THE #FEMALETRAVELBLOGGERS ROAD TRIP PT. 2

powered by Mercedes-Benz Austria (Advertisement)

THE #FEMALETRAVELBLOGGERS ROAD TRIP PT.2 powered by Mercedes-Benz

Have you ever wondered where your preconceived ideas about how traveling as a woman should look and feel like come from? How Social Media is influencing what you believe is a “true” travel experience? One of the things I noticed a few years ago was that female travelling was represented in a very uniformed, stylised and unnatural way on Social Media. It seemed there was no room for diverser images. Women were supposed to look stunning, dress perfectly, and to almost become part of the objectified nature of a travel image.

That’s why I started my #femaletravelbloggers project – with the idea to show more diversity in female travelling. I started talking to fellow female travel bloggers to work together on spreading this campaign and join forces and take our responsibility for a younger generation seriously – by showcasing a wider variety of visual concepts and also simply of womanhood.

Last year the project grew and I went on the first road trip to promote #femaletravelbloggers together with Mercedes-Benz Austria. And I’m really happy that Mercedes-Benz Austria has decided to partner up with us for the second consecutive year to support this initiative and to celebrate a multitude of female perspectives.

THE #FEMALETRAVELBLOGGERS ROAD TRIP PT.2 powered by Mercedes-BenzTHE #FEMALETRAVELBLOGGERS ROAD TRIP PT.2 powered by Mercedes-Benz
THE #FEMALETRAVELBLOGGERS ROAD TRIP PT.2 powered by Mercedes-BenzTHE #FEMALETRAVELBLOGGERS ROAD TRIP PT.2 powered by Mercedes-BenzTHE #FEMALETRAVELBLOGGERS ROAD TRIP PT.2 powered by Mercedes-Benz

Road trip through Austria: From Upper Austria to Osttirol and back to Lower Austria

So we picked up a very sleek Mercedes-Benz E 400 d 4MATIC T-Modell All-Terrain and made our way to meet up three very unique female travel bloggers from Austria. The idea was to meet-up on a road trip to a few of their favourite locations and talk about female traveling and our responsibility as role models along the way.

Kristin Adlberger, the mountaineering photographer was up first, followed by travel writer and photographer Mela Hipp, who has written a wonderful travel guide about Tyrol and lastly Katharina Werni, who runs Sommertageblog together with her partner.

All three represent very different kind of female travelers and also entrepreneurs – something that is often overlooked or even belittled on Social Media. They actually built quite outstanding careers and businesses, it’s not just pretty pictures and nice travel tips.

Let me introduce you to the women I met and the places we visited together!

Female Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz Austria

 

First stop: Upper Austria with Kristin Adlberger aka @kristin.outdoor

The first woman I met in her home country Upper Austria was Kristin Adlberger. Her mountaineering photos always inspire me to discover my own country more, but it’s not just about that. In her stories she takes us along the journey with more insights and also discussions about responsible traveling, hiking with the right preparation and gear and much more. Together we visited two places in Upper Austria, that Kristin has been to multiple times and loves since her childhood days. The first stop was Hinterstoder, where we drove along a beautiful alpine street and enjoyed a mountain sunset deluxe.

Female Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaKristin Adlberger aka @Kristin.outdoor during the Female Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz Austria

The next morning we got up early to visit one of Kristin’s favourite alpine lakes called “Almsee”. This lake is quite popular, but on a foggy day during the week you can enjoy views like these all by yourself.


Female Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz Austria

Interview with Kristin

You are an incredibly talented photographer – and I know you not only shoot stunning mountain scenery, but also weddings and other important life events for your clients – from baby to couple shoots. But most of your followers still know you for your mountain adventures and you also share many travel tips along the way, from routes to equipment and even tips if people want to bring their dogs. You also go on many so called “micro adventures” in your local mountains in Upper Austria and inspire people to explore their surroundings. Is this one of the key things you want to share? That the good things are often close by?

