Green Pearls® on Inspection of green hotels

It is 5:00 am on a Monday morning when my alarm rings, it is still dark outside. I get up in excitement, as today we will visit beautiful hotels in the region of Lake Constance. I catch a train to meet my colleague Katja. Katja just recently joined the Green Pearls® team as Director of Communication and will join me on my tour today. We meet close to the beautiful Lake Constance to travel together to Bizau in Austria, being stunned by picturesque beauty of the landscape on our way.

Biohotel Schwanen in Bizau

Our first stop is Biohotel Schwanen, a beautiful sustainable property in the idyllic nature of Bizau. Already looking from the outside, we are impressed by the modern architecture of the hotel. This impression continues when we inspect the rooms, which delight with the modest elegance of natural materials, such as pine wood and oak parquet. Manager Emanuel Moosbrugger lets us in on the sustainable secrets of Biohotel Schwanen, where you will spoilt with delicious regional organic food.

Supporting Local Produce

On our way to Bizau, we already noticed a farm store on the road. When passing it on the way back, we just have to stop at the cute little shop that sells home made cheese and sausages. We are friendly welcomed by the owner, who leads us to a cheese cellar, where we can try the different kinds of delicious cheese. We each pick our favorites – a nice souvenir and great support the local producers.

 

We then continue our trip back to the German side of Lake Constance to visit our newest Green Pearls® partner – the Burgunderhof in Hagnau.

Burgunderhof in Hagnau

Burgunderhof is one third hotel, one third vineyard and one third distillery – a truly spectacular mix! The first impression of Burgunderhof’s scenery when approaching the property is breathtaking: vineyards as far as the eye can see, with a spectacular view over Lake Constance.

We first meet Andrea Renn, the landlady, who shows us our rooms for the night. My room is named “Little Prince” – a modern stylish maisonette apartment with a small lounge and a fantastic comfortable bed. All rooms at Burgunderhof are individually designed and welcome you with a cozy atmosphere – I feel at home immediately.

We then take a look around the property, starting with the beautifully arranged garden that has a swimming street and provides a wonderful view over Lake Constance.

Andrea and Julica Renn, tell us more about the Burgunderhof and its sustainable work. This year the hotel celebrates its 40th anniversary. Happy birthday, Burgunderhof! – we say cheers with a delicious glass of „Pomme Pure®“, a specialty of the house. Pomme Pure® is a non-alcoholic, sparkling drink made from self grown apples – an ideal alternative for champagne.

Ever since, the ehc certified biohotel puts great emphasis on sustainable operations. Since 2015 it is a climate-neutral hotel, that reduces the energy consumption through solarthermics. By cultivating fruits and vegetables chemically-free, you will enjoy food in the best organic quality. The care as well as cleaning products are biodegradable to protect the environment. The Renn’s furthermore support local social projects and implemented the initiative „Daniel Renn Stiftung Deutschland“ to support young people with donations and scholarships.

We are lucky with our visit – it is the first day of grape harvest and owner Heiner Renn is busy with the wine making, which we are invited to learn more about. We are excited, but first – we are hungry from the long travel! The Renn’s recommend a nice local restaurant, 8 minutes walking distance in the cute little city of Hagnau. Although it is already dark, we chose the short cut, which leads us on an adventurous path through a vineyard. When we open the menu at Restaurant Löwen, the first thing we see is the Renn’s Pommes Pure – obviously locally famous

Back from a delicious dinner, we visit Heiner Renn at the wine cellar to receive exciting explanations about the organic wine making process (Fun fact: Did you know that wine making is 90% about cleaning?). We are impressed by Heiner Renn’s detailed knowledge and his passion for the subject.

 

We are lucky enough to be able to try some of the homemade specialties. While Katja tries the red Cuvée, I try the white Müller Thurgau with a special family brand, and even take a sip from the homemade fruit brandy. Thereby, we listen to Heiner Renn’s  interesting stories and find his open and warm manner really refreshing. An unforgettable experience!

After a good night sleep, I wake up to the soothing sound of the rippling pond. A true paradise in nature! We are welcomed with the most delicate breakfast buffet I have seen for some time. Everything here is 100 per cent organic: From the various cereals, over cheese and ham, to the little section of nicely decorated sweet dishes, such as Kaiserschmarrn (which is my favourite, yum!). When visiting Burgunderhof, make sure to try the Pomme Pure® (also delicious for breakfast!) as well as the self-made apple juice, which is a revelation: you can really taste the difference! While having this delicious organic breakfast, you can enjoy the breathtaking view over scenery of the surrounding vineyards and the neighboring Lake Constance.

Over the winter, Burgunderhof will hibernate to open its doors again in April. So make sure to include this outstanding place into your travel itinerary for 2017 – it is definitely worth a visit!