5 Creative Travel Destinations in the Alps: Insider Tips for Unusual Experiences {Reader Travel Tip}

Creative-Holiday is a new form of travel that focuses on innovative, inspiring experiences. There are some exciting locations for this, especially in the Alps.

1. Between art and nature: The Principality of Liechtenstein

The Principality of Liechtenstein, Europe's fourth smallest country, offers its guests an exciting 160,5 km² Combination of culture, cuisine and nature.

When contemporary history becomes creative art

The Principality of Liechtenstein, which advertises with the slogan "Simply princely" and is known above all as an important business location, impresses with a wide range of cultural activities and surprising insights. In 2020, the state parliament not only passed the first law to regulate the use of blockchainTechnology.

And with the TAK, Liechtenstein has a very exciting and internationally renowned theater that repeatedly takes up critical historical and political topics, for example in 2023 with the play "Forever the Alps", which, based on the novel by Benjamin Quaderer, describes the background to the notorious black money scandal from 2008 supplies.

Art and culture in the past and present

A visit to Vaduz's art mile is no less interesting: the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein presents spacious exhibition halls on two floors, in which presentations from the collection and large temporary exhibitions of international Art of the 20th and 21st centuries are shown.

Since 2015, the art museum has been expanded to include the Hilti Art Foundation exhibition building. As one of the most important private collections in the world, the Hilti Art Foundation includes outstanding works from classical modernism to the present. There are always special exhibitions like that of Candida Höfer, which shows a kind of meta-art with her photographs of museum buildings and art depot.

cultural wealth

However, this should not hide the fact that many centuries of art and cultural history are waiting to be experienced and discovered in Liechtenstein. There is the state museum with the treasury, where you can learn a lot about the history.

There are the Walsers, who in the Middle Ages emigrated from the Swiss mountain region to Liechtenstein, among other places, and settled in Triesenberg. To this day, they shape the landscape, the language, the calendar of events and even the cuisine in the village. The local history museum and the legendary figures of the night people carved with a chainsaw along the Legend Trail above Triesenberg bear witness to this.

Culinary hikes for more inspiration

And of course there is Vaduz Castle, the residence of the princely family, which towers over the city. Although you cannot visit the castle, or only as a film impression in the old cinema, you can explore and hike around it very picturesquely from Vaduz with a beautiful view of Switzerland opposite. More than 400 km of hiking trails invite you to discover Liechtenstein on foot, for example on the comfortable Liechtenstein. Those who prefer it alpine can drive to the Malbun high valley and ski area at 1600 meters above sea level, where you can climb the summit with the cable car and enjoy the fantastic view, before leisurely hiking back down into the valley on the swing path.

Liechtenstein offers promises of quality in many respects. Especially when it comes to the excellent cuisine, which you can enjoy, for example, in the Brasserie Burg right next to the museum, in the traditional Edelweiss store in Triesenberg or in the Gasthof Au not far from the Rhine bridge. Of course, for an all-round successful stay, a wine from the court winery of the Prince of Liechtenstein should not be missing.

2. Alpaca hiking in a luxury hotel: Alpenresort Walsertal

A region that impresses with its breathtaking, inspiring nature is the Großes Walsertal biosphere park in the far west of Austria.

Power places for the soul in untouched nature

At the very top, at 1486m in the northernmost part of the Great Walser Valley, is the municipality of Fontanella with its Faschina district. In winter, the area around the Faschinajoch is a fantastic ski area with glistening powder snow and fantastic descents, framed by the bright winter sun. But cross-country skiing and winter hiking are also possible here.

The rest of the year you can go on great, creative hikes in the crystal-clear mountain air in the untouched landscape, for example down to the nearby Seewaldsee, and enjoy the breathtaking mountain panoramas. Everywhere you can find places of power and free space for the soul.

Creative alpaca hike in the Alpine resort

The Alpenresort Walsertal offers four-legged support, which is extremely unusual for a luxury hotel: the four alpacas Narvin, Nazca, Primo and Nero put a smile on your face when you get up in the morning when they greet you cheekily from the terrace and sometimes roam freely on the premises. And they can be booked for guided alpaca hikes, an absolutely inspiring experience.

The alpine resort, which is inspired by the use of lots of wood, also offers a very beautiful wellness area, which really stimulates all the senses with the scent of hay and a barefoot path, as well as an innovative, extremely successful kitchen.

3. Creative ideas as an insider tip: Reutte nature park region in Tyrol

The nature park region of Reutte in Tyrol is also considered a bit of an insider tip in Austria, and it successfully combines inspiring nature with creative ones ideas.

Nature and wellness provide inspiration

There is, for example, the Plansee, with 2,87 km² the second largest lake in Tyrol. It is eponymous for the Plansee Group, a world-renowned metal works. Or the picturesque Stuiben Falls.

Or the Lech, the last wild river in the northern Alps, along whose banks the picturesque Lechweg leads for 125 km as a long-distance hiking trail from the source to the royal castle town of Füssen. A landscape that definitely encourages inspiration and creativity.

Multiple award-winning innovation and creativity in tourism

In general, there are some innovative tourism projects in Reutte, such as the Highline 2014, which opened in 179, a suspension bridge that crosses the eponymous B114 at a height of 406 meters and is 179 meters long. This even got Reutte into the Guinness Book of Records. Or the creative cuisine of head chef Thomas Ruepp from the Hotel zum Mohren, who was awarded a toque in the Gault-Millau restaurant guide.

