Overview

• Marco Polo released its 2026 Trendguide on September 9 with recommendations chosen from an editorial shortlist by a named expert jury.
• Cottbus’s planned Ostsee, created by five years of Spree water flooding a former lignite mine, is highlighted for its post-industrial lake transformation and waterfront development vision.
• The Geopark Bergstraße–Odenwald is featured for accessible deep-time landscapes and its UNESCO Global Geopark status since 2015.
• The Schlei region is praised for Smile24, a rural mobility model that boosts public transport use and supports car-free vacations.
• Key themes include Coolcation and Set-Jetting, with examples ranging from cooler escapes like the High Tatras, Faroe Islands and Ireland’s Wicklow Mountains to visits at filming locations such as Ellmau in Tyrol and Schloss Moritzburg near Dresden.