SUSTAINABility
The Ausseerland Salzkammergut is blessed with mountains, lakes and an enormous diversity of nature beyond. Attentiveness and care in dealing with this presupposes the continued existence of our region.
Economic sustainability has become a buzzword in tourism in recent years, because sustainability does not only mean protecting nature. Consideration for the cultural and social aspects of the vacation destination also play a major role here, because this makes it possible to experience a region intensively and authentically. This creates harmony between travelers and locals, people and nature & location and tourism.
Regionality at first hand
THE AUSSEERLAND gourmetMAP
Sustainable local shopping: The local food producers offer a wide variety of products. In Ausseerland you will find everything for the perfect breakfast, a fortifying mountain snack or a real Ausseerland dinner. From farm-to-table farms and gourmet stores, bakeries and fisheries to the local farmers' markets, no wish is left unfulfilled.
TOURISM FOR SDGS
Travel with responsibility: The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has formulated recommendations for travelers, public institutions, companies, educational institutions, donor organizations and international organizations in connection with the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda.
Suggested actions for travelers include careful food handling, sharing interesting initiatives and social projects at the destination, cultural understanding through simple language skills in the country of stay, regional consumption, digital copies of travel documents and more.
„NATURA 2000 PROTECTED AREAS IN AUSSEERLAND SALZKAMMERGUT“
Totes Gebirge and Altausseer See
The Tote Gebirge and its surroundings are the part of Styria with the highest precipitation. In the larger karst hollows, cold segregation occurs as a result of temperature inversion. In some places, for the same reason, the formation of so-called ice caves and karst holes occurs, where ice remains throughout the year.
Due to a fault zone, which runs west of the Lawinenstein to the Salzsteigjoch, this mountain range can be divided into a western and eastern part. After the last ice age, glacial erosion occurred as a result of ice flowing westward, which previously extended from the plateau of the Totes Gebirge to the Mitterndorf depression. This is how the larger lakes were formed. Moraine hills with piled up limestone blocks and loose rock debris are found on the entire area, which, due to good weathering and water permeability, support a well-developed vegetation cover.
Ödensee and the high moor
Originally, the area was characterized by extensive moors, which were exploited from the 18th century until the 20th century. Of the former raised moor of about 28 hectares, various smaller moor complexes are still preserved today. From the former peat cutting areas to the raised moors covered with mountain pines, the area is characterized by a variety of wetland habitats with special plant communities.
Other characteristic elements are the riparian woodland strips with adjacent species-rich litter and marsh meadows in the area of the Riedelbach and the Ödenseetraun. Particularly noteworthy protected assets in this Natura 2000 site are the scabiosa fritillary butterfly, whistling grass meadows, near-natural living raised bogs and the bog forests.
fairtrade-Region Ausseerland
With the FAIRTRADE communities of Bad Aussee, Altaussee, Bad Mitterndorf and Grundlsee, the Ausseerland is one of the first Fairtrade regions in the whole of Austria.
Before becoming a FAIRTRADE municipality, FAIRTRADE town or FAIRTRADE district, five criteria must be met. This applies to all Ausseerland municipalities.
- The municipality is committed to Fairtrade
- Involvement in the Fairtrade Group
- Making Fairtrade products available
- Commitment in the municipality for Fairtrade products
- Awareness raising and information
AGAINST FOOD WASTE
Every year, tons of edible food ends up in the trash! The reasons are many and varied, often due to myths that persist. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management has taken a closer look at the most common myths:
Myth 1: Most food is thrown away in retail - This is not true, because even if avoidable food waste is generated in wholesale and retail trade or in markets, private households account for the largest share.
Myth 2: If the best-before date (MHD) is exceeded, food is spoiled - The MHD is a recommendation of the manufacturers and not to be compared with an "expiration date", as it is often made colloquially. Many foods are edible even after the expiration date - use your sense of sight, smell and taste to judge.
Myth 3: Nothing is being done about food waste - In Austria, but also in the EU, there are numerous measures to reduce food waste. These include, for example, the "Food is Precious" initiative, in which over 70 partners are participating. Foodsharing offers are also becoming increasingly popular.
Even despite good intentions, food waste is sometimes unavoidable. Start with mindful and responsible behavior.
The platform for a sustainable event culture
Green Events Steiermark
Sporting and cultural events are increasingly becoming "events" for active participants and spectators. The multitude of activities of clubs, associations and companies at local and regional level contributes significantly to the quality of life in our province.
With the platform Green Events Styria, the province of Styria invites ALL people to participate in a sustainable event culture - so that Styria remains "the green heart of Austria".
A success story
THE AUSTRIAN ECO-LABEL
The Austrian Eco-Label was established in 1990 on the initiative of the Ministry of the Environment. Today, it is considered the most important state-certified environmental seal in Austria and is awarded in four categories: Products or Services, Tourism and Catering Establishments, Educational and Cultural Institutions, Green Meetings & Events. The award is given only to those products and services that, in addition to a wide range of environmental criteria, also meet high standards of quality and durability. The Austrian Eco-label is thus an orientation aid for environmentally conscious consumers in their daily purchasing decisions.
Future together
We are looking forward to hearing your feedback!
There are already some great sustainable initiatives in the Ausseerland Salzkammergut and we are sure that we can add some more to our list. We are always happy to receive new projects or feedback and will gladly include this on our homepage!