And finally the latest creativeProjects from Tyrol: The Lumagica, which has been illuminating the ruins of Ehrenberg Castle with around 2022 light installations since November 300 with luminous mythical creatures, forest animals, historical figures of light, fighting knights and even dragons and is expected to attract around 50.000 visitors a year.

4. Creative hideaway for managers at the foot of the Zugspitze: The Kranzbach

The Kranzbach is one of Germany's best wellness hotels and has received several awards. With its idyllic location between Karwendel and Wetterstein mountains and its rich health care it is particularly suitable as a hideaway for stressed managers.

A Scottish castle at the foot of the Zugspitze

Even the ascent to the small castle is like from the picture book: The Kranzbach stands alone on an 130.000 m² large, own mountain meadow. The building, commissioned by English aristocrat Mary Portman, was built by English architects Detmar Blow and Fernand Billerey in the style of the English Arts and Crafts movement.

With its treppengiebeln it reminds of the natural stone-walled country houses in Scotland and Ireland. It is the only building in Germany of this kind.

From the artist's house to the hotel

Portman originally wanted to build a guest house for artists, but the First World War destroyed her plans and she never returned. Later, the building was an artist's house, film set, accommodation at the Olympic Games and in the possession of the church.

They sold the building to the current hotel operators in 2003. In 2007, the area was opened as a hotel under the name "Das Kranzbach", expanded by a few buildings. The interior design in English Style comes from the British architect Ilse Crawford.

Living with style

The hotel now has 5 stylishly decorated fireplace rooms on the ground floor of the Mary Portman Wing, so-called salons, which include the bar and a games room. The 130 rooms are located in the newly-built garden wing.

Here, a modern architecture of wood and glass dominates, which gives the guests a great view of the surrounding landscape. 20 rooms are available for dog owners with direct access to the outside and suitable equipment. Free Wi-Fi is available in all rooms and in the Badehaus.

The bathhouse

Yes, at least the bathhouse: it connects directly to the garden wing and houses five pools of different sizes and temperatures inside and out: My favorite is the large, 28 grade warm sports pool, the 38 degree warm brine pools with various massage jets.

Directly to the outdoor swimming pools, the large Liegewiese borders with the surrounding mountains. The comfortable deckchairs are provided with cushions and blankets and are lovingly restored by the staff every evening.

Wellness and activity offer

There is also a nudist area with a panoramic sauna, relaxation room and sheltered lounger terrace on the roof, as well as a further seven saunas and steam baths, and relaxation rooms with open fires. For the female guests there is a separate “Ladies Spa” only for women on the second floor of the bath house with sauna, steam bath, relaxation room and open-air terrace.

However, the Kranzbach has cemented its reputation as one of the best wellness hotels in Germany with its extensive range of courses and therapies, from yoga and Pilates to personal training, massage, cosmetics, Ayurveda and TMC, to intestinal treatment and detox programs. In addition, you can of course wonderfully walk, cycle, cross-country ski or play golf here.

culinary delights

The Kranzbach is also a culinary delight Costs: You start the day with a healthy breakfast buffet with fresh bread, homemade jams, yoghurts and fruit juices that you can press yourself.

At lunch there is a small plate, a strong soup and a small salad buffet, as well as peasant bread, later in the afternoon offer poolbistro and herb gardenlobby ofenfrische cake and strudel à discrétion. In the evening there is finally a 4-usual gourmet menu including salad and cheese buffet.

Seminars and strategy meetings

There is also free natural drinking water from our own Kranzbach spring - still or sparkling, which is also available in the bathhouse, as well as a tea station in the room with a small one selection of teas.

The Kranzbach can also be booked for smaller seminars, although a maximum of groups of up to 15 people are permitted. A really great hotel if you want to relax over the weekend and for small, exclusive Strategy-Meetings.

5. Days in the monastery in the footsteps of Ötzi and Reinhold Messner: Schnalstal, South Tyrol

The South Tyrolean Schnalstal is also quiet and secluded, almost sparse, yet it attracts with its historical backdrop.

In Ötzi's footsteps

The valley became known as the place where the glacier mummy Ötzi was found; a circumstance from which the place Karthaus a seminar and meetingConcept made: As part of the Silence project, silence and relaxation seminars are held here.

The silence can also be hiked on the Via monachorum. Quiet seminars in the monastery, sounds good, unfortunately only the clubhouse is available for the seminar itself.

Historic cloister

Because the place and monastery were almost completely destroyed in a fire in 1924, only the cloister and walls remain of the original monastery. Almost as historical is the proximity to various domiciles of mountaineering legend Rheinhold Messner.

Convincing, however, especially in a small town, is the infrastructure with a bank, guest house and the four-star Hotel zur Goldenen Rose. Nearby there are other original and inexpensive accommodation options such as the Oberreaindelhof, the Oberniederhof and the Josephus.

Team building with shaft drive

Also many Teambuilding-Activities are possible in Val Senales: rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, climbing, ziplining or skiing in winter. An activity of a special kind, although not entirely harmless, is the sheep drive:

In June and September every year, thousands of sheep over 44 km and an altitude difference of 3.200 meters will be herded. How to get there: There is a direct bus connection from Munich Airport to Merano. Alternatively, by plane to Verona or Milan and then by train.

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