This is our eighth part of the culinary Journey series, in which we explore a new destination every month.

 

“Croatian cuisine is a mosaic of Mediterranean, Central European, and Balkan influences shaped by centuries of cultural exchange and regional diversity. What truly sets it apart, however, is its deep connection to nature and the seasons.” – Hotel Korinjak

Typical ingredients in Croatian cuisine

Croatia is located on the Adriatic coast and comprises approximately 1,244 islands, in addition to the mainland. Only 49 of these islands are inhabited, including Iž, where around 600 people live in peaceful seclusion.

Croatian cuisine typically includes fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and Swiss chard; legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, and beans; olive oil; garlic; wild herbs such as rosemary, bay leaf, and oregano; and grains such as barley, cornmeal, and spelt. On the coast, sea salt, capers, and olives also play an important role.

“In a plant-based kitchen like ours, these ingredients are the foundation of every meal, bringing out deep, earthy flavors.” – Ana from Hotel Korinjak

People still relie on what grows locally, what the sea provided, and traditional preservation methods, Ana continues. From the simple cuisine of the Dalmatian coast to the hearty stews of the inland regions, each dish tells a story about its area of origin.

You should try these five Croatian classics (classic or, even better, plant-based):

These five dishes are absolute must-eats on any trip to Croatia. While they typically contain meat, cooks also use high-quality meat alternatives such as tofu, seitan, and legumes, always combining them with regional herbs and vegetables. Soparnik is the only traditionally vegetarian dish.

#1 Soparnik

Cooks fill this traditional Dalmatian pie with Swiss chard, garlic, and olive oil, then bake it under a peka—an iron bell—to create a full, rustic flavor.

#2 Punjene Paprike (stuffed peppers)

Bell peppers stuffed with a hearty mixture of rice, vegetables, and herbs in a tomato sauce.

#3 Olive tapenade

Tapenade is an olive paste that tastes great on bread as an appetizer or snack. It can also be served as a main course with grilled vegetables, such as zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers.

#4 Barley and bean stew (ječam s grahom)

“‘A comforting dish from the heart of Croatia, slowly cooked with root vegetables and herbs,'” Ana raves about the stew. It’s made with white beans and barley cooked with onions and garlic in tomato sauce with paprika powder – typical for Croatia.

#5 Rožata vegan

Rožata is a popular Dalmatian dessert pudding. Traditionally, it consists of milk, eggs, sugar, and rose liqueur, and it is served with caramel sauce. However, a vegan version is also available, made with coconut milk and agar-agar, offering a creamy treat without any animal products.

Four favorite vegan dishes from Hotel Korinjak

“Our guests particularly enjoy these four vegan specialties at Hotel Korinjak,” reports Ana.

#1 Vegan burger made from red lentils and served in a homemade bun.

Hearty, high in protein, and full of flavor. It’s served with seasonal vegetables on the side.

#2 Vegan Pašticada

This is a vegetarian version of the classic Dalmatian stew, which is traditionally made with beef. Here, it is reinterpreted with seitan or tofu that has been marinated in wine and aromatic herbs. You can find the recipe here.

#3 Vegan sarma

These cabbage rolls are filled with a hearty mixture of grains, legumes, and meat alternatives and are cooked in a rich tomato sauce.

#4 Vegan Poppy Seed and Walnut Strudel

A traditional dessert made from healthy, natural ingredients without eggs or dairy products.

The Vegetarian Scene in Croatia

Although Croatian cuisine is traditionally very meat-heavy, the country is also suitable for vegetarians and vegans. In recent years, the plant-based food scene has steadily grown. You can take part in vegan food tours in Zagreb and Split. Well-known vegan restaurants include Nishta in Zagreb and Dubrovnik and Art of Raw in Zadar. The latter specializes in creative vegan raw food cuisine.

The Hotel Korinjak promotes a sustainable and mindful lifestyle — offering yoga, sound massages, and close proximity to nature — as well as a meat- and egg-free cuisine.

“Our mission is to promote a lifestyle that is in harmony with nature, including conscious nutrition. Avoiding meat and eggs supports animal welfare, reduces environmental impact, and fosters better health and mental clarity.” – Ana from Hotel Korinjak

“Food should nourish not only the body, but also the mind. It should be light, wholesome, and full of vitality,” Ana sums up. We agree completely and hope we’ve inspired you to embark on a vegetarian-vegan culinary journey through Croatia.

Save this article for your next trip to Croatia on Pinterest.

Der Beitrag A culinary journey through Croatia. But it’s vegan! erschien zuerst auf GREEN TRAVEL BLOG.

More than 25 sustainable ways to enjoy nature and the outdoors while on vacation

Although hiking is one of the healthiest forms of exercise, I understand why some people don’t enjoy it. Not everyone enjoys spending hours walking through the countryside with a heavy backpack. However, we all want to experience nature, and that’s healthy, too! Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to do so without hiking.

A gentle exploration of the Croatian island of Iž

The island of Iž is only 17 square kilometers in size and has a population of just over 500. If you stay here at the Hotel Korinjak, you’ll naturally spend all your time outdoors. Swimming at the wild Adriatic beaches, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), and going on a boat trip to watch dolphins are just some of the water activities available there. The holistically oriented hotel also offers guided yoga on the terrace or forest meditation under pine and olive trees.

“The island’s gentle landscape is perfect for a leisurely exploration and sensory experience” – Hotel Korinjak

A sustainable, active vacation by the water

Green Pearls® offers a selection of sustainable hotels with direct access to natural bodies of water. In Germany, for instance, you’ll find the luxurious Hotel Der Birkenhof ***** Spa & Genussresort atop a hill in the heart of the Upper Palatinate Lake District. The region has over 800 hectares of water and is the most water-rich area in eastern Bavaria. Enjoy activities such as boating, wakeboarding, water skiing, sailing, rowing, and swimming — no hiking boots required!

The same is true of Lake Constance, the second largest Alpine lake in Europe spanning over 500 square kilometers. On its German shore, you’ll find the Naturresort Gerbehof , surrounded by apple trees and pastures. If hiking, swimming, or boating aren’t your thing, the Nature SPA and its garden area are ideal places to relax and enjoy the outdoors.

If you would prefer to have your own vacation home, we recommend the Summit Lodges Pfunds. These two Tyrolean log cabins have their own fireplace, sauna, and sleeping accommodations for up to six people. The region’s natural beauty and diverse landscapes make it a perfect destination for hiking enthusiasts, but even those less interested in hiking will find activities to enjoy:

“You can go rafting and canyoning in Pfunds. The company is located directly in the village, and the starting point is nearby, depending on the route.” – Summit Lodges Pfunds

Read our article on sustainable water sports to find out how you can make water sports more sustainable and learn whether activities such as water skiing are really recommended.

Take a vacation at a lake in northern italy

At the South Tyrolean Hotel Weihrerhof, you will find yourself in an idyllic setting, situated on the shore of Lake Wolfsgruben. At an elevation of over 1,200 meters, the lake is one of the cleanest swimming lakes in Italy and offers many activities, including swimming, stand-up paddleboarding, and rowing. You can even enjoy breakfast on the natural “breakfast island” in the middle of the lake. Your children can experience nature here while you relax with a good book on the lawn.

Sports on the Baltic Sea

The Lifestylehotel SAND in Timmendorfer Strand, located on the Baltic Sea, offers more than just a beach vacation. It also supports a wide range of sports on site. Every year, the “Triathlon Heroines” come to the hotel to train for their triathlons with running, swimming, and cycling. Furthermore there ist the German Beach Volleyball Championship and Beach Hockey, as well as the annual Baltic Sea Run, where the winners of the women’s and men’s races receive an overnight stay at the hotel.

A vegan active vacation in South Tyrol

Do you want to be active without hiking or getting wet? And enjoy plant-based cuisine at the same time? Here are some recommendations from our vegan partner hotels in South Tyrol.

“Our hotel is located in the Vinschgau region of South Tyrol. In addition to hiking trails, the surrounding area offers excellent opportunities for running, cycling, climbing, and Nordic walking.” – LA VIMEA Vegan Hotel

By the way, LA VIMEA is not only vegan but also exclusively for adults. For active vacationers, there is a three-day package called the “Active Vegan Getaway,” which includes e-bikes.

The famous Seiser Alm is home to yet another entirely vegan hotel. The Paradiso Pure.Living Vegan Hotel reports the following:

“Our home is the Seiser Alm, Europe’s largest high alpine pasture located over 2,000 meters above sea level in a UNESCO-protected area. The Schlern-Rosengarten Nature Park offers great opportunities for summer and winter sports: skiing and snowboarding in the winter and cycling, mountain biking, e-biking, running, climbing, Nordic walking, golfing, paragliding, and horseback riding in the summer. You can also spend quality time with your children at the barefoot park or meditate in front of picturesque panoramic landscapes. The unique charm and beauty of the Dolomites allow you to enjoy extraordinary energy no matter what you do.” – Paradiso Pure.Living Vegan Hotel

Enjoy forest bathing and tranquility at My Arbor

Of course, there are quieter ways to enjoy the outdoors. The Hotel My Arbor, located near Brixen in South Tyrol, recommends that those who are not very keen on hiking simply take the gondola up to the Plose. “Once you reach the top, you can enjoy the fantastic view from the mountain station, grab a bite to eat, and sample some local dishes.” Incidentally, “My Arbor” means “my tree,” and the entire hotel is built among the treetops, fostering a special relationship with the forest. You can experience this during guided forest bathing, forest yoga, or outdoor meditation sessions.

