Story of German Foreigner Cycling 15,000 Kilometres to Campaign for 'Save Soil'
A German environmental activist, Konstantin Zulske, has undertaken an extraordinary journey to raise awareness about global environmental issues. He cycled 15,000 kilometres across 16 countries from Germany to India as part of the Save Soil campaign.
Konstantin began his journey in May 2024. Over the course of a year, he traversed various regions in Eastern Europe, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and finally arrived in India.
“So I started cycling from Germany to India in May 2024. So, two years ago, and yes, I cycled across 16 countries, 15,000 kilometres from Germany to India,” said Konstantin when met in Pakem, Sleman, on Tuesday (14/4/2026).
The long journey by bicycle was not without challenges. The man with a background in Soil Science and Geocology admitted to facing extreme conditions, particularly when crossing the desert regions in Iran.
“I was in the desert for two weeks. There was nothing there, no civilisation, sometimes severely running out of water, scorched by the sun, it started to feel physical,” he said.
Despite the hardship, that experience became the most memorable part. In addition to testing his physical limits, the long journey also gave him space for self-reflection.
“Sometimes you are alone for days. You really discover a lot about yourself,” he said.
During his journey, Konstantin stayed at a meditation centre in India managed by the Isha Foundation, a non-profit organisation founded by Sadhguru. It was there that he became involved in the Save Soil movement, a global campaign aimed at raising awareness about the importance of maintaining soil health.
“This is the biggest ecological problem of this generation, because soil is connected to everything: climate change, water scarcity. If we just return carbon from the atmosphere to where it should be, which is in the soil, that is actually the biggest solution,” he explained.
Konstantin also highlighted the increasingly worrying global soil condition. He noted that around 52 per cent of the world’s soil has experienced degradation.
“UN scientists now say that 52 per cent of the soil on this planet is already degraded. In 25 years, it could reach 90 per cent,” he said.
Currently, Konstantin is continuing his journey in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia. He admitted to having visited the country several times and is interested in exploring further by bicycle. He can even pronounce some words in Indonesian quite fluently.
“I like this country. The people are very funny and sweet, I like the food, because I’m vegetarian I eat some local foods here, gado-gado, pecel, and durian fruit is absolutely amazing,” he said with a laugh.
“I can speak a little Indonesian, but I don’t know many words. I have to learn more,” he said in Indonesian.
While in Indonesia, he has cycled from Jakarta to Bogor, passing through Bandung, Tasikmalaya, and Cilacap. In addition to the environmental campaign, this journey also serves as his way to draw public attention to soil issues that often go unnoticed.
“I cycled 15,000 kilometres basically to do something crazy so that people pay attention to it,” he concluded.