Understanding Water, Experiencing Places: An Excursion to Franconia’s Lake District

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From 22 to 24 July 2026, a group of el mundo students as well as Bachelor’s and Master’s students of Geographyembarked on a three-day excursion to the Franconian Lake District. For the Geography students, the excursion was part of a special journey: after previously travelling through the Alps, they followed an imagined raindrop on its way through the river system all the way to the Netherlands and ultimately the North Sea. For the el mundo students, the three-day excursion to the Franconian Lake District was the focus of the programme.

Led by Prof. Ralf Ludwig, the group explored the topic of water and its significance in the context of climate change. Various learning sites demonstrated how closely water, landscapes, human use, and climate adaptation are interconnected. Stops included, among others, Haus im Moos, the Brombach Reservoir, the Barfuß-Wonnen-Weg, Rothsee, and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal.

The excursion combined academic learning with the place-based learning approach, an important element of el mundo’s BNE excursions. Learning took place not only about the respective places, but at the places, from the places, and for the places. Direct encounters with different landscapes and water-related infrastructure enabled participants to observe, contextualize, and further explore connections on site.

A particular highlight of the excursion was a role-play prepared by el mundo, which made the complexity of decision-making around water resources tangible. The activity addressed the three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and social connectedness. In this way, students experienced that learning about water is not simply about collecting facts, but also about understanding interrelationships, negotiating decisions, and taking different perspectives.

The three days provided numerous academic impulses, in-depth discussions, and opportunities for joint reflection. The excursion impressively demonstrated the potential of learning beyond traditional classroom settings and how academic learning can be meaningfully connected with Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).