Yes, exactly, I often get messages about how nice it is to drive away and discover the world. Of course I can totally understand that, BUT often the adventure waits right at your doorstep. I’ve lived in Upper Austria since I was born and have already made many excursions in and around Upper Austria with my parents, and yet I keep finding new corners and getting to know my homeland. I would also like to motivate others to do this.

You told me that it’s very important for you to share the inspiration that nature gives you, but also to keep some geo locations secret as to not spoil some of these places by an influx of mass tourism. Is there a responsibility you see for travel bloggers to make sure to share responsibly? And is it just about geo locations or are there other things to consider (equipment, fitness levels, safety, weather conditions, etc.)? If yes, what would you tell other photographers and travel bloggers who follow in you footsteps? How can we all act more responsibly on Social Media?

The topic of geotagging is always a kind of a balancing act for me… on the one hand I want people to visit and enjoy these great places. Then there are two other factors that concern me: Point one, and absolutely out of the question, environmental pollution! If places remain a “secret”, they are naturally more protected. Point two, some of my hikes are not for everyone. I like to show what is possible with a dog, the right know-how, equipment and / or professional support. I also try to communicate that as well as possible. I am aware of a certain role model effect and so do without the geotag on some tours in order to make it difficult to “imitate”. Because if someone is genuinely interested in a tour, he or she will deal with it (tour planning, equipment, etc.) and is thus better prepared.

I already touched upon your photography skills. Tell us a little bit about your background and education, did you get any photography training or are you self taught? Was Instagram a main driver for your photographic development?

Photography has been with me since I was a child. My grandpa and my mom took photos. My apprenticeship, however, went in a completely different direction, more in the technical area and production. After graduation, however, I became more and more involved with cameras, I think I was around 15 when I photographed my vacation in Croatia with my first digital camera. After that it was “learning by doing”, I didn’t train to be a photographer, it was just trying and playing, until today.

Talking about Instagram – the platform is constantly changing and growing. When and why did you start Instagram and how has everything evolved since then for you personally?

Now I had to take a quick look at Instagram – it was October 2014 that I posted for the first time: A picture of my dog ​​Shadow as a puppy. In the beginning I only uploaded personal pictures from time to time to share with friends, the more I worked with photography, the more regular the postings became. I also deliberately left old postings online, because I’m proud of my development and I just want to show how “real” I think it is. ☺️

I know a little secret, you’re about to launch your own travel blog – your own space in the infinite web – next to your Instagram account! Can you already tell us the name? Or what the main topics will be? Maybe you can already spill some of the secrets! In any case we all hope it will be published soon… 🙂

It’s already online! 🙃 After a loooong struggle with me, my sister, my friend and I put our joint website online, and my personal blog can also be found on it. At the moment a little “introductory text”. But soon regular reports of trips, hiking recommendations or simply tips and tricks from me will be published for you here: www.story3.at Have a look. 🙊

You’ve just turned 30 and have arrived at a point where your business is growing and you have found your passion – so I believe you inspire a lot of women to find meaningful occupations as well. Do you see yourself as role model for other young women? What would you tell your younger self or other young women who want to do what you do right now? Any words of wisdom or tips?

Phew, I don’t know if I’m a role model or if I’m seen that way. But I would like to say to my younger self: You are exactly right where you are right now, try everything that makes you happy, don’t let yourself be put off. And a saying that my “Urli” grandma used to say to me as a child: “Good things take time.” Not everything happens overnight, but if something is important to you, stay tuned, you can do anything.

Next to your mountain adventures you still also work a part time job, and then there’s also your photography business together with your sister and your partner. How do you manage your time and are there any tips you can give others who want to start a business next to their job?

It is admittedly sometimes not so easy to combine part-time work and photography. I am a very chaotic person, I always have to write everything down immediately or enter appointments, otherwise I easily mess something up. Working with my sister and my boyfriend makes it a lot easier for me, the two of them are the structured ones in the team. It’s all about good organisation. I also think you have to put your heart and soul into it, especially at the beginning the leap to self employment takes a lot of time. Don’t forget yourself! Take a break, be satisfied and also find words of praise for yourself. My basic thought: Direct your positive energy on what is important to you and you will be successful.

