Tour 1
Cattle Breeding I: Practice & Insemination Center
Cost: 90 €
Departure: 8:00
Return: 17:00/18:00
This technical tour offers exciting insights into modern cattle breeding in northern Germany. The tour begins with a visit to a high-performing dairy farm that has been actively and successfully involved in the breeding scene for many years. The focus will be on breeding strategies, herd management, and the practical implementation of genetic progress in daily farm operations.
The second stop takes you to Rinderzucht Schleswig-Holstein in Ruhwinkel, where the semen production facilities and the associated laboratory will be presented. You will gain exclusive insights into semen collection processes, quality control, and modern laboratory techniques – from breeding concepts to practical application. An ideal tour for anyone interested in breeding practice, innovation, and applied genetics experienced firsthand.
Tour 2
Cattle Breeding II: Calculation Centre for Breeding and Management & Insemination Center
Cost: 90 €
Departure: 8:00
Return: 17:00/18:00
The city of Verden hosts two major players in International Dairy Cattle Breeding
- Synetics as largest breeding organisation in Germany and France with its headquarter and AI station
- vit (IT Solutions for Animal Production) as one of the largest and well renowed calculation centre for Breeding and Management of dairy cows.
You get first-hand information from two very successful dairy cattle service organisations and see the implementation of the services in one modern, very well managed dairy farm with about 750 Holstein cows.
Tour 3
Water buffalo and dairy goat farms and historic old town Wismar
Cost: 90 €
Departure: 8:00
Return: 17:00/18:00
At the first stop, you will visit a goat farm with ~1,200 Saanen goats, including the kids raising and the milking parlor. You will learn details about management, feeding and sales markets.
After a short travel to the Baltic Sea coast, we visit a farm, where water buffalos are kept on salt marshes and farmed organically.
Then, a short drive brings you to Wismar, where you will have the opportunity to enjoy a hot lunch in a historic brewery and take a guided tour through the old town.
Tour 4
Research Farm Hülsenberg (Schaumann)
Cost: 90 €
Departure: 8:00
Return: 17:00/18:00
Gut Hülsenberg brings practical experience, research, and communication together under one roof. Over the past several decades, the estate has evolved into an internationally recognized center for research and knowledge exchange. Your visit will begin with an introduction to the intensive, practice‑oriented research trials and the ISF laboratory, where new products and product groups are developed in the fields of animal nutrition, feed preservation, and biogas. After lunch, you will tour the dairy farm, home to around 222 cows and equipped with state‑of‑the‑art technology.
Finally, we visit the Segeberg Limestone Mountain (Kalkberg), well known as one of the most beautiful open-air theaters.
Tour 5
Organic turkey farming, sausage production and Ludwigslust Palace
Cost: 90 €
Departure: 8:00
Return: 17:00/18:00
First, you will visit an organic farm for turkey raising. Then we will go to the farm’s processing facility, where you will learn interesting facts about cutting, packaging, and sausage production. A sumptuous lunch buffet is waiting for you there. In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to take a guided tour through the Ludwigslust Palace, the former residence of the dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
Tour 6
German horse breeding and horse husbandry
Cost: 90 €
Departure: 8:00
Return: 17:00/18:00
Experience German horse breeding firsthand with a visit to the Holsteiner Breeding Association in Elmshorn. In addition to extensive insights into the breeding and care of Holsteiner horses, you will also learn fascinating facts about the region’s traditional and endangered Schleswiger Kaltblut. The next stop on our tour will be Gut Schönweide, which is located in a protected landscape area. Gut Schönweide breeds dressage horses for sport.
Tour 7
Organic farming research: Thünen-Institut of Organic Farming and Trenthorst: Organic animal husbandry in a system approach: dairy, chicken, pigs
Cost: 90 €
Departure: 8:00
Return: 17:00/18:00
After a brief overview about Thünen-Institut (https://www.thuenen.de/en/) and the Thünen-Institut of Organic Farming you will experience during a guided tractor trailer tour the experimental sites on the station (600 ha) with main focus on dairy cattle, chicken and pigs. After the tour we will enjoy a warm meal and have a final discussion.
Finally, we visit the city of Lübeck. As the capital of the Hanseatic League, Lübeck was one of the most important cities in Northern Europe in the 13th and 14th centuries. The preserved areas of Lübeck’s old town, with over a thousand cultural monuments, have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
Tour 8
Ark Warder: A future for threatened domestic animal breeds
Cost: 90 €
Departure: 8:00
Return: 17:00/18:00
Ark Warder – conveniently located between Warder and Brahmsee lake in the middle of Schleswig-Holstein – is Europe’s largest center for rare and endangered domestic animals.
On 40 hectares more than 1,200 animals from almost 86 different breeds can be found, including black and white Angler Saddleback pigs, Telemark cattle, Poitou-Donkey and Leinegans. In former times these breeds were common. Today, many of these breeds have less than 200 animals remaining worldwide. This is a threateningly small number, because the minimum numbers required to properly maintain a breed is between 5,000 to 7,500 animals. After a short presentation about the concept of Zoo Ark Warder, we offer a guided Tour of Zoo Ark Warder and a guided tour of the Visitor Center: „Domesticaneum“.
Tour 9
Towards the world heritage Wadden Sea – Aquatic Wildlife, Aquaculture and dike sheep farming
Cost: 90 €
Departure: 8:00
Return: 17:00/18:00
Approximately 90 mins drive from Hamburg, we will visit the small fishing town Büsum in Dithmarschen, Europe’s largest closed cabbage-growing area, nicely located at the Wadden Sea. We are guided around a typical dike sheep farm and learn, how animal husbandry contributes to coastal protection. Afterwards, we stop at a farm café for a lunch-snack. At the Aquaculture Unit of the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Individualized and Cell-Based Medical Engineering, cutting edge insights into Marine Aquaculture are presented. And finally, a visit of the Institute of Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research will guide you into the world of Marine mammal research.
Booking Conditions
Final information on departure times and meeting point will be published on the congress website and sent to each participant per email in advance.
All tours take place on September 11th. Please note that only one registration is permitted.
The chosen tour can be added to your registration during the online signup process. You can select up to three tours, all of which are offered at the same price. If the minimum number of participants for your chosen tour is not reached, the second tour will be booked automatically.
Space is limited, and spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Register early to secure your place.
Only one accompanying guest per participant is allowed.
The tours offer convenient round-trip transportation, starting and ending at Hamburg, the congress venue.
Please arrive 15 minutes prior to departure.
Rates include VAT.
Limited participation
Once the maximum number of participants has been reached, no right to participate may be asserted. If a Technical Tour has to be canceled, the participant will be rebooked to their next preference, which they specified during the registration process. Participation in parts of the event that are restricted in numbers can be cancelled without charge before July 1, 2026. After that, 100% cancellation fees will apply.
The participant retains the right to show that the actual costs or reduction of value were lower than the flat fee above.
Accompanying persons tours
A wide range of tours and experience are available for all accompanying persons wishing to discover Hamburg and North-Germany.
At this link you can purchase your tour: https://www.hamburg-travel.com/see-explore/round-trips-tours/