The world is loud enough at the moment and the "Quietcation" trend is on everyone's lips. Falstaff TRAVEL presents the places where travelers can shift down a gear and listen to the silence.
Our everyday lives and the world around us seem to be getting louder, faster and more demanding. The Quietcation vacation trend is a response to this and represents the growing need for peace and quiet; simply doing nothing, without a program, noise and constant digital communication. Falstaff TRAVEL presents places that promise tranquillity and retreat.
Vast and tranquil nature in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan offers vast landscapes and intense nature experiences, especially in remote mountain regions. Those looking for peace and quiet will find it at Son Kul Lake, where only local shepherds and their yurt camps share the expanse in the off-season, or on the riding and trekking routes around the high-altitude lake. In the Altyn-Arashan Valley, hot springs and panoramic mountains invite you to enjoy quiet high-mountain hikes away from any infrastructure, while the Trans-Alay region with its lonely passes and old caravan routes offers ideal conditions for sustainable trekking experiences and encounters with nomadic communities.
First Quiet Trail in Taiwan
Thick layers of moss, hanging lichen and regular fog act as natural sound insulation and even dampen construction noise. The alpine Cuifeng Lake in the Taipingshan region is considered the quietest place in Taiwan. The "Cuifeng Lake Circular Trail", which is around five kilometers long, has therefore been designated a "Quiet Trail". The aim here is not to quickly circle the mountain lake and take a few photos, but to walk slowly through the cypress forest and consciously absorb the silence.
Calm in the North Atlantic on the Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are a quiet counterpoint to overcrowded nature destinations. Rugged cliffs, mist-shrouded mountains and lonely paths characterize the landscape, while the municipalities consciously guide visitors - for example by temporarily closing popular paths to ensure landscape protection and maintenance. Those who hike away from the well-known places such as Saksun or Gásadalur will find particularly quiet stretches of nature on Sandoy or Suðuroy, can observe colonies of puffins and flocks of sheep at dusk and experience a feeling of solitude that remains palpable even in the high season.
Desert magic at night in Morocco
On the edge of the Sahara lies the "Dar Ahlam", the "House of Dreams". After a day on camelback through the dunes of southern Morocco, guests spend the night under the star-filled sky - in a private tent far away from any source of light. The house offers a one-week expedition along the oases - an adventure between silence, stars and sand. Back at the Kasbah, fragrant almond blossoms, manicured gardens and candlelit dinners await.
When the moon touches the Dolomites
In the Dolomites, there is an almost meditative calm after sunset. The "Forestis" high above Brixen offers the ideal place to consciously experience this silence. The architecture made of wood, glass and stone opens up the view of the mountains and the starry nights over South Tyrol. Guests can enjoy the panorama from their own suite or on the terrace of the bar. In the spa, treatments inspired by the surrounding forests bring the beneficial effects of nature inside.
Silence in the ice on Spitsbergen
The Norwegian archipelago is the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world - just 1,000 kilometers separate Spitsbergen from the North Pole. While there is a hint of city life in the main town of Longyearbyen, the rest of the archipelago consists of untouched rocks and ice through which polar bears roam. Just a few hundred meters outside Longyearbyen, there is almost absolute silence. Those traveling in autumn or spring, when the days are short, also have a particularly good chance of seeing the Northern Lights dancing in the sky.
Solitude on Iceland's Westfjords
The Westfjords in the northwest of Iceland are far off the beaten track - even many Icelanders consider the rugged peninsula to be remote. Only around 7,000 people live in an area of 8,842 square kilometers. Man-made noise is therefore a rarity here. Instead, the wind blows across the tundra, the waves rumble in the deeply cut fjords, and if there is a hiss, the sound comes from the gases of a hot spring.
Away from civilization on the Zabalo River in Ecuador
The Zabalo River in the Amazon region of Ecuador was awarded the title of the world's first "Wilderness Quiet Park" by the organization "Quiet Parks International". The NGO is committed to preserving places without noise pollution for the benefit of people and animals. Silence here does not mean the complete absence of noise, but rather the absence of artificial noise. Along the Zabalo River, far away from civilization, the sounds of nature calm the mind: birdsong, the rustling of leaves and the buzzing of insects create a unique, calming atmosphere.
