Water mill in Joglland  | © TV Oststeiermark | Joglland-Waldheimat, Klaus Ranger Water mill in Joglland  | © TV Oststeiermark | Joglland-Waldheimat, Klaus Ranger
Sustainability
in the garden of Austria
To consider the end in everything you do is... 

Sustainability

Alpine meadows, wild herbs, species-rich flower villages, sunny orchards and vineyards - Eastern Styria reveals an incomparable rural idyll in which the authentic protagonists tradition and sustainability shake hands.

Hardly any other term has developed as much in recent years as this one. But what is sustainability actually? Sustainability means meeting one's own needs, but still preserving nature and our habitats for future generations. Sustainability has already taken on a strong role in tourism - also in Eastern Styria, the garden of Austria.

CURRENT VACATION OFFER: SUSTAINABLE VACATIONS

Fancy a vacation that not only makes you happy, but also our environment? A great vacation package with 7 participating businesses from the Oststeirmark awaits you. 

SUSTAINABILITY AND MY TOURISM BUSINESS

Successful conclusion of the further training series ‘Sustainability and my tourism business’. Over the course of four workshops, tourism businesses in Eastern Styria received new impetus and ideas on the topic of 360° sustainability and now proudly hold their well-earned certificates in their hands. The series of workshops has set an important milestone and paved the way for sustainable tourism businesses in Eastern Styria. The participants are now well equipped to take further steps towards sustainability and raise their businesses to a new level.

DO YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS WANT TO BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLE? THEN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR TOURISM COACHING!
Contact: manuela.schnur@oststeiermark.com

Find your sustainable accommodation in the garden of Austria now!

PURE NATURE - DESTINATIONS IN THE GREEN

NATURE PARKS

Nature parks are not untouched and overgrown places, rather they can be described as cultural landscapes. People and nature should benefit from each other in equal measure, according to the motto "protect and benefit"!

Together with partners from agriculture, care is taken to ensure that biodiversity develops sustainably, thus creating a functioning basis of life for humans and animals. For our guests and residents, this means appreciating nature and its diversity and treating it responsibly.

Of the seven nature parks in Styria, two are located in Eastern Styria, the Garden of Austria. On the one hand, there is the Almenland Nature Park, which is mainly used for agriculture and forestry and offers tourists an ideal destination for hiking and recreational holidays. The second nature park in Eastern Styria - the Pöllauer Tal Nature Park - stretches across the municipalities of Pöllau and Pöllauberg. It is characterised by numerous colourful orchards, the Pöllauer Hirsch pear and an idyllic hilly landscape.

HOLIDAY ON THE FARM

Accommodation that pays particular attention to sustainability are the "Urlaub am Bauernhof" farms. A farm holiday means being close to life in the countryside, feeling and experiencing it up close, moving freely and getting to know the daily operations on a farm. Farmers have been observing the natural cycle of life for centuries and orient all their activities accordingly.

Experience lived sustainability at first hand: in terms of energy supply, in organic farming, in animal husbandry on the farm and in dealing with people. Nothing stands in the way of an unforgettable adventure holiday.

BED+BIKE OPERATIONS

Anyone traveling with their own bike has special accommodation requirements. The Bett+Bike establishments in Eastern Styria are designed to meet these needs: Staying just one night if you are on a round trip, a lockable room for bikes or for drying clothes or the provision of tools are just a few of the criteria that these accommodations fulfill. 

DIRECT MARKETING

Buy organic and regional. In Eastern Styria, our producers offer excellent opportunities to do something good for the climate as well as for yourself, because regional food is virtually "just around the corner". You won't find such a shopping and enjoyment experience anywhere else. Here is an overview of the types of direct marketing: farm-gate sales, farmers' markets, farmers' shops, self-service shops, self-service machines.

GREEN GLOBE & ECO-LABEL

Green Globe - a seal of quality specially developed for the tourism industry. More than 500 businesses worldwide carry the Green Globe logo.  In contrast to other certificates, it is not just about regular confirmation of sustainability, but about achieving continuous improvements in sustainability together with the audited businesses.

The Austrian Eco-label for tourism, gastronomy and cultural businesses is intended to bring about an environmental and quality improvement in your business, to enhance the image of your business and thus to offer guests a comprehensively sustainable experience in an Austrian destination.

The Retter Bio-Natur-Resort has been awarded the Green Globe and the Austrian Eco-label and is considered a leading sustainable business and climate-neutral pioneer in Austrian tourism. The same applies to the Almwellness Hotel Pierer, Garten-Hotel Ochensberger, Naturhotel Bauernhofer and Ponyhof Ratten, which were awarded the Austrian eco-label.

SUSTAINABLE ACCOMMODATION IN EASTERN STYRIA

EUROPE & NATURA 2000 AREAS

The Natura 2000 network of protected areas is intended to permanently safeguard natural biotopes and create a sustainable relationship between people and nature. The legal basis for biotope and species protection within the European Union is the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive.

European protected areas and Natura 2000 in Eastern Styria:

WINE COUNTRY BIKE TOUR

Discover the wine country of Styria with its three wine-growing regions in eight stages on the slightly more than 400 kilometre long circular cycle tour. One of the eight stages connects the Capital of Culture Graz with Eastern Styria, the Garden of Austria. Coming from Graz, three of the eight stages lead through Eastern Styria before the route continues to guide visitors towards Thermen-und Vulkanland.

The circular tour can be started anywhere. Special highlights in Eastern Styria are the Eastern Styrian Roman Wine Road, the apple-growing area of Puch near Weiz and the many cultural attractions along the route.

Besichtigung der Altstadt von Graz - UNESCO Welterbe | Martin Kubanek | © Steiermark Tourismus/Martin Kubanek
Dobl easy
Route 402,5 km
Duration 36:30 h

Styrian Wine Country Cycle Trail