• Click here for their weekly program.

Chillin’ in nature

At the Aparthotel OLM Nature Escape in Sand in Taufers, South Tyrol, you can live life at your own pace and enjoy nature, perhaps by sitting on a bench by the Ahr River with a good book. Or, you can visit the horses and cows in the green valley and say hello to the fish in the Thara fishing pond.

The STURM hotel in the Rhön Biosphere Reserve in Germany features a natural swimming pond and a large garden with snacks. Ideal for yoga sessions.

Hotel Das Rübezahl, located in the Allgäu region, has built a yoga platform at its Rohrkopfhütte hut specifically for outdoor yoga. If the climb up there (about an hour) is too strenuous for you (it is more like a hike. . .), the wellness garden with views of the mountains and Neuschwanstein Castle is also a great option.

Scavenger hunts, escape games, and city tours

If you’re interested in exploring the area in a fun way and learning more, you can book a city tour during your vacation. In Freiburg, the “Green City Tour” in the Vauban district will show you what ecologically progressive urban development looks like and demonstrate how nature and the big city can coexist. The Green City Hotel Vauban has been a showcase project for green urban development since its inception, so you can experience this concept firsthand during your stay.

The Hotel Luise in Erlangen offers recommendations for special city tours, such as a night watchman tour or a beer and cellar tour. You can also play the Outdoor Escape Game Erlangen, where you solve a “criminal case” in the city center and discover a treasure.

In Bad Herrenalb in the Black Forest, you can also sign up for an outdoor escape game and start your journey to find a monastery’s hidden secret. During the two-hour tour, you will discover and experience various sights in this historic spa town. Then, you can enjoy a slice of cake from the organic kitchen at the Schwarzwald Panorama or relax in the hotel’s thermal baths and sauna.

Discover Peru’s plantations

Vacations often offer a wonderful opportunity to learn about local plants and products. At Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica in Peru, for example, you can visit several rainforest plantations. For instance, you can take a half-day excursion to a cocoa plantation where you can see cocoa plants and follow the entire process of producing chocolate, from roasting and grinding the cocoa beans to tasting the final product. You can also go with a guide to the Brazil nut trees on the hotel grounds. Here, you can learn more about the nuts and try different traditional methods of cracking their hard shells.

• Both excursions are also suitable for children. Visit the Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción website for more information.

Bees and api wellness in South Tyrol

If you’re interested in bee colonies and honey, no one in our network can give you a better introduction than Paul Rinner from the APIPURA hotel rinner. Paul is a passionate migratory beekeeper who gives lectures, produces organic honey, and has set up a bee trail on the hotel grounds. He also offers his guests the unique Api Wellness experience, where they can breathe in the air of the beehive. The Api Wellness experience takes place in a cozy wooden hut with a view of nature. The boundary between inside and outside is blurred by natural materials, the buzzing of bees, and a large panoramic window.

Suspension bridge and lunch in East Tyrol

Even at the Naturhotel Outside, a designated hiking hotel in East Tyrol, hiking is by no means a must! If you’re looking for a little adventure, you can cross the suspension bridge over the Isel Gorge, or simply stop for a leisurely lunch at the Kräuterhexenkuchl Strumehof.

Barefoot trail at the Adler Lodge Ritten

How about going barefoot instead of wearing hiking boots? The ADLER Lodge RITTEN just built a barefoot trail in the forest this year. It fits perfectly with the resort’s mindful lifestyle, which includes a natural swimming pond, a farm-to-table concept, and sustainable wooden lodges with fireplaces.

Cycling 

Otherwise, exploring the vacation area by bike is always a great option. At the Klosterhof — Alpine Hideaway & Spa in Bayerisch Gmain, you can rent an e-bike right from the hotel and comfortably explore the Berchtesgadener Land with a little extra help. The same is true at the Relais del Maro in Liguria. The Albergo Diffuso is located in the picturesque village of Borgomaro, nestled in the mountains behind the coastal town of Imperia. E-bikes are an ideal, environmentally friendly means of transportation there.

At the Eco-Hotel Okelmann’s in Warpe, Lower Saxony, you can explore the rather flat area on classic bicycles. The Okelmann family’s head is a passionate cyclist himself and is happy to recommend the best cycling routes to his guests — which you can save directly to your phone.

Horseback riding

Recently, the ADLER Spa Resort SICILIA promoted horseback riding as an eco-friendly outdoor activity. Read more about horseback riding in the Valley of the Temples. (Our colleague Mara, an avid horse rider, wrote this lovely article about sustainable horseback riding vacations.)

The ABCs of sustainable outdoor activities

In the end, we compiled a list in alphabetical order of all the suggestions and ideas from our network. Even the ideas that didn’t make it into the article are included here. Now, you can find inspiration no matter where you are.

 

Barefoot trails

Sightseeing

Bird watching

Archery

Bouldering

Camping

Dolphin watching

E-bike tours

Escape games (outdoor)

Golf

Gondola ride to a viewing platform

Suspension bridge

Outdoor journaling

Kayaking

Canoeing

Climbing

Knipping

Herbal workshops

Reading

Meditation

Mini golf

Visiting plantations

Cycling or MTB

Rafting

Horseback riding

Rowing

Scavenger hunt

Swimming

Sailing

City tours

SUP

Forest bathing

Forest meditation

Whitewater rafting

Outdoor yoga

 

 

Did we forget something?

Most likely! So, help us make the list even longer by adding your ideas in the comments!

Der Beitrag Sustainable outdoor activities for those who don’t feel like hiking erschien zuerst auf GREEN TRAVEL BLOG.

A healthy and sustainable lifestyle in Croatia

The Hotel Korinjak, located on the island of Iž, promotes an ecological and mindful lifestyle. It offers yoga, sound massages, and a menu without meat, fish, or eggs.

“”Our mission is to promote a lifestyle in harmony with nature, which includes conscious nutrition,” they say. “We believe that food should not only nourish the body, but also the mind — light, wholesome, and full of vitality.”

The secret to the vegan pašticada is its sweet and sour sauce, which contains cloves, plums, and a pinch of cinnamon

The sauce is what makes this famous Dalmatian dish so special. A blend of onions, carrots, plums, and aromatic spices like cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg gives it a festive, exotic flair.

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Vegan Pašticada

A rich, aromatic Dalmatian-inspired dish –fully plant-based - from Hotel Korinjak in Croatia.

Course Dinner, festive dish, vegan

Cuisine Croatia, Dalmatia

Keyword Croatia, Pasticada, tofu, Vegan

Prep Time 4 hours hours

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

For the marinade:

• 300 g Seitan or soy medallions
• 1 Red onion sliced or rings
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 100 ml Dry red wine vegan
• 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar or wine vinegar
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 spring Rosemary
• Splash of Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

For the sauce:

• 2 Onion medium size (finely chopped)
• 2 carrots sliced into rounds
• 1 small Parsely root or a piece of celery (chopped)
• 1 tbsp tomatoe paste
• 2 tbsp Prošek (Croatian desert wine) or date syrup
• 2-3 Dried prunes chopped
• 1 pickled cucumber finely chopped
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 2-3 Cloves or a pinch of ground cloves
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil
• 500 ml Vegetable broth or water

Optional Tip for additional taste

• Splash of Balsamic vinegar
• pinch of Cinnamon
• pinch of Nutmeg

Instructions

Marinate the protein

• Slice the seitan (or rehydrate soy medallions according to package instructions).
• Place in a bowl with onion, garlic, wine, vinegar, bay leaf, and rosemary.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight).

Searing and sautéing

• Remove the seitan from the marinade and briefly sear it in olive oil until golden on both sides. Set aside.
• In the same pan, sauté the chopped onions, carrots, and parsley root (or celery) until soft.
• Add tomato paste, prošek or date syrup, dried prunes, chopped pickle, mustard, and spices. Let everything cook for a few minutes to release the aromas.
• Simmering
• Return the seitan to the pan. Add vegetable broth and some of the marinade.
• Simmer on low heat for 45–60 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If using soy medallions, stir gently so they don't fall apart.)
• You can partially blend the sauce with an immersion blender at the end to thicken it, leaving some texture.
• For an extra depth of flavor add near the end of cooking a slash of balsamic vinegar, a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. This will enrich the flavor beautifully.

Serving suggestion

• The Hotel Korinjak recommends homemade potato gnocchi (egg-free) or creamy mashed potatoes with olive oil and parsley next to it.

Der Beitrag Vegan Croatian Pašticada Recipe erschien zuerst auf GREEN TRAVEL BLOG.

Elderflowers are ideal for sustainable gardening

According to the trade association Agrar, elderberry bushes are ideal for sustainable gardening. They are “attractive, robust and easy to care for,” they write. If you don’t have your own elderberry bush, you can easily find one near you (in Germany) using the digital map at mundraub-or just keep your eyes open when you’re out and about in nature. Elderberry bushes grow in many places. They can be recognized by their large, umbel-like white flowers, which have an intense fragrance and are buzzing with bees.