Let’s talk a little bit about traveling – you love the mountains as well as road trips (and very often combine the two). Tell us a little bit: Why do you love road trips so much and where do you love to go and return over and over again?

The best thing about road trips is the feeling! This being on the move, not paying attention to the clock, being in the moment. I really enjoy sharing moments like this, but also totally enjoy being to myself. One of my favourite areas, just after Upper Austria, is Styria. Again and again I do smaller road trips through Austria’s “Green Heart”. I can’t explain exactly why, but my heart beats faster when, for example, it goes to the Gesäuse National Park.

Is there a special road trip that has changed you or touched you deeply?

The road trip through Finland in January 2020 will be with me forever. I had long wanted to go on a husky safari. My sled was packed and my huskies were more than ready to go. At that moment, the news reached me that an important part of our family has surprisingly gone forever. The following hours were like a movie, fantastic weather, hundreds of husky kisses on my face, campfire in the middle of the wilderness of Finland. Paralysis. After sunset, I looked up at the sky forever with the question why. Then I saw it, the green glow of the northern lights. Some stories tell that the northern lights are probably the souls of the deceased who dance in heaven. I finally had to cry and suddenly felt very close to our family member. I’ve never told this story like this before.

You just invested in a rooftop tent for your car – what is it like for you to use your car not just for your day to day commute, but as your homebase during your road trips?

Yes, finally I am a proud roof tent owner. I enjoy this newfound luxury very much. Since then, I’ve been more relaxed on the road, I have to say that you always have your home with you. A hike to the sunset and no desire to drive home for 1-2 hours, off to the roof tent. Super practical and surprisingly comfortable.

And last but not least: Together we visited two of your favourite places in Upper Austria – Hinterstoder and lake Almsee. Why are they so close to your heart and what is special about them for you? And do you have any tips about those places, that you would like to share?

Our time together in Hinterstoder and at the Almsee was really great, I am happy to have been able to show you these favourite places of mine, and at this point also a big thank you to dear Marion. I actually associate these places with my childhood and family, we spent a lot of time there. If someone wants to visit my favourite places then my tip is: Come very soon in the morning, the morning mood at the lake or the first rays of sun warming Hinterstoder are a very special experience.

Second stop: Osttirol with Mela Hipp from individualicious.com

From Upper Austria we made our way to one of those regions within Austria, that is very dear to my heart: Osttirol. Although Mela Hipp lives in Northern Tyrol, she chose to travel to Osttirol together, because she has a soft spot for the region as well. Together we went to the very authentic and rustic Villgratental, a valley that is defined by old Tyrolean traditions and has kept very true to it’s roots.

Female Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz Austria

I had never been to this part of Osttirol before, but immediately fell in love with Innervillgraten and it’s special hotels! For sunrise we drove up to the iconic Oberstaller Alm, a group of old alpine huts (of which some date back more than 200 years). We also discovered the region around Volkzeiner Hütte and swore that we would return to this region again, as there’s much more to be seen and done!

Female Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz Austria

Interview with Mela

On your blog individualicious.com you focus on European road trips, special accommodations and if I’m not mistaken you already started blogging (under a different name, that shall not be mentioned ;-)) since 2010. Please take us back to the beginnings of your travel blog and what your motifs were back then and how everything has changed since then.

Originally, I started my blog in a classic diary style when I went to Siena to study for an Erasmus year. Back in Austria, the passion to write remained and so I continued the blog with a colorful mix of different topics. With the time, travel stories became more and more the focus of my blog and after a relaunch under the current domain name my way of blogging became more and more professional, and the page views clearly showed that meanwhile more than just family and friends read my blog. When I write for my blog today, it’s often in cooperation with hotels and/or tourism boards and I’m more aware that I’m writing for a broad readership who get inspiration and information from my articles. 

