CLAR - Clean Alpine Region Kaunergrat
Climate-friendly, low-carbon & resource-efficient tourism
Vacation in a sustainable & low-carbon tourism model region!
CLAR – Clean Alpine Region. Our journey towards becoming a climate-friendly tourist destination continues!
The Kaunertal nature park and glacier region, together with its surrounding municipalities, is now officially designated as the “Clean Alpine Region Kaunergrat”. The holiday region impresses with a broad and carefully developed concept, built on years of successful work in the name of sustainability. This consistent approach generates credibility and strong approval from both guests and locals alike. Bringing together the needs of the people who live and work in the holiday region with those of visitors seeking a well-deserved break in an
unspoilt natural landscape — that is the challenge at the heart of it all. The Kaunertal nature park and glacier region is increasingly succeeding in doing just that, with already completed sustainable projects such as the Climate Walking Guide, accessibility initiative, the Archive of Contemporary Witnesses, KLAR, and the oversized books dotted throughout the valley, telling stories from the Kaunertal.
Flagship projects safeguard the quality of life in the valley
What is CLAR?
CLAR stands for 'Clean Alpine Region' Kaunergrat. With a clear commitment to climate protection across all aspects of the region’s tourism sector, the Kaunertal nature park and glacier region will establish itself as a destination for climate-friendly winter and summer holidays in the Alps and implement pioneering projects along the way.
For sustainable tourism in a valley like the Kaunertal to thrive in the long term, both the local population and visitors must feel truly at home. This is the stated goal of CLAR Kaunergrat. But how can this be achieved? First and foremost, it is about a resource-conscious, credible, and sustainable tourism strategy for the nature park and glacier region. People are at the centre of it all - but only through a responsible approach to nature, combined with a strategic economic vision that also strengthens local value creation, can the region serve as both a liveable home for its residents and a restorative retreat for its guests.
Quality of life in the holiday region is at the forefront of everything. The Kaunertal's sustainability and climate protection efforts are deliberately wide-ranging — spanning new climate-friendly mobility options, greater use of renewable energy (particularly in accommodation businesses), efficient and cost-effective waste management, and clear, targeted communication both within the region and beyond. The journey towards a climate-conscious and resource-efficient future is being pursued with conviction, with a growing emphasis on local values and resources. It is this comprehensive and authentic approach that makes CLAR Kaunergrat trustworthy in the eyes of its guests — proving that authenticity and quality matter just as much in sustainability as in everything else.
The first step will be to convince the wider population of the region's clear commitment to sustainability. This conviction can and will be built through the programme and will ultimately lead guests to experience the region as an exceptionally liveable and sustainable destination. At the same time, the programme will make a significant contribution to the economic stability of tourism in the region. Jobs will be preserved or even created, and regional value creation will be strengthened.
By handling natural resources responsibly and embracing climate-conscious practices, the region is reinforcing an attitude that has long been part of its character — and will become an increasingly decisive factor in the years ahead. CLAR Kaunergrat has stepped up to the challenge — with genuine enthusiasm and commitment!
Projects of CLAR Kaunergrat
- CLAR coordination
- Raus aus Öl (Get Off Oil) Initiative Kaunergrat
- CLAR Kaunergrat Marketing
- Sustainable Holidays
- Guest Manual
- Video Productions - Development of a Sustainable Tourism Destination | Zukunt.Lebensraum
- Green Alpine Event
- E-mobility options for on-site transport -> eShuttle | Hiking Bus
- Transport options for on-site mobility -> public transport
- Klimabaustelle (climate worksite) Kaunergrat
- Climate-conscious behaviour
- Strategy Process Fendels & Innovation Circle for the entire region
E-Shuttle Kaunergrat
Uncharted territory: an electric shuttle in the Alps
Since June 2021, Kaunertal Tourismus has been operating the first electric shuttle to the Kaunergrat Nature Park Museum, which is a first for the Tyrolean Oberland. With the capacity to transport up to 16 guests per day on a completely CO2-neutral basis, the eShuttle represents a significant step forward in the Kaunertal's commitment to climate-friendly tourism. The initiative is rooted in the CLEAN ALPINE REGION declaration and marks the first mobility project to be realised under the programme.
CLAR-Project: E-Shuttle
Klimabaustelle (climate worksite) Kaunertal
Landscape conservation in the alpine pastures
Beyond the produce of agricultural land, the maintenance of the alpine pasture landscape plays a vital role. Without animals grazing the meadows that were once cleared with great effort, these areas would quickly become impassable. Tourism, as we know and value it today, would simply be unthinkable. At the same time, protection against natural hazards is growing in importance: careful, location-appropriate management of the alpine pastures helps reduce the threat of soil erosion, mudslides, and avalanches. For the benefit of all, every helping hand is needed - and warmly welcomed.
Young people from the cities helping out on the mountain pastures
In July 2021, a youth group from the Frankfurt branch of the German Alpine Club accepted an invitation to help out at the ‘Climate Worksite’ in the Kaunertal. Taking place within the framework of CLAR and against the backdrop of increasing climate change, the project aimed to give young people from urban areas a deeper understanding of the importance of agriculture for mountain regions.
CLAR-Project: Klimabaustelle
Transport options for those travelling by public transport
We are committed to ensuring our guests can travel here in an environmentally friendly way, which is why we expanded the transport options for the Kaunertal on 1 May 2022, including hourly public transport services to and from Feichten.
WinterRail: Mit der Bahn nach Tirol
A climate-friendly, comfortable and traffic-free journey to the Kaunertal nature park and glacier region.
Travel comfortably by train from anywhere in Germany, day or night.
Further information, timetables & fares, are here on the website of the DB.
Zukunft.Lebensraum
Through the CLAR Kaunergrat initiative, the Kaunertal nature park and glacier region has succeeded in launching a development process with broad participation from municipalities, businesses, the Nature Park, the local population, and other stakeholders. The goal is to bring together the needs of those who live and work in the holiday region with those of guests who wish to enjoy their holiday in an unspoilt natural environment.
Central questions such as 'Where do we stand?' and 'Where do we want to go?' are at the heart of this process. The inaugural event for this development process took place in October 2021.
Fendels Strategy Process & Innovation Circle
The path towards sustainable tourism is moving forward - and a new CLAR project will help sharpen and strengthen the region's positioning even further. The ambition is clear: to work hand in hand with nature through authentic, lived sustainability, building a strategic advantage that secures long-term tourism value without overburdening the region's natural resources. In this way, the Kaunertal is setting a strong example along the ‘Tirolean Way' - and is determined to extend its lead in sustainable, resource-conscious tourism.
This project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. Further information on IWB/ERDF can be found at www.efre.gv.at, and on RegioL at https://www.regiol.at/projekte/aktuelle-projekte.html
