The European Alps are one of the most photographed mountain ranges on earth, but only a small group of people actually live there, shoot there and know which valley is worth the detour in late October. This TOP 50 gathers creators whose work is genuinely centred on the Alps — Swiss landscape photographers, Chamonix steep skiers, Dolomites locals, Tyrolean chalet hunters and hut-to-hut hiking writers — rather than generalist travel accounts that pass through once a year. Some are professional photographers and mountain guides, others are bloggers who have spent a decade mapping trails in one single massif. All of them are useful if you are planning a trip to Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria, Slovenia or the Bavarian Alps.
Mountain photographers of the Alps
1. Thomas Crauwels — Belgian-born, Switzerland-based, he has spent years photographing the Matterhorn, the Obergabelhorn, the Eiger, Mont Blanc and the Jungfrau in black and white, often from a helicopter or after climbing the peak himself. His large-format prints and his book work make him closer to a fine-art alpine portraitist than a travel creator. @thomas_crauwels on Instagram, and his print gallery is at thomascrauwels.ch.
2. Fabio Zingg — Based in the Winterthur area of eastern Switzerland, he is one of the best-known members of The Alpinists collective and shoots wide, minimalist mountainscapes where the human figure is deliberately tiny. He mixes Swiss ridge lines with trips to Norway, Italy and Canada. @_fabiozingg on Instagram.
3. Silvan Schlegel — A Zurich-based photographer and Alpinists member whose feed is a working catalogue of eastern Switzerland: the St. Galler Rheintal, the Alvierkette, Saxer Lücke, Palfries, Flumserberg and the Heidiland ridges. Useful if you want hikes that are not Lauterbrunnen. @silvan.schlegel on Instagram.
4. Joni Hedinger — Photographer and filmmaker from Rapperswil who shoots alpine landscapes and outdoor expeditions, and who has shown prints in exhibitions in Zurich and Lachen alongside his brand work. @jonihedinger on Instagram, portfolio at jonihedinger.ch.
5. Marco Bäni — Raised in Graubünden and based near Landquart, he is the Alpinists member most associated with long exposures and moody weather in the Grisons mountains, and is training as an outdoor guide to spend more time on the routes he photographs. @banimarco on Instagram, portfolio at marcobaeni.ch.
6. Jannis Richli — Swiss photographer with a deliberately grainy, film-leaning treatment of alpine light; he shoots with The Alpinists crew and pairs his images with trail write-ups on his own site. @jannisrichli on Instagram.
7. The Alpinists — A collective of eleven Swiss photographers (including Marco Bäni, Roman Flepp, Joni Hedinger, Valentin Manhart, Jannis Richli, Silvan Schlegel and Fabio Zingg) who publish the Lost in the Alps hiking books, run photo workshops and shoot campaigns together. The best single entry point into the Swiss outdoor photography scene. @thealpinists on Instagram, project site at thealpinistsproject.ch.
8. Twin the World — Cousins Roman and Valentin, photographers linked to the Alpinists scene, who built their audience on Swiss classics such as Lauterbrunnen, Walensee and the St. Gallen region before turning their know-how into a social media agency. @twintheworld on Instagram.
9. Roman Königshofer — Austrian outdoor photographer and filmmaker, originally from the snowboarding world, who shoots documentary-style alpine work for tourism boards and brands and is one of the most recognisable visual voices of the Austrian Alps. @romankoenigshofer on Instagram.
10. Jérémy Bernard — French action and adventure photographer who has shot the Freeride World Tour and big Chamonix lines, and who also runs his own French-language editorial platform rather than only working for magazines. @jeremy_bernard_photography on Instagram.
Ski, freeride and high-mountain creators
11. Vivian Bruchez — Chamonix-born mountain guide and steep skier, the first person to climb and ski all 82 of the Alps' 4,000-metre summits. His posts document ski descents on the Mont Blanc massif that most people only ever see in films. @vivianbruchez on Instagram.
