Hamburg

Hamburg. The second largest German city, which has about as many inhabitants as our Slovenia, is not an “Olympic” city. The Summer Olympic Games have so far been hosted in Germany's largest city (Berlin, 1936), third largest city (Munich, 1972) and the small Bavarian city of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Winter Games, 1936). The latter is still "big" on the sports map on the New Year's Day, when it hosts the New Year's tour of ski jumpers.
However, Hamburg is the first German city with the prestigious title of "Green Capital of Europe" and the only one besides Essen so far. The award, presented by the European Commission since 2010, was received in 2011. Their slogan "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints" clearly and simply communicates their long-term commitment to creating a greener city for their residents and its visitors. Hamburg has been an excellent ambassador of green cities for a decade. Among other things, they actively promote sustainable mobility, citizens there cycle even in winter! From 2006 to 2020, they drastically reduced CO2 emissions (by 40%), and by 2050 they are expected to reduce them by as much as 80%. They are on the right track. The "green networking" plan made in 1919 did not remain only on paper. The birthplace of the first female Prime Minister, Angela Merkel and the city which also “launched” the Beatles in the 1960s, has undergone a complete transformation from one of the most polluted cities to the greenest in Europe in a span of one generation. Bravo!
Ciril took a walk through the snow-covered city and discovered it from the energy hill "Georgswerder" before continuing his journey to Denmark. Once a toxic landfill, today a forty-meter hill on the outskirts of the city and one of the symbols of urban sustainable development in northern Europe.