Rural Europe on the move English_chap7_13 | Page 46

CHAPTER 10
who know which plants to use for just beginning in 2018. ‘Heilsam’ is
what but who also know the complex difficult to translate into English. It
legislation around herb production means some combination between
for sale. There really is a thriving healthy, beneficial and salutary.
scene so what began as a pioneering, ‘Healing,’ not just physically but also
daring move, has become quite the psychologically and emotionally, is
norm. This is an ordinary process and a concept which comes closest. By
sometimes allows us to forget the bringing this concept together with
important, path-making way of the landscape and agriculture, we want
pioneer. to acknowledge the many different
What does the recent upsurge
in herbalists tell us? I think partly
8. A new LEADER project called
‘Heilsame Landschaft’
aspects of good health.
For some time now, science has
their health. It can also be a form of
there is a recognition that science shown us that nature is beneficial sustainable tourism that does not
cannot explain everything. Scientific not only for medicine and health require us to destroy our landscape
knowledge is vital, and has brought insurance institutions. Spending time with mass tourism projects. Since
the human race immeasurably in Alpine regions generates positive the project is embedded in the local
forward, but it struggles with the effects on overall health. community and the local landscapes,
intangible. This is where traditional
At this time of exponential growth
with local stakeholders offering up
of non-communicable diseases their businesses, we hope to prevent
(such as cancer, diabetes, but also the kind of economic dependencies
burn-out), which may cause the which often arise from the tourism
financial collapse of public health industry. We want this to be a type
care systems, there is growing interest of tourism which encourages social
health and wellbeing is something the in ‘prevention’. There seems to be a cohesion, values local tradition and
Lesachtal valley wants to pursue, both great potential for regions - especially encourages rootedness. This project
now and into the future. Alpine regions - who are able to only started a few months ago, we
‘Heilsame Landschaft Lesachtal’ is provide an authentic offer for tourists still have to see how it grows, but it is
the name of a new LEADER project in general and people who care about looking good.
knowledge comes in.
Lesachtaler healing
A more holistic understanding of
PE OP LE !
“Having finished our studies we had to decide - leave or go. Looking
for ‘good jobs’ or living our dream. We decided in favour of our dream
to become reality: living a self-determined life full of creativity close
to nature”. Helene, who was born in Lesachtal, and her partner
Pepi, coming from further afield, also wanted to act consciously
against the brain drain of rural places – of well-educated people
who leave. Their hepi Lodge now is full of energy, full of funky
ideas combined with traditional elements - with regard to their
house but also with regard to their lifestyle in general.
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