Vacations are about discovering new things. You can do that on your own, of course – but you’re guaranteed to see more with a local at your side, especially things that not everyone gets to see or experience! Depending on how challenging you want to go, you can also choose to be accompanied by guides.
Professional mountain guides will accompany you, for example, at the Naturhotel Outside in the Hohe Tauern National Park or at the Hotel Klosterbräu in Seefeld. You’ll be accompanied by biodynamic farmers, fasting guides, beekeepers, ruin guides or even the caretaker at other Green PearlsⓇ partners. It is clear that all of these personalities will be an enrichment to your stay with their experience and knowledge of the region.
Hiking with professional guides
Hiking is considered to be one of the safest and most healthy sports of all. According to Tyrolean psychology professor Bernhard Streicher, the fact that hiking accidents still happen is mainly due to us. A change in the weather, a boulder or rock fall – all these things can happen, of course, but Professor Streicher’s research shows that the biggest risk factor is you: The biggest risk factor is you – yourself. Many people simply overestimate their own abilities or ignore warnings and danger signs. In order to prevent such things from happening, it is all the more important that you have a mountain guide at your side – especially if you are new to the area or do not have a lot of experience.
Tyrol is the first province to legally regulate mountain guide training. In order to be allowed to call yourself a mountain guide, you must complete several weeks of training (winter and summer) and an exam. You need to bring some prerequisites with you in order to start the training. You should be able to handle a 5 hour hike with 400 vertical meters.
Hiking guides in the Austrian Alps
Certified mountain guides on the spot
At the Naturhotel Outside, chef de cuisine Josef Ganzer and Edgar Ganzer are certified mountain guides. They accompany guests five times a week into the Hohe Tauern Alpine National Park. Josef Ganzer built the Naturhotel in the middle of the East Tyrolean Alps with his family and just handed over the management to his son Daniel Ganzer (Link XXX).
The Naturhotel Outside also cooperates with the National Park Rangers*, which means that, depending on their level of fitness, guests staying at the Naturhotel Outside can participate free of charge in various hikes, birdwatching and wildlife observation.
Hotel Klosterbräu’s active guide Clemens leads the way
At the Hotel Klosterbräu in Seefeld, Tyrol, Austria, Clemens Seidenberger takes guests on hikes in the mountains. The sixth generation of his family to run the hotel, Clemens is an active guide. Clemens is not only a certified mountain guide. He is also a trained mountain rescuer and volunteer. He has divided his tours into three levels of difficulty: “easy,” “medium,” and “sporty.” His small groups, with an average of four participants, allow him to tailor his tours to the needs of his guests. Most people book a leisurely hike, but if you’re really experienced, he’d be happy to take you climbing a wall! He tells us in this interview on YouTube:
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In the Tyrolean Inntal looking for mushrooms
The Biohotel Grafenast is located at an altitude of 1,330 meters above the Tyrolean Inntal. The owner of the hotel himself will accompany you on your hikes. Peter Unterlechner, “Peter, the landlord, is not only a hiking guide, but also a mushroom hunter who will passionately take you on a mushroom hunt and explain the differences between poisonous, inedible and very tasty mushrooms (with a little luck, you’ll even find porcini!) This sustainable hotel was founded by Peter’s great-grandfather, so you have a very experienced guide.
A special kind of guide in South Tyrol
On the Italian side of the Alps, on the Ritten in South Tyrol, you can spend a vacation in a sustainable way. The vast mountain ridge of the Sarntal Alps is often referred to as the sunny plateau due to its excellent weather conditions. It is popular with hikers and bikers alike. If you would like to find out more about the Ritten and its history, then the guided tours offered by all of our local partners are well worth your while.
On the road to excitement
You will meet Klaus Fink (62) at the ADLER Lodge RITTEN. He is a native of Oberbozen and is a chef by trade. His favorite dishes are Kaiserschmarrn and Apfelküchel, which he prepares for his guests (as part of the all-inclusive concept). Klaus also likes to take guests off the beaten path. “That’s where it gets exciting,” he says. “I like to show guests the most beautiful places and their stories, because there are stories everywhere,” he says. The tours get their “impact” only through stories.
The beekeeper on a hike
On the Ritten you can also meet one of the most famous itinerant beekeepers in northern Italy, if you’re a honey lover: APIPURA hotel rinner senior manager Paul Rinner. The term “itinerant beekeeper”, by the way, refers to the fact that bee colonies migrate. The beekeeper himself migrates as well. Why exactly, you can ask Paul Rinner and junior boss Manfred Rinner personally. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the hotel, there will be an excursion with the two of them every month until October, during which you will visit the beehives, the fields and the farms from which the APIPURA gets its products. You will also get to taste the honey.
The Hotel Weihrerhof can arrange other hiking and themed tours in South Tyrol. The sustainable hotel at the Wolfsgrubensee (Lake Wolfsgruben) attaches great importance to the fact that the guests are exclusively accompanied by local hiking guides.
Multilingual guides in Italy
In South Tyrol it’s easy to find a guide who speaks German. In the rest of Italy it’s not so easy. At the A’ Cràpa Mangia in the South of Italy, Lucia, the good soul of the house, will be happy to book a suitable guide for you. For an easy tour, she recommends a two-hour hike to Punta Licosa. “The trail runs along the coast and partly through the woods,” she says. “Personally, I love this route,” she adds.