Good for insects and birds

An elderberry bush is good for biodiversity. The flowers are popular with honeybees, wild bees, flies, beetles and butterflies for pollen and nectar. Birds such as blackbirds, thrushes, and starlings love the berries that appear later. So make sure you leave enough flowers so that wildlife can continue to enjoy this important food source.

In our blog post on insect decline, we explained the importance of flowering plants.

Hotel Weiherhof has not used fertilizer for over 20 years

The family-run Hotel Weiherhof is located directly on the 1,200-meter Wolfsgruben Lake. According to the Pichler family, they have consciously refrained from fertilizing the landscape around the lake and their hotel for more than 20 years. Grass and flowers on a nearby open space are also mowed only once a year to encourage biodiversity.

Elderberries grow in huge hedges and are picked by apprentices during the summer months to make this delicious syrup. Guests can enjoy it as a refreshing summer drink with soda or mineral water.

Elderflower Syrup Recipe

Here is the recipe to try yourself. Remember that the syrup needs to stand for 5 days. Then you can pour it into glass bottles. It will keep for several months in a dark pantry if sealed. Once opened, it is best stored in the refrigerator.

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Weihrerhof's Elderflower Syrup

The Hotel Weihrerhof in South Tyrol has shared its recipe for homemade elderflower syrup with us. A professional recipe from hotel cuisine – easy to follow. Without cooking!

Course cold bavarage, Drinks

Cuisine South Tyrol

Keyword alkohol-free, elderflower, non-alcoholic drink, syrup

Prep Time 5 days days

Ingredients

• 2 Liters water
• 3 kg sugar
• 8 dkg citric acid
• 5-6 lemons (in slices) organic
• 12 elderflowers

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients in a large pot and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.
• Leave the syrup to infuse for five days, stirring once or twice a day.
• Enjoy the elderflower syrup with mineral water or soda.

Der Beitrag Recipe for elderflower syrup from Hotel Weihrerhof erschien zuerst auf GREEN TRAVEL BLOG.

The special character of the Dolomites

The Dolomites are part of the Alps and are a unique mountain range in northern Italy. They stretch across South Tyrol, Trentino and the province of Belluno. Characteristic of the mountain range are the rugged rock formations, often shimmering in shades of light gray to pink. They consist of dolomite, a special form of limestone.

Some of the peaks reach over 3,000 meters. The highest peak is the Marmolada at 3,343 meters. There are several mountain ranges in the Dolomites, the most famous of which are the Geisler Group, the Sciliar, the Rosengarten, the Sella Group and the Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

In addition to its impressive scenery, the region showcases rich cultural diversity. Here, Ladin, German, and Italian traditions come together, offering not only spectacular views but also an alpine environment where nature and culture blend closely.

A responsible destination

Since 2009, the Dolomites have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a distinction that recognizes their geological and landscape uniqueness. A total of nine sub-areas have been included, covering an area of approximately 142,000 hectares.

UNESCO highlights the geological importance of the Dolomites and the exceptional beauty of the mountain landscape. The sharp contrasts between steep rock faces, green pastures and deep valleys make the region an outstanding example of alpine nature.

Inclusion on the World Heritage List brings with it not only recognition, but also responsibility: the aim is to protect the fragile landscape for the long term and to develop it sustainably – in harmony with nature, culture and tourism.

Nature in transition – Endangered diversity in the Dolomites

The Dolomites are a fragile ecosystem under increasing pressure. Climate change is leaving its mark: glaciers are melting rapidly, changing the landscape and threatening the habitats of specialized plants and animals. Species that depend on the cool conditions of high mountain regions are particularly affected. For example, alpine plants such as glacier buttercup and certain species of saxifrage are endangered because their habitats are shrinking as a result of warming.

Insect decline in South Tyrol

The animal world is also facing challenges. Invertebrates are the most affected. The Red List of South Tyrol documents the threats to locusts, dragonflies, butterflies, beetles and other small animals. According to a publication by the South Tyrol Museum of Nature, for example, “427 species are considered lost”.

Now, these animals don’t have as big a lobby as, say, the cute marmot, which was once on the verge of extinction, but has since bounced back thanks to conservation efforts. As we documented in our blog about the importance of insect decline, insects are at the bottom of the food pyramid. If they disappear, the whole pyramid collapses!

If you want to get involved in conservation during your vacation, join events like planting campaigns organized by the following conservation groups.

• Naturparks Bozen
• Alpenverein Südtirol
• WWF Bozen

Tourism caught between conflicting priorities – The economy and the environment

Tourism is an important economic factor for the Dolomites, but it also brings problems. Popular destinations such as the Val di Braies and the Tre Cime di Lavaredo experience a veritable rush of visitors during the summer months, leading to overcrowded paths, traffic problems, increased litter and pressure on natural resources.

Reinhold Messner, the famous South Tyrolean mountaineer, is very critical of this development. In a guest article in the WELT, he did not mince his words: “The Alps as a fun park is a mistake”. He warns that commercialization and mass tourism could destroy the unique mountain landscape.

“On a mountain vacation, everyone wants what they demand in their urban environment: infrastructure, comfort, safety. (…) It is this consumerist attitude that does not fit in the mountains.” – Reinhold Messer

He has also called for the introduction of an entrance fee for the Dolomites and for various measures to reduce traffic congestion and make tourism more environmentally friendly (e.g. car-free).

A recent example of the threat to sensitive natural areas is the construction of a bobsleigh track in Cortina d’Ampezzo for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Although located in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this project plans to clear valuable habitats, some of which shelter endangered species. It is a project that illustrates how economic interests and large events put pressure on conservation.

Eco-friendly mobility – the Dolomites without cars

Good news: South Tyrol sets an example for public transportation in Italy. If you want to reach this impressive mountain world without a car, you can take the train or a long-distance bus. Once there, you can also get around by public transport, bike or on foot.

Arrival by train and coach

There are international train connections to Bolzano, Bressanone, Chiusa, Fortezza and Trento. From there you can continue by public transport (see information on guest cards below). Hotels and sustainable accommodation usually offer a shuttle service.

Another cheap and sustainable option is the long-distance coach. FlixBus, for example, offers direct connections to South Tyrol, with stops in Bolzano, Bressanone, Chiusa, Vipiteno, Merano, Lana and Marlengo. Many accommodations are easily accessible from these stops, for example via the “Südtirol Transfer“, which offers a shuttle service to many vacation accommodations.

For more information on new train connections in Italy and how they contribute to sustainable travel, see my article: Italy by Rail – New trains from 2024 to promote sustainable travel.

Guest Cards: Local sustainable mobility

The good news: 90 percent of all accommodations in South Tyrol offer you the South Tyrol Guest Pass or a regional alternative free of charge. With the Guest Pass you can use all buses and trains for free. And that’s not all: many cable cars are also part of the public transport system! 🙂

In addition to the South Tyrol Guest Pass, there is the Val Gardena Guest Pass in Val Gardena, the DolomitiMobil Card in Villnöss, and the Dolomites Active Card for East Tyrol (Austria). These cards are usually included in the price of your room and encourage environmentally friendly transportation during your stay.

Tip: Ask your accommodation provider if you can have the guest card sent to you by the hotel before you arrive, or if they can provide you with login details for an e-version. This will allow you to use the card as soon as you arrive.

Sustainable accommodation in the Dolomites

The Dolomites offer a range of sustainably managed hotels and apartments. Two very special ones are part of the Green PearlsⓇ network.

Paradiso Pure.Living Vegan Hotel: Art Hotel on the Seiser Alm

The Paradiso Pure.Living Vegan Hotel is not a hotel like any other, but an avant-garde art hotel with an artists’ circle, ongoing contemporary art exhibitions, and 100% vegan cuisine under the direction of Chef Aggeliki Charami (“the rock star of vegan cuisine”).

The hotel is located on the famous Seiser Alm, Europe’s largest high alpine pasture at over 2000 meters. It offers a combination of natural luxury, plant-based cuisine and a holistic sustainability concept. In addition to close proximity to nature and vegan gourmet cuisine, you can enjoy exclusive spa and yoga facilities. Plus, the ski slopes and hiking trails are right outside your door! The hotel is committed to minimizing its environmental footprint and promoting a conscious lifestyle in harmony with nature.

My Arbor – Tree hotel near Brixen on the Plose

Closer to city life is the adults-only hotel My Arbor. Located 15 minutes by car from Brixen, it is a tree hotel built on stilts that blends harmoniously into the forests of the Plose. Its architecture gives you the feeling of living in the treetops, allowing you to combine urban culture with relaxation in nature. The hotel offers modern suites with panoramic views, a spacious spa with indoor and outdoor areas, and a cuisine that uses regional and seasonal products. The proximity of the Plose cable car allows you to reach hiking and skiing areas without a car.

Sustainable enjoyment in the Dolomites – selected restaurants and refuges

The Dolomites offer not only breathtaking scenery, but also culinary experiences that focus on sustainability and local produce.

OMNIA – Vegetarian gourmet cuisine on the Alpe di Siusi

OMNIA, part of the Paradiso Pure.Living Vegan Hotel, is open to external guests and is a pioneer of vegan cuisine in the Dolomites. The extraordinary restaurant seats only 10 people and offers a 9-course menu for everyone, personally presented by Chef Aggeliki Charami and her team.

