menu. The vegan spot sources organic, locally-grown, and Fair Trade ingredients as much as possible. And they have delicious smoothies—that come with a reusable metal straw!

Lost Weekend

Lost Weekend is a vegan café and coffee shop, working space, and small hub for cultural events. We had the coffee and cappuccino to drink and the white chocolate croissant and the sandwich with mushrooms to eat—and we loved it all. Even my boyfriend, who isn’t a vegetarian or vegan, really enjoyed the all-vegan breakfast here.

Viktualienmarkt

Viktualienmarkt is a daily, year-round market in the center of Munich. The market has over 100 shops with produce, baked goods, honey, flowers, plants, among other delicacies and essentials. It’s definitely a fun place to walk around, though we didn’t stay long since it was so cold the day we went!

Hofpfisterei

This bakery is in the Viktualienmarkt. The bread looked delicious here, but we were full from lunch so we didn’t get anything. However, I wanted to still share it because it’s a very sustainability-minded company.

Hofpfisterei bakes natural bread without artificial additives or chemicals and operates completely carbon neutral. They also have a yearly sustainability report they publish. (Though, to be honest, I’m not sure what it says since it’s all in German!)

… and One Last (Unexpected) Conscious Spot

BMW Welt (BMW World)

A car showroom is a conscious spot to visit in Munich? (I told you it was unexpected!) Before you think I’ve gone crazy, let me explain.

BMW has an impressive amount of ultra fuel-efficient and electric-powered vehicles. (Of course they also have some gas guzzlers, too). And the BMW World showroom is an opportunity to see the most innovative electric vehicles and technology the automaker is developing, like a wireless charging station!

And you can ask one of their “geniuses” (a.k.a. customer representatives) for explanation on these battery technologies. I went with my boyfriend who’s studying mechanical engineering and an avid car fan, so he was my “genius” for the day!

You may also want to check out: 

Vegan, Vegetarian and Organic Restaurants in Paris

A Conscious City Guide to Lucerne, Switzerland

What I Wore to Sustainable Fashion Week in Berlin

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Places to See in Lucerne

Kappelbrücke, or “Chapel Bridge” in English

Probably the most iconic site in Lucerne is the Chapel Bridge. Many people walk across it, but it was pretty crowded when we went so we were perfectly happy just looking at the gorgeous structure!

(In these photos, I’m wearing Fair Trade certified Athleta leggings and tank, Veja Wata canvas sneakers, and an old jacket I’ve had for a few years.)

Incredible Views

With beautifully clear water and the mountains in the background, Lucerne makes for a lovely spot to just find a bench or other spot to sit and soak in the views! I easily could’ve spent all day just staring at this picture-perfect scene behind us if it wasn’t for my pale skin + a particularly sunny day.

Ethical Fashion and Fair Trade Shops in Lucerne

Changemaker

Starting off with my favorite spot, Changemaker is an all Fair Trade store with 7 locations around Switzerland, including Lucerne! They have two floors filled with beautiful, ethically made goods, including home decor, books, candles, accessories, chocolate, tea, books and much more.

G-Star Raw

Mainstream denim brand G-Star Raw is going green! The brand has been working on their sustainability practices since 2006, and has made major headway in the past few years. They’ve joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, launched a range of denim with “EarthColors” that are colored with natural dyes from recycled plant waste, AND they released a Gold Level Cradle to Cradle-certified denim fabric. They’re also continually monitoring and improving their supply chain, ensuring facilities are safe spaces for their workers and the environment.

Revendo

Revendo is a used and refurbished electronics store focusing on Apple and Android products. There’s no question that electronic waste is a massive issue, so it was nice to see this store with a commitment to helping reduce this waste, all while providing affordable electronics options to consumers. They have 7 stores across Switzerland, including this one below in Lucerne!

Sustainable and Vegan Places to Eat and Drink in Lucerne

Diechi Gelataria

For a special mid-day treat, we stopped by Diechi. With a view of the Kappelbrücke (Chapel Bridge) and delicious flavors, I can highly recommend this spot! I had sorbetto – which has no diary – in a cone! According to their website, they do not use preservatives and work to include local and sustainably-sourced ingredients where possible.

More Restaurants

We actually didn’t end up eating a full meal in Lucerne since we had a large breakfast in Interlaken that morning, but here are some vegan and vegetarian options we had researched:

Blend Teahaus

Blend Teahaus is a completely vegan and organic restaurant with lunch, dinner and oriental brunch on Sundays. And, of course, they serve a variety of teas from around the world.

Karl’s Kraut

Vegan, all-natural restaurant, Karl’s Kraut also serves lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch. They also source local and seasonal ingredients, and avoid using additives or conventional industrial sugar.

Peacefood.bio

The “first healthy, and purely vegan restaurant in Lucerne”, Peacefood is a self-service spot for plant-based eats and treats.

