It’s hard to imagine a better way to find sweet reprieve from the daily grind than a road trip. The simple act of getting behind the wheel and getting away from it all is profoundly restorative, especially if you’re getting away to a nature-centric destination full of fresh air and wide open landscapes.
Photography by Wilfried Wulff
But what about the effect your trip has on those pristine places – how do you ensure it doesn’t cause unnecessary harm to the planet? The dilemma has never been more pressing, especially for global brands with the power and reach to affect real change. Car manufacturers, in particular, are redefining their products to align with the sustainability movement, most notably with electric vehicles that produce far lower carbon emissions over their lifetimes than their combustion engine counterparts.
Photography by Wilfried Wulff
The shift to electric is gaining serious momentum: according to estimates, most new cars sold by 2040 will be fully electric. But drivers don’t have to trade style for sustainability: BMW is the latest luxury brand to launch a fully electric SUV (the brand refers to its version as a Sports Activity Vehicle, or SAV), the new BMW iX, which made its debut at the world premiere in Shanghai. The BMW Group aims to bring approximately 10 million fully electric vehicles onto the road over the next decade while cutting CO2 emissions from production by 80 percent up to 2030.
SLEEK got a sneak peek of the iX, which has a range of 630 kilometers and is being hailed among industry insiders as the most advanced of BMW’s electric models yet, on a mini-road trip to Germany’s Boitzenburg region in Brandenburg. There, we met the designer-and-architect partners who own the Green Tree Guest House and Restaurant, where, behind centuries-old façades, the principles of sustainability inform every decision.
Photography by Wilfried Wulff
Originally from Berlin, designer Ulrike Hesse and her husband, architect Carsten Frerich, first purchased the property in 2008. The couple spent several years carefully planning their vision for the buildings, which span 3,200 square metres and were in various states of disrepair after decades of neglect. After an extensive renovation project to modernise the interiors – carefully preserving as much as possible of the original structures – Hesse and Frerich opened the property in 2014.
Photography by Wilfried Wulff
The property spans five guest rooms, a beer garden and a restaurant in a former horse stable featuring a locally-sourced, vegetable-centric menu. Many guests are Berliners who make the approximately 100-kilometre drive to enjoy the serenity of the countryside and the unique surroundings of the ‘old meets new’ property, which dates back centuries. “The first thing most people do when they get here is take a photo,” says Hesse “It’s very lovely, the combination of renovated buildings and the ruins.”
“The first thing most people do when they get here is take a photo. It’s very lovely, the combination of renovated buildings and the ruins.”
Photography by Wilfried Wulff
Hesse and Frerich’s property was once owned by the noble von Arnim family, who also owned the 13th century Boitzenburg Castle, one of the area’s most prominent landmarks. “We have a document that the guest house was sold in 1798 by the von Arnim family,” Hesse explains. “We assume that there was an inn here as early as the Middle Ages.”
Photography by Wilfried Wulff
Old forests and serene lakes blanket the region, including the nearly 900-square kilometre Uckermark Lakes Nature Park, one of the most scenic spots in this part of Germany. And with a vast network of biking and hiking trails, it’s a paradise for outdoorsy types, especially those craving solitude. “We have so much nature here,” Hesse says. “Sometimes, you’re the only person around.”
Photography by Wilfried Wulff
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PHOTOGRAPHY: Wilfried Wulff
WORDS: Blane Bachelor