Transhelvetica – Die Kunst des Reisens

What Transhelvetica – Die Kunst des Reisens does

Transhelvetica – Die Kunst des Reisens is a Swiss travel-magazine and publishing company founded in 2009, operating with a stated headcount of six employees as an independent private entity. The flagship product is a thematically titled quarterly magazine (currently issue #96 'Fifties'), distributed via a single direct-to-consumer Shopify storefront (transhelvetica.ch) and delivered through Swiss Post and international shipping. The business has progressively expanded into adjacent product categories, with a current catalog of approximately 283 SKUs across 95+ magazine issues, 72 travel guides (Eskapade/Reiseführer series), 74 posters, 18 books, and 23 souvenirs.

Revenue is generated through two parallel engines. The first is consumer direct sales: individual magazines at CHF 10–13.50, an Eskapade guide catalog at CHF 5–9, posters at CHF 20–28, books up to CHF 75, and souvenirs at CHF 15. The second is a recurring subscription program structured into multiple tiers — 1-year (CHF 69 Switzerland / CHF 99 international), 2-year (CHF 118 / CHF 178), a CHF 1,234.56 'Lebenslänglich' lifetime tier, and a CHF 500/year Freundeskreis (Friends Circle) premium tier bundling a subscription with physical benefits (blanket, wine, or hotel package). Notably, multi-year subscriptions do not auto-renew.

The company serves three identifiable customer segments: (1) travel-enthusiastic Swiss individual consumers — explicitly described as 'reiselustige, Ästhetiker und Neugierige' (travel-loving, aesthetic-minded, and curious); (2) art and design enthusiasts purchasing posters and books; and (3) Swiss regional destination marketing organizations (DMOs), including Engadin, Switzerland Tourism, and Zurich Tourism, which commission recurring regional titles such as the Engadin Magazine (bilingual, twice yearly), Schweiz. Magazin (seasonal summer/winter), and The Visitor (English-language Zurich visitor magazine). These DMOs represent a B2B co-publishing revenue stream, complemented by Eskapade regional guides co-produced with Valposchiavo Turismo, graubünden VIVA, Conseil du Jura Bernois, tpunkt, and Bündner Pärken.

Name

Transhelvetica – Die Kunst des Reisens

Legal name

Transhelvetica

Website

https://transhelvetica.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Swiss travel-magazine publisher founded in 2009 with 6 employees, selling the quarterly Transhelvetica magazine, Eskapade regional guides, posters, and souvenirs direct-to-consumer via its Shopify web store, while co-publishing regional editions for Swiss tourism boards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Travel & Outdoors Magazines (MPAJAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure Books Publishing (MPAJAAAH), Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN), Hardcover & Premium Editions Publishing (MPAJAAAE)

Keywords

• Travel magazine publishing
• Swiss travel guides
• Print media subscriptions
• Regional tourism content
• Travel lifestyle products

Headquarters

HQ city

Switzerland

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Magazine Sales: Sale of the core Transhelvetica magazine (CHF 10–13.50 per issue). Individual magazine issues sold as single copy purchases. Currently on issue #96. Also includes 'Transhelvetica Rarität' (rarity/second-hand issues) at CHF 8.88.
2. Subscriptions (Abo): Recurring subscription revenue from 1-year (CHF 69 Switzerland / CHF 99 international), 2-year (CHF 118 Switzerland / CHF 178 international), and lifetime 'Lebenslänglich' (CHF 1,234.56 Switzerland) subscriptions. Includes 12 issues over 2 years with 20% savings vs single copy. Freundeskreis (Friends Circle) premium tier at CHF 500 with added benefits (blanket, wine subscription, or hotel).
3. Travel Guidebooks (Eskapade / Reiseführer): Sale of regional travel guidebooks (Eskapade series and other travel guides) priced at CHF 5–9 per edition, covering Swiss regions including Valposchiavo, Berner Jura, Bündner Pärke, Graubünden, Solothurn, Liechtenstein, and specialty guides.
4. Poster Sales: Sale of art prints and posters (A2 and B2 format) featuring Swiss landscapes, city scenes, and commissioned artworks by Swiss illustrators, priced at CHF 20–28.
5. Books and Specialty Publications: Sale of authored books (e.g., 'Flachs, sugo, tandem – Geschichten aus dem Schrebergarten' at CHF 36, 'Hotelgeschichten – Eine Zeitreise zu den Swiss Historic Hotels' at CHF 75), and themed collections. Also co-published regional magazines for tourism boards (Engadin, Switzerland Tourism, Zurich Tourism).
6. Souvenirs: Sale of branded merchandise including playing cards (Jasskarten Transhelvetica, CHF 15), coaster sets (Bierdeckel-Set à 15 Stück, CHF 15), and other branded items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Transhelvetica is a Swiss travel-magazine and publishing house that produces the bi-monthly Transhelvetica magazine (currently on issue #96) covering Swiss travel, culture, culinary experiences, and outdoor adventures. It sells magazine subscriptions (1-year, 2-year, lifetime, plus a premium Freundeskreis tier), individual back issues, the Eskapade regional travel-guide series, posters and art prints, authored books, and branded souvenirs through its own Shopify e-commerce store. It also co-publishes regional magazines commissioned by Swiss destination-marketing organizations (Engadin, Zurich Tourism, Switzerland Tourism).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eskapade: Travel guide series featuring weekend excursions to various Swiss regions
• Engadin Magazin
• Schweiz Magazin
• The Visitor
• The Visitor