12. Sam Favret — Professional skier and mountain guide from Chamonix, known for freeride and urban-meets-alpine ski films shot in the Mont Blanc valley. Good for seeing how Chamonix skis outside the marketing brochures. @samfavret on Instagram.
13. Arianna Tricomi — Three-time Freeride World Tour overall champion, based in Corvara in Alta Badia and raised in the Dolomites, with a surf-influenced style that makes exposed Dolomite faces look playful. @ari_tricomi on Instagram, and her site is arianna-tricomi.com.
14. Andri Ragettli — Swiss freeskier from Flims, multiple slopestyle and big air World Cup winner, and the first to land a quad cork 1800. His feed and YouTube channel mix competition runs with the parkour-style off-season training clips that made him famous. @andriragettli on Instagram, and andriragettli.com.
15. Ben Tibbetts — IFMGA mountain guide, photographer, filmmaker and writer based in Chamonix, author of the Alpenglow project in which he climbed and photographed the 82 highest peaks of the Alps. Rare combination of technical alpinism and publishable imagery. Website: bentibbetts.com.
16. Jacek Wejster — Adventure and outdoor photographer based in Zermatt, and a skier, climber and alpinist himself. He shoots the Matterhorn in every season, plus hotel, chalet and family commissions in the Zermatt valley. @yacmen on Instagram.
17. Hannah Bryans — Ski instructor based in Zermatt with Swiss Brevet Fédéral and BASI Level 4 ISTD qualifications, and a BASI trainer. She posts technique content, instructor training courses and the winter and summer sides of life under the Matterhorn. @hannahbbryans on Instagram.
18. Bergschaft — A Swiss association of mountain guides (including Jonas Schwarz, Florian Bosshard, Anne-Aylin Sigg, Marc Lüthi and Simon König) who post from the climbing courses and ski tours they actually run, with captions in English and Swiss German. @bergschaft on Instagram.
19. Hermann Berie — Swiss UIAGM mountain and ski guide running an alpine school out of Schaffhausen; his account is a steady stream of glacier travel, snowfield navigation and ski touring in the Swiss Alps between international expeditions. @mountainguide_berie on Instagram.
20. Olly Bowman — Professional sports and lifestyle photographer based in Chamonix in winter, shooting skiing, mountaineering, cycling and chalet interiors across the Mont Blanc valley. Website: ollybowman.com.
Swiss Alps specialists
21. Markus Manfredi (Swissaround) — Freelance photographer and founder of Swissaround Travels who has built one of the largest Switzerland-focused audiences by covering lesser-known spots such as Lungern, the Aare Gorge, Blausee, Caumasee, Lötschental, Rosenlaui, Palpuognasee and Seealpsee alongside the obvious ones. @swissaround on Instagram.
22. Franziska André (Swiss Mountain View) — Based in Beatenberg above Lake Thun, she runs a holiday apartment and photographs the Bernese Oberland around it: Brienzersee, the Schilthorn paths, the Lauterbrunnen valley in spring and ski days facing the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. @swissmountainview on Instagram.
23. Nathalie Sarah — Swiss storyteller living in Thun who covers the Bernese Oberland and Valais in a first-person, story-led way — the Birg Thrill Walk at the Schilthorn, Allmendhubel, mountain restaurants above Zermatt. @nathaliesarah_ on Instagram.
24. Swissaway — A large Switzerland travel account built almost entirely on alpine subject matter: valleys, lakes, mountain villages and wildlife, with a strong emphasis on short video of places that are reachable by public transport. @swissaway on Instagram.
25. Larisa Topalo (Just Moved to Switzerland) — Zurich-based lifestyle and travel page and online magazine started in 2017, awarded Best Travel Blog at the Swiss Influencer Awards in 2021. Strong on where to eat and stay, with the Alps appearing as the backdrop to a resident's weekends rather than a bucket list. @justmovedtoswitzerland on Instagram.
