Our path towards sustainability
Pressekonferenz:
Freitag, 31.7.2020,
Hauptteil: 10-11:30 Uhr
Freiwilliges Rahmenprogramm:
Donnerstag 30.7.2020
- Spaziergang in die Moorlandschaft zu den Glunerseen, anschliessend Apéro
- Übernachtung im Berghaus Arflina
Freitag, 31.7.2020:
- 08:30 Solarfrühstück mit Solarbrot und Solargipfeli
- 10:00 Pressekonferenz
- 11:30 Mittagspause
- 13:30 Testsaunieren
Anmeldung per Tel oder E-Mail:
info@heuberge.ch
+41 81 300 30 70
Mehr Infos:
https://bit.ly/2X1Khop
Highly international - sustainability pioneers in the wellness sector
Finnish national pride in the Swiss mountains
Who doesn’t dream of some rest and relaxation in the middle of nature from time to time? For many, a Finnish summer with a sauna by the lake certainly springs to mind. But what do the Heuberge mountains and Finland have to do with each other? Quite a lot! In Finland, everything revolves around the sauna and the sauna is the most important element in Finnish culture. Since this summer, the world’s first solar sauna has been located in the Heuberge mountains of all places. Naturally, this has caused quite a stir in Finland and the solar sauna has already been reported on in Finland’s most widely circulated and influential daily newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat, as well as in international blogs (TarjasBlog, saunamaailmalla.com).
Small forum in a cold winter, hot ideas for sustainable tourism
The idea for a solar sauna was born at the first HEF (Heuberge Ecologic Forum) in the Heuberge mountains in winter 2020. The HEF focussed on innovative and sustainable solutions. The aim is to create a future model for climate-friendly tourism in the Heuberge mountains, with sustainability and respect for nature at the focus of the activities, so that future generations can also experience their adventures in the middle of the protected high moorland of the Heuberge mountains. At the HEF, cross-cantonal and cross-national sympathies were immediately established. During the cosy get-together between the management of Heuberge AG, consisting of Henrik Vetsch, half finnish, and his partner and initiator of the HEF, Sara Wiesendanger, and the management of the Finnish social and impact company Lytefire, represented by Urs Riggenbach from Solothurn and Eerik Wissenz from Finland-Canada, ideas were immediately sparked. The idea of the solar sauna, and with it a new company (Lytefire Sauna), was born at the HEF.
From the stable in remote Prättigau to the biggest Finnish newspaper
The idea for the solar sauna was then realised in a very short period of time. It was shown that no hot air was created during the HEF, but that it should only be created within a concrete project realisation of the solar sauna and then with a sustainable effect. For the first prototype, an old sauna barrel and a lot of old wood from an old barn in the Heuberge were recycled and converted into a small solar sauna prototype. Sunlight, which is captured and concentrated using mirrors, was used to heat the first sauna stones, which were previously attached as required using chicken fencing and wire mesh. In this way, Urs and Eerik generated the first steam in the sauna in February.The innovation team was thus able to demonstrate that the sauna can be operated with the mirrors of the Lytefire technology developed by Urs and Eerik.The technology, which was originally developed as an alternative to firewood stoves for developing countries in order to reduce the need for wood from increasingly scarce forests, has now been used in the wellness sector for the first time. Of course, they didn’t want to stop at the sauna with improvised fencing, so an upgrade was needed straight away. In collaboration with local timber and steel construction companies Georg Auer from Fideris and Markus Patt from TERNO in Küblis, the next version of the solar sauna was tinkered with. This was tested during the lockdown phase in the unspoilt snowy landscape of the Fideris Heuberge. The pictures of the first steaming solar sauna at 2000 metres above sea level, in the middle of the Swiss Alps, not only attracted the attention of the international sauna association, but also the Finnish press from Helsingin Sanomat.
Finnish summer flair in the Heubergen at 2000 metres above sea level
In order to be able to offer the ideal sauna conditions in summer too, a suitable location had to be found. Sara immediately found an ideal summer location for the sauna. Taking a sauna with a view of the Prättigau mountains and bathing in the cool waters of the small Heuberglake is a great way to relax. Henrik, Urs and Sara tested this out for themselves. Since the summer season, the sauna has of course been bookable for solar pioneers and input is welcome from the open-minded solar sauna team at Lytefire Sauna. The two bloggers Kati Niemi and Tarja prüss also secured a sauna ticket and were able to testify straight away that even with solar operation, the Finnish summer mood is immediately apparent.
The Finnish-Swiss race for sustainable recreation continues
The solar adventure of the Finnish-Swiss co-operation continues. In mid-July, Henrik and Sara flew to Finland for a family event. They naturally took the opportunity to meet Eerik, who had returned to Tampere in Finland after his extended HEF stay in Switzerland, as well as his wife and business partner Eva. They learnt that with Switzerland as the first solar sauna location, Finnish national pride has already been somewhat tarnished and now, just five months after the HEF, negotiations are already underway for the first locations for larger solar saunas in Finland. It remains to be seen whether the Finnish or the Swiss faction of the Lytefire Sauna company will win this race for sustainable recreation.
Heuberge
The ideal place for a sustainable future