Mountaineering Villages - Living in Kreuth and Mauthen

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Direction: Stefan Sternad, Camera: Stefan Sternad

Production: ORFIII, ipFILM

Documentary film: 45 min./2024

In the new ORF and ipFilm production, the lives of people in the two communities of Kreuth in Bavaria and Mauthen in Carinthia are examined. Both communities have recently joined the mountaineering village community of the Alpine Club and have decided to follow the strict criteria for this.

The villagers' decision in favor of gentle tourism and careful treatment of nature, as stipulated by the Alpine Club's guidelines, will define life for generations to come. It is a move away from the development of large hotel complexes. The accommodation establishments in the village belong to the locals. The residents of Kreuth and Mauthen love living in their community and want to preserve the landscape and nature as it is. Alpine pasture tenant Alexander Mehringer says: “Summer is definitely the most beautiful time of year alongside fall, winter and spring!” - So: “It's always beautiful here!”

The special location of the villages in the immediate vicinity of the Alpine landscape is the treasure that attracts holidaymakers in both summer and winter. The regional and local economy makes a living with the income from tourism. “It is immensely important for Mauthen to be a mountaineering village. There are many beautiful places in the world, even more beautiful places in Austria, but Mauthen is a special place,” says Barbara Holzapfel proudly.

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“Less, but better!” is the motto of the mountaineering villages. What makes the people of Mauthen in Carinthia and Kreuth in Bavaria so special is their belief in their cultural tradition and their love of nature.