Regions-Originale: Monika und Hansi Bantl

Most of the time, Hansi introduces himself as "Bantl Hansi" – although his real name is Hans Neuner. Confusing? No, quite the opposite: He has carried the name "Bantl" since his childhood. Because anyone searching for "Hans Neuner" in the phone book in Leutasch will find more than 10 entries. To avoid mix-ups, they gave Hansi the name of the farm where he grew up: The Bantl Farm. There, Hansi was born 70 years ago, grew up, and spent the longest time of his life in the "Luitasch", as the locals pronounce it. Here are his roots – buried deep and firm in the soil of the Leutasch Valley. This has shaped Hansi as a person: He is a loyal man, honest, charismatic – and full of ideas.

Hansi's professional career was anything but a "straight path". Initially, he learned at an agricultural school. "Back then, it was somehow taken for granted that one would go into agriculture", he recounts. "The school in Imst was quite good!". After that, he trained as a gamekeeper. This profession even took him halfway around the world: He spent a year on an Estancia, a rural estate, in Argentine Patagonia. But at some point, his hunting days were over. However, Hansi is a person who always has new ideas. So he started working as a hiking guide in the summer and as a cross-country skiing instructor in the winter. You could say he is a true Tyrolean. With his jobs as a hiking guide and cross-country skiing instructor, Hansi has found his true calling. Because he not only has a good sense for people, but he also knows (almost) everything about nature and its inhabitants.

Whoever has been with him in the mountains knows: No one knows more than Hansi! He knows every leaf, every animal sound, yes, simply every stone in the Leutasch. "I learned this from my parents", he reveals. "My father knew a lot about plants, what you can eat and what you can't – that saved his life in Russia." He was actually in captivity there during the war. "His knowledge was well received by the Russians," Hansi chuckles. "They saved everyone from starving, and so the Russians probably liked him quite a bit!" The father also passed on his knowledge to his children. Of course, Hansi didn’t know everything at the beginning of his career as a hiking guide. But when Hansi doesn’t have an answer ready, he always says: "I don't know it today. But come with me again tomorrow, then I'll know it!"

The Leutaschtal stretches 16 kilometers long in all its beauty. It counts 25 hamlets and borders directly on Germany, with the nearest town across the border being Mittenwald.

Hansi and Monika say about the "Luitasch," their home: "There is probably no more beautiful spot on earth!" They want to show this beauty to others, so they host three special events each year. The first begins in spring, which always arrives a little later in the mountains than in the rest of the world. In June, when the first alpine flowers bloom, Monika and Hansi Bantl organize the Mountain Spring Days. For a week, they hike, enjoy nature, learn, and eat deliciously. It is the perfect start to a mountain summer. They also let this summer come to an end in the fall: During the Ganghofer Hubertus Weeks, Hansi shares his knowledge of hunting. But there is one event that perhaps surpasses these two just a little: The Leutascher Kapellenadvent.

It has now been 16 years since Hansi and Monika started the Leutascher Kapellenadvent. "At first, there were more people from the music than guests!" laughs Hansi. But they encouraged them to continue this very special tradition. And today, up to 200 people come to Leutasch every Friday and Saturday in Advent to experience the Kapellenadvent.

Hansi has his heart in the right place. And with Monika, the organizational talent of the two, you can't help but love this duo. Over the years, their guests have also grown very dear to them and have become real friends. "Over the years, you go through a lot together! And sometimes I am also a little bit of the confessor," Hansi smiles. Nothing delights him more than being able to welcome his guests again and again in beautiful Leutasch. For over 20 years, many of them come to the region up to three times a year because of Hansi and Monika. "I still have a regular group from the time when I was a cross-country skiing instructor," Hansi recounts. "I promised them after my retirement: As long as they live and as long as I live, I'll go cross-country skiing with them!." For 32 years, the group has been coming from the Waaterkant, from the northern reaches of Germany, to Tyrol. For a long time, the northern lights and Hansi were infamous in the inns. "Last winter, 4 from the group were still there. But that doesn't matter to me!" says Hansi. "The date is set, and until the last one no longer comes, I'm sure to be there!".

"I don't actually have a life motto," says Hansi. But a saying accompanies him through life: "Live and let live!" He means: "If I'm happy, then others should be well too!" Hansi and Monika contribute a great deal to this. With their events, they enrich the entire region. They not only bring people from afar to us but also ensure that the locals experience and enjoy their valley and its culture. And how should it continue? "Yes, staying as it is never works!" says Hansi. "But I wish that development goes more in the direction of sustainability and that we appreciate what we have in our beautiful nature."

The chapel hikes as part of the Leutascher Chapel Advent take place on the four Advent weekends every Friday and Saturday at 5 PM. No registration for the hike is required. However, it is requested to make a reservation in the inns if one wants to participate in the meal afterwards.

Also during the Mountain Spring Days, Hansi and Monika look forward to old and new faces. There will be hiking, learning, laughing, and delicious food.