Do you dream of trekking in picturesque landscapes, exploring idyllic routes that are not full of people, hiking with goats or even visiting a beekeeper? Honigberg.ch in the near-by Canton of Uri is the perfect place to start exploring. Let the professional Swiss certified Mountain Leader Sanna do the planning, and guide you safely through some of the most amazing places in Central Switzerland.
Sanna lives with her partner Markus in a small mountain village in Uri, just 1 hour from Lucerne by car. Her love of nature, animals, and passion for the great outdoors led her to create Honigberg – she aims to share her enthusiasm for the mountains, the beauty and importance of nature and joy of being on the road with animals. Sanna, who is originally from Finland, is a professional Mountain Leader. One reason why she and her partner moved from the pretty city of Lucerne to the small mountain village of Isenthal, was to be able to have animals and to get closer to nature and the mountains. Now they have 7 big goats, 2 chickens, 1 rooster and millions of bees. Markus, who is originally from Wynental in Switzerland, did amongst many other things a Master of beekeeping in Austria, where beekeeping craft has a centuries-old tradition.
We asked Sanna what her inspiration was for creating Honigberg:
“I was lucky to take part in a project to relaunch the long distance trekking tour Urner Alpenkranz in 2017 together with Markus, whilst working at Urner Wanderwege. We were hiking 40 stages from hut to hut, and spent an amazing 1 and a half months in the mountains. After that it was clear to me that I am no longer suitable for a standard 9-5 office job. I studied to become a Mountain Leader by Swiss Mountain guide association where I successfully passed and was awarded a Swiss federal certificate. I also wanted to create something which shared my passion for animals, and the experience of adventuring and hiking together with goats. The connection with animals is something very powerful and therapeutic. As Markus is also a beekeeper, we decided to combine passions, and so I created Honigberg (Honeymountain). There are so many fantastic and hidden places to explore close to Lucerne. Many find it easier to visit the most well-known and popular places. It is my goal to guide people to the hidden gems’ of the area, which they otherwise would not have found, and share my passion about nature and animals with them.”
Some fun facts about Honigberg include:
🏠 Honigberg is home to 7 goats named Onni, Sulo, Mama Donata, Toivo, Sisu, Into and Tähti
🐐 Honigberg goats are huge with big horns, but also very sweet, curious and funny
🌳 Goats follow free for the hikes, and they have natural climbing talents
🐝 Honigberg is home to 1.6 million bees and produce lots of organic mountain honey
🌸 At Honigberg you can experience Farm Fitness, joining stable work or even harvesting hay on steep mountain meadows
🗻You can also experience mountain wellness on a private goat paradise alp in Maderanertal.
🍯 Or maybe you want to experience a day as a «Zimker» Goats + Beekeeping.
What they offer
- Guided Mountain hikes and snowshoe tours: Whether you’re new to the area, or prefer to leave the planning part for the professional Mountain Leader and just enjoy the sport and views, Sanna offers hiking and snowshoeing tours for groups between 4 – 10 people, and also private tours according to your wishes. Check their website for details, prices, and current offers.
- Goat Trekking: experience a day in the great outdoors with hairy horned friends. You will immerse yourself as a part of the goat herd. An unforgettable experience for young and old. With the funny nature of goats, a smile is guaranteed, along with great pictures. Goat hikes are organised on request in Uri, ranging in length and difficulty depending on your needs.
- Hiking + mountain wellness in a private Goat Paradise: On the first day, you will explore the unique and wildly romantic Maderanertal valley on a guided hike. The day’s destination is a more than 250-year-old “Bergheimet” at 1,150m above sea level, on the southern slope of the Kleine Windgällen Mountain. You will be a guest on an alpine goat “Alp” with fantastic views. In the evening, a mountain wellness experience in a Finnish sauna awaits you. For dinner enjoy fine raclette, under the starry sky (weather dependent!). The second day is reserved for relaxation, simply being & enjoying. The fine breakfast, with local products, is served with Honigberg own mountain honey. Afterwards you have time to enjoy and (depending on the season) get to know our goats before we start the descent back to civilisation.
- Mountain honey: Honigberg, ‘Honey Mountain’, is also home to over 1 million bees which produce sweet, organic mountain honey! You can book a visit to the bees and learn about how beekeeping in the mountains works, and of course you can buy honey and other honey products to take home and try. Take a look at their online shop here.
How to get there
The village of Isenthal, in the canton of Uri, is easy to get to from Lucerne. By car it takes less than 1 hour, and by train around 1 hour 30 minutes with change to a bus.
Book your tour!
Spring is nearly here, and the beautiful sunshine and warmer weather might leave you with a taste for getting outside and enjoying the beautiful scenery that Switzerland has to offer. Consider reaching out to the team at Honigberg to book an activity that will leave you feeling refreshed, relaxed, and a little more connected to nature. You can find lots more information on the Honigberg.ch website.
Honigberg is part of the LiLi Centres Small Business Network. You can find out more on the LiLi Centre website here.
