SUSTAINABLE REGENERATION IN SAALFELDEN LEOGANG

Your holidays in the Saalfelden Leogang region do not end on your day of departure. A feeling of complete relaxation and memories of the incredible experiences made here will continue to reverberate into your day-to-day for weeks to come. A stay in the most diverse environment in the Alps will uplift you and encourage you to live healthily and free from stress even at home. The various wellness offers at the numerous wellness hotels and excellent Alpine cuisine are inspiring. Good food and quality products are very important to us. As part of the 'ECHT.GSUND.GUAD.’ campaign, Saalfelden Leogang showcases local producers. The new Pinzga’ Hatscha, a long-distance hiking route taking you through the High Alps across 15 stages, stands for physical and mental regeneration. 

 

Unique and luxurious: our region’s hotels are something to write home about 
The Saalfelden Leogang region is known for its first-class hotels. Numerous establishments focus on sustainable recreation. This includes, for instance, the use of regional natural materials such as wood and stone, which creates a relaxed atmosphere. 

•    The Krallerhof***** hotel sets high-end standards and has ventured into new dimensions in terms of recreation. With a new superlative SPA, designed by Hadi Teherani Architects, the Altenberger family of hoteliers is laying the foundations for something grand yet minimalist for its guests. Opening in the spring of 2023. 
•    At the Naturhotel Forsthofgut*****, a Family SPA, Japanese restaurant and new suites were opened in 2021. In addition, a horse riding stable was also added last autumn. New from spring/early summer 2023: redesign of the hotel lobby, renovation of 28 hotel rooms, expansion of 
3 restaurants and a new food concept and location for the 1617 restaurant.
•    Holidaymakers can also look forward to lovingly designed chalets with gorgeous mountain views at the Puradies****S hotel. From June 2023, the new Heaven Spa and many other new active and culinary offers will await our guests.
•    Meanwhile, the Bergdorf Priesteregg ****S, with its chalets and the Priesteregg Bad spa, offers ample luxury and plenty of time to relax. In November 2022, the Priesteregg opened its Villa WOSSA, a combination of an exclusive chalet, a little lakeside house and a natural pond with an integrated infinity pool. 
•    The 4****S Boutique Hotel Rivus recently opened a new restaurant, and a new spa will follow in 2023. 
•    Guest staying at Der Löwe****S can now enjoy a year-round heated outdoor pool, a new underground car park and a new dining room. 
•    A new spa area offering sustainable relaxation was created at the Biohotel Rupertus****. 
•    In addition to fantastic rooms, the Gut Brandlhof****S hotel also boasts the autohaus automotive event center, plenty of space for events and an indoor golf simulator. In 2022, the Vivid Spa was expanded; a PV system was installed in 2023. 
•    At the Salzburgerhof****S hotel, guests this season can look forward to the Sky SPA, which opened in 2021, and the new restaurant.
•    Since last year, the Riederalm Good Life Resort****S has added a new dining room and newly furnished rooms. 
•    Exceptional feel-good offers are also available at the Forsthofalm****S hotel and the Senhoog hotels. 
•    The "Alpine Holistic" lifestyle concept at the Ritzenhof lakeside hotel and spa offers guests the perfect opportunity to relax and unwind. 
•    For a holiday experience "in the mountains and yet in the city,” look no further than Die Hindenburg**** boutique and city hotel. 
•    The Bacher Asitzstub'n*** hotel boasts a heated infinity panorama pool. 
•    The mama thresl*** hotel offers rooms featuring an urban style. 

 

Award-winning restaurants, farm shops and organic vegetables around the clock
You won’t be short on impressive culinary experiences during your stay in the most diverse environment in the Alps. With a total of 14 Gault&Millau toques across six restaurants, Saalfelden Leogang has the well-deserved reputation of an award-winning culinary destination. Leogang is the only place in Austria that has two Jeunes Restaurateurs (JRE) businesses. JRE is the European association of young restaurant owners in high-end gastronomy.  
In recent years, more and more fantastic farm shops have appeared on the scene, offering a taste of genuine local treats from the Pinzgau region. Off to the stables is the motto at HPH anno 1905 – a village shop that was created at the site of a former horse stable and has already won several awards for its homemade butter. The Alpaca Stable in Saalfelden is yet another special farm shop. Here, a wide range of products from socks to baby sleeping bags is made from the company's own alpacas! Did you know that alpaca wool is one of the world’s most valuable and sought-after natural fibres? Those keen to better get to know the alpacas can book one of the trekking tours and set off with a fluffy friend on an excursion.
There are always fresh organic vegetables at the Stechaubauer organic farm. In the vegetable hut, you can choose your vegetables via touchscreen. The products can then be collected from the self-service machine. As of recently, there is also saffron from Leogang on offer! It is specially grown by the Wölfler family, which supplies the award-winning restaurants in the area. All these farm shops and many others make perfect stopovers during a culinary e-bike tour between April and October. The route is suitable for e-bike beginners as well as seasoned riders. You can do the e-bike leisure tour independently or book a guide in advance – rest stops included. 

