"Hyt" boss Thomas Gstettenbauer 

It’s early in the morning. The birds are twittering in the trees and the first rays of sunshine are peeping in. The guests slowly open their eyes – and find themselves face to face with a stag looking through the window of their mobile cabin – lovingly called the Hyt.

After the initial shock, this is a unique experience and exactly what guests in the mobile cabin at the Wild-Berghof in Bernried were hoping for: living and relaxing in Bavarian nature.

And that’s exactly what they get from Thomas Gstettenbauer, the third generation to manage this business. “It’s the combination of nature, forest and the proximity of the animals that makes the experience in a Hyt so unique,” he says of the concept.

His farm is in the middle of a wildlife park on the edge of the Bavarian Forest. Extensive woodland, imposing old trees and wild herds of 200 animals – here guests can experience nature in its original form.

A woodland experience – in mobile cabins

More and more people are drawn to the Wild-Berghof near Bernried. Thomas Gstettenbauer is delighted. However, the idea of extending and thus damaging this impressive landscape was out of the question for him. He had to come up with an alternative solution – and that’s when the concept of the Hyt was born, a mobile cabin.

“We can rent the Hyt out to our guests and if it’s not needed we can simply put it away,” explains Thomas Gstettenbauer. “That way we don’t put any strain on Mother Nature.” And the guests can spend their holiday on various carefully selected sites in the middle of the wildlife park: rent, camp and enjoy.

Experiencing nature in a Hyt rather than burdening it: a concept that is very well received by guests. And one in which he has invested heavily: “For our Hyt we used wood from the local area as well as high quality materials and eight or nine craftsmen,” he explains.

But it was worth all the effort: Thomas Gstettenbauer won the 2018 “German Design Award” for his Hyt. And since demand continues to grow, it will soon be followed by two more.

Wild-Berghof: natural quality on the table

Guests in the Hyt at the gateway to the Bavarian Forest prefer to cook for themselves. There’s a certain primal air of romance about sitting round a campfire as a couple, a family or a small group of up to 5 people and tucking into fried mushrooms and locally baked bread.

"For our Hyt we used wood from the region"

However, they can also choose to eat in the Gasthof. On the menu they will find exquisite game dishes made from home-reared animals, enhanced with regional wild herbs such as lovage, pimpernel and stinging nettles.

Thomas Gstettenbauer is only too happy to share the secrets of how he prepares his tasty dishes: Sharpen the knife, kill the animal, make a venison stew or a Rohpolnische speciality sausage. It is very important to him that those who get involved have a respect for nature and above all for the animal.

Finest specialities from the region

Home to red deer, fallow deer and mouflon sheep, source of aromatic wild herbs and berries – the forest is essential for the region around Bernried. It is habitat, recreational area and supplier of numerous ingredients for regional products such as honey, jam or venison salami, which Thomas Gstettenbauer sells in his farm shop in an ancient barn at the Wild-Berghof.

A piece of Bernried hospitality for the stomach before his guests travel along the romantic walking trails through the wildlife park and back to the Hyt – out in Bavaria’s pure nature.

More about the Wild-Berghof and the Hyt (only in German)