The History of Youth hostels and the coming of age of the Backpacker culture

From Youth Hostels to Modern Hostels - the history of Hostel life.

The idea behind the conception of the youth hostel belongs to one man: Richard Schirrmann, a German schoolteacher who felt that there was a need for overnight accommodation for his students so that they could see new things and have new experiences outside the classroom. He felt that one learns by observing, and tried to make his dream come true in 1909 when he started searching for and providing accommodation for his students in inns, farmhouses and the like.

An early Youth Hostel

The first youth hostel was opened in Schirrman’s own school in Altena, Westphalia, after which it was replaced by a permanent hostel in Altena Castle, and it still exists on the castle grounds today! Schirrmann went on to found the German Youth Hostel Association in the year 1919. By this time, the idea of the youth hostel has spread far and wide, all over the lands of Europe and further! Later, in the year 1932, a formal organization called the International Youth Hostel Federation was founded in Amsterdam, which consisted of youth hostels from Switzerland, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Norway, Britain, Ireland, France, Czechoslovakia, Denmark and Belgium, under the guidance of Richard Schirrmann, who became its chairman in 1933.

The idea of these old youth hostels was for young people to find cheap accommodation in exchange for some money and a helping hand with the domestic chores! These hostels were said to build character and a sense of independence, as the youth who stayed in them got the chance to see how other people lived as well as pitching in with the work that needed doing. Youth hostels were also a way to meet and make new friends. Still today there are no class divisions, the wealthy rub shoulders with the not-so-wealthy, and everyone has to do their share. Here, wealth or position is not a prelude to gaining respect, but friendliness and camaraderie is! The friendlier you are, the more you get out of the experience of staying in a youth hostel!

In Europe, the age of this traditional youth hostel idea has almost compeltly faded, as the backpacker culture pervades through the entire system. Backpackers generally pay for their rooms with money rather than work these days, but the general ethos of the original youth hostels still lives on. Rules in the form of curfews and lights out stem back to the original hostels, and modern hostels are still a place where you can meet other travellers and make new friends.

But there are some changes to be noted: many hostels now provide private rooms and private bathrooms, if you are looking for a bit more luxury during your stay. Often, hostels also have a ton of extra facilities to use, such as rooftop terraces, swimming pools, saunas, games rooms and more. Because of this, Hostels have become a hugely popular choice for the new travelling youth, but also for families, couples and groups of friends looking to get the best accomodation for the cheapest price possibile. These days you can even stay in design and luxury hostels, which give you the quality and security of a Hotel, but for the price of a hostel! Take a look at the dorms in the Freehand Miami hostel, and you see what we mean!

Just check out the Cocoon Hostel in Thailand, which has a games and private cinema room! Hostels are often a great place to stay if you are looking for free walking tours, arranged trips and outings, or even the best bar crawl in town!

Hostels are also no longer just in typical 'buildings', but on boats, trains and even planes! One of our most popular hostels is the Train Lodge Amsterdam, where you can sleep in an old local train! Hostels really can provide you with an unparalled expirience!

No matter what you are looking for, with over 37,000 hostels worldwide, HostelsClub is sure to have the perfect hostel for you, thanks to the brilliant invention of a German schoolteacher Richard Schirrmann!