International Day of Forests: an opportunity to reconnect with nature

Never before have we felt closer to nature than in this period of pandemic and lockdown. You need open spaces, to breathe pure air, to touch the grass with your feet or to hug the trees. A source of health, regeneration, hope, for the body and the mind. For this reason this year the “International Day of Forests” takes on a particular meaning: it is celebrated on 21 March, not surprisingly the first day of spring, and has been proclaimed since 2013 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. The goal is to raise awareness of the importance that the tree heritage has for the survival of our entire planet. A burning issue that each of us makes more and more his own, especially in this difficult moment: everyone can draw strength from nature and contribute to its protection. Forests provide us with sustenance, shelter and clean the air we breathe. A simple walk in the woods is a liberating moment, you fill up with energy. Already last summer, the tourist resorts had focused on this and coincidentally in the dramatic 2020 in the summer outdoor activity made an incredible leap forward: hiking, trekking, mountain biking, climbing or simple picnics on the lawn. Now spring is approaching, the restrictions are still there and nature is again a lifeline. So, on the occasion of the day celebrating the forests, someone has already moved with an ad hoc tourist plan. This is the case of Bressanone, in South Tyrol, which offers over 400 kilometers of marked trails in the woods.
For those who want to enjoy the silence and taste the delicacies of natural cuisine there is the guided excursion “Secret places and treasures of herbs”: with an expert guide you can walk along uncrowded paths towards the Ochsenalm mountain hut, have a snack and visit the Schmiedthof farm to discover the secrets and magic of aromatic herbs. Many hotels in the area have also developed wellness programs linked to what they now call “forest bathing”: total immersion in nature. Aromas and flavors of the forest can also be found on the table: chef Christoph Hinteregger, responsible for the kitchen of the Rossalm mountain hut at Plose, uses ingredients such as fir needles, juniper berries and tree beard. In the historic center of Bressanone Hubert Ploner of the Finsterwirt Oste Scuro restaurant for this spring offers a 4 or 5-course menu dedicated to the forest based on wild herbs, fruits, mushrooms and fir needles.