Restaurants/ Vienna

Rooftop Bees – Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof

rooftop bees steigenberger hotel herrenhof

The roof of the Steigenberger Hotel Herrenhof is buzzing. Not with hotel guests, but with permanent residents. Since last year three bee colonies live on the rooftop of the hotel and 120kg of honey have already been harvested. Due to the sustainable, in-house honey production, hotel guests get to enjoy the exquisite nectar at the luscious breakfast buffet. 

I was invited to a honey tasting at the hotel and spoiled beyond measures. Not only did I get to taste varieties of their homemade honey, but also the most appealing finger food and drinks, all made with the sweet homemade nectar. My favorite honey was the one with hazelnut butter, which could become the new “Honella” ;)
steigenberger hotel herrenhofsteigenberger hotel herrenhof viennasteigenberger hotel herrenhof vienna honeyrooftop bees steigenberger herrenhof hotelAfter the tasting, I was invited to visit the roof and watch the assiduous bees at work. The hotel beekeeper, Alfred Hauska, told us about urban beekeeping. The hotel is in an ideal location for the bees and the honey from the city is as pure as honey from the countryside. The bees swarm out to the nearby parks where they can help themselves to an ample variety of blossoming flowers.  Alfred Hauska may have the best job with a stunning view of the city, despite getting stung from time to time..

stephansdom vienna steigenberger hotel herrenhofview steigenberger herrenhof hotelhoney steigenberger hotel herrenhofBefore leaving the bees, I even got to taste raw honey straight from the honeycomb, which was an unforgettably delectable experience!

Rooftop bees and urban beekeeping in Vienna is a hot topic right now! Did you know that beehives can also found be found on the roof of the City Hall, the Secession, the Vienna State Opera and the Natural History Museum?

As I experienced urban beekeeping first hand, I will make an effort to buy more regional honey. Wiener Honig, for example also offers unique flavor combinations. Apple Strudel Honey anyone?

Xo Vicki

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7 Comments

  • Reply
    Hellothanh
    August 31, 2015 at 3:39 pm

    Sehr cool.ich habe schon oft von rooftop bees gehört und die Vorführung hätte ich gerne gesehen. Meinen Honig hole ich nicht mehr vom Supermarkt, sondern kaufe ihn von einem Bekannten, der u.a auch Imker ist.

    • Reply
      Vicki
      August 31, 2015 at 4:00 pm

      Es war ein tolles Erlebnis! :) Das klingt super interessant, könntest du mir vielleicht den Kontakt geben?

  • Reply
    Michelle
    September 6, 2015 at 7:11 am

    Wow,
    You are so lucky to have experienced that! I will share this on my Fbook page.
    I am totally craving a taste of sweet honey now :)

    • Reply
      Vicki
      September 7, 2015 at 3:59 am

      Thanks for sharing it Michelle! It was an incredible experience and tasting raw honey was the best! :)

  • Reply
    Kim
    September 6, 2015 at 3:08 pm

    Wow, Honig mit Haselnussbutter hört sich so lecker an!!
    Stadtbienen finde ich wirklich toll! :)
    Ich würde glatt vorschlagen ebenfalls auf dem Hausdach Bienen zu halten, aber meine Nachbarn hätten vermutlich wegen der Kinder Angst :/

    • Reply
      Vicki
      September 7, 2015 at 3:56 am

      Solltest du dich doch dazu entschließen, nehme ich dir gerne Honig ab! ;)

  • Reply
    Fiona McKinna
    September 11, 2015 at 2:30 pm

    Who doesn’t love bees and honey?!! :-) http://www.facebook.com/englishnordiconetsy

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