A small, grinning cloud with legs and hiking boots against a sky-blue background is Cozy Hiking Club‘s icon, which was founded in 2022. Behind the concept is Nini, a Berliner from Tyrol, who found their escape into nature during the confines of lockdown. Their outdoor hobby quickly spread among their friends and the Cozy Hiking Club was born. Nini’s aim is to create a space where participants feel comfortable and where respectful, open-minded interaction sets the tone. There is no pressure to perform and everyone can and should come as they feel most comfortable. The tours are around eight to fifteen kilometers long and are all accessible by public transport — the latter is very important to Nini. Our tour started in Erkner, less than an hour outside Berlin and was well-connected. At the train station, there is a short welcome round, everyone introduces themselves with pronouns and names to break the ice. The first half of the hike took us through the forest until we reached the “Wilhelmshagen Woltersdorfer Dünenzug”, an impressive, four-kilometer-long inland dune complex that dates back to the last ice age. The final part of the tour was the Erpetal. If you are interested in exploring Brandenburg with the Cozy Hiking Club, you can find the next tour dates for June 2024 here. Flinta* tours and trail runs are also on offer. All tours are free to attend, but the number of participants is limited to 25 so it pays to be quick!
Text & Photos: Laura Iriondo
Cozy Hiking Club
@cozyhikingclub
