Lower Saxony (GERMANY)

Nordsee-Reisepass – The passport that turns the coast into a journey A holiday on the North Sea coast is often about small moments: a short walk, a museum stop, a view over the dunes. The Nordsee-Reisepass takes those moments and turns them into a story travellers can follow. It works like a playful passport. Travellers and locals collect stamps at more than 250 places across Lower Saxony’s North Sea coastline, from museums and visitor centres to natural sites. Some stamping points sit outdoors, slightly off the usual route. They invite people to explore new corners, not just the busy highlights. A simple QR code adds a second layer: short videos explain what makes each place special, and introduce topics like coastal life, climate and biodiversity in an easy, on-the-spot way. But the passport doesn’t stop at discovery. It has a clear “give-back” loop. The money earned from passport sales is reinvested locally through Green Action Week: a yearly week of planting and community work. In just two years, around 250 participants planted more than 3,700 trees and plants at 11 sites, creating small new green spaces along the coast, including tiny forests and a food forest. These spaces are open to everyone passing by. This is why it’s a best practice. The project is simple to join, easy to enjoy, and it keeps growing. Travel keeps it alive: each passport bought helps fund the next round of local action, while also spreading visitors more evenly across the coastline.