Fast forward more than 10 years later you are now a full-time travel blogger and writer and you just published your first book called “Reisehandbuch Tirol” filled with secret tips from friends for friends. Can you share a little bit about the process of writing the book and what it means to you that it is now finally published?

Working on the book was super exciting, as it was something completely new for me. Until then, I was only used to write articles for my blog or a magazine every now and then. So the process from the idea to the finished book was very exciting for me. The collaboration with the publishing company was super uncomplicated and I was able to contribute my own ideas and topics. A big advantage for me in finding topics and writing was, of course, my professional background as PR manager at the Tirol Tourist Board, where I was able to get to know many regions and many tips in Tirol. That made the research much easier for me. Now, after almost one and a half years, to see my book in the window of a bookstore is an indescribable feeling.

And if a book wasn’t enough you also just became a mother to your daughter! I want to talk to you a bit about our responsibility as female travel bloggers as well. I know it’s maybe a little early on, but do you think about how Social Media will affect your daughter or how it already affects young women these days? If yes, what are the key things that you believe need to be addressed to leave a positive impact?

Of course I’m thinking about educating my daughter and how to handle social media usage. It’s clear that there’s no way around it, even if we still have the naive (☺) thought of keeping it away from her as long as possible. But kids these days just grow up with social media and it’s important to me to teach responsible use of it. I think it’s important to show the younger generation that posts/stories on social media just show a teeny tiny slice of life and often don’t represent reality either. If we manage to teach young women to critically question content in social media and not to strive per se for what many profiles represent, we are on the right path.  

With Kristin I talked a lot about the sharing of geo locations and the impact of mass tourism and #vanlife on landscapes – a responsibility that we as travel bloggers have to take seriously. Another aspect of our responsibility as travel bloggers is a socio economic one. You focus a lot on regional businesses – from eco lodges to small regional hotels. When we travel we can make sure our money leaves a positive impact on the places where we go. Did you recognise your responsibility early on or did this develop gradually? And what other key areas you see, where you can create a positive impact on people that follow and read your work?

In fact, I didn’t think much about it at first. It was only over the years that my interest in regional businesses developed. On the one hand because they are so much more special compared to large chains or crowded locations, but on the other hand also because they are the counterpart to mass tourism. For example, I deliberately left out one or two great tips in my book, precisely because I knew that this places had already become a hotspot through Instagram. Meanwhile, I try to avoid crowded regions and places, also because I have no interest in standing in line with a hundred others. Or, if I come to places, where much is going on, I mention this consciously in the article and try to point out tips, such as other times of day or seasons. Since I travel a lot in the mountains, it is also important to me to raise awareness for the protection of nature. Because here, too, I see the danger that certain Instagram hotspots can quickly damage nature.

I know you are usually behind the camera – and rather let the places you visit speak for themselves. I personally am the same and also prefer following accounts like yours, that are less self promotional and rather inspire through the places and through photography. But we know that on Social Media travel photography often “performs” better if there’s a person in the photo. This is a bit of a paradox, because often women are only shown from behind or as props in a photo, they serve as passive objects of admiration and are rarely shown in more active and realistic poses and roles. Do you think it’s important to visually represent what female photography and travelling can look like in all it’s diverse shapes and forms on Social Media? And if yes, what can we do to show more diversity on platforms like Instagram?

A difficult topic, because it seems to me many people just want to see the beautifully staged photos, where women act as a props in the landscape. In any case, I think it is important to show the other side and to show that female travel photography can also look different. Especially since it is important to me to be perceived as a serious author and photographer when it comes to travel. I don’t just travel to post beautiful, staged photos with me in front of a great backdrop, I want to tell stories about the countries, regions and people. Projects like your #femaletravelbloggers campaign help a lot to create awareness and publicity.

