In the Garden Hotels, not only guests are warmly welcomed – honeybees and wild bees also find flourishing retreats here. Discover five hotels where sustainability is palpable and can be experienced: From the new bee house at Villa Carona to the fragrant beeswax candle from the Giessbach Garden.
Bees in the Garden Hotels – Guests of the Silent Pollinators
With the nationwide project "The Bee. Switzerland.", Switzerland Tourism sends a strong signal for biodiversity and sustainable tourism. It's buzzing in the Garden Hotels too: As part of this initiative, a new, lovingly designed bee house was created at Villa Carona – a place of encounter between humans, nature, and animals. An accompanying video tells the story behind this special project.
But bees don't only find a home in Carona: In numerous Garden Hotels, they are welcome guests – from wild bee swarms to well-maintained beehives. Let yourself be inspired by five hotels where sustainability quietly hums.
🐝 5 Garden Hotels where bees are guests
1. Kartause Ittingen – Home for Honeybees and Wild Bees
The extensive gardens of Kartause Ittingen offer ideal conditions for both honeybees and wild bees. In addition to managed bee colonies, numerous wild bee species live here, nesting in deadwood, soil, and wall crevices.
🧠 Good to know:
Unlike the honeybee, which lives in colonies and produces honey, the wild bee is mostly a solitary creature. It specifically pollinates certain plant species – a valuable contribution to biodiversity that honeybees alone cannot provide.
What's particularly nice: In Kartause Ittingen's in-house carpentry workshop, wild bee hotels are lovingly crafted together with supervised employees – each piece is unique. Different natural materials such as reeds, elderwood, wood pieces, and branches are used individually and offer nesting sites for a variety of wild bee species.
The wild bee hotel is available in the monastery's online shop
2. Schloss Wartegg – Hidden Bee Colonies in the Trees
In the extensive park of Schloss Wartegg, not only are there managed beehives, but you can also observe wild bee colonies nesting in the trees. The large Demeter garden and the natural surroundings create ideal conditions for these diligent pollinators.
Learn more about the philosophy and garden of Schloss Wartegg:
3. Hotel FloraAlpina – Bees with a View
Perched high above Lake Lucerne, not only guests but also the bees enjoy a breathtaking view here. The hotel's own colonies make a valuable contribution to pollinating the surrounding plant diversity – and are wonderful to watch as they work.
🧠 Good to know:
Many people feel uneasy about signs like "Caution Bees." But don't worry: bees are generally very peaceful creatures that only sting when they feel threatened – for example, by sudden movements or if you stand directly in front of their hive entrance.
4. Grandhotel Giessbach – Scented Beeswax Candles
At Giessbach, bees are not only valued – their wax is also put to good use. Made from 100% beeswax and hand-poured, the Giessbach candles emit a delicate fragrance and bring natural coziness into your home.
Available in the Grandhotel Giessbach online shop – a fragrant piece of nature directly from the Giessbach estate.
5. Villa Carona – A new bee hotel is emerging
In the middle of the Mediterranean garden of Villa Carona near Lugano, an extraordinary home for up to 30,000 honeybees has been created as part of the Switzerland Tourism campaign: the "Bee Edition" – an architectural highlight that uniquely combines design, nature, and sustainability.
The miniature hotel was designed by designer and concept developer Sarah Rittmann. It is a faithful homage to the villa itself – in color, shape, and proportion. The Bee Edition stands elegantly on stilts, features a central entrance hole and a hinged roof, as well as an integrated beekeeping system with ten Dadant frames. This way, it meets all requirements for species-appropriate beekeeping and enables the local beekeeper to provide efficient and sustainable care.
Surrounded by nectar-rich blossoms and a historic backdrop, the bees find optimal conditions here for a healthy, vibrant bee life.
👉 The project is part of the nationwide campaign "The Bee. Switzerland." by Switzerland Tourism, which advocates for greater biodiversity and a conscious approach to natural resources.
🌿 Whether a historic park, herb garden, or Mediterranean blossoms – the Garden Hotels make a valuable contribution to promoting biodiversity with their unique garden landscapes.