Destination South Tyrol: Where sustainable travel becomes a given

Green expanses, clear mountain rivers and above it all the peaks of the Alps – welcome to South Tyrol. This unique landscape and natural environment must be protected. For the locals and their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but also for the travellers who come to be captivated by South Tyrol every year.

Always Independent

South Tyrol is an autonomous region in the north of Italy that is characterised not only by its beautiful nature but also by its strong traditional culture. Past and future always go hand in hand. In the Sustainability Programme Tourism South Tyrol initiated by the Chamber of Commerce of Bolzano, tourist organisations, business associations, companies and experts therefore jointly developed standards for sustainable tourism. In the future, these standards will be the basis for all decisions, developments and initiatives.

However, many South Tyroleans have not waited for such official recommendations to take action and have been committed to an environmentally friendly and socially responsible way of living and travelling for years. Many farms have converted to organic farming, products are produced according to ecological standards and sustainable travel is made as easy as possible.

Sustainable Destination South Tyrol

Car-free vacations in South Tyrol

On a trip to South Tyrol, visitors will quickly realise that they don't need a car. Train connections to Munich and Innsbruck make travelling by train easy, and a well-developed public transport network takes guests and residents alike to even the most remote villages. As a model region for green mobility, South Tyrol also promotes e-mobility. An extensive network of charging stations and free parking spaces for e-cars form the cornerstones for this. There is also a hydrogen refuelling station in the capital city of Bolzano.

To make the use of local transport even more attractive for travellers, there is the Mobilcard as well as various regional guest tickets such as the RittenCard. These not only allow the use of buses, trains and, in some cases, cable cars and chair lifts, they also provide free admission to a variety of museums along with other benefits. Hotels often offer the respective guest card free of charge with a booking. And not only that - many hotels are working on making their offer more and more sustainable, including our Green Pearls® partners in South Tyrol. 

Green on the Road: Activities and Sightseeing

Directly from their balcony, guests of the purely vegetarian Paradiso Pure.Living on the Alpe di Siusi have a view of one of the most impressive sights in South Tyrol: the Dolomites. In summer, guests can head off on a hike through the impressive mountain world straight after a delicious vegetarian breakfast. In winter, strap on your skis at the hotel entrance and head out onto the Paradiso ski slope, from where you can access the Dolomiti Superski ski area.

On their return, the Paradiso treats its guests to a vegetarian evening menu. Or how about another relaxing round of yoga or a bit of wellness?

The Paradiso Pure.Living offers an innovative and holistic hospitality concept in the heart of the Dolomites. It is based on the combination of a healthy lifestyle, yoga, music, cuisine and contemporary art, which is reflected throughout the entire hotel.

Regionality and Seasonality on the Table

Traditional South Tyrolean cuisine is part of the DNA at many South Tyrolean hotels. Regional and seasonal specialities are firmly established and usually come from organic farms, farmers' markets or from the hotel's own garden.

The bees of the APIPURA Hotel Rinner in Oberbozen also feed in such a garden. Guests can watch the industrious insects producing organic honey, which is part of the special honey gala dinner. In order to provide the bees with the best possible conditions for honey production, the Rinner family attaches great importance to an undisturbed environment and does not use chemical bee treatments. Guests can not only taste the result, but also inhale it during an Api-Wellness treatment in the form of the beehive air. 

Guests at LA VIMEA in Naturno can embark on a culinary journey of the vegan kind. Italy's first holistic vegan hotel offers fresh dishes made from regional and seasonal ingredients from its own garden or local farmers. All food is of organic quality and vegan. But it doesn't stop there at LA VIMEA: From the bed linen to the architecture, the sustainable adults-only hotel does without animal and environmentally harmful products. Instead, it focuses on resource conservation, organic and fair trade.

Sustainable Relaxation in South Tyrol

The use of sustainable materials, especially local woods, is part of many Green Pearls® partners. At the Weihrerhof on the Ritten, the Pichler family relies above all on Swiss stone pine when furnishing the hotel rooms, which not only provides a cosy atmosphere, but also a good night's sleep and a pleasant scent.

Sustainability is a top priority throughout the hotel: electricity is generated by the photovoltaic system and the hotel's own combined heat and power plant, making the Weihrerhof almost entirely self-sufficient in terms of energy. In the wellness and spa area, too, the team relies on regional natural products and its own cosmetics range. In the last hot summers, the indoor sauna only ran on demand to avoid unnecessary energy consumption.

The ADLER Lodge RITTEN is also a sustainable retreat on the Ritten and offers its guests an all-round carefree service. The lodge blends picturesquely into the landscape with the main house and the chalets on the surrounding hills. The harmonious ensemble was created through the collaboration of a local architect and a master carpenter specialising in South Tyrolean craftsmanship, who placed their emphasis on the use of local wood species such as larch and oak. 

Instead of a pool, there is a large natural bathing pond that does not require chemical cleaning. When building the terrace and the forest sauna, the natural tree population was preserved as far as possible so that hotel guests can truly relax in harmony with nature. 

Support for the Region

Sustainability is more than just environmental protection. It also has a social component, which is also considered by the Green Pearls® partners. This includes, for example, the creation of jobs for the local community in order to prevent migration, especially of the younger generation.

Cooperation with local craftsmen and businesses ensures the survival of smaller, often traditional businesses. Many of the Green Pearls® partners also support associations in their area or donate part of their proceeds.

More about their sustainable and social commitments can be found on the respective hotel microsite at www.greenpearls.com or on the hotel's homepage.

South Tyrol can rightly be called a sustainable destination. Guests are easily able to travel in an environmentally conscious way thanks to a well-developed transport network and numerous sustainable accommodations. The interaction with pristine, unspoilt nature also raises travellers' awareness of the need to protect and preserve it, so that the beautiful South Tyrolean landscape can continue to captivate future generations.