Liechtenstein: Eagle Walk & Falconry Team Focus Ritual

Eagle Walk & Falconry Team Focus Ritual, Liechtenstein

Context

Liechtenstein is small in size but big on alpine identity. Alongside its banks, factories and Rhine Valley towns, Malbun’s alpine resort context foregrounds mountain life, with lift pylons, wild ridgelines and wildlife shaping local rhythms. It’s also where teams find bonding experiences that feel distinctly “of the place” rather than imported from generic off-site menus. The national tourism board curates corporate and club offers, and among city tours and lectures sits something strikingly local: falconry with live birds of prey, offered specifically to groups. * *

Falconry is a time‑honored practice across the Old World, recognized by UNESCO as a “living human heritage” for its intergenerational skills and the human–nature bond it fosters, and in the Alpine region it has evolved in recent decades from predominantly hunting uses toward educational demonstrations and conservation partnerships. In Liechtenstein that landscape is Malbun, where teams can book private raptor shows or go out on a guided “eagle adventure walk” in season. The tourism board promotes guided golden‑eagle hikes in Malbun, which positions the setting as a distinctive team ritual backdrop without claiming exclusivity. * *

Meet the Company/Cultural Tradition

The Galina Falconry Centre (Falknerei Galina) anchors this practice in Malbun, and this chapter follows German orthography for names (e.g., Vögeli, Triesenberg, Sareis, Falknerei). Led by falconer Norman Vögeli, the centre runs public flight shows June to October and, crucially for organizations, private bookings for groups. Guests observe owls, hawks, falcons and golden eagles under professional supervision on a sheltered terrace with alpine views. * *

For teams wanting more than a seated show, Galina offers two hands‑on formats. First, the Eagle Adventure Walk: participants ride the Sareis chairlift with the falconer and an eagle, then descend a gentle trail as the bird free‑flies, circles and returns—an immersive 90–120 minutes available daily in season (with group rates and private times on request). Second, the “Harris Hawk experience,” where you literally become the caller, summoning the hawk to your gloved fist under the falconer’s instruction. Both are marketed to groups and firms via Liechtenstein’s official channels as ticketed experiences run by local practitioners, making them easy to integrate into off‑sites or quarterly team days. * * *

Falconry’s draw is not just spectacle, and local viewpoints vary across demonstration shows, hunting traditions, tourism economics and animal‑welfare considerations. UNESCO notes that today the practice is as much about camaraderie, mentorship and safeguarding habitats as it is about hunting, the kind of values translation that lends itself naturally to leadership development and team cohesion when adapted with professional guidance. *

The Ritual

Minute	Scene	Purpose
0–10	Arrive at Galina; glove fitting and quick brief from the falconer	Establish shared safety norms; mark psychological transition into the ritual
10–25	Chairlift to Sareis with falconer and bird	Quiet ascent; anticipatory awe and collective focus
25–40	First free flight: observe the eagle/hawk’s take‑off, circling and recall	Shared “wow” moment; synchronize attention on one unpredictable, living cue
40–55	Role rotation: participants take turns calling a Harris hawk to the glove (or holding position for eagle recall)	Practice calm, precise non‑verbal coordination; build trust through micro‑risk
55–75	Walk‑and‑watch segment down the valley; short pauses for questions	Light interpretation without turning into a meeting; keep bodies moving together
75–85	Final flight and group photo with the bird (handled by guide)	Capture a talismanic memory; reinforce “we did this together” story
85–90	Thank‑you circle; return equipment	Close the container; signal respect for craft and animal welfare

Notes: As of October 2025, the Eagle Adventure Walk runs roughly 90–120 minutes with one or more daily sessions in season; private times and group rates are available on request and should be re‑confirmed each year. The Harris Hawk format is offered daily in season and is specifically designed so guests can call the hawk to the glove, while golden‑eagle flights are observational and managed solely by the falconer. Always follow the falconer’s instructions; eagle handling and recall are performed only by the falconer, flights use trained, captive‑bred birds in controlled free flight, and private shows are bookable by reservation. * * *

Why It Works

This ritual blends two powerful, evidence‑based ingredients for team cohesion: awe and nature. Research led by UC Irvine and UC Berkeley reports that, in multiple lab and short‑term field studies, awe is associated with small‑to‑moderate increases in prosocial behavior via a “small self” mechanism and greater group orientation. Watching a raptor carve thermals above an alpine bowl is a ready‑made awe trigger. When a whole team shares that moment, cooperative behavior may increase in the short term through emotion‑based mechanisms rather than directive pressure. * *

The mountain setting also matters. Systematic reviews of Attention Restoration Theory suggest that time spent in natural environments is often associated with short‑term attention replenishment and support for executive functions. A lightly guided hike, with attention on a living, unpredictable focal point, gives knowledge workers a mental reset that typical meeting rooms cannot match. Teams may return to work with slightly fresher attention and a calmer baseline for collaboration, though effects are expected to be modest. *

Finally, the activity demands smooth non‑verbal coordination around a live animal. Standing steady with a gloved arm, learning to face the wind, waiting for the falconer’s cue: these micro‑skills cultivate respect, presence, and a shared safety mindset. In organizational terms, the guided setting combines shared awe, role rotation, non‑verbal coordination and a clear safety brief to cue mechanisms such as social identity, reciprocity norms, and perceived competence, which can translate into proximal outcomes like calmer arousal, attention restoration and trust cues and, downstream, smoother handoffs. The tradition’s UNESCO‑recognized ethos of mentorship and stewardship reinforces that this is not entertainment; it’s a craft experienced together. *