You can book an English-speaking guide, Luca Patelli, 41, at the Relais del Maro in Borgomaro, Liguria, With him you can not only hike. You can also take pictures. He specializes in landscape and wildlife photography. In his workshops and photo tours, he can give you lots of helpful tips on how to get the best out of your camera.
Photography in Peru
If you are a photography enthusiast, we have another guide for you. Joseph Quispe is the director of the Cusco Explorer Guides at the Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. Photography is his passion. The sustainable Inkaterra Hotel is the perfect base for visiting the former Inca capital of Cusco and the ruins of the famous Inca city of Machu Picchu and capturing them in fantastic images. Joseph has excellent knowledge of Peruvian history and culture, and you can ask him anything.
Hiroshi Sánchez works as an Explorer Guide at Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba. This is located in the Cusco region, in the Urubama Valley, amidst the reddish shimmering mountains. Hiking with him, you will learn about nature and farming. He also loves birdwatching. So if you are a bird lover or a hobby ornithologist, you are at the right address with him.
Discover the Canary Islands with a local guide
One of the most beautiful and varied hiking areas in Europe is the volcanic island of Tenerife. Directly behind the OCÉANO Health Spa Hotel you will find the Anaga Biosphere Reserve. It is known for its steep slopes that fall directly into the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. This is the starting point for Noberto Crespo’s hiking tours. Noberto is a native of Tenerife and has been a resident of Germany and England for a number of years. He is also a certified biodynamic farmer. He has a lot to tell you about his home island.
We also make sure that all the guides at Casa León Royal Retreat in Gran Canaria are locals. There are guides to show you the history and culture of the Canary Islands, as well as hiking guides. For example, did you know that Christopher Columbus was a guest in Gran Canaria?
Mountains, medicinal herbs and starry skies – active travel in Germany
Guided tours to discover medicinal herbs in Germany
If you have an interest in medicinal herbs, you will be able to learn a great deal about them at Gut Sonnenhausen. The converted stud farm is located in the middle of an ecologically managed agricultural operation, which works according to the principles of permaculture (as does the horticulture). The farm is run by Georg Schweisfurth, an eco-pioneer and author. His partner, Kirsten Walter, runs a naturopathic practice at Gut Sonnenhausen. The naturopath is happy to share her knowledge of medicinal herbs with guests. She regularly takes them on medicinal herb walks.
Activating the inner healing forces is also the focus of the SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA in Bad Herrenalb. This is where the Selfness leader Petra Himmel works. Her concept is based on close contact with nature. This is combined with movement, meditation and mindfulness exercises. If you would like to purify your body by fasting, you can also fast at the SCHAWRZWALD PANORAMA and be supported by experts. Special fasting hikes in the Black Forest are offered by fasting guide Christiane Hefner. In addition to exploring nature, the focus is on regenerating body, mind and soul.
Hiking in the Berchtesgaden National Park
The southern part of Bavaria is one of the most popular hiking regions in Germany. The Mountain Hotel Rehlegg is located in the Berchtesgaden National Park. All three hiking guides are also employed by the Hotel Rehlegg. One of them will introduce us to the Berghotel today: Marc works as an assistant restaurant manager and loves to spend his free time skiing or climbing. He has already completed the legendary Watzmann crossing. It is 22.5 kilometers long and 2,389 meters high. There are a few requirements you need to meet if you want to go into the mountains with Marc. Marc: “You need good, sturdy shoes, sure-footedness, very good physical condition and you should be free of giddiness for the last third of the way”.
Hike and eat with “Berg-Basti
Sebastian “Berg-Basti” Remmler will accompany you on hikes or bike tours at the Boutique Hotel Das Rübezahl in Schwangau near Füssen. He is a certified mountain guide by Vavö (Association of Austrian Alpine Clubs). He is also a trained chef. One of his favorite tours is a hike to the hotel’s own Rohkopfhütte, including a Kässpatzn or Kaiserschmarrn cooking class.
Ladies tour with Doris
Hiking only for women? That’s the highlight of the HUBERTUS activity program. Doris Eberle regularly organizes a “Ladies Tour”. In addition to the hike, there is also a snack and enough time for a “Trasch”. The most popular topics? “Life, men & Co.”, she tells us 🙂
Night hike with the STURM caretaker
“Es muss nicht immer ein ausgebildeter Wanderguide sein”, heißt es im STURM. Das Hotel mit seiner besonderen Lage am Rand des Biosphärenreservats Rhön hat viele besondere Wanderungen wie eine Bierwanderung oder eine Wanderung mit Alpakas im Angebot. Zu den Highlights gehören aber die Nachtwanderungen mit STURM-Hausmeister Rudi. Jährlich zur Winterzeit nimmt er die Gäste direkt vom Hotel aus zu einer einzigartigen Tour mit und erzählt ihnen unter dem Sternenhimmel skurrile Geschichten, an die sich die Gäste ebenso lange erinnern wie an den atemberaubenden Sternenhimmel.
Unsere Erfahrung hat gezeigt: Auch die fantastischste Urlaubsdestination kann noch getoppt werden, wenn du einen besonderen Guide an der Seite hast, der unter jedem Stein eine passende Geschichte findet. Was ist dein schönstes Erlebnis mit ein
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