Here, Alpine, Mediterranean and Asian flavors merge to create creative, plant-based dishes of the highest quality. Ingredients are primarily sourced from organic farms and the local region, minimizing the environmental footprint.

Profanter Naturbäckerei – Traditional craftsmanship in Brixen

At the Profanter Naturbäckerei, bread is baked with passion and respect for the environment. They only use heirloom grains that are ground in the bakery’s own stone mill without any additives. The bakery in Brixen supplies the Hotel My Arbor, among others, and relies on regional organic ingredients and renewable energy sources in its production.

Here on the blog I interviewed Benjamin Profanter about sustainable bread.

Other sustainable places to enjoy good food

• AlpINN: Located in Bruneck in the Puster Valley in the Dolomites, this is the restaurant of 3-star chef Norbert Niederkofler. Known for his “Cook the Mountain” concept, he creates dishes using local, seasonal ingredients. His longtime sous chef, Berni Aichner, is now head chef at our Green PearlsⓇ partner OLM Nature Escape. An energy self-sufficient aparthotel in Sand in Taufers. Also in South Tyrol, but not in the Dolomites. Berni Aichner regularly hosts cooking events there – most recently together with Reinhold Messner.
  
• Huber Schwaige: “The Huber Schweige hut on the Seiser Alm advertises itself as “home-style cooking straight from the farm”. This traditional alpine hut offers a magnificent view of the Dolomites while serving South Tyrolean specialties.​
• Rifugio Scotoni: This mountain hut has been run by the same family for over 50 years and is known for its authentic cuisine and the use of local ingredients. It is located in the Fanes Group and is an ideal place to stop during a hike..​
• Ütia de Börz: Another mountain hut known for its use of local ingredients. Located at the foot of the Peitlerkofel at an altitude of over 2,000 meters, this hut offers traditional Ladin dishes and is committed to the conscious use of resources.

Experience nature with respect – sustainable activities and highlights in the Dolomites

When you travel in the Dolomites, you quickly realize that the mountains aren’t just for rushing through, but for taking the time to stop and appreciate them. Whether you’re on a panoramic hike, watching the sun rise quietly from the summit, or on a guided wildlife tour, sustainable experiences and slow travel are the order of the day.

#1 Nature Parks

A highlight are the nature parks, such as the Schlern-Rosengarten Nature Park or the Puez-Geisler Nature Park. They offer well-marked trails, information centers, and guided tours with rangers who provide an in-depth look at alpine flora and fauna.

#2 Mountain Sports

If you prefer something more athletic, you can opt for gentle mountain sports such as rock climbing, biking (on the trails!!!) or ski touring – ideally with certified guides and without motorized assistance if possible.

#3 Wildlife and bird watching

Sunrise game viewing or bird watching are also wonderful ways to connect with nature and learn firsthand that this earth is also inhabited by other creatures that need its habitat! This is best done with local guides and rangers.

The typical wild animals in the Dolomites are:

• Chamois
• Ibex
• Marmot
• Red Deer
• Roe Deer
• Foxes
• Snow Hare

Special bird species:

• Golden Eagle
• Alpine Chough
  
• Black Grouse and Capercaillie (rare, but if you are lucky you may see them)
  
• Eagle Owl
  
• Tawny Owl
  
• Spotted Nutcracker
  
• Wallcreeper
  
• Ring Ouzell

#4 Herbal walks and themed trails

Herbal walks with local experts are a popular way to combine nature and culture. Many regions also offer themed trails, such as the Zans Nature Experience Trail in the Villnöss Valley, which teach knowledge in a playful way.

#5 Skiing

Skiing, at least downhill skiing, isn’t exactly what you’d call slow travel. But since the famous Dolomiti Superski ski area is located here, we wanted to mention it. Dolomiti Superski is one of the largest ski resorts in the Alps. It connects 12 individual ski resorts and about 1,200 kilometers of slopes. Thanks to its location in the middle of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a lot is being done here to promote sustainability. (That doesn’t mean there aren’t any snow cannons, though). That’s why we’ve put together 7 tips for a sustainable ski vacation, which you can also apply to a winter vacation in the Dolomites.

Small acts, big effects – your contribution to sustainable travel

We don’t need to tell you again that sustainable tourism depends not only on what is offered, but also on your own behavior. But we’ll tell you anyway 🙂

Besides the usual tips (bring your own water bottle, use public transport, etc.), it’s especially important in the Dolomites to stay on the marked trails to protect the fragile vegetation!

When observing wild animals, keep a safe distance. Do not frighten the animals, do not take pictures with flash or feed them! Tours with local guides are ideal. They know how to behave in nature and around wild animals. They can also tell you a lot of interesting facts. They also know the animals’ favorite places, so you’re more likely to see the rarer inhabitants of the Dolomites.

Tip: Perhaps you may take advantage of your vacation in the Dolomites to try a new way of life, such as a plant-based diet. The hosts of the Paradiso Pure.Living Vegan Hotel report in an interview that many of their guests do not live a vegan lifestyle at home, but are curious and open to trying a plant-based diet while staying with them. Who knows – you might discover some new favorite dishes.

Conscious, relaxed, and inspiring

The Dolomites are a unique natural and cultural heritage that inspires awe and reflection. Between vegan gourmet cuisine, gentle adventures, and alpine mindfulness, modern tourism can and must work in harmony with nature.

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Sustainable cuisine is complex and in most cases cannot be described in general terms. Is organic always better than local? Should we avoid imports or is it better to support fair trade companies? Is it justifiable to eat meat or fish? And if so, how?

In this article, we will explore different concepts and introduce you to actors who are rethinking sustainable nutrition. At the end of the article, you will find concrete tips on how to make your own diet more sustainable.

Table of Contents

What is sustainable cuisine?

Digression: Is a sustainable diet a healthy diet?

The big questions: What is truly sustainable?

Local vs. organic – which concept makes sense where?

The benefits of local food

The benefits of organic food

Fair Trade vs. Import Bans – Global justice or local economic development?

No vanilla or coffee

APIPURA hotel rinner shows how to find the right balance

Animal Products vs. Plant Based Diets – Is veganism automatically more sustainable?

LA VIMEA created the vegan hotel industry in Italy

Seasonality, short supply chains and carbon footprint

Hotels and restaurants with their own agriculture

Trend concept: Farm-to-Table

Ancient grains and heirloom fruits

Nose-to-Tail and Root-to-Leaf

Waste prevention in gastronomy

1.9 million tons of food waste annually

Zero Waste Buffets

“Only 5 grams of food waste per guest”

Specialties and hot dishes to order

Sustainable Michelin-star cuisine – is it possible?

The Michelin Green Star

Sustainable culinary delights in Bavaria: 2-star restaurant Eisvogel

Vegan Fine Dining at OMNIA Plant-based Restaurant

Global Justice: Who pays the cost of our food?

Food justice and other fair concepts

Sustainable eating in everyday life – what can you do?

Conclusion: Small steps with a big impact

What is sustainable cuisine?

Sustainable cuisine means organizing food and beverage consumption in a way that minimizes environmental impact, conserves resources, reduces emissions and waste, preserves biodiversity, respects animal welfare, and ensures fair and social conditions for all people along the supply chain.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) defines its vision of sustainable food and agriculture as one in which food is nutritious and accessible to all, and natural resources are managed in ways that sustain ecosystem functions to meet present and future human needs.

This brief definition illustrates the complexity of sustainable cuisine. In addition, there are regional characteristics and – something we don’t want to forget here on our blog – it should also be healthy and taste good! Sustainability alone is not enough when it comes to food, whether at home or in a restaurant or hotel.

Digression: Is a sustainable diet a healthy diet?

Not necessarily. Living on nothing but vegan, fair trade chocolate and organic wine may be okay from a sustainability standpoint, but it won’t improve your health. However, there is a lot of overlap between sustainable and healthy eating.

 

The big questions: What is truly sustainable?

Local vs. organic – which concept makes sense where?

The question of local vs. organic is somewhat controversial. A survey of sustainable hotels and accommodations in the Green Pearls® network shows that most restaurateurs (88.3%) try to implement both, i.e. mostly using regional products that are certified organic. If this is not possible, 46% give priority to regional products, while 11.5% give priority to organic quality.

The benefits of local food:

• Virtually no CO2 emissions from transportation: Imagine that you can buy “FIJI water” in Germany, even though the Fiji Islands are 16,000 km away, or that a hotel in Hong Kong serves its guests VOSS water from Norway. Delicacies such as special figs (each individually wrapped in Styrofoam) travel around the world by air and refrigerated transport. The ecological footprint of such luxury goods is disastrous! Buying local food directly from the producer eliminates emissions, transportation costs and often storage.
• Freshness: Especially hotels with their own agriculture according to the “farm-to-table” concept can cut, process and serve lettuce immediately. This freshness guarantees not only an intense taste, but also the full preservation of nutrients.
• Trust: Many restaurateurs visit the farm and see for themselves how the chickens that lay the eggs live, how the vegetables are grown, and how the workers are treated. Most importantly, they know the personal attitudes and beliefs of the farmer. In many cases, this is more valuable than a label.
• Strengthen your local economy: A hotel, restaurant, or even you are part of a community. By supporting local businesses, you are maintaining good neighborly relations and helping the people in your area.