Outcomes & Impact

For Liechtenstein‑based and visiting teams, the Falconry‑in‑Malbun ritual aims to support cross‑team collaboration, onboarding clarity and retention by creating a place‑anchored shared story. People remember who steadied the glove, who spotted the eagle first, who kept the group calm when the bird overshot. Because Galina runs daily sessions in season and offers private bookings for groups, organizations can schedule a time‑boxed 60–90 minute version, cap attendance per guide, and budget an all‑in per‑participant cost that includes loaded time, travel and vendor fees. The tourism board’s own listing highlights specific group formats, schedules and pricing tiers: clear signals that this is designed for repeatable team use, not a one‑off stunt. * * *

On the human side, studies on awe and nature exposure suggest potential benefits—such as increased prosocial behavior, reduced stress, and modest short‑term gains in attention and cognitive flexibility—that may support, but do not guarantee, better collaboration back at the office. In other words, the logistics are not the point; the learning and momentary shift in perspective are. Before scaling, pilot with two to four teams over six to eight weeks, pick one business‑relevant metric (e.g., cross‑org Slack replies per week or PR throughput), set a baseline, and predefine success thresholds (e.g., ≥70% voluntary participation, +0.3 on a 5‑point belonging short scale, +20% cross‑team replies) and stop rules (e.g., <40% opt‑in or any safety incident). * * *

Lessons for Global Team Leaders

Principle	Why It Matters	How to Translate
Awe is a social glue	Shared wonder reliably boosts generosity and cooperation	Choose an activity that elicits awe in your locale (e.g., raptor walk, bioluminescence kayak, dark‑sky stargaze) *
Nature restores attention	Teams think better after green‑time, not just screen‑time	Prefer outdoor micro‑adventures over hotel ballrooms; keep it device‑light *
Craft over spectacle	A guided tradition carries values and etiquette	Work with accredited local practitioners; brief the “why” as much as the “what” *
Rotate roles	Inclusion sticks when everyone “has the glove”	Design safe turn‑taking moments so each person contributes meaningfully
Frequent beats annual	Rituals work through repetition	Use seasonal availability to set a predictable cadence (e.g., every September) *

Implementation Playbook

Check season and book early. As of October 2025, the Eagle Adventure Walk typically runs mid‑June to October with set daily sessions; private times and group rates are available on request, and current schedules and prices should be confirmed directly. Confirm current slots and pricing, verify vendor insurance and waivers, complete an EHS risk review (weather, terrain, first‑aid, guide:participant ratio), ensure working‑time/pay compliance, and name an accountable owner, facilitator, comms lead and data owner. *
Match format to goals. Choose the Eagle Walk for shared awe and movement or the Harris Hawk experience if you want each person to call the bird to the glove, target first teams such as product pods visiting CH/LI offices while avoiding customer‑critical windows and night shifts, cap groups at roughly 8–15 participants per guide, and define an MVP variant (e.g., a 60–75 minute terrace demonstration with optional no‑contact participation) to manage cost and capacity. *
Prime for presence. Ask participants to dress for the mountain, stow laptops/phones, and follow clear etiquette and safety rules (closed‑toe footwear, no feeding or touching, no flash/selfies near raptors, no drones or pets, respect age/health limits, glove sanitation between turns, and heed weather/altitude guidance).
Build a simple rotation. Pre‑assign a safe order for who handles the glove (hawk format) only for volunteers, and offer a socially safe opt‑out with equivalent roles (e.g., observer/spotter or terrace show) so participation is truly voluntary. *
Close with a micro‑reflection. Back at the base, invite one “what I’ll remember” sentence per person and an anonymous 3‑item pulse (brief belonging/psychological safety/affect), with minimal data collected and deletion after 60 days.
Anchor the memory. Share the group photo and a two‑paragraph recap only with opt‑in consent, include a one‑page comms note (rationale, voluntary language, norms, and cultural credit) reviewed by Legal/HR, caption images with date/place/partner and “trained bird under professional supervision,” and delete photos and feedback after a defined retention window (e.g., 30 days for photos).
Repeat seasonally. Because the offer recurs each summer/fall and private shows are bookable, schedule it within core hours with an accessible terrace or walk‑only option and provide a remote‑equivalent session (e.g., live raptor Q&A/stream plus a nature micro‑break protocol). * *

Common Pitfalls

Treating it as a thrill ride. Without framing, teams miss the craft, stewardship and teamwork lessons that make the experience transferable.
Over‑talking. If the hike becomes a walking meeting, you lose the attentional reset and shared awe that do the real bonding work.
Skipping professional guidance. DIY wildlife interactions are unsafe; book accredited practitioners and follow their instructions. *

Reflection & Call to Action

Rituals bind best when they are unmistakably local and gently demanding. In Malbun, guided golden‑eagle demonstrations and Harris hawk calls offer a structured, place‑anchored experience that can create a shared reference point for the team. If your next off‑site is in Liechtenstein, trade an indoor exercise for an hour on the Sareis ridge with a falconer. If you are elsewhere, ask: what living tradition, guided by accredited craftspeople, could give my team a similar blend of awe, focus and respect, and make sure to credit origins and share benefits locally? Then schedule it with accredited partners, avoid any DIY wildlife handling or unlicensed operators, comply with local wildlife laws, and protect it so it becomes part of who you are together.