Let’s sidestep from this heavy topic for a moment and talk about road trips. You decided we should meet up in Osttirol instead of your home in northern Tyrol, as it is one of your favourite places in Austria and a perfect road trip location. Where in Osttirol would you recommend people go on a road trip, what are your favourite locations and places here?

Osttirol is by far my favorite region in Tyrol, yes, as it combines so much of Tyrols beauty in only a small area. So going on a road trip is easy as the distances are not too big and you can see so many highlights in only one trip – like the Großglockner, Austria’s highest mountain, or the Nationalpark Hohe Tauern, a beautiful nature protected area with many great places to explore – for example Innergschlöss or the Jagdhausalmen. My favorite part of Osttirol is the Villgratental, tough, as it’s so original and authentic. What I love about Osttirol is the fact, that it’s far away from mass tourism and everything is more quiet and slow. 

Together we visited two destinations – the Oberstaller Alm and the Volkzeiner Hütte, both very special places in the Villgratental. Why are they so close to your heart and what is special about them for you? And do you have any tips about those places, that you would like to share?

I can’t even describe exactly what it is, but when I first came to these places, I was immediately completely taken. The landscape, the tranquility… I guess you have to have been here once yourself to understand the specialness. Both places are very easy to reach but can also be combined with beautiful hikes. And: on the Oberstaller Alm there are also huts for rent, so you can spend the night here far away from any everyday hustle and bustle. By the way, without electricity, so a special experience.

And last but not least: What would you advise young women who are considering turning their passion into a profession or going into self-employment. Do you have any tips that you would like to share with them?

I don’t know if I’m the right one, because in fact everything was just a sequence of great coincidences that have lined up over the years 😉 In any case, my path was not planned in this form, but I am even more pleased about where I am today. My advice? If you have the passion and the talent, you can make it if you just stick with it long enough and don’t get discouraged by setbacks. As the saying goes: good things take time and success doesn’t come overnight.  

Third stop: Lower Austria with Katharina Werni from sommertage.com

The last stop of the #femaletravelbloggers road trip brought us back to just an hour’s drive away from Vienna, one of the classic local recreation areas in the so called “Wiener Alpen” (“Viennese Alps”). Finally I got to work together with Kathi from Sommertage blog, who I got to know personally many years ago, but never had the chance to actually create something together. She chose to go to the Hohe Wand, as it is one of her favourite hiking areas close to Vienna, where both of us live.

Female Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz Austria

Female Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz Austria
Female Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz Austria

Luckily we also discovered a “new” boutique hotel called “Landsitz Oberhof”, that has just opened a year ago in an old farmer’s building that (partially) dates back to 1457. It has been restored with a lot of taste by the new owners and served as the perfect base to discover this part of Lower Austria together. From here we drove to the Hohe Wand, but also discovered close-by Myra waterfalls and even found some highland cattle in the vicinity!

Female Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz Austria

Interview with Katharina

First off let me say, how happy I am that we finally got to work on a project together! I’ve been following your work for years now and together with your partner Romeo you run one of the most successful and well-read travel blogs in Austria called sommertage.com. Tell us a little bit about how and why you started your blog in 2013 when you went on a five month trip through New Zealand and Southeast Asia and what has changed since then.

Oh, and I’m so happy – thank you so, so much for the opportunity! Exactly, we started our blog in 2013, shortly before we headed out on a long trip. The reason was simple: We wanted to keep family and friends up to date on the go. Instead of sending countless weekly emails, we filled our blog with photos and updates. 

We initially thought the end of our trip would also be the end of our blog. But this wasn’t the case – quite the opposite! We didn’t have the heart to simply stop. So, we just kept going and blogged about our holidays. 

It needs to be said that practically no one was reading our blog back then. But we didn’t care at that time – for us it was more that we had finally found a platform where we could combine our passions with travel, photography, and writing. 

And well, a few years later the first enquiries from businesses suddenly landed in our inbox. Only then did we realise: okay, apparently you can earn money with a blog. As time went on, we adapted the blog from being a hobby project to a business model, but that wasn’t planned. 

