Erlebnis Akademie

What Erlebnis Akademie does

Erlebnis Akademie AG (eak AG, listed on m:access / Munich Stock Exchange since December 2015 and Xetra since December 2020) is a German public limited company founded in 2001 and headquartered in Bad Kötzting, Bavaria. The company designs, builds, and operates nature-based leisure attractions centered on barrier-free treetop walks (Baumwipfelpfade) — elevated walkways at heights up to 23 meters, observation towers of approximately 29 meters, tube slides of roughly 75 meters, and adventure learning stations — built predominantly from renewable timber (80% wood construction). It has expanded from a single site in the Bavarian Forest (opened 2009) to 13+ treetop walks across Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, France, Ireland, and Canada, with selective additions such as children's adventure forests (Abenteuerwald) and, since June 2026, an aerial acrobatics show at Usedom.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model combining walk-up visitors, online ticket sales processed through the pretix platform (a third-party ticketing system operated by rami.io GmbH), on-site gastronomy and retail, and a corporate team-building channel (SET / set-eak.de). Adjacent operations are run through a wholly-owned non-profit subsidiary, DoNature gGmbH (founded 2015), which delivers environmental education programming across sites, and through wholly-owned EAK France SARL (2021) plus joint venture interests in Ireland (with Coillte and Fáilte Ireland) and Canada (with MRC des Laurentides). Customer segments consist primarily of individual visitors and families, supplemented by educational institutions, corporate clients, and accessibility-focused visitors — the latter enabled by the company's signature gentle-gradient (max 6%) barrier-free path design.

In FY2025 the group reported revenue of €24.8M (down 1.2% from €25.1M in 2024), EBITDA of €6.2M, and operating result (EBIT) of €0.89M, a 178.1% increase from €0.32M the prior year. Capital is sourced both from operating cash flow and from repeated post-IPO equity raises (rights issues in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, and a non-rights cash capital increase in January 2023), each explicitly earmarked for international growth. Strategic land access is secured through partnerships with national parks and state forestry entities (e.g., Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald, Naturpark Schwarzwald, Parc Naturel des Vosges du Nord, Coillte, DBU, EUROPARC), alongside consumer marketing partnerships such as the Deutscher Handballbund (German Handball Federation) youth partnership in place since 2018 and extended in April 2026.

Name

Erlebnis Akademie

Legal name

Erlebnis Akademie AG

Website

https://eak-ag.de

Company type

Public

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Erlebnis Akademie AG is a listed German operator of barrier-free treetop walks and nature-based leisure attractions, running 13+ sites across 9+ European countries and Canada. It serves primarily families and individual visitors via DTC ticketing, with ancillary team-building and environmental education revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nature-Based Leisure Attractions

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Treetop Walks & Aerial Trails (THAAACAD)

Keywords

• Treetop walks
• Nature-based leisure attractions
• Adventure forest parks
• Environmental education tourism
• Accessible outdoor recreation

Headquarters

HQ city

Kötzting

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Entry fees for treetop walk experiences sold via online ticketing system (pretix) and on-site at each location. Ticket prices vary by location and visitor category.
2. Gastronomy: On-site restaurants and food service at treetop walk locations offering dining experiences with panoramic views
3. Retail/Merchandise: Gift shops and merchandise outlets selling souvenirs, local products, and branded items at each location
4. Team Training/Corporate Events: Team building programs and corporate training events marketed through set-eak.de website, leveraging nature-based locations for team development activities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Erlebnis Akademie AG designs, builds and operates barrier-free treetop walk attractions (Baumwipfelpfade) at heights of up to 23 meters, featuring elevated walkways, observation towers up to approximately 29 meters, indoor tube slides, and interactive nature learning stations. The company operates 13+ treetop walk locations across Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, France, Ireland, and Canada, with on-site gastronomy, retail, and team-building programs.

Product overview

Erlebnis Akademie AG operates a portfolio of nature-based leisure attractions, centered on Baumwipfelpfade (Treetop Walks) - elevated walkway experiences at heights of up to 23 meters with observation towers, slides, and educational stations. The company also offers Abenteuerwald (Adventure Forest) children's playgrounds at select locations. Supplementary offerings include restaurants, merchandise shops, and team training programs through SET. The non-profit subsidiary DoNature gGmbH provides environmental education and nature-focused events. The product ecosystem spans multiple European countries and North America, with dedicated websites for individual locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Baumwipfelpfade (Treetop Walks): Barrier-free treetop walk attractions through forests featuring viewing towers, adventure stations, and slides at various European and North American locations.
• Abenteuerwald (Adventure Forest)
• Chemin des Cimes Alsace
• Beyond the Trees Avondale
• Sentier des Cimes Laurentides