Sommer Café

Located right outside of the Richard Wagner Museum, Sommer Café is a vegetarian and vegan-friendly spot open seasonally during… you guessed it: the summer!

Crazy CupCake Café

Crazy CupCake café is a cute spot with vegan brunch food, desserts, and ice cream.

Tidbits

Tidbits is a buffet-style vegetarian and vegan restaurant with over 40 dishes to choose from. Additionally, all of their bread, pastries, eggs, and diary are organic.

You May Also Want to Check Out:

Can Air Travel Ever Be Green? 9 Ways to Fly More Consciously

Vegan, Vegetarian, and Organic Restaurants in Paris

When in Rome, Be A Responsible Traveler

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If the idea of packing just one bag for a trip terrifies you, don’t worry! I haven’t always to be able to pack light and if you would’ve told me a year ago to pack for a four day trip in only a backpack, I likely would’ve laughed right in your face…

However, as I’ve started to understand the values of packing less, and experienced how much better traveling with minimal baggage is, I’ve developed a few strategies to pack minimally.

Here are my five pieces of advice for packing as lightly as possible:

1. As hard as it may be, stick to *one* color scheme.

To create the most outfits out of the least amount of pieces possible, try to work with one color palette made up of mostly neutrals. For this trip, I chose black and white pieces; I’m definitely a fan of color, but I wanted to keep it easy and simple while traveling. By sticking with mostly black, I could focus my time and energy on enjoying and exploring, not figuring out what to wear with what. It can be tempting to bring out fun pieces for your trip, but just remember that there are literally hundreds of other days and opportunities in the year to wear those pieces when they won’t be taking up space in your luggage.

2. Bring one (or two) statement pieces to elevate your straight-forward looks.

Packing minimally doesn’t have to be totally boring! Choosing a special statement piece or two can do wonders without taking up prime real estate in your bag.The ideal statement piece to pack is one that it goes with everything, so that you can add it in easily whichever day you decide to wear it. For my statement piece, I chose a fitted red skirt because the rest of my pieces were black and I love how red pairs with black!  It ended up only being warm enough one day to wear the red skirt, but it was by far my favorite look, so I don’t regret the choice at all!

3. Stick to one pair of shoes.

Probably the top tip I have for anyone looking to pack for a trip in just a backpack is to stick to one pair of shoes. Shoes add quite a bit of weight to a bag, and if you want to save your back, try to eleminate packing extra footwear. The ideal situation is to wear the pair of shoes to your destination that also can go with every outfit while you’re at your destination. As much as I wanted to bring shoes just for my red skirt look on this trip, I restrained myself from bringing them, but was ultimately happy with my decision. I ended up deciding on my canvas Veja sneakers, since they could be very easily dressed up or down and the colors went with my chosen color scheme.

4. Pack pajamas that can double as clothes for emergency.

One of the most common reasons people overpack is to prepare for “just in case”situations. As a (often paranoid) over-thinker, this is definitely a worry on my mind too. To ease this concern,  I always bring leggings and a casual top as pajamas so if the worst case scenario happens where literally all of my clothes are dirty (or unwearable for another reason), I have a backup outfit without packing extra! Another thing to keep in mind if you’re traveling to a city is that running out of outfits can be the perfect opportunity to explore some local thrift shops or flea markets!

5. Bring underwear that go with everything.

No, I’m not going to tell you to re-wear your dirty underwear. I mean that if you are packing even one slightly sheer top, bring a bra in that color, or if you are bringing one white dress or bottoms, bring nude underwear.  In the case of this trip, I brought two black bras (though I would’ve been fine with just one) since the turtleneck was slightly sheer and I knew I would wear it at least twice on this trip.

Using these “rules”, I was able to create outfits for four days—with weather ranging form 50 degrees Fahrenheit and rainy, to 80 degrees and sunny, might I add—with only 8 pieces! Here were my four looks:

The 8 pieces in my backpack:

• 1 sweater (Everlane turtleneck thrifted from ThredUp)
• 1 peplum top (Alice + Olivia thrifted from Designer Resale Chicago)
• 1 coat (well-worn peacoat from high school, brand unkown)
• 1 faux leather jacket (well-worn jacket I bought in Florence a few years ago)
• 1 red skirt (St. John’s skirt thrifted from Designer Resale Chicago)
• 1 pair of jeans (Express skinny jeans bought secondhand)
• 1 pair of leggings (bought from a dancewear store in high school, brand unknown)
• 1 pair of canvas sneakers (Veja Wata sneakers)

Other items packed:

• Various essentials like socks, underwear, belt etc.
• Pajamas
• Weather-proof essentials such as sunglasses and an umbrella
• + a camera of course!

What I didn’t pack

• Fancy shoes: as I said, shoes are usually among the heaviest things you can pack, so it’s wise to choose your shoes sparingly!
• Jewelry: honestly, I just completely forgot about bringing jewelry, but ended up not being a problem and less to fit in my bag.