26. SwissPhotoSpots — A photography-guide project rather than a personality account: maps and guidebooks pointing to specific shooting locations across Switzerland and the Swiss Alps, with the framing and best light noted. @swissphotospots on Instagram.
27. Dimitri Burkhard (Newly Swissed) — Founder and editor of the English-language online magazine about Switzerland, launched in 2010 and one of the first of its kind. It covers Swiss design, culture, oddities and tourism, and is a reliable source for mountain traditions such as the autumn cattle descents. Website: newlyswissed.com.
Austria, Bavaria and the eastern Alps
28. Marion Payr — Austrian travel photographer and blogger who went full-time in 2016 and writes long-form destination and hotel pieces with a strong photographic eye, including Austrian alpine regions. @marionpayr on Instagram, blog at thetravelblog.at.
29. Marika (Marmelis Mountain Hideaways) — Based in Tyrol, she rebuilt her account around a single niche: mountain hideaways. Expect chalets, small alpine hotels and design-led retreats in Austria and the neighbouring Alps, seen with a family in tow. @marmelis_mountainhideaways on Instagram.
30. Lea (Escape Town) — Austrian writer and photographer whose alpine content leans towards bivouacs in Carinthia, wild herbs in the Tyrolean mountains and slow, low-key nights out in the hills rather than resort content. @esctown on Instagram.
31. Mela (All About Mela) — Travel writer and blogger from Tyrol who also works in tourism communications, which gives her an unusual double perspective on how Austrian alpine destinations present themselves. @allaboutmela on Instagram.
32. Kathi & Romeo (Sommertage) — One of the most established Austrian travel blogging couples, focused on independent travel and with solid practical coverage of Austria itself, including its alpine valleys and lakes. @sommertageblog on Instagram.
33. Anna (Tyrol Travel) — Tyrol-based creator who organises trips with local guides in the Austrian Alps, Bavaria and the Italian Dolomites, covering hiking, biking, rafting, paragliding and skiing. Practical, activity-first content. @tyroltravel on Instagram.
34. Laurel Robbins (Monkeys and Mountains) — Canadian based in Munich who hikes in the Bavarian Alps most weekends and turned her adventure travel blog into a hiking tour business. Her go-to is the Höllentalklamm gorge above Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Website: monkeysandmountains.com.
35. Mountain Hideaways — A curation project dedicated to the most beautiful retreats in the Alps: handpicked hotels, chalets and apartments across the Austrian, Italian and Swiss Alps, published as illustrated hotel stories. @mountainhideaways on Instagram, and mountain-hideaways.com.
Dolomites, South Tyrol and the Julian Alps
36. Miguel Fabbris — Photographer working in and around the Dolomites, shooting the limestone towers and the high pastures both as landscape and as backdrop for couples sessions on the passes. @finallymigg on Instagram.
37. Nataly — A Dolomites local who photographs elopements and couple shoots on Dolomite ridges and lakes, and who is worth following simply for her knowledge of where the light lands and when the crowds thin out. @natylizzy on Instagram.
38. Mariah Arianna — Elopement and adventure wedding photographer specialising in the Dolomites, with detailed location guides to the valleys and viewpoints she shoots. @mariahariannaphoto on Instagram, website mariaharianna.com.
39. Dolomite Mountains — A Dolomites-based outfit posting hiking, via ferrata, biking and ski content across the Dolomites, South Tyrol and Lake Garda, with a strong focus on rifugio-to-rifugio itineraries. @dolomitemountains on Instagram.
40. Kate & Vin Bossany (Throne & Vine) — An American couple who have spent more than a decade hiking and mapping South Tyrol and the Dolomites, and who now publish some of the most detailed English-language guides to Val di Funes, the castles, the wineries and the food of the region. Website: throneandvine.com.
41. Aleš Krivec — Slovenian landscape photographer based in Jesenice, at the foot of the Julian Alps, whose work covers Triglav National Park, the Soča valley and the alpine lakes, and who has been recognised in international photography awards. @dreamypixels on Instagram, website dreamypixel.com.
