Convert a historic castle into a sustainable eco-village in Wissembourg

The project

Langenberg Castle is located in Alsace, right on the French-German border. The castle building, as it stands today, dates from the 18th century. The association works closely with SCIC Ecolieu Langenberg (comparable to a German cooperative). Ecolieu Langenberg is a cross-border and intergenerational housing project and, as the name suggests, an ecovillage – under development since 2019. The construction projects focus primarily on ecological building using as many regional materials as possible.

Volunteer work

This year, various repairs are planned at and around Langenberg Castle. Work needs to be done on the grounds, the garden, and the forest, as well as on the paths. Work on the timber-framed buildings will continue. Additionally, an accessible dry toilet is being built. SCIC Ecolieu Langenberg aims to develop an ecological project based on permaculture principles and is now looking for interested individuals with a passion for building.

Accommodation

You will be staying on location with the project partner. Please let us know if you have any special dietary requirements.

Leisure

Free time can be enriched with movie or game nights and making music together, and the border region and its history can be explored, for example by bicycle. A weekend trip to Strasbourg or Wissembourg, or a hike in the Vosges, is highly recommended.

Travel

You arrange your own travel to Wissembourg. You will be picked up there by the project partner. More information about the exact meeting point will follow after registration.

IBO asks all volunteers to travel in the most sustainable way possible, so preferably with public transport. Sometimes travelling by plane is inevitable. We kindly suggest to compensate your CO2 emissions. You can find more information about this on the website of Milieu Centraal. You can also compensate your emissions through IBO, by donating to our partner’s tree planting project in Uganda. You can read more about that here.

Preparation

IBO offers a good preparation for your volunteering work abroad.You will receive a digital information package and an invitation to a preparation meeting. Read more about the proces from departure until return.

Costs

For this project you pay €50 registration fee and €189 participation fee. If you become an IBO-supporter, you don't have to pay the registration fee. 

This includes accommodation and meals, local transport, an information pack and (online) preparation meeting. Excluding travel, insurance and any outings.

Register

Go to register to enroll in this project.