Products and services

• Baumwipfelpfade (Treetop Walks) Barrier-free treetop walk attractions built at heights up to 23 meters, featuring walkways, observation towers, slides, and learning stations. Available across multiple European and North American locations for individual visitors, families, schools, and groups.
• Abenteuerwald (Adventure Forest) Forest playgrounds designed specifically for children, offering adventure play equipment at selected treetop walk locations.
• DoNature gGmbH Nature Education Programs Non-profit subsidiary that combines nature experience with environmental education through guided tours, seminars, events, and nature-focused team training.
• Teamtraining (SET) Corporate team-building programs and events combining nature experiences with team development activities at treetop walk locations.
• Usedom UP: Acrobatics Above the Treetops Aerial acrobatics show performed at the Usedom treetop walk location, offering entertainment above the treetops.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500,000+ visitors in under 4 years at Canadian location
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Deutscher Handballbund (German Handball Federation)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 April 2026Partnership extension announced April 2026. EAK has been youth partner and supporter of youth development for DHB since 2018. The partnership focuses on youth promotion and joint marketing activities.
• Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNature, environment and education partner category. DBU is the German Federal Environmental Foundation supporting sustainable environmental projects.
• Pieninský National ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNature park partnership for environmental education and conservation collaboration at Slovakian location.
• EUROPARC DeutschlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with European parks organization supporting nature conservation and protected area management.
• Österreichische Bundesforste (Austrian Federal Forests)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Austrian treetop walk location in Salzkammergut, utilizing federal forest lands.
• Nationalpark Bayerischer WaldcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Bavarian Forest National Park, the original location and home base of the company.
• Parc Naturel des Vosges du NordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Northern Vosges Nature Park in France supporting Alsace location.
• Naturpark Schwarzwald (Black Forest Nature Park)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Black Forest treetop walk location.
• CoilltecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish state forestry company partner for Beyond the Trees Avondale location in Avondale Forest Park.
• Tschechischer Staatsforst (Czech State Forest)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Czech Republic treetop walk locations (Krkonoše).
• MRC des LaurentidescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional municipality partnership for Sentier des Cimes Laurentides location in Quebec, Canada.
• Architekt StögerminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitecture partner for treetop walk construction projects.
• Holzbau DenglerminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWood construction partner specializing in timber engineering for treetop walk structures.
• Wiehag HoldingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction and timber engineering partner for treetop walk infrastructure.
• Bachledka Ski and SunminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner for Bachledka treetop walk location in Slovakia.
• better orangeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIR and communications agency (Better Orange IR & HV AG) providing investor relations and marketing support.
• Fáilte IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIrish national tourism development authority partnering on Beyond the Trees Avondale development.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Merlin Entertainments: Global attractions operator (LEGOLAND, Madame Tussauds, etc.) with multi-site, multi-region operating expertise. Comparable on international roll-up, ticketing operations, and public-market profile of a leisure operator that scales a single concept across geographies, even though EAK occupies a narrower nature-based niche.
• Puy du Fou: Major French themed historical leisure park operating immersive, high-production-value day-visit experiences. Comparable as a European leisure incumbent that drives multi-day regional tourism in France and competes for the same French visitor day-trip budget as EAK's Alsace location.
• Center Parcs: European forest-based short-stay vacation village operator with locations across Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. Comparable on forest-immersed European leisure positioning, family demographic, multi-site rollout, and on-site F&B/retail monetization — though Center Parcs' core is accommodation rather than EAK's day-visit walk-and-learn model.
• Europa-Park: Germany's largest theme park, located in Rust. Comparable as a broad European day-visit leisure incumbent competing for the same family/tourism spend pool in southern Germany and as a benchmark for German leisure operating scale and ancillary revenue capture.

Direct peers

• Baumkronenpfad Bad Harzburg (Harz TreeTop Walk): Operator of an elevated forest canopy walkway and observation tower in the Harz mountains of northern Germany. Directly comparable to EAK because it offers a similar barrier-free elevated walkway / observation tower attraction in a German national park setting, competing for the same German and Central European day-trip audience.
• Otway Fly Treetop Walk: Operator of a 600m elevated rainforest canopy walk and 45m observation tower in Victoria, Australia. Closely analogous visitor experience (elevated walkway + tower + ancillary spend), making it a useful international benchmark for unit economics and visitor throughput.
• TreeTop Walk Margaret River: Western Australian elevated forest walk managed through a nature-based tourism concession. Closest international analogue to EAK's state-forestry partnership model (Coillte, Austrian Federal Forests, etc.) and directly comparable on experience design and visitor mix.
• Illawarra Fly Treetop Walk: Australian operator of elevated forest canopy walks in New South Wales, including a 710m walk and 50m observation tower. Directly comparable business model: nature-immersive elevated walkway plus tower, with paid admission and ancillary retail/F&B.
• Stezka korunami stromů (Czech TreeTop Walk operator): Czech operator running multiple elevated forest canopy walks across the Czech Republic, including Krkonoše (Giant Mountains). Closest geographic direct competitor to EAK's Central European locations and a direct benchmark for visitor economics, ticket pricing, and barrier-free design in the region.

Emerging players

• Go Ape (UK): UK-based operator of treetop adventure courses (zip lines, rope bridges, high ropes) across multiple forest locations. Comparable on forest-based leisure ticket revenue and multi-site operating model, though focused on active adventure rather than EAK's walk-and-learn format.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ErlebnisAKADEMIE
• Facebookfacebook.com/erlebnisakademieag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/erlebnis-akademie-ag
• Instagraminstagram.com/erlebnisakademieag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Erlebnis Akademie