Anke, your comment inspired me to look up wanderlust, a word I have used for many years, and I find to my surprise that it has German roots!! Here is the definition from dictionary.com:
wan·der·lust (P) Pronunciation Key (wndr-lst)
n. A very strong or irresistible impulse to travel.
[German: wandern, to wander (from Middle High German) + lust, desire (from Middle High German, from Old High German).]