The priceless value of bees was celebrated around the theme of honey in Hermagor.
After a two-year break, a honey-sweet scent and the buzzing of bees once once more attracted thousands of visitors to the 19th Honey Festival in Hermagor.
Arno Kronhofer, event organizer and new chairman of the Hermagor beekeeping association, was pleased that the diverse topics of beekeeping might also be brought closer to the audience at the honey-sweet festival. The festivities and honey tapping took place on Friday with numerous guests of honour, combined with the well-established twilight shopping.
On Saturday and Sunday the city center was transformed into a sweet mile full of enjoyment for all the senses. Beekeepers from the region and from neighboring Friuli and Slovenia offered their bee products for sale and tasting. Visitors were drawn to the live honey extractors, drone petting zoo, bee weight treasures, information stands on beekeeping bee products and honey bees, a bee house show, a honey raffle and the beekeeping experience station. Local hosts served culinary delights refined with honey. Various music and folklore groups entertained the international audience over three days and provided plenty of entertainment at the sweet festival of sustainability.
Successful development
The Hermagor beekeeping association is one of the oldest associations in Carinthia and today has over 80 members. The chairman Arno Kronhofer has been in charge of the association since 2022. Before him, today’s honorary chairman Josef Marschnig led the fortunes of the association for more than 20 years. The Austrian Honey Festival was founded under his chairmanship, which made the beekeeping association known throughout Austria.
The association is proud of the youth work and the membership development in recent years, because while many beekeeping associations are struggling with declining membership numbers, the Hermagor beekeeping association has been able to look forward to increasing membership numbers for years.
Former chairman Josef Marschnig was awarded a certificate of honor at the opening of the honey festival for his 22 years of successful chairmanship.
guests of honor
Also present were Reinhard Hetzenauer, President of the Austrian Beekeepers’ Association, Elisabeth Thurner, Chairwoman of the Carinthian State Association for Beekeeping, Erich Larcher, President of the South Tyrolean Beekeepers, Gabi Schaunig, Deputy Governor of Carinthia, Provincial Councilor Martin Gruber, Member of the National Council Gabriel Obernosterer, Members of the State Parliament Luca Burgstaller and Christina Patterer, District Governor Heinz Pansi, Deputy Mayor Irmgard Hartlieb and Günter Pernul, City Councilor Karl Tillian, Tourism Experts Christopher Gruber and Markus Brandstätter, Speckfest Chairman Albert Jank and many others.