Disadvantages:

• Local food may come from conventional agriculture, where pesticides are used
• Local farms may be among those that use genetically modified seeds
• Local meat products may come from factory farming (animals are given antibiotics, live in unnatural conditions, unnatural environments, receive high-tech feed, and are tortured)

The benefits of organic food:

• Support for organic farming
• Organic farming works without pesticides: The absence of chemical pesticides is of enormous value, especially for:
  • Your health: No pesticide residues in your food. However, there is no scientific evidence that organic fruits and vegetables contain more vitamins and nutrients. We took a closer look at the research in the article on whether organic food is healthier.
  • The health of field workers by eliminating the need to work with chemicals and potentially harmful substances.
  • Biodiversity: Organic farming has been shown to increase biodiversity. Pesticides not only kill pests, but also beneficial insects.
  • Soil and groundwater protection: Pesticides and fertilizers leach from fields into the soil, entering the water cycle. In organic farming, both soil water and groundwater are measurably less polluted.
  • Soil fertility: is measurably higher than on comparable, conventionally farmed areas.

Disadvantages:

• If organic food is grown on the other side of the world, it has traveled a long way, causing more CO2 emissions.
• The organic label tells us nothing about the working conditions.

We would categorize it as follows:

Best: Regional organic products

Second best: Regional products that may not have an organic label, but where there is a personal relationship with the producer and the conditions under which the animals are raised and the food is produced are known.

Third best: organic food from the wider region (e.g. Europe)

By far the worst: industrial mass production of food (keyword: factory farming) and export products shipped from far away when local alternatives are available.

 

Fair Trade vs. Import Bans – Global justice or local economic development?

The question of whether local is always best brings us directly to the issue of fair trade and the distribution of wealth through trade. Just as there are people and companies in the restaurant industry who buy Fair Trade products to offer their guests variety or a certain level (e.g. in Michelin-starred cuisine), there are also some who refuse to import. Which is the right way? For most, it is a compromise and a constant re-evaluation of the arguments.

No vanilla or coffee

One such chef who completely avoids imports is Ricky Saward of Seven Swans in Frankfurt. He was the first vegan celebrity chef and takes a number of radical approaches, including avoiding almost all spices. Not just vanilla from Madagascar, but pepper, lemon and olive oil.

Would you be willing to limit your diet to local products so consistently? And does it even make sense in terms of the global community? We see a parallel here with travel. If we all just vacationed in our (already quite rich) home countries and nobody traveled further, there would be less emissions from air travel, but an important (and for some countries the most important) economic factor would be lost.

Many people find well-paid, secure jobs in fair trade cooperatives, enabling them to provide for themselves and their families. This income allows children to go to school instead of earning money. It strengthens women’s independence and often supports small or family-run businesses and producers.

APIPURA hotel rinner shows how to find the right balance

We believe the best approach, shared by many of our partners, is to find a middle ground that works for each individual. For example, the APIPURA hotel rinner in South Tyrol is a hotel that is very committed to local organic food. They were one of the first businesses in the region to establish the “Bio Fair Südtirol” label in the hospitality industry. Chef and host Manfred Rinner uses organic meat, vegetables and fruit from the South Tyrol region in his kitchen. The hotel also serves coffee and desserts with chocolate. In this case, care is taken to use fair trade or organic products.

Animal Products vs. Plant Based Diets – Is veganism automatically more sustainable?

The answer to that question is a resounding yes. Meat and dairy products cause by far the highest CO2 emissions. According to a study by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (ifeu) in Heidelberg, Germany, which compared the environmental impact of around 200 food products in 2020, beef is second only to pineapples shipped by air. According to the study, vegans who eat half an air-transported pineapple for breakfast every day could be committing a greater ecological sin than people who eat a beef steak once a week. But there are far more of the latter than the former. To be honest, we doubt that vegans even exist… What we do know is that there are many, many people who eat butter, cheese, and sausage every day – and who may even eat beef more than once a week.

Incidentally, the study shows something even more important than that flying pineapples have a worse environmental impact than beef: plant-based foods have, on average, a significantly lower carbon footprint than animal products. It is therefore undeniable that sustainable cuisine should focus on plant-based cooking and limit the consumption of meat, fish, milk and eggs. It’s best to cook fresh food as often as possible! Vegan convenience foods (and especially non-vegan convenience foods) also have a fairly high environmental footprint.

LA VIMEA created the vegan hotel industry in Italy

Due to the growing popularity of veganism, more and more sustainable hotels are offering vegetarian and vegan dishes as standard on their menus. However, there are few that consistently and exclusively use vegan products.

The adults-only hotel LA VIMEA in Naturno, South Tyrol, can claim to be the first completely vegan hotel in Italy in 2016. Not only the food, but also all materials and products used in the hotel are vegan. The hostess, Valeria Caldarelli, comes from a long line of hoteliers and discovered the vegan lifestyle herself. Almost the entire family lives a vegan lifestyle – and gently teaches it to their guests. Daughter Franziska opened the first vegan accommodation in Tuscany and sons Maximilian and Alexander opened the first vegan hotel on the Seiser Alm.

Seasonality, short supply chains and carbon footprint

The products with the smallest ecological footprint are the plant-based products that are in season where you live. So, eating sustainably also means eating seasonally.

Hotels and restaurants with their own agriculture

There are a few hotels and restaurants that use their own products in their kitchens. The ADLER Lodge RITTEN and the ADLER Spa Resort SICILIA are exemplary in this respect. During the planning and construction of the latter, agricultural fields and gardens were taken into account, from which the hotel kitchen can directly obtain products. A few years ago, a diversified cottage garden was created on the Ritten, tended by the young farmers of the area. They cultivate what is native to the area and grows well there. In Sicily, for example, they grow oranges and lemons, while in South Tyrol they cultivate tubers such as potatoes and beets.

The Pavilions Himalayas – The Farm in Nepal has even managed to convert the surrounding fields into certified organic farms. Local farmers have received special training and the resort provides them with a direct market for their organic produce.

Trend concept: Farm-to-Table.

There are now a number of terms that describe the concept of hotels and restaurants with their own agriculture, as explained above:

• Farm-to-table – This term, probably the best known, describes the direct link between agricultural production and gastronomy. Ideally, the chef picks up the produce directly from the field.
• Farm-to-Fork – Similar to farm-to-table, this term emphasizes an extremely short supply chain from the field to the kitchen to the diner’s plate (or fork).
• Field-to-Fork – is another expression for this.
• Zero-Kilometer-Food– This term, used primarily in Italy and Spain, means that food is sourced locally, which not only ensures it is seasonal and fresh, but also minimizes transportation emissions.
• Garden-to-Table – This is a term used specifically for hotels and restaurants that have their own garden or small farm.
• Pasture-to-Plate – Specific to sustainably raised meat and dairy products.
• Hyperlocal Food – A modern term for food that is produced and consumed locally, often on the premises of a hotel or restaurant.

Ancient grains and heirloom fruits

In this context, we would like to mention another trend in sustainable cuisine. For many people, it is not just a matter of using locally grown produce that is organically grown, but also of preserving and using natural ingredients

Benjamin Profanter, a natural baker from Brixen, uses and recommends baking breads from ancient grains. Heirloom grains are grains that were grown before industrial agriculture. According to Benjamin, heirloom grains are ideal for organic farming because they do not require pesticides and herbicides, unlike highly bred grains. From a nutritional and psychological point of view, heirloom grains are also better because they contain more nutrients.

The Bread Sommelier supplies his all-natural bakery to two of our sustainable Green PearlsⓇ partners in the region: My Arbor, a wellness hotel built on stilts in the treetops, and OLM Nature Escape, an energy-independent aparthotel in the middle of nature.

Nose-to-Tail and Root-to-Leaf.

Another interesting thing about sustainable cuisine is that, as far as possible, EVERYTHING is used from the slaughtered animal or food. Offal, for example, went out of fashion for a long time, but is now coming back with the idea of sustainability. One proponent of the nose-to-tail concept is chef Manuel Madei of Gut Sonnenhausen near Munich. In our culinary guide to Bavaria, he recommends classic Bavarian dishes like “Saures Lüngerl” and “Leberknödelsuppe”. 

Modern chefs (who still prepare meat) are beginning to boil down bones for broth and turn the fat back into lard. The landlord of Gut Sonnenhausen, Georg Schweisfurth, is a trained butcher himself and gets his meat from nearby organic partner farms of the Herrmannsdorfer Landwerkstätten.

Root to Leaf is a similar concept for plants, using the leaves, stems and skins to create chips, vegetable broths, unusual garnishes and more.

Waste prevention in gastronomy

From root to leaf or nose to tail, it is not difficult to make the connection to waste management. After all, holistic recycling is part of the Zero Waste Cooking concept, which declares war on food waste in the restaurant industry. But packaging waste is also a huge problem. Preventing both touches every aspect of a restaurant, hotel, café, or even your home:

• Planning
• Purchasing
• Storage
• Training staff (or training other family members in the household)
• Presenting the dishes
• Involving guests

1.9 million tons of food waste annually

In Germany alone, 1.9 million tons of food is thrown away every year, according to the Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband. According to the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA), food waste at buffets is a particularly big problem.

Zero Waste Buffets

Sustainable accommodations, such as those in the Green Pearls® network, have sophisticated concepts to avoid waste and wastefulness at the hotel breakfast buffet.

