Winter walking vacation in Slovakia

Planet

Our aim is to connect people with nature again. To use nature for our own well-being but return our favour by looking after the planet.

Tatra Mountains is where our tour packages are mainly orientated. Tatra Mountains are also UNESCO protected, and in order to save the environment and eco systems, swimming in all mountain lakes is prohibited which we are a big supporter of. None of the travelers are therefore allowed to wild swim in the mountain lakes.

In Slovakia, the fauna is beautifully varied and we respect the mother nature and its creatures. We strictly abide by no feeding the wild animals. From ducks, squirrels, mountain foxes, lynxes to bears and wolfs, no matter the animal. Touching or feeding the animals is strictly prohibited.

We also follow no leave no trace policy, where every traveler is responsible for taking their rubbish back with them to the hotel. We encourage taking the rubbish back even if the bins in the national parks are provided. This is to minimise overflowing by other tourists.

Our vacations are mainly active – exploring and enjoying the landscape is mostly done on our feet, minimising the carbon footprint as much as possible. If possible, airport transfers are shared. We take the mountain train (electric) for our hikes and trips as much as we can.

CARBON REDUCTION

If our packages offer local transport, we either use trains or electric mountain trains or even shared minibus transfers which supports carbon reduction. There are no internal flights needed, and so when you arrive to your location, we will only rely on the local electric trains or shared transfers. The rest of the trip is done on foot, exploring the surroundings of Tatra Mountains and local areas, which is about 90% of the trip. If we use local taxi, we only use a local company who uses electric cars to move around the town. Our accommodation provider is also extremely flexible in terms of dietary requirements, and so vegetarian and vegan diets are widely catered for. There is a specific vegan and vegetarian locally owned restaurant only a couple of minutes away from your accommodation.

Local taxi service which is recommended to use during your stay has mostly electric cars as well.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

Swimming in all mountain lakes in Tatra Mountains National Park is not possible. Tatra's lakes, waterfalls and waters are very sensitive ecosystems, and so by dipping into the waters, we will be changing the chemistry of the waters. The waters can pick up substances such as deodorants, sun creams, repellents, even residue of shower gels which can kill various species (see more for endemism). Therefore, none of our guests are allowed to swim the waters of Tatra Mountains. National Park is under highest protection - no. 5 which means breaking this rule will also result in 3000 Euros fine.

To reduce the noise and protect the wildlife in the national parks of Slovakia, all drones are probhibited as well. We do not allow our guests to use drones during their vacations.

One of the activities is Husky sledding which is provided by the Slovak Champion who looks after the huskies extremely well from their accommodation, to food and how often he organises

People

LOCAL ECONOMY
Guests are accommodated at a local small privately owned bed and breakfast hotel. All the restaurants we select to eat at are independent restaurants run by locals, no chains.

All of our suppliers are local business owners – from accommodation to airport transfers. If we offer packed lunches, these are also provided by either local cafes or businesses.

We keep our numbers relatively small – 8-14 travelers for each trip to keep the disturbance to minimum.

Our vacations are created around the high seasons to avoid overcrowding. Crowds can often disturb the fauna, and so none of our vacations are run in July, August and late December due to the high numbers of tourists in the region. We strive to offer tranquillity and true experience of nature vacations.

We often visit a geothermal water park and spa which is around 2 minute walk away from the accommodation. Water in the spa comes from a natural underground source and is brought to the site. The process is cooled to 36-38 ° C from 50 ° C. Pools have an anti-corrosion surface to minimise the need for chlorine. UV radiation is used to disinfect it, making it skin-friendly and eye-friendly. Water in the thermal pools originates from a depth of 1300 m and contains more than 20 different minerals beneficial to human health. It helps with movement and respiratory system problems, blood circulation and nervous system.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY
All of our suppliers are from Slovakia. We are a small company who employ/work most of the people from Slovakia. Our founder is a woman born in Slovakia, and so understands how important is to have a representation in the company. We are also introducing more female mountain guides into our vacations.