Calm down first. 48 hours of pure travel delights from both our trips to the Lesachtal as well as the Gailtal valleys, in Carinthia, have made my head grow dizzy. The world’s first Slow Food Travel destination … What an adventure, what a delight. The taste of this award still lingers on my palate … Now’s the time to relax a little.
Fortunately for us, the mood at the AlpenCamp campsite here in Kötschach-Mauthen is exactly this … perfectly peaceful.
“Early June, during pre-season, it is still a lot more quiet here ..”, Sepp Kolbitsch, the owner of the campground, welcomes us and leads us to “our house”. Yes, that’s correct: A holiday home on our campsite. Whether holiday homes, bungalows, apartments, rooms or mobile homes: Campgrounds these days have it all. The large, welcoming holiday homes are all built from natural, untreated wooden materials, resulting in a sleeping comfort of a kind.
In fact, I don’t remember having slept so well and deeply in quite a while.
Arriving at our beautiful holiday home at the AlpenCamp Carinthia …
… Lucia and I take to an immediate tour of our new surroundings.
But this is not all there is to the modern “glamping” experience: “Welcome to our spa”, Sepp says here …
… including a wonderful terrace with deck chairs …
… and some really wonderful, warm infrared rest areas!
Around the AlpenCamp, too, we are focused on looking after our environment. Ever been on an eco-friendly Segway or E-bike?
I have already told you about my first experiences on a Segway here, besides raving about “e-bikes” from their early appearances on! Like a natural, I’m up on my Segway again this time. And yes, so can you because it really is easy to master this thing, which intuitively adjusts and reacts to all your steering manoeuvres. Take a helmet for added safety, be sure to do some training loops, and off you go! If you prefer a bike, take one of Sepp Kolbitsch’s e-bikes.
During our first morning, Sepp Kolbitsch explains how the Segways work …
… off we go on our first trip, some 20 minutes away from Kötschach-Mauthen along the Gail river …
… with a view all the way up to the Lesachtal, which has won my heart in no time.
Time for a break at the sunny AlpenCamp …
… while Sepp is eager to explain what he does in terms of heating and electricity, saving time money and energy and reducing the cost to the environment …
… in his modern tech facility, and electric car, which he gladly demonstrates to us. WANT (one too)!
Different again, the energy that emanates from our mountain guide, and rescue member, of the local Alpine Association Mauthen: Sepp Lederer. A quiet man, who loves to take his time, a good story as well as the modern-day tales of travel bloggers and their many, many questions ..!
“Well, if you must know, it was shortly after meeting the Dalai Lama ..”, Sepp suddenly says, pointing to one of his numerous awards and certificates at the alpine association’s headquarter in Kötschach-Mauthen. In all of his achievements, he remains truly and utterly modest, speaking slowly or scarcely of all that he has already done in his life. Then, as we start talking more about the mountains, the animals, the plants and the history, he comes to life more and more. And so, we learn, it is not so much a surprise that he even breaks into a sonata song in honour of the mountains around, really appreciating our company by the romantic Grünsee lake! What a special performance by such a special man, who “in all modesty” claims to have saved “some 200 lives” in his lifetime alone.
The mountain tour with Sepp Lederer takes us up along the paths of history …
… up along the “Sentiero Storico”, or historic trail marking the middle of World War I. “It was here”, Sepp adds with gravity in his voice, “that my grandfather experienced his first battle back in the days.”
At the same time, any plant – and be it just as small – means the world to our dear Sepp.
I also start feeling enchanted, despite all the wartime history, deciding to put up a smile just like on the Camino I’ve just walked ..!
Crazy to think that war was upon this very strip of land, the so-called “Plöckenpass” between Austria and Italy, exactly 100 years ago.
Out and about on our storytelling paths with Sepp Lederer ..
… whose proof for love comes when deciding to take us to this wonderful lake, the little “Grünsee” that only the locals would know …
… thank you for this wonderful day out, dear Sepp! You certainly have all my admiration and respect!
I already want to go back to Kötschach-Mauthen (lots and lots to see and do here!) and maybe visit the AlpenCamp in winter? When everything is even more quiet and peaceful, and the campground’s sauna and spa truly worth the while .. 😉
Thank you so much, dear Lucia, dear Sepp, dear Angelika, dear Sabine (from left to right) for our wonderful time together!
Want to know how the journey continues? Follow us as we keep visiting two more campgrounds during our trip in early June: “Honey bees, heavenly heights & high-level art at the Camping Rosental Roz” as well as the “Fairytale like fun fair on Lake Millstatt & SeeCamping Mössler“.
Disclaimer: We have been invited by the campgrounds AlpenCamp, Camping Rosental Roz as well as Camping Mössler on our trip to Carinthia. All opinions are my own.