 

ECHT.GSUND.GUAD.: enjoy the delicious contrasts of our organic produce 
In order to use regional resources as efficiently as possible, Saalfelden Leogang has worked on many new projects in recent years. Since 2007, Saalfelden Leogang has played an active role in the state “e5” programme, making it one of 33 communities in Salzburg to take a stand in favour of greater energy efficiency and sustainability. Especially when it comes to delicious cuisine, the production of organic products has become an indispensable goal. More than 70 percent of all farms in Leogang are now organic farms. As part of this programme, special organic sausage and meat products as well as other products like cheese, yoghurt, jams or fruit juices from Saalfelden Leogang are certified accordingly. The 'ECHT.GSUND.GUAD’ (authentic, healthy, good) seal of quality makes the quality of local products easily apparent at a glance. 
For an educating glimpse into the production of our local meat, visit “Die Schattberger”. The three family farms in the Saalfelden Schattberg area have opted for sustainable and climate-friendly animal husbandry. The meat can be picked up directly from their farm or ordered for home delivery. During a visit to the Alpine pastures or a tour of the barn, learn more about the production of regional products. 

 

Culinary travel in the Salzburgerland region: discover the flavours of Saalfelden Leogang
A multi-day culinary trip through the Salzburgerland (Genussreisen im SalzburgerLand) is an unforgettable experience. Created collaboratively by chefs, producers and culinary artisans, they inspire guests to discover the region’s culinary treasure troves of Alpine cuisine. You can book select offers directly at the various holiday destinations. For example, Saalfelden Leogang offers the culinary e-bike tour and the Chef’s Tour, organised by award-winning chef Andreas Herbst (three toques) of the Riederalm Good Life Resort****S. Over the course of three days, his insider tips will take you and your palate through the holiday and culinary region of Saalfelden Leogang. You’ll taste lots of delicious treats – with plenty to take home.   

 

"Simply Hiking" and pole-sharing stations for more sustainability 
Holidays. The way I want. – That’s how we do things in Saalfelden Leogang. To counteract the hectic pace of modern everyday life, people in Saalfelden Leogang “simply hiking." On the region’s numerous hiking trails, there is the possibility to actively recuperate and let the natural beauty have an effect. The new long-distance hiking trail Pinzga’ Hatscha is a unique route leading you through the Pinzgau. 
There’s a lot to discover everywhere: why not treat yourself to a fantastic panoramic view of the local mountains during a rest on one of the 360-degree benches? Or lie down for a short nap on the wrought-iron forest swings amid the tree trunks, enjoying the pleasant silence. The fact that the Saalfelden Leogang region is known for sustainability is also readily evident when it comes to hiking. Natural wooden walking poles can be borrowed at the pole-sharing stations at the starting points of the hiking trails and then returned to the designated holders provided at the end of the tour. Personal hiking poles are also available for purchase at the tourist information offices in Saalfelden Leogang. "These and other offers enable our guests to enjoy sustainable recreation combined with physical activity, thus guaranteeing more energy for everyday life," said Marco Pointner, Managing Director of Saalfelden Leogang Tourism.
  

365 Days Active & Creative: guided hikes and herb workshops
All year round, the 365 Days Active & Creative programme offers countless fun activities, such as beaver-spotting hikes, herb-spotting hikes and herb workshops in the warm months. The organisers have also launched their new climate-themed guided hike titles “Nature and Climate in Flux”. It draws attention to the changes affecting nature, encourages discussion and inspires hope. Anna Heuberger, KLAR Manager, has developed this hike together with Saalfelden Leogang Tourism. Children love the Stoissengraben Adventure. Those wishing to take part in any of the events need to register with the relevant providers by 4 pm on the day prior. For those with the Saalfelden Leogang Card, participation is often free.

