Bees on the roof: Hotel Steigenberger Herrenhof
On the roof of the Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof in Vienna's city centre there is humming and buzzing! Eight bee colonies have found a new home here.
The Hotel Steigenberger Herrenhof has been certified with the Austrian Ecolabel since 2012. In addition to various measures for environmental protection, the protection of species is particularly important to the hotel. This is how the bee was discovered. Internally, an initiative for "Green" meetings is also being promoted throughout the entire group. Applying to the location, customers who want to hold a Green Meeting certified with the Austrian Ecolabel have the best conditions.
It all started with three beehives. At first as a test run - with great success: the bees seem to enjoy the square at lofty heights, with a wonderful view of Vienna's city centre. Soon five more bee colonies were settled on the roof of the hotel.
The bees are looked after by the organic beekeeper Alfred Hauska from Vienna. He comes by once a week to check up on the bees. The honey is harvested twice a year - in early summer and late summer. In good years, the busy insects produce up to 500 kilograms of blossom honey. This may seem surprising, but here in Vienna, with its numerous parks, the bees find enough nectar. And unlike many rural areas, no pesticides are sprayed in the city - ideal conditions for the insects.
The honey from the roof sweetens the breakfast bread for the guests and is also processed in the in-house patisserie. Bottled in small jars, it is a popular souvenir. After all, it is not common to share a hotel with bees!
For more information about bees in the city and how you too can make your roof available to bees, contact the city farm madebybees.
You can find eco-friendly offers for this hotel on our Umweltzeichen-Hotel-Seite.