“Only 5 grams of food waste per guest”

The Hotel Luise in Erlangen, for example, has managed to ensure that each guest leaves an average of just five grams of food at the breakfast buffet. An “intelligent plate allocation with small plates” is particularly effective. At the end of breakfast, the trays are not automatically replenished, but the staff actively asks the guests what they would like. Another slice of cheese? Another slice of cheese. Whatever is left over from the buffet is distributed among the staff at the end.

Specialties and hot dishes to order

The combination of buffet and table service has proven to be a good solution for many restaurants and accommodations. The Lifestylehotel SAND at the Baltic Sea, for example, has a buffet and a front cooking station where egg dishes are freshly prepared on request. This also makes it economically viable to use high-quality organic eggs.

At the SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA in Bad Herrenalb, you can also experience an exemplary zero-waste buffet. For example, there is no disposable packaging. Instead of portions of butter, there is a butter machine, and instead of packaged jams, there are small jars. You won’t find any disposable plastic, only organic products. Food waste from the kitchen (even cooked food) goes to ReFood. The company uses the organic waste to produce electricity, heat, organic fertilizer, and biodiesel. Composting and recycling with subsequent reuse, for example, in vegetable growing, is also known as circular gastronomy.

Sustainable Michelin-star cuisine – is it possible?

Cuisine cannot be about sustainability alone. Taste and enjoyment are always part of it. However, to this day, there is a misconception in the fine dining industry that “exquisite ingredients” must come from far away.

South Tyrolean three-star chef Norbert Niederkofler, who has sustainably revolutionized Italian haute cuisine, proves that this is not true. With his “Cook the Mountain” concept, he pursues a philosophy based exclusively on seasonal and regional ingredients. He places great emphasis on respecting natural cycles and reducing waste to a minimum..

His consistent focus on sustainability has been recognized many times: in addition to the three Michelin stars, his former restaurant St. Hubertus also received a Green Star, which is awarded for special commitment to sustainability. Incidentally, Berni Aichner was Norbert Niederkofler’s sous chef for many years. He is now the executive chef at OLM Nature Escape.

The Michelin Green Star

The Green Michelin Star was introduced in 2020, recognizing restaurants that stand out for their environmentally friendly operations and respectful use of natural resources. Criteria for this award include using local and seasonal products, reducing food waste, and using energy-saving technologies. ​

​

“We wanted to give more visibility to restaurateurs who focus on sustainability and recognize them for their efforts” – Director of the Michelin Guide for Germany, Austria and Switzerland in conversation with Green Pearls®.

 

Sustainable culinary delights in Bavaria: 2-star restaurant Eisvogel

The Eisvogel restaurant, part of the 5-star Der Birkenhof***** Spa & Genussresort wellness hotel in Bavaria, also shows that sustainability and Michelin-star cuisine are not mutually exclusive.

Chef Sebastian Obendorfer – a member of the host family – runs the two-Michelin-starred restaurant with great devotion to the region and the seasons. His philosophy: modern German cuisine with deep roots in the Upper Palatinate and international influences.

The dishes are prepared with fresh ingredients from mostly small, regional producers, wild herbs that grow in the surrounding forests, or fish from nearby waters. Careful preparation and short transport routes are also consistently observed. Still, the hotel cannot do without imports. In some areas, guest expectations stand in the way. However, in combination with the resort’s overall sustainable concept – from renewable energy to regional architecture and plastic-free room furnishings – the Eisvogel is a prime example of what responsible gourmet cuisine can look like today.

Vegan Fine Dining at OMNIA Plant-based Restaurant

The Paradiso Pure.Living Vegan Hotel on the Seiser Alm has been home to the OMNIA restaurant since December 2024, a project dear to the hearts of Chef Aggeliki Charami and the two hotel managers, Maximilian and Alexander. There are only six tables and a special dining experience with nine vegan courses, each personally explained by the chef. Vegan cuisine is still rarely awarded with stars, but it doesn’t necessarily need them for an exclusive fine dining experience. What do you think?

Global Justice: Who pays the cost of our food?

Sustainable cooking does not end with the product – it also takes a critical look at the global context of food. Often, it is others who pay the price for our (cheap) food: people working in precarious conditions in agriculture or food production, often without fair wages or adequate occupational safety.

At the same time, many people around the world are denied access to healthy, sustainable food due to economic, geographic or social barriers. The massive food waste mentioned above, which occurs primarily in wealthy countries, is also an ethical issue: while we throw away tons of food, millions of people around the world go hungry.

More and more culinary concepts are addressing these challenges. The Planetary Diet, for example, focuses on a diet with the lowest possible carbon footprint. In the self-test of the Planetary Diet app, we found that, in addition to meat, chocolate bars are also big emitters. Regenerative Cuisine supports farmers who use regenerative methods to conserve and even restore soil, water, and biodiversity.

Food justice and other fair concepts

Sustainable cuisine also focuses on social aspects – or at least it should. Food justice advocates for fair conditions in food production and fair distribution. Other approaches to promoting global justice in the food system include:

• Slow Food – A counter-movement to fast food with a focus on local food and traditional craftsmanship.
• Ethical Eating – Eating with ethical considerations, e.g., fair trade, animal-friendly products.
• Blue Economy – Sustainable use of marine resources in the culinary arts.

Technological and practical solutions, such as solar cooking, also show how conscious cooking can be made more energy sustainable.

Sustainable eating in everyday life – what can you do?

As you can see, the issue is complex and not nearly as private or personal as we sometimes imagine. Sustainable cuisine and sustainable nutrition always take place in the context of our society and our planet. This may sound big and confusing, and like it might ruin your appetite, but don’t worry! There are some simple choices you can make in your everyday life that will make your culinary enjoyment a little more sustainable.

#1 Use leftovers creatively

Get creative with what you already have around the house. Use vegetable scraps to make soup, toast old bread, or turn them into breadcrumbs or dumplings. Plan your grocery shopping to minimize leftovers, and freeze leftovers before they go bad.

#2 Buy local and seasonal produce or grow your own

Locally grown food travels farther and often has a smaller carbon footprint. Seasonal calendars can help you buy local fruits and vegetables at the right time of year. Or you can go to the market and be inspired by what’s available. It tastes fresher – and you’re supporting local businesses.

You can also grow your own herbs and vegetables. Here are some tips for planning a raised bed. But be careful: urban gardening is not always better than its regional counterpart at the market.

#3 Look for seals – and understand them

Not every green label represents true sustainability. Learn what the organic, fair trade, or MSC seals mean. Choose products with credible and comprehensive certifications such as Demeter, Naturland, or Bioland.

For example, Utopia’s seal guide gives you a good overview.

#4 Explore alternatives

Sustainable living is an ongoing process, and you will always learn something new. Be open to new products. Try the soda or cola from the local brewery instead of the sugary varieties from the soft drink giants. Instead of orange juice, try other (local) fruit juices. And how about mushrooms instead of chicken?

#5 Boycott crazy luxury trends

Example: Voss or FIJI water. Such products come from far away, have a devastating impact on the environment, and in the vast majority of cases are completely unnecessary. Tap water in Germany, for example, is strictly controlled and usually of excellent quality. It’s better to invest in a water filter (if you live in an area with very hard water) and a nice, reusable bottle for when you’re out and about.

Likewise, you don’t have to try every ice cream flavor from Korea that goes viral on social media. Sure, it tastes delicious, but really, come on?

#6 Radically reduce meat consumption – or go vegetarian or vegan

From an environmental point of view, going vegan right away is definitely the best decision. However, we understand that this is not an option or possible for everyone. If you don’t want to give up meat or animal products completely, choosing to eat only local organic meat can make a big difference. Such meat (and other animal products of higher organic quality) is considerably more expensive, and for that reason alone, you will buy it less often and enjoy it more consciously. Find a source in your area. Avoid all meat products in the supermarket, as well as any meat whose origin you do not know (e.g. the salami on a pizza).

Conclusion: Small steps with a big impact

Sustainable food is more than a private project – it is a community effort. Restaurateurs, hoteliers, and producers have as much responsibility as we do as consumers. Every conscious purchase, every saved food item, and every plate without factory-farmed meat is a contribution to a more just and ecological food system. Of course, we realize that we as individuals cannot necessarily save the world. But every climate- and society-friendly decision is an important step in the right direction.

Our Green Pearls® partners demonstrate that sustainability and enjoyment are not mutually exclusive. Every day, they prove that respectful use of resources, fair conditions, and culinary excellence can go hand in hand. And that is exactly the kind of change we need – at all levels.

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Paris is also planning multiple projects to increase green space in the city and to make main thoroughfares more pedestrian-friendly. In fact, Paris is currently ranked as the #1 greenest city in Europe based on air quality, pollution, green spaces, bodies of water, wildlife areas, and more.

Paris’s emphasis on sustainability and environmentally friendly advancements extends to its culinary scene. If you’re looking for local, sustainable, or vegetarian dining options in the city, you’ll have plenty of places to choose from.

