
Sustainability at the castle hotel
Our GreenSign certified hotel concept
What do we at Schlosshotel Blankenburg understand by a sustainably managed hotel?
At Schlosshotel Blankenburg, we focus on concrete measures in the areas of energy, resources, regionality, and social responsibility. The implementation and further development of these measures are structured and regularly evaluated through external audits.
“We don’t see sustainability as an isolated measure, but as part of our corporate responsibility in the Harz region. With our approach, we want to demonstrate how environmental and nature conservation can be meaningfully integrated into hotel operations.” – Suzann Heinemann, Co-owner
Our location in the Harz Mountains and our close ties to the region shape our understanding of responsible business practices. Based on this, we implement selected measures in our hotel operations, which we regularly review and further develop.
Our sustainability performance is regularly audited externally as part of the GreenSign certification. GreenSign assesses, among other things, environmental management, social aspects, and regional value creation based on a transparent set of criteria.
Our sustainable hotel concept

We are particularly proud of these certificates.
The following certifications are the result of a long-term development process. For several years, we have worked systematically to have our sustainability performance externally audited and evaluated.
GreenSign Hotel Certified: Our Blankenburg Castle Hotel is GreenSign certified and has achieved a conformity level of 79%. The hotel certification process examined ten core areas for sustainable business practices and assessed over 130 criteria. More information…
Greentable Seal: The Blankenburg Castle Hotel received the Greentable seal for "Sustainable Gastronomy" in 2022. This seal recognizes restaurants and other food service establishments that meet defined ecological and social criteria in the hospitality sector and undergo regular audits. More information…
GreenSign Gastro Certification: As one of the first restaurants to receive GreenSign Gastro certification, we had our gastronomic processes externally audited and achieved a conformity level of 70%. The certification assesses, among other things, resource management, supply chains, and social aspects within the restaurant business. The assessment is based on a defined set of criteria and serves as a foundation for the continuous improvement of our restaurant. More information…




House & Furnishings
LED lights: Our hotel is equipped with modern LED lights and motion detectors in the hallways. This reduces energy consumption during hotel operations and combines efficiency with pleasant lighting.
Electricity from renewable energy sources: We source electricity for the hotel from renewable energy sources, as specified by our energy supplier. This is part of our approach to reducing energy-related emissions.
Conscious cosmetics & care: Our rooms are equipped with a high-quality, refillable toiletry set from the Valentina & Philippa brand, allowing us to consistently avoid plastic waste. In the spa area, we use certified natural cosmetics from PHARMOS Natur, which meets the NCS (Natural Cosmetics Standard) standards. This seal is awarded by the Society for Applied Business Ethics.
Cleaning with micro-dry steam technology: For cleaning, we rely on micro-dry steam devices from Medeco Cleantec. This allows us to reduce the use of traditional cleaning agents in daily hotel operations and, in many areas, to completely eliminate the need for additional cleaning chemicals.
E-mobility: We offer two on-site electric vehicle charging stations for our guests with electric vehicles.
Accessibility : We take accessibility into account in the design of our building and the accessibility of central areas.
Waste separation and food recycling: We place great importance on consistent waste separation and responsible food handling. In the kitchen, we collaborate with the Refood initiative to make good use of unused food.
Water with responsibility: In our bathrooms and public areas, we use modern pressure regulators that efficiently control the water flow. This allows us to save water without compromising the comfort of our guests.
Freshness from the herb garden: Head chef Daniel Bruder passionately tends our own herb garden. He harvests aromatic herbs directly on site for the exquisite dishes in the castle restaurant – ensuring fresh ingredients and short delivery routes within the hotel.



For nature
We are committed to preserving and promoting biodiversity in our immediate surroundings through selected projects.
Trees for the Harz Mountains: Together with André Salomon, forester and mayor of Derenburg, we support tree planting initiatives in the Harz region. To date, over 30.000 trees have been planted as part of these projects. You can find more information about our tree planting initiatives here.
Ewilpa® Project: As part of the Ewilpa project, we support the creation of so-called edible wild plant parks. The aim is to allow wild plants, perennials, shrubs, and trees to grow in a controlled manner, thereby promoting natural habitats. The edible wild plant park was created in 2023 in the immediate vicinity of our hotel. With wildflower meadows, a castle park, and historic baroque gardens, the surrounding area offers diverse habitats for insects.
Insect hotel: In addition, we have built an insect hotel on the grounds behind the hotel, which offers selected insect species an additional habitat.




Our tree planting campaign
Since the beginning of 2023, we have been working together with the GreenSign Institute on tree planting campaigns for reforestation in the Derenburg municipal forest. The goal is to plant approximately 10.000 trees annually.

Everything for humanity
Continuing education : Regular training of our employees on sustainability topics is particularly important to us. An internal Green Team develops and supports sustainability measures and facilitates internal discussions on these topics.
A space for artists: Since November 2023, we have opened our doors to talented artists from the region, who are invited to present their work in our historic setting. This initiative is part of our commitment to the local community and creates space for regional art and culture. We also ensure that key areas are accessible to people with and without disabilities. You can find an overview of the artists here.

The dedicated management team at the castle hotel

Conscious enjoyment
Reducing plastic use: In our catering operations, we are reducing the use of single-use and portion-controlled packaging wherever operationally feasible. In our restaurant, we offer filtered tap water in reusable glass bottles. Where possible, we avoid portion-controlled packaging and instead offer items such as homemade fruit spreads from the buffet.
Too Good To Go: We are actively committed to combating food waste, including through the use of the app "Too Good To Go". This allows surplus food to be passed on and prevented from being thrown away.
Seasonal & Regional: In our kitchen, we rely on seasonal and regional products wherever possible and work with selected suppliers from the region.
Vegans welcome: We have been a member of since 2023. VeganWelcome, a platform for hotels with vegan-friendly offerings.

Our own beehives
Directly behind the castle hotel, we have established our own beehives in cooperation with an experienced beekeeper. The location, in close proximity to the baroque gardens, the castle park, and adjacent green spaces, offers the bees a diverse range of food sources.
Our own honey complements our culinary offerings. The beehives are part of selected measures we are implementing to support natural habitats in the immediate vicinity of the hotel.
We are open to new ideas and regularly review opportunities to further develop our sustainability measures. If you have any suggestions or questions about our sustainability performance, we would be happy to hear from you. Please feel free to write to us at direktion@schlosshotel-blankenburg.de.