A Celebration of Wellness Travel

The last weekend in August often fills us with mixed emotions. Marking the end of summer and the beginning of back to school routines it can be a time of reflection on memories made as well as resolutions for a healthier approach to the work-life balance that inevitably comes with the more regimented schedules of September. 

But did you know that September also marks World Tourism Day, on Sept 27th to be exact? Established by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in 1980 to promote sustainable, responsible and universally accessible tourism, it’s a celebration of the benefits tourism brings both tourist locations and, of course, the tourists themselves as travel and exploration opens the mind to new possibilities.

Photographer Maximilian Virgili depicts Wanderlust at its best, with his images of MÜHLE Travel Products in special places.

Tourism can describe travel for pleasure both foreign and domestic and can be traced back to Ancient China when Kings took great pains to protect the roads and build waystations for travellers. Of course, today more and more of us have enjoyed tourist activities, with a reduced price of transport making it increasingly accessible and the rightful perception of the tourist journey as being a vital part of wellbeing.

The phrase ‘wellness travel’ or ‘slow travel’ supports tourism that increases one’s sense of wellbeing by reconnecting with nature and the mindfulness that comes with living in the present through being physically active, rituals, diet, rest and taking on new creative activities.

Here at MÜHLE, we’ve taken heart from the resilience of summer staycations and inspiration from the renewed focus on wellness, with mindfulness and an affinity with nature being central to our values. In this spirit, this blog is a celebration of wellness travel, showing the connection between selfcare and nature, images of MÜHLE’s home in the German Ore Mountains and the mindfulness which is integral to the ritual of shaving.

Sun-kissed: Brush, Razor from the Purist Series in Karelian Masur Birch com in a small MÜHLE Travel Bag, with coastal, fresh Sea Buckthorn Aftershave Lotion . Photo by Maximilian Virgili.

Trees in the beautiful Ore Mountains, where the MÜHLE Manufactory has been based since 1945. Walking in the woods lowers blood pressure and heart rate, especially when paired with mindfulness. ‘Forest Bathing’ a Japanese tradition has made wellbeing-focused walks trendy around the world. It’s been shown that even looking at trees decreases levels of the stress hormone cortisol, luckily many of us can access this kind of tourism without having to travel too far.