Sustainable Dining in Paris and Benefits of Choosing Eco-friendly Dining Options

For foodies, a trip to Paris is a dream come true. Paris is one of the world’s great food cities. After all, France’s culinary traditions dominated fine dining around the world for decades, and its influence is still strong today. From the Latin Quarter to Saint Germain and everywhere in between, the city is known for its quintessentially Parisian cafes and bistros, Michelin-starred restaurants, and street food like crepes and sandwiches. None are better than the lesser-known haunts of Le Marais.

As an increasingly sustainable and eco-conscious city, Paris’s dining scene has also seen an increased focus on local products, sustainable practices, and plant-based options.

Choosing sustainable and eco-friendly dining options in Paris offers numerous benefits, both for you and the environment.

Of course, opting for sustainable dining helps reduce the environmental impact of food production and consumption. Sustainable practices such as organic farming, local sourcing, and minimizing food waste contribute to biodiversity conservation, soil health, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Choosing eco-friendly dining options is also a great way to support local communities.

Many eco-friendly restaurants in Paris prioritize sourcing ingredients from local farmers and producers. By patronizing these establishments, you support local economies, strengthen community ties, and promote sustainable livelihoods for small-scale farmers and artisans.

Sustainable dining also often emphasizes fresh, seasonal ingredients that are minimally processed. Such foods tend to be richer in nutrients and free from harmful additives. They offer diners healthier meal options that can contribute to overall well-being and improved health outcomes.

Exploring Eco-Friendly Restaurants

If you want to experience some of the best food Paris has to offer while supporting sustainable dining, consider these Michelin-star options:

Le George – Housed within the Four Seasons Hotel George V, Le George offers a Mediterranean-inspired menu of light and flavorful dishes. Under Chef Simone Zanoni, the Michelin-starred Le George is dedicated to sustainable gastronomy. E. g. emphasizing seasonal ingredients grown in their own garden. The restaurant’s elegant setting provides a backdrop for its sophisticated yet environmentally-conscious cuisine. It aims to deliver a dining experience that is both luxurious and responsible.

Table – Table is a restaurant by renowned chef Bruno Verjus. It stands out for its commitment to showcasing sustainably sourced ingredients. Located in the 12th arrondissement, Table is celebrated for its direct approach to fine dining, focusing on the purity and quality of the produce. The menu is a reflection of the best available ingredients each season has to offer, often changing based on what is fresh and available.

Septime – Septime has a Michelin star and has been listed among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Led by chef Bertrand Grébaut, the restaurant has earned acclaim for its modern, seasonal, and sustainably sourced dishes. Septime’s relaxed yet refined atmosphere, coupled with its dedication to eco-friendly practices, has made it a must-visit for those seeking a dining experience that is both gastronomically exceptional and environmentally conscious.

Vegetarian and Vegan Options in Paris

Vegetarian and vegan lifestyles have slowly become more common in Paris. The People’s evolving preferences are reflected in the latest developments in the city’s cuisine.

Plant-based diets are increasingly popular not only for their health benefits but also for their benefits for the environment, as meat processing and production is a major contributor to pollution and climate change.

Great options for vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Paris include:

Le Potager de Charlotte – Le Potager de Charlotte is a pioneering vegan restaurant in Paris. It was founded by brothers David and Adrien Valentin. Their mission is to offer a cuisine that respects the environment, animals, and human health. The restaurant’s commitment to sustainability is evident in its use of organic, plant-based ingredients, emphasizing local and seasonal produce.

Le Grenier de Notre Dame – As one of Paris’s first vegetarian (and now offering vegan options) restaurants, Le Grenier de Notre Dame has been a source of eco-friendly dining since its opening in 1978. Located near the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, this restaurant prioritizes organic ingredients, with many dishes also suitable for vegans.

Le Potager du Marais – Le Potager du Marais serves up traditional French cuisine with a vegan twist, housed in a quaint setting in the Marais district. This restaurant is dedicated to sustainable dining, using organic, plant-based ingredients to craft its dishes.

Jah Jah – Jah Jah by Le Tricycle is known for its vibrant and health-conscious approach to dining, with a menu that features vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free Afro-Carribean options.

Boneshaker Donuts – Just because you’re vegan doesn’t mean you need to miss out on Paris’s celebrated bakeries. This American-style donut shop offers a selection of handmade donuts prepared with organic ingredients, catering to both traditional and innovative tastes.

Sustainable Dining Practices for Travelers

Earth-conscious travelers will find no shortage of choices for sustainable dining while traveling in Paris. To make the most of your eco-friendly Paris experience

• consider walking or renting a bicycle to explore the city up close while minimizing your carbon footprint.
• Visit local markets and producers to try fresh, local ingredients. Markets like Marché Biologique des Batignolles and Marché Biologique Raspail are great places to sample organic and locally sourced produce.

By following these tips, travelers can enjoy the rich culinary landscape of Paris in a way that respects the environment and contributes to the sustainability of the local food culture.

This is a guest article from Eating Europe

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In the tourism industry, this new consumer awareness has already made a difference – many hotels now have vegan and vegetarian dishes on their menus. Often, it is the hotels themselves that are leading the way in the “Planetary Health Diet”. In a moment, we’ll introduce you to some of these hotels. But first, let’s take a look at some of the arguments surrounding the diet.

Advantages of a vegan-vegetarian Diet

I’m not a vegan myself, but it helps to remember the benefits of a plant-based diet:

#1: Climate protection: A plant-based diet produces significantly less CO2 emissions than an animal-based diet. According to the Heidelberg Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, margarine has four times fewer emissions than butter, and a plate of lentils consumes 20 times less CO2 than a beef steak and contains more protein!

#2: Animal welfare: Vegans are innocent of factory farming and animal cruelty. If you can’t give up meat completely, consider where it comes from and buy organic meat whenever possible.

#3: Social justice: Growing food for people instead of animal feed could help fight world hunger.

As for whether a vegan diet has any health benefits (or drawbacks), the science is mixed. The point is that, in general, nutritionally conscious people (i.e., both vegans and people who eat meat only occasionally) live much healthier lives and have lower risks of obesity and various diseases.

Tip: If you don’t want to give up meat, but want to reduce it, start by eliminating all meat-based convenience foods and processed meats (sausages, frozen chops, cold cuts, etc.) from your diet. Numerous studies show that the consumption of processed meat in particular is a cause of diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Vegan-Vegetarian Travel? No Problem in Italy!

If you’re already a vegetarian or vegan, you’ll want to find accommodations that accommodate your diet when you’re on vacation. Northern Italy is a wonderfully vegan-friendly destination, as there are several hotels here that are completely dedicated to a vegan-vegetarian diet.

LA VIMEA: “pure vegan” Hotel in South Tyrol

The attitude towards meat at LA VIMEA is clear: “We do not accept meat consumption in any way and do not believe that it can be sustainable in any way. The hotel in Naturno was the first vegan hotel in Italy and offers creative vegan dishes such as stuffed zucchini flowers, grilled stone fruit, risotto or hay soup.

The hotel has also made sure that all the furnishings are vegan. The hotel’s sustainable wellness program includes a saltwater pool, a natural swimming pond, and daily yoga classes.

Eco Park Hotel Azalea – 100 percent plant-based cuisine

In Trentino, you’ll find the Eco Park Hotel Azalea, which serves an entirely plant-based cuisine. They take care to use as many local products as possible. Flour and cereals come from a traditional Italian stone mill, wild herbs are picked in the meadows and the tap water comes from the Dolomites. This family-run hotel also welcomes vegans and vegetarians. As the name of the hotel suggests, everything here is about flowers and blossoms – and you’ll find one or the other on your plate 😉

Paradiso Pure.Living – Vegetarian travel in the Dolomites

At Paradiso Pure.Living, the vegan-vegetarian menu is designed to keep the ecological footprint to a minimum. The hotel was the first purely vegetarian hotel in the Dolomites and has the best location for an active vacation (summer and winter) in nature.

Tip: The Paradiso Pure.Living shared their hummus recipe with us. (If you’re still looking for a plant-based protein source or a healthy spread). I make hummus almost every week. We have it for breakfast on the weekends with fresh bread. Very tasty, very healthy and keeps you full for a long time.

Eat meat? But consciously!

In the car-free town of Zermatt, overlooking the Matterhorn, is the extraordinary CERVO Mountain Resort. There are no less than three different restaurants, one of which, the BAZAAR, is 100 percent vegetarian. The other two restaurants have meat on the menu, but at an extra cost to offset the extra CO2 generated. The beef comes from farmer Edgar Imhoff, who runs an animal-friendly cattle farm about 30 kilometers outside of Zermatt.

“Sustainable use of natural resources requires a well-thought-out value chain”

CERVO Mountain Resort

Meat from the own pigs

At the Bavarian hotel HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio Allgäu, meat is an integral part of the local cuisine. But sustainability also means ensuring that the pigs, calves and cattle live a life appropriate to their species. Hotelier Marc Traubel says in an interview with Green Pearls®: “We have very, very many of our own pigs for our guests (…) The pigs are down there now, they are fed over the summer, they have a nice life and then at some point, they just end up on our grill.”

A vegetarian option is also a staple of the daily menu. You can even go completely vegan, but you have to order in advance!

Our conclusion: Vegan-vegetarian or meat – You make the difference

As you can see, you don’t always have to wait for the big players to make a difference when it comes to animal welfare and the environment. Consider caged eggs, for example. According to the Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband, 60 percent of German eggs came from caged hens in 2008. By 2021, only 5 percent will come from “small cages” (= larger cages). The reason is that at some point consumers simply refuse to eat eggs from tortured hens and are willing to pay more for them. This could also be the case with meat products.