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EngadincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTranshelvetica produces and publishes the Engadin Magazine, a regional travel magazine commissioned by Engadin tourism. The magazine appears twice yearly in English and German, covering the upper Engadin valley with stories about sports, wellness, water sports, culture, culinary experiences, and nature.
• Switzerland TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTranshelvetica publishes Switzerland magazines (Schweiz. magazine series) commissioned by Switzerland Tourism, covering seasonal Swiss travel (summer 'Grün' and winter 'Weiss' editions), city guides, and special editions. Published in multiple languages.
• Zurich TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTranshelvetica produces 'The Visitor' magazine, the official Zurich magazine for visitors, commissioned by Zurich Tourism. English-language only, covering nature, culture, and urban aspects of Zurich.
• Valposchiavo TurismominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEskapade Valposchiavo travel guides (2020, 2021, and earlier editions) produced in cooperation with Valposchiavo Turismo, covering weekend trips, nature, families, and culinary experiences in the Valposchiavo valley.
• graubünden VIVAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESKAPADE graubünden VIVA culinary travel guides produced in cooperation with graubünden VIVA, the culinary initiative of the canton of Graubünden. Features regional producers and a 5-course menu compiled by chef Chris Züger.
• Conseil du Jura BernoisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEskapade Berner Jura 2020 travel guide produced in cooperation with the Conseil du Jura Bernois, covering weekend trips in the Bernese Jura region.
• tpunkt (Berufsverband der professionellen Tänzerinnen und Tänzer)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESKAPADE Kleintheater 2019 produced in cooperation with tpunkt, the professional association of dancers in Switzerland, covering 60 small theaters across all Swiss regions.
• Bündner Pärken (Graubünden Parks)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEskapade Bündner Pärke travel guides produced in cooperation with the Graubünden Parks association, covering the five nature parks of the canton of Graubünden: Parc Ela, Naturpark Beverin, Biosfera Val Müstair, Tektonikarena Sardona, and the Swiss National Park.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Annabelle: Premium Swiss lifestyle and culture magazine with subscription and premium branded products. Comparable as Swiss-language design-conscious magazine brand monetizing beyond advertising.
• Schweizer Familie: Long-running Swiss lifestyle/family magazine with national distribution. Regional peer operating in Swiss consumer magazine subscription market, though broader in editorial scope than Transhelvetica's travel focus.

Broad incumbents

• Wallpaper*: Design, travel, and lifestyle magazine with print + digital + branded merchandise revenue streams. Comparable in monetizing design-led editorial through subscriptions and curated retail.
• Lonely Planet Magazine: Global travel magazine brand published under licence in multiple markets. Broad incumbent peer in the travel magazine category, with comparable editorial format but vastly larger distribution.
• Condé Nast Traveler: Established global travel publication under Condé Nast. Broad incumbent peer showing the scaled-up version of a design-led travel magazine business model.

Direct peers

• DuMagazin: Independent Swiss culture and ideas magazine with strong design focus. Closest direct peer: similarly sized Swiss editorial brand selling subscriptions and cultural content via direct e-commerce to aesthetically-minded Swiss consumers.
• Cereal Magazine: Independent design and travel magazine sold via subscription and direct e-commerce with strong cover-driven pricing. Comparable niche travel/lifestyle publisher with curated visual identity.
• Falstaff Schweiz: Swiss/Austrian food, wine, and travel magazine with regional Swiss editions. Direct peer in Swiss travel-and-culinary editorial publishing, operating on subscriptions and tourism-board partnerships.
• Monocle: Globally distributed travel, culture, and design magazine with subscription model and lifestyle retail. Comparable as a curated, design-led independent magazine monetizing through subscriptions, books, and branded merchandise.

Emerging players

• Kinfolk Magazine: Independent slow-living and travel magazine sold primarily via subscription with strong book and merchandise extensions. Comparable as a small, design-driven independent magazine building premium direct-to-consumer revenue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Transhelvetica
• Instagraminstagram.com/transhelvetica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/transhelvetica-%E2%80%93-die-kunst-des-reisens

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Transhelvetica – Die Kunst des Reisens