 

Protect nature: resource preservation initiatives and many green events
Sustainability has been a top priority of the Leoganger Bergbahnen cable car company since 2006. To reduce CO2 emissions, there are co-heating partnerships with neighboring hotels and mountain huts, for example. The recovered heat from a cable car’s motors is recycled to warm other rooms used by the cable car company. "These measures have enabled us to reduce our energy consumption by 68 percent," said Kornel Grundner, Managing Director of the Leoganger Bergbahnen cable car company. The Steinbergbahn gondola lift now consumes around 151,000 kilowatt hours less per year. Energy efficiency was the guiding principle behind the development of the Asitzkogelbahn, completed in 2022: a direct engine and a photovoltaic plant save a total of 62,000 kw/h compared to the old system – at the same passenger load. And there’s more great news: the Leoganger Bergbahnen cable car company has covered its entire fuel needs for the coming winter 2023/24 by purchasing HVO100 regenerative fuel. This is a big step away from fossil fuels and towards a 90% reduction in CO₂ emissions.
The efforts have been recognised: Leoganger Bergbahnen was bestowed the "Umwelt Blatt Salzburg" sustainability award in 2017 and credited by the Austrian Ministry of the Environment for its commitment to climate protection in 2018. Since 2019, Leoganger Bergbahnen have also been a partner of the "Climate and Energy Strategy Salzburg 2050." Various further environmental protection measures and support for social projects in the region have always been an integral component of our overall sustainability concept.
By the way: holders of the Saalfelden Leogang Card, which our guests receive free of charge when checking into any of our partner accommodation providers, can use two free daily cable car return tickets incl. bike transport on the Leoganger Bergbahnen cable cars (Asitz and Steinbergbahn gondola lifts) and the lifts in Saalbach Hinterglemm. The Leoganger Bergbahnen cable car company will be open also every day in November – so the offer of two free cable-car ascents is valid until the start of the winter season.
Saalfelden Leogang attaches great importance to sustainable trail-building. The Knappentrail, for example, was made entirely by hand – no heavy machinery involved – from natural materials and wooden constructions (North Shore elements). For even more action-packed fun, have a go at the two-kilometre Forsthof Trail, the 1.8-kilometre Schwarzleo Trail and the 3.5-kilometre Matzalm Trail. Fans of single trails will be in for a treat in September 2023, when the new, manually built AlteSchmiede Trail opens. It will offer cyclists of all ages plenty of fun over 3.5 kilometres.
Sustainability is everything when it comes to using the lines and trails in the Saalfelden Leogang bike region. At the Epic Bikepark Leogang, our motto is "Keep the Epic Bikepark clean." As an incentive, if you buy a ticket during rainy weather, you’ll receive a replacement roll-off system and a 20 percent voucher at Sport Mitterer for 100% roll-off goggles. We also organise “Clean the Trail” days to address the topic of avoiding litter in the mountains. 
The Felsenfest climbing gym is also largely energy self-sufficient. The building features 130 square metres of solar panels on its roof and thus also supplies the neighboring stores, restaurants and offices with solar energy for heating and hot water. 
The nearby hotels have opted for an environmentally friendly and resource-saving concept. Self-produced energy is used from our own biomass heating plants, wood chip plants or composting plants. Many of these hotels have already received awards for their commitment to sustainability. Hotel guests can even rent electric cars. There are also "green events" that focus on energy efficiency, waste avoidance and environmentally friendly travel for guests. For example: the Regionalism fair on 
16 April 2023. 
Getting to Saalfelden Leogang is also easy, comfortable and above all sustainable. There are three train stations in the Saalfelden Leogang region, which are easy to reach from Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Klagenfurt. With the Saalfelden Leogang Card, you can even use public transport in the Pinzgau region free of charge. The Loigom Shuttle in Leogang augments the existing route network by providing on-demand services with two Mercedes eVitos and serves a total of 39 stops. This has created access to the public transport network where there previously was none.

 

Austrian Ecolabel: The Saalfelden Leogang pilot partner region
Under the leadership of the Verein für Konsumenteninformation (Austrian consumer protection association), the Saalfelden Leogang region and 20 other destinations have jointly developed an objective and independent seal-of-approval certification (Österreichisches Umweltzeichen für Destinationen) for sustainable tourism regions. The first destinations will be certified in 2023. Set a sign, be an example, implement measures: with its membership of respACT (where Saalfelden Leogang is the first regional tourism organisation) and the Climate Alliance (where Saalfelden Leogang is the first tourism organisation in the Salzburgerland) and its climate-themed guided hike, our region is actively living up to its goals. 
Many companies and businesses in Saalfelden Leogang have already been awarded the Austrian Ecolabel. This seal of quality evaluates a wide range of measures such as public transport, waste disposal and resource management. Hotel guests also have access to electric cars. In-house biomass heating plants, wood chip heating systems and composting plants are used to provide energy. Great care is also taken to minimise the amount of refuse that is produced.