They reflected the basic idea of the concept: it's the simple things that make life beautiful.
Gasthof Hubertus, 11 a.m.: Journalists, bloggers, tourism experts, locals, hiking enthusiasts and other interested parties met up to go for a walk. Or rather: to hike. Simply to hike. It was the start of the kick-off event for the hiking offensive - the Saalfelden Leogang region has more than 400 kilometres of beautiful hiking trails - under the motto "Simply hiking": The idea behind it: Hiking doesn't need a lot of fuss or preparation and anyone can do it. "I like the simplicity of hiking, it's an alternative to our complex world," Bergwelten editor-in-chief Klaus Haselböck was to explain later in the discussion round. But first it was also time for the guests to "simply hike" - a section of the wonderful Trebesiner Weg was covered over the next one and a half hours. they walked in the forest and across meadows and admired all the facets of greenery that spring has to offer. The unexpected sunshine made the panorama around the Leoganger Steinberge seem even more impressive. Mountain guide Markus Mayrhofer explains one advantage of hiking as follows: "Walking is the only natural speed and perfect for really taking in nature. Everything else is too fast."
The emerging hunger was then satisfied with regional cheese dumplings at Hubertus before tourism director Marco Pointner explained the new concept. This focuses on coming down and the simplicity of hiking. Installations - made by local craftsmen - such as info points and round benches are designed to invite visitors to pause for a moment, while forest swings provide a new perspective. In addition, hiking stick sharing will be introduced in the future. In the following panel discussion with Klaus Haselböck, Markus Mayerhofer, mountain photographer Tom Klocker and physician Dr Arnulf Hartl, a wide range of benefits and perspectives on hiking were discussed. "It has been proven that hiking has positive effects on respiratory diseases, back problems and many other diseases of civilisation. We need nature - it's in our genes," explained Hartl. The 27-year-old Klocker, on the other hand, recalled his youth: "When my parents wanted to take me hiking as a teenager, I didn't think it was cool and wasn't open to it. It was only later that I realised how beautiful nature is and how good it is for me to be in the mountains." As different as the approaches of the panellists were, the tenor was clear: the renaissance of hiking is definitely justified. Hiking is healthy. Hiking makes you happy. And it's so easy.