42. Luka Esenko — Ljubljana-based landscape and travel photographer who has been guiding small-group photo tours in Slovenia and the surrounding Alps since 2009, and who co-created a destination guide app for photographers. Website: lukaesenko.com, workshops as @esenkoworkshops on Instagram.
43. Julian Alps — A dedicated account collecting images of Slovenia's Julian Alps — Triglav, the Vršič pass, Bohinj, the Soča — and a good shortcut to the Slovenian mountain photography community. @julian.alps on Instagram.
44. Exploring Slovenia — Run by a Slovenian mountain guide and tour operator, this blog goes deep on the Julian Alps: the Triglav Lakes traverse, the ridges above Lake Bled and the practicalities of Slovenian mountain huts. Website: exploringslovenia.com.
Hiking blogs and hut-to-hut storytellers
45. Sabrina Brett & Kati Walzl (Moon & Honey Travel) — Vienna-based couple who write every guide themselves and specialise in hut-to-hut hiking in the Alps: Appenzell, Vorarlberg, the Dolomites, the Julian Alps and Bavaria, including the Alta Via 1, the Rätikon High Trail and the Alpstein High Trail. @moonhoneytravelers on Instagram, blog at moonhoneytravel.com.
46. Earth Trekkers — A family travel site whose Dolomites section is one of the most-read English guides to the range, built on multi-week trips and covering Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the Puez-Odle plateau and where to base yourself between valleys. Website: earthtrekkers.com.
47. The Common Wanderer — A travel duo publishing carefully structured Dolomites and South Tyrol itineraries, including a road trip format that combines the big hikes with lakes such as Carezza and practical logistics. Website: thecommonwanderer.com.
48. Laidback Hikers — An expat couple in Switzerland who deliberately mix famous Swiss trails with obscure ones, writing up the routes they find themselves rather than the ones already on every list. Website: laidbackhikers.com.
49. My Hammock Time — A Switzerland-focused adventure blog built around viewpoints, alpine lakes and day hikes, with an emphasis on hidden corners of the country rather than the headline resorts. Website: myhammocktime.com.
50. Tanya (Swiss Family Fun) — Based in Zürich, she has been cataloguing family-friendly Swiss hikes, mountain playgrounds and city outings since 2005, with the access details and bail-out options that matter when you are hiking with children. @swissfamilyfun on Instagram, blog at swissfamilyfun.com.
How this TOP 50 is built
We selected creators whose published work is genuinely centred on the European Alps — Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria, Slovenia and the Bavarian Alps — and who were publishing recently at the time of writing, with a preference for people who live in the range or return to it season after season. The list is reviewed and updated as accounts move, rebrand or go quiet, and the order is editorial: it groups creators by what they cover, not by audience size, and it is not a quality ranking. If you think someone is missing, or if a handle here has changed, tell us via our about page.
Featured in this TOP 50? You are welcome to mention it with a link back to this page.
Frequently asked questions
Who should I follow if I only care about the Swiss Alps?
Start with The Alpinists collective and its individual members for photography, Swissaround and Swiss Mountain View for destination ideas, and Swiss Family Fun or Laidback Hikers if you want trail-level detail you can actually walk. Between them you get the visual side and the practical side of the same mountains.
Are these creators available for hotel and tourism collaborations?
Many of them work professionally with hotels, tourism boards and outdoor brands — several are full-time photographers, mountain guides or publishers with media kits. Approach them directly through the contact details on their own website or profile, and expect the ones with the most specific alpine niche to be the most selective.
How do I find the creator behind a photo I saw of an Alpine location?
Search the place name in the local spelling rather than the English one, since most alpine creators geotag in German, French, Italian or Slovene. Accounts like SwissPhotoSpots and Julian Alps also work as directories: they repost and credit local photographers, which is often the fastest way back to the original author.
Planning an alpine trip yourself? Start with our free Alpine City Guides, or read where to stay in Zermatt.