Our beacons
Swisstainable businesses in the destination of Gstaad
The Swisstainable labels from the Swiss Tourism Foundation are designed to provide guests with guidance about businesses already actively committed to more sustainable tourism. This programme understands sustainable travel not as doing without, but as a more conscious and enjoyable way of travelling. Guests are especially encouraged to consume regional products during their stay and to experience authentic local culture.
Various businesses in the destination of Gstaad have earned a Swisstainable label and are leading the way in sustainability:
Alpina
The 5-star superior hotel in Gstaad is certified with the golden "EarthCheck" - as the first company in Switzerland. The international certification is only achieved with a holistic sustainability management. This includes over 100 ongoing measures and controls in all key areas such as energy efficiency, water resources, ecosystem, air quality, waste management, social and cultural issues, and communication. In addition to this standard, local awareness and exchange is very close to The Alpina Gstaad's heart. Among them are cleanups with Saanen schools and events such as Impact Gstaad. The supply chain is one of the points that can have extreme negative impacts and where mostly only the surface is scratched. That's why local, reusable, responsible and natural products are promoted, all products are analyzed and even in the kitchen the "Zero Waste" philosophy is used to encourage rethinking. Attention is also given to the hotel's own bees, which can be visited by hotel guests in the summer.
Bernerhof
The 4-star hotel in the heart of Gstaad incorporates the "Ibex Fairstay" approach. The focus is on careful use of resources, waste management and the environmental compatibility of purchases and facilities. In addition, the hotel buys directly from regional farms and thus reduces the distance products are transported. Beside buying regional products, with particular attention paid to fair livestock farming, the hotel also harvests its own potatoes in Abländschen (Saanen municipality). The potatoes are planted in early spring, and later in the season you will find them featured on the hotel's menu.
Mountain hotel "zur Sau" in Abländschen
The small but fine mountain hotel "Zur Sau" is located in the village of Abländschen and can be reached from Saanen via the Grieschbach valley. There is now also a connection by post bus in the summertime. The foundation "Prospectus Mons" acts as leaseholder and makes sure that the mountain hotel creates perspectives for the local population and works against emigration. They offer as many fresh products from the region as possible and design their menu "more seasonal than ever". To achieve this, they use almost 100% Abland products that the valley inhabitants raise or sow themselves: Duroc pigs, guinea fowl, potatoes, rye and spelt, but also their own raw milk herb mountain cheese. Through the cooperation with the Hotel Bernerhof in Gstaad, the sales of the products also increase and the added value (e.g. increased milk price for the farmers in the valley) remains in the region. A worthwhile excursion!
Frautschi
The first and so far only retail store in the destination of Gstaad to be awarded the "climate-neutral company" label by Fokus Zukunft. In a first step, all emissions were recorded and now work is being carried out continuously to reduce them. The sports shop in Schönried can cover a large part of its electricity needs with the in-house solar power system on the roof.To this end, it is important for the company to work more and more - if the market allows it - with brands that produce in Europe and thus stand for shorter transport routes, lower emissions and fair remuneration. .
The large rental range is the beacon in terms of sustainability and underlines FRAUTSCHI's great commitment. In addition to renting snow sports equipment in winter and mountain bikes and e-bikes in summer, FRAUTSCHI has also been renting winter sports clothing for many years. Of course, correct waste separation and avoidance of unnecessary packaging material are also part of this. See for yourself and pass by.
Sustainability at the cable cars
The mountain railways are committed to sustainability via different measures. On the roofs of the mountain restaurants La Videmanette and Eggli, as well as on the valley stations Saanersloch and Eggli for example, modern photovoltaic systems have been installed. Additionally, through GPS-supported snow grooming machines and ecological fuel for the snow grooming machines, further resources have been saved.
Together with the Swiss partner Climeworks, the mountain railways of the destination Gstaad is decreasing the difficult to avoid emissions resulting from skiing activities. Winter sports enthusiasts can drop off their KeyCard in one of the boxes at the valley station at the end of the day. For each CHF 5 deposit, Climeworks removes 5kg of CO2 from the air. This is done using a special technology called Direct Air Capture.
Gstaad-Saanenland Youth Hostel
Swiss Youth Hostels are committed to sustainability. By sustainability, they mean the consideration of social and ethical concerns as a whole, as well as the sensible use of resources. All hostels comply with the guidelines in the food & beverage sector (e.g. only Swiss meat, seasonal fruits/vegetables, etc.), construction & buildings (Minergie, prefer good quality instead of cheap, etc.) and heat & electricity (100% electricity from hydropower, solar panels, etc.). The employees are regularly trained in their work areas and try to be even more sustainable every day. Gstaad-Saanenland Youth Hostel opened in June 2014 and offers 42 barrier-free rooms. The Jugi Saanen were created according to the Minergie-P-Eco standard. In 2015, they received the Watt d'Or Prize from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy for excellence in the energy sector in the "Buildings and Space" category.
Sustainable Textile Care - Laundry Gstaad
The Laundry Gstaad was established by local hoteliers and is first cooperative laundry in Switzerland. The goal is and remains that all the hotel laundry is washed locally. The technology used by Laundry Gstaad is unique. The energy and total water consumption could be continually decreased over the last few years, thus protecting valuable resources. This effort was awarded the Watt d’Or in 2014 and the WRP Star in 2017 (award within the laundry industry) for the exemplary concept.
Simmental Arena, Zweisimmen
The great showcase of sustainable construction is the Simmental Arena. It was completed in 2018. The photovoltaic system on the entire southern roof surface generates electricity for up to 45 households (180 000 kWh per year). This multipurpose building was made of 2000 cubic meters of certified Swiss wood for that very reason. Zweisimmen is thus transforming itself from a sunny village to a solar energy village on the Rinderberg. The Simmental Arena was awarded the PlusEnergieBau solar prize in 2018. See for yourself:
Impact Gstaad - from small Gstaad to the big world
Impact Gstaad is a sustainability project of the destination Gstaad, based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The association develops, promotes and accompanies sustainability projects within the destination, implements its own lighthouse projects and networks local and curated international sustainability visionaries with potential investors at three events per year. Let us inspire you!
Bio Suisse farms
Around 85 of the 340 farms in the Saanenland use organic practices. This means that foods grow more naturally and contain virtually no residues such as chemical pesticides, making for healthier ingredients. A number of producers also sell their products directly from the farm. Some examples are listed below.