Streamlining my packing list was undoubtedly a challenge at first,, but I was SO happy that I spent the time to figure out what I really needed so that I could focus on the important things when I was traveling.

Packing fewer things meant that I didn’t need to sort through a huge suitcase of unnecessary stuff or waste time trying on 5 different outfits to find one I liked.

In short, packing LESS freed me up to enjoy MORE while traveling!

Other articles you may like:

Vegan, Vegetarian, and Organic Restaurants in Paris

When in Rome, Be A Responsible Traveler

Can Air Travel Ever Be Green? 9 Ways to Fly More Consciously

The post A Minimalist’s Guide to Packing for Paris in a Backpack appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.

So for my second trip to the French city, I came prepared, researching long and hard for restaurants which were either all vegan/vegetarian or had a substantial amount of meat-free options. I also tried to find organic, eco-conscious restaurants whenever possible. I thoroughly enjoyed each place I ate at and would recommend any and all of them!

Keep in mind that Paris is a HUGE city (even after living 4 years in Chicago, a city of 3 million people, I was quickly overwhelmed in Paris, which is a city of 12 million). So moral of the story, definitely plan the restaurants you want to go to each day around the area you will be visiting. Since Paris is broken down into 18 arrondissements (districts) I’ve included which arrondissement each restaurant is is to help you with your itinerary.

VG Pâtisserie (11th arr.)

A fantastic spot for a quick breakfast—this all-vegan pâtisserie shop has fluffy croissants, breads, chocolate treats, and a range of other delectable pastries. The shop is petite, but there are a few more seats outside available during the warmer months.

Du Pain et Des Ideés (10th arr.)

This bakery was the first stop we made in Paris, and it was a fantastic way to start the trip! This boulangerie has a selection of organic breads and traditional pastries. I enjoyed one of their traditional breads and an escargot pastry. Escargot means snail in French, but don’t worry it’s not made of actual snails, just shaped like one! I’ve read multiple recommendations for their “Pain des Amis” (Bread of Friends) as well!

Café Marlette (9th arr. and 4th arr.)

One of my favorite places I ate in Paris! We had quite a feast at Café Marlette, ordering bread, pastries, yogurt, granola, coffee, and juice—and all of it was absolutely delicious. This cute café can get pretty busy at lunchtime though and doesn’t take reservations, so stop by early for your best chance at a seat here.

Le Potager du Marais (3rd arr.)

This vegan restaurant serves classic French cuisine completely animal product-free. As an appetizer, I had the “Pomme de terre rôtie, tapenade, pistou, graines germées et noisettes”, and for my main meal, the “Roulé du lupin à la florentine aux champignons, sauce à l’estragon”. Both were very good!

Chez Meunier (2nd arr.)

This organic bakery was right by our AirBnb, and I swear, if we didn’t have a huge list of restaurants we wanted to try in our limited time in Paris, I would’ve eaten the pastries here every single day… they were heavenly!

Café Pinson (10th arr.)

Café Pinson seemed to be on every recommendation list I found for vegan food in Paris so I knew we had to give this one a try—and we were certainly not disappointed. We had the cream of carrot and coconut soup as a starter and I chose the “Fortifying Parmentier” as my meal.

Crépuscule (7th arr.)

We ended up choosing this place simply because there were few other affordable dinner options to be found in the 7th arrondisment, but it turned out to be a fantastic spot. The service was friendly and the crêpes were delectable—this was my first time having savory crêpes and I’m officially sold! (There were a couple vegetarian options here, though no vegan choices that I saw on the menu.)

Ma Cave Fleury (2nd arr.)

This organic and bio-dynamic wine bar wasn’t on our list before going to Paris, but it was right next to our AirBnb so we checked it out one night, and ended up having not only fantastic wine, but enjoying a great atmosphere as well. As the night went on and the space filled up, they put out more tables and the rest of the bars on the street fill up, which created a vibrant, distinctly French vibe. Wishing I could go back to that evening…

Breizh Café (3rd arr.)

Far and away the best crêpes I’ve ever had! Breizh has unique savory and sweet crêpes made from local ingredients. There are a few organic options on the menu—including an apple, caramel, and vanilla ice cream one that I tried and can vouch is AMAZING.

L’épidon (6th arr.)

L’épidon is a completely organic restaurant and wine bar that looked absolutely delicious. Unfortunately we didn’t have the time to get to this one, but it’s saved on my list for next time!

Hank Restaurants: Hank Burger and Hank Pizza (1st and 3rd arr.)

Hank Burger and Hank Pizza were also both on my list, and although I didn’t make it there during my time in Paris, I’ve heard only great reviews of these spots.

Have any vegan/vegetarian or organic restaurant recommendations for Paris? Leave a comment below or contact me here!

Related Posts:

When in Rome, Be A Responsible Traveler

Can Air Travel Ever Be Green? 9 Ways to Fly More Consciously

Traveling Like A Minimalist: Packing Light For Long Trips

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