After your extended trip you started working in traditional careers, but soon realised this wasn’t what you were dreaming of. How long did it take you to build a stable income from your blog and pursue it full time? 

Long! It must have been around four years until we really achieved a significant income with the blog. We must add that it probably would have happened faster if we had really pursued it. Either way: it doesn’t happen overnight. 

You work as a couple (and I know that this can be challenging sometimes ;-)) – how do you split your responsibilities, who does what and why? And what is your background – did you always love writing, photography or did you think you would become something completely different?

The tasks are pretty clearly split between us. Romeo is primarily responsible for taking photos. This comes a bit from in the past because he was the first one of us who owned a ‘real’ camera and took photos of his trips long before we started the blog.  

Even though I really love photography as well, I am mainly responsible for writing, filming and editing. I have always loved writing and secretly wanted to be a journalist. That’s why I decided to study a degree in journalism and communication studies, where we met each other. 

Our parents passed the love of travel onto us. Perhaps it sounds cheesy, but the blog combines all of our shared passions. At the same time, that is also the issue with the whole thing: making a job out of your passions takes a lot of the fun out of it, which needs to be rediscovered time and time again. And yes, it is indeed sometimes ‘challenging’ to work with your partner. But who am I talking to. 😉 

We also usually travel as a couple, both equipped with cameras and splitting our duties between photography and videography. Yet we often encounter that people only ask Raffael about camera equipment, technical gear and so on – as a woman I’m usually not taken as seriously in that respect. Have you had similar experiences or did you encounter any other prejudices when traveling or working with business partners?

Unfortunately, yes. Just recently I was in a discussion about our travel blog and was mistaken for Romeo’s assistant. It is absurd. We hadn’t given the other person any reason to assume that Romeo was the boss and I was his assistant. And that is just one of countless situations where I have experienced some form of gender stereotypical prejudice. It makes you angry and sad – but ultimately it motivates me even more. 

Have you heard of the so called “Blogger Kodex”, a codex that serves as ethical guideline for bloggers? If yes, do you think it’s important to have a ethical codex for bloggers and what kind of ethical rules you follow and why you think they are so important in our business?

Yes, we quite consciously adhere to the ‘Blogger Kodex’. It is most important for us personally that we are open and transparent with advertisements. It should be evident right from the start that we have received money for an item or that we were invited to stay at a hotel, for example. Very important: Even when collaborating, we always ensure our honest opinions end up in the blog. If we have learnt one thing over the years, it is that our readers trust us and our recommendations. We really treasure their trust and would never risk losing that. 

Talking about the ethics of traveling I also want to talk a little bit about female travel blogging especially. When I first talked about the issues I saw in the female travel blogger sphere on Social Media I got a lot of feedback from women in the industry who saw the same problems. Women were often depicted in very standardised ways and this visual language doesn’t feel very inclusive or diverse. In your case Kathi you are pictured by Romeo quite often, but it never feels staged or inauthentic. If you’re on a mountain you wear mountaineering clothes, if you’re on a rowing boat you wear a hoodie – I’m sure many women feel authentically represented this way. Have you ever felt the urge to stage your photos more due to the pressure of growing your account on Instagram and how do you feel about this constant pressure that is being put on women on Social Media in general?

Fortunately, I can say: Not anymore! I don’t want to present an unnatural picture of traveling. I really can’t stand seeing photos with white hotel sheets on the sandy beach or with long, flowy dresses in the mountains. In my opinion this self-presentation is toxic. It paints the wrong picture of life and of travel. 

There was however a time when we felt that we needed to follow this trend to be successful. Luckily, we quickly realised that the number of followers that we had was not what really counted for us. We want to provide a realistic impression of travel. Un-staged and authentic.  

When we take photos we consciously ask ourselves: is the way we captured this scene authentic? Does it come across as unnatural? We rarely stage them and prefer to capture the moments as they are happening.  

