Recently, the public has been talking a lot about bees dying out and about their value for the mankind. The project known as “Bees in the mountains” aims to be one of those presenting the way how to help the tiny busy creatures.
Last year, the bees stayed in their hives at the altitude of 1,346 metres also during winter. But Erika Fočárová, the general manager of the FIS*** hotel told us that the winter conditions are rather extreme in the area of Štrbské Pleso, with winter beginning early and spring coming quite late. If the bees stay at a lower altitude, they will have access to pollen and nectar nourishment much sooner and thus better conditions to develop.
“That´s why we have moved the bees to hives located at the altitude of 920 metres. They will be taken care of there all winter long – personally by our beekeeper,” she said.
The bees were supposed to move to their temporary address sooner but changeable weather complicated the process. “We had to wait for higher temperatures so that the bees don´t get stressed by the change so much. We have to be careful because we want them to feel good,” explained Ms. Fočárová. Initial prognoses that were pronounced by experts when the project began have been confirmed. They said the bees would do fine in the highest located beehives and they were right. About 70 kilograms of honey has been collected this year. “Besides making honey, our bees were also active as pollinators, which helped nature in the Tatras very much. Our hotel guests can taste their honey for breakfast during the winter season,” concluded Ms. Fočárová. Once snow disappears from Štrbské Pleso in spring and the first plants start blooming, the bees will come back to the highest located hives in Slovakia.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The project known as “Bees in the mountains” began on the roof of the FIS*** hotel a year ago. Hives decorated with folk motifs are located in the back section of the roof so that the bees have direct access to the nearby forest. The project was made in cooperation with the Apis Carpatica civic association and to support it, an information board with details about bees, their significance and an educational kid´s corner were created in the hotel. The FIS*** hotel is the biggest hotel-sports complex in the High Tatras, located at the altitude of 1,346 metres near the tarn of Štrbské pleso.
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Tatry mountain resorts, a.s. (TMR) is the leader in tourism in Central and Eastern Europe; it owns or leases and operates attractive mountain resorts, amusement parks, golf resorts, restaurant facilities, sports services, stores and hotels. In the Low Tatras, Slovakia TMR owns and operates the resort Jasná Nízke Tatry and hotels Hotel Grand Jasná, Boutique Hotel Tri Studničky, Chalets Jasná De Luxe, Hotel Srdiečko, Hotel Pošta and Hotel Rotunda. TMR is also the owner of Aquapark Tatralandia, the largest Slovak water park with year-round operation, which besides water entertainment includes Tropical Paradise, a special tropical indoor hall with sea water, as well as Fun Park, and accommodation in bungalows and suites of Holiday Village