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So why a vegan Christmas dinner?

If you conjure up a vegan recipe variant, you generally use fewer resources and cause fewer emissions than if you opt for a variant with animal ingredients, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme. So does that motivate you to check out some alternatives to the usual meat classics for your holiday menu this year? For us in any case!

Therefore, we have put together a menu for you from the vegetarian/vegan recipes of our Green Pearls® partners. In this post, we’ll tell you which dishes are suitable for Christmas with family and friends and how to prepare them. Let yourself be inspired 😉

Aperitif

As an appetizer, we found a super delicious sweet potato hummus for you at CERVO Mountain Resort in Zermatt. The sustainable hotel’s kitchen combines oriental, italian and welsh influences in a creative and unique way. The CERVO Mountain Resort kitchen team procures all ingredients regionally, i.e. products come within a maximum radius of 150 km. To accompany the hummus, consider serving vegan lentil chips of your choice or fresh bread for dipping. With this tasty appetizer, you can get yourself and your guests in the right mood for the festive evening. Click here for the recipe!

Appetizer

There’ s nothing like a warm soup as a light appetizer don’t you think? The Naturresort Schindelbruch in Saxony-Anhalt attaches great importance to regional cuisine and has the perfect vegetarian dish for you with its delicious chestnut seed soup . If you eat a vegan diet, or want to whip up a vegan version for someone in your festive party, it works beautifully with this recipe. Simply replace the animal elements of milk, cream and butter with plant-based alternatives made from oats and soy. Have fun preparing it!

Main course

“Sea & Mountains” Dumplings

Some recipes can be wonderfully varied depending on taste or completeness of the ingredient list 😉 The “Sea & Mountains” dumplings by Luca Sordi, chef at the vegan hotel LA VIMEA in South Tyrol, are perfect for this. So get inspired and modify the recipe according to your or your festive guests’ preferences, or cook it 1:1.

Print

Dumplings “Sea & Mountain”

South Tirol mushrooms, seaweed salad and Mediterranean aromas (inspired by the Earth day and plated like the sea).

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword Dumplings, Mushrooms, Vegan

Prep Time 0 minutes minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

The pasta dough

• 300 g Durum wheat semola flour (pasta flour)
• 150 g Water (warm)
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil extra virgin
• 2 g Black charcoal
• 1 pinch Salt

The filling

• 100 g Vegan ricotta (or other vegan mild cheese)
• 300 g Mix of raw mushrooms (Chef Sorte used Oyster and Shitake)
• 2 cloves Garlic
• Aromatic herbs (rosemary, savory, sage, thyme)
• Salt & Pepper

The blue cauliflower cream

• 250 g Cauliflower
• 150 ml Cooking water
• 50 g Seeds oil
• 2 g Blue pea flower powder
• Nutmeg, Salt & Pepper

The seeweed salad

• Seaweed (Chef Sordi used Dulse and Wakame)
• Olive oil extra virgin
• Fresh chili, Lemon zest, Garlic, Parsley

The caviar

• 50 g Tapioca pearls
• olive oil extra virgin
• smoked paprika, salt

The foam

• 150 g Almond Milk
• 8 Juniper berries
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

The Dumplings

• Mix the flour, salt and charcoal.Pour the warm water and oil on top of the dry part and mix energetically (by hand of with help of kitchen aid).

  You need to get a dark gray dough, with plastic texture, not too dry.

  Give to it a rectangular shape, cover with kitchen film and keep it in the fridge for at least one hours.
• Cut the mushroom for the filling and cook them in a super hot pan with olive oil, garlic and herbs. Add salt and pepper just at the end, when well cooked.
• Blend them with the ricotta, getting a homogeneous mix

  Season with fresh thyme or savory and in case more salt and pepper.
• With the help of a rolling pin make a 2 mm pasta sheet.

  Cut the pasta with a round pasta cutter or other circular tools – Chef Sordi made 9 cm but it is up to the final size you want to get. Up to you!
• Put the filling in the center of circular pasta, make the pasta around a bit wet and close it with the technique you prefer. Chef Sordi use a “culurgines” shape (sardinian pasta) – you could find plenty of videos on

  youtube also for similar shapes (gyoza, momo, chineese dumpligs).

  Boil for 4 minutes in salted water.

The blue cauliflower cream

• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Chop the cauliflower in small florets. Put the cauliflower in and cook for 8-9 minutes.

  Blend them, still hot, with some cooking water, the oil, salt pepper nutmeg and blue pea flower color.

The seeweed salad

• Cook the seeweeds according to the pack instructions and cool them down.

  Mix in a little bowl some oil with finely chopped aromas: garlic, chili, lemon zest, parsley.

The caviar

• Cook the tapioca pearl for about 20 minutes or until the pearls are completely transparent.

  Strain them an wash them several time under fresh water.

  Season with oil, salt and smoked paprika.

The foam

• Bring the water to a boil. Turn off and infuse the (previously broken) berries for 15 minutes,

  Remove the berries, add the salt and cool down to about 40°C (just warm).

  Make the foam with the help of a stick blender.
• Warm the cauliflower cream and put couple of spoon on the plate.

  Procede to put the pasta, seasoned with just some oil and fresh herbs.

  Put now the seaweed salad, at room temperature.

  Finish with the smoked caviar, the foam and some cress.

Potato Strudel

The open kitchen concept at Biohotel Sturm in the Rhön means you can watch the kitchen team prepare your order. Use this idea and prepare the menu for the party together with your guests. This will automatically create a happy, relaxed atmosphere in which you can create something as a community, i.e. cook your dinner. On top of that, it’s less work for you as the host and you don’t miss out on anything by standing alone in the kitchen for hours.

The Biohotel Sturm’s vegan potato strudel recipe is perfect for this. If you already cook the potatoes in advance, the rest of the preparation goes really fast. Here’s to good cooperation 😉 Click here for the recipe.

Vegan Neapolitan Cauliflower Salad

Some foods have great stories to tell. So does the Vegan Neapolitan Cauliflower Salad from Chef Paola at Eco Park Hotel Azalea in Trentino. As a rich and traditional side dish, it was traditionally prepared by her grandfather on Christmas Eve. Over the holidays that followed, the family kept adding “leftovers” so that the salad tasted a little different each time. In the process, a folk story was told. Sustainability at Christmas, that’s what it’s all about. Have fun recreating the cauliflower salad and telling stories!

Colorful gnocchi

The next recipe also comes from the kitchen of Eco Park Hotel Azalea. At this amazing resort in Trentino, especially at Christmas, there are incredible things to do for young and old (if you want to learn more, feel free to read on here – LINK to the blog Alternative Winter Vacation). But not only that, the chef Paola knows what children like: colored gnocchi. These delicious potato gnocchi get their different colors with the help of natural plant powder. With the sauce of your choice, this colorful dish is guaranteed to leave nothing on the plate. You can find the recipe here.

Dessert

From the villa wonderland of Keemala, Thailand, we received this unusual and refreshing dessert recipe for an organic, lemon-flavored Longan Cheesecake. After you have had all the hearty, hearty food and probably a piece or two of chocolate or a sugary cookie or two, this lemon dessert is perfect. The Longan fruit used for it is believed to improve skin health and grows on the Longan tree, which belongs to the soap tree family. You can get the ingredients for this special dessert at the Asia Market.

Print

Organic Longan Cheesecake with Lemon Flavor

This refreshing longan cheesecake will sweeten your day or round out your festive menu. Serve with homemade longan tea.

With organic longan, you'll strengthen your immune system and keep your skin healthy, because it contains vitamins C and A, as well as the minerals iron, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Thai

Keyword Cheesecake, Lemon, Longan, tarte

Servings 1 cake

Ingredients

cake

• 250 gr Flour
• 1 Egg
• 70 gr White sugar
• 120 gr Cold butter
• 1 Pinch Salt

Filling

• 125 gr Dried organic longan
• Cinnamon powder
• 125 gr Dried organic longan
• 50 gr Red beans
• 125 gr Orange juice
• 50 gr Lemon yellow
• Almond paste
• 500 gr Cream cheese

Decoration

• 125 gr Fresh strawberry
• 50 gr Blueberry Fresh
• 50 gr Black grape (without seeds)

Notes

Preparation

1. Knead all the ingredients for the short pastry using a food processor for a few minutes. It works the same way with your hands.
2. Press the dough in a tart pan and prick it with a fork to let the steam escape and prevent bubbles from forming under the crust.
3. Once the tart is in the oven, saute the dried longan, red beans, cinnamon, orange juice and salt.
4. After 10 minutes, pour everything on the tart, leaving half for the top layer, then bake it for another 20 minutes at 180 °C.
5. For the last layer, mix the cream cheese with the grated lemon zest and put it on top.
6. Garnish with breadcrumbs and dried longan.
7. Decorate the plate with mixed fruits and edible flowers.

Your Christmas menu can look this creative and appealing without any meat, and optionally even completely without animal ingredients. It sounds incredibly delicious, doesn’t it? Could we inspire you to prepare a vegetarian or vegan menu? Feel free to let us know what you’re serving on Christmas Eve.

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