Sustainability
Hardly any other type of vacation comes as close to the concept of sustainability as a vacation in the countryside. Where life doesn’t take place in front of the TV, but outside the door. Where we are reminded that milk does not come from the fridge.
What are we doing for sustainability?
Upcycling:Use of local materials: Mainly wood from our own forest, cut into planks on the farm using a portable saw: birch in the Moarhaus, elm in the Zuhaus and the Schloss, Rauris stone in the Schloss and the Moarhaus; a lot of reclaimed wood from old structures was reused. We truly live and breathe upcycling !
Waste recycling: We recycle the waste extensively, please help us with this, the coffee tabs are also collected and recycled
Zero-Waste Concept –Reducing Plastic: There’s no need to buy plastic bottles! Please drink our in-house mountain spring water, and if you’d like, carbonate it to make sparkling water—there’s a SodaStream in every apartment, and we’ll replace the cartridges for free as needed. We sell homemade syrups such as cola/golden balm/lemon balm and elderberry syrup on site, so the children can also make their own healthy lemonade. You also save money, because the natural syrups without additives can be diluted 7 times.
Corn charcoal: You are welcome to use our outdoor grill at any time without a guilty conscience by prior arrangement or the barbecue hut in rainy weather and in the transitional period and in winter. We are happy to heat you up. To do this, we use sustainable corn charcoal, which is actually a waste product. No rainforest has to be cut down for this!
Renewable Energy: We don’t burn oil or gas; we heat with sustainable biomass, our own wood chips from our forest, utilizing damaged wood: Bioheat Saalhof – Schloss Saalhof
Energy self-sufficient thanks to electricity from our own photovoltaic system: We are almost energy self-sufficient, with solar panels installed on all the stable roofs, the barn and the heating plant. Solar power can also be stored in several storage units. So in the event of a blackout, we are still covered.
Cleaning with disinfectant steam appliances instead of toxic household cleaners
Farm Products: Buy regionally and also our products: eggs, bacon, cheese, jams, honey, schnapps: Our Products – Schloss Saalhof
Extensive farming: We cultivate our farm and our huge alpine pasture extensively in harmony with nature, we follow the circular economy, which means that no chemical fertilizers are used. Our aim is to produce high-quality products without mass production.
Free use of public transportation throughout the Salzburg region with the guest card
2x charging stations for electric cars are available directly at the property
: Frequently Asked Questions About Sustainability at Schloss Saalhof
Water, E-Mobility, and Environmental Protection in Action
Yes, since we have access to the finest mountain spring water, the tap water is safe to drink. It is of the highest drinking water quality. Each apartment is equipped with a SodaStream, including a carbonation cylinder, so you can make sparkling mineral water. We’ll be happy to replace it if it’s empty. This reduces plastic waste and saves you from having to lug around boxes.
Yes, there are two Salzburg AG charging stations at Schloss Saalhof. You can easily pay by credit card. The charging stations are powered by clean electricity from the company’s massive in-house photovoltaic system, which is installed on the barn roofs. You charge your electric car directly using the power of the sun.
Yes, we are implementing a consistent and well-thought-out zero-waste and environmental protection strategy. The host family practices a circular economy and extensive agriculture to keep their guests’ ecological footprint as small as possible. Here are the key pillars: systematic waste separation and a high recycling rate, plastic reduction (SodaStream), our in-house electric vehicle charging stations, our 100% solar power—supported by large battery storage systems—the mobility bonus through free use of public transportation, and sustainable grilling with corn charcoal. This process uses renewable corn cobs, which, as a purely agricultural byproduct, burn in a carbon-neutral manner. The concept is complemented by the facility’s own heating plant (Biowärme Saalhof). All buildings are operated entirely without oil or gas. Heating is provided exclusively with wood chips from our own forest (recycling of damaged timber).