You must receive a lot of feedback on Social Media and your blog – do you have the feeling you serve as a role model and that you have some kind of responsibility with what you are representing online? If yes, how do you think we as female travel bloggers can use our voice to relieve some of the pressure on others and make more of a positive impact?

Oh yes! The many messages we receive from others, some of whom follow our travels 1:1, always remind us (luckily!) of the responsibility that we have. And that also includes that people don’t actually go up mountains in a dress but instead wear hiking boots and have the appropriate equipment. 

Of course, beautiful photos are important to us. But we like to show through our imagery that you can also take great photos without staging an apparently perfect world of illusion. Despite our love for photography, we focus on enjoying the experience. What we want above all is to pass on the joy of travel to people and the small things along the way. Ultimately, that is what counts in life – and not whether you’ve taken the perfect photo back home with you. 

We also talked a little bit how challenging it is to grow a travel blog – from SEO to Pinterest, from Instagram to YouTube, there’s so many things to consider and distribution is a key element. When I asked you what you would do if you won a few millions you said you wouldn’t change a thing. You would still travel and write a blog about it! You said you love sharing and also going back yourself to past travels and see it all lined out perfectly. What are the things that make running a travel blog challenging or what would you rather skip sometimes if you could?

The funny thing about it is: A few years ago, when I was completely lost in terms of work, my brother asked me, “Kathi, what would you do if money was no issue?” I thought about it for a while, but then it was clear to me: “I would travel. And write about it.” 

So yes, it seems I would do exactly what I do right now. I would probably approach the whole thing with less ambition and certainly more relaxed, wouldn’t think too much about things like SEO anymore, and stay in luxury hotels more often :), but basically, I wouldn’t want to live my life any other way. 

But very honestly: I could do without accounting. If there is anything that is really difficult to motivate myself to do, then it’s anything that has to do with finance, numbers and bills. Luckily, Romeo is the organised one of us in that respect who has everything under control. 

Together we visited one of your most visited region in Lower Austria – the Hohe Wand. We then stayed in a very unique family-owned boutique hotel called “Landsitz Oberhof” and visited close-by Myrafälle. Why are these places so close to your heart and what is special about them for you? And do you have any tips about those places, that you would like to share?

We love the Hohe Wand and are always fascinated with what a natural paradise you can find right on the doorstep of Vienna. You get in your car in Vienna and bam, less than an hour later you’re hiking with a view of the Schneeberg mountain and surrounded by ibexes.

We find the loop walking track no. 3 is great because you get to enjoy a really great view out into the distance. We especially love the viewpoint next to the Kleine Kanzel at sunset. A dream! For sunrise we recommend a small walk to the Skywalk. Also, because during the morning and evening hours you have the Hohe Wand almost to yourself. 

The Myrafälle (Myra Falls) are also simply gorgeous in terms of landscape and a really great day trip destination if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city – especially when it has rained a lot and the water level is high. Our tip: It is very worthwhile to take a detour to Hausstein, the region’s local mountain. 

And last but not least: What would you advise young women who are considering turning their passion into a profession or going into self-employment. Do you have any tips that you would like to share with them?

My tip number one: Be sure not to look to closely left and right at what other people are doing, instead concentrate on yourself. Gaining inspiration is important and good, however comparing yourself to others unnecessarily steers you away from your own path. 

Tip number two: You don’t need to achieve everything by yourself. Asking for help is also important – whether it has to do with finances, certain skills, mental issues or ‘just’ exchanging ideas with like-minded people. 

Next steps for #femaletravelbloggers

This trip has again reaffirmed my pursuit for a more balanced image of female travel bloggers – well and female travellers in general. Working together with these three incredible women has shown me again how diverse womanhood is and how it’s our responsibility to also show this to the next generation.

Make sure to check out Kristin, Mela and Kathi on Instagram and their blogs & support their work!

Female Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz AustriaFemale Travel Bloggers road trip with Mercedes-Benz Austria

A big thanks goes to Mercedes-Benz Austria for the support once again.