Are you looking for a special kind of adventure? Julia and her friends discovered hidden natural treasures in Austria with a GoMore camper van and the Schau aufs Land platform and talked to friendly hosts about sustainable consumption. Read her unusual travelogue here and get inspired!
We (that's me, Julia, and my two best friends) rented a camper van on GoMore and travelled through two Austrian federal states (Styria and Carinthia) for 5 days. With the help of Schau aufs Land, we not only had unique experiences away from mass tourism, but also broadened our horizons, enjoyed regional products from organic farms and learnt important lessons about sustainable agriculture from our friendly hosts.
After taking over the rented camper van from its owner Michael in Graz, we equipped the car with the most important things for our trip, such as bed linen, cutlery, crockery and other kitchen utensils, and stowed away our luggage and camping chairs. There was more space in the camper van than we thought!
Then we set off for our first stop south of Graz. We spent a quiet night at a very nice farm and woke up in the morning with a wonderful view over the lovely surrounding hills and to the smell of warm pastries that the friendly hosts had already prepared for us.
A school class was visiting that day and we joined the educational tour of the farm and behind the scenes, where we not only learnt about the different animals but also got to help make butter.
We continued westwards to a charming winery, where we took a dip in the cool swimming pond.
Afterwards we rounded off the day with a hearty and regional dinner and a glass of homemade wine.
The idyllic pitch for our camper van was located between a blossoming field of sunflowers and vines.
The next day, the farm staff brought us fresh currants on their way between the main house and the fields. We chatted with them about their farming approach and the daily challenges and opportunities while enjoying probably the best berries we have ever eaten.
We spent a pleasant drive through beautiful countryside to Carinthia for the third stop on our journey. Arriving at the family-run farm, we were immediately greeted by the friendly dog Betty.
Although the owners of the farm are very busy people, they were happy to take the time to show us around their sustainable farm and give us selected tips for activities in the surrounding area. We then walked to a swimming lake just 10 minutes away and enjoyed the afternoon in the water and the summer sun.
Brushing your teeth and later having a cosy breakfast with a view of the horses’ paddock? We were able to experience this the next day at our pitch in the middle of the farm's garden in pure sunshine. The homemade jams from the farm shop are highly recommended!
The fourth and final stop on our journey took us back to a traditional farm in Styria. We immediately felt the loving relationship between our friendly hosts and the geese, chickens, cats, pigs, goats, donkeys and horses on the farm. Here they show us how animals should be kept and treated.
The warm farm people personally gave us a tour of the farm (including petting adorable baby animals), which ended with a tasting of the delicious homemade goat cheese. The next day we even got to help with the milking - an experience that was as fun and rewarding as it was unexpected!
The grand finale was a hike with the farm's donkeys. Then we stocked up on some good organic products from the farm shop before heading back home to Graz.
After unpacking, we brought Michael from GoMore his fantastic camping vehicle back and gave him a delicious souvenir, a jar of organic honey from our stay in Carinthia, which he was delighted to receive. :)
Schau aufs Land is a digital pitch guide with around 2,000 idyllic pitches at more than 750 partner businesses in Austria, Italy and Slovenia for camping close to nature at organic farms & other sustainable businesses. With a membership, you can use the app to find near-natural pitches where you can camp for 24 hours free of charge in return for a purchase in the farm shop or a donation and use the amenities on site. An inexpensive alternative for campers who want to enjoy an authentic holiday and support sustainable farms. Perfect for your first or next camping trip with a motorhome from GoMore!
Sustainability is a central aspect of both GoMore and Schau aufs Land. In addition to the topic of sustainable travelling, they want to contribute to a greater appreciation of regional and grandchild-friendly agriculture. This is very much in line with our values, which is why we highly recommend their platform to users of our platform based on our own experience.
So rent a camper van on GoMore and embark on a new travel adventure, we promise it will pay off! :)
Please share a comment in the form below, if you have input on this experience or if you know of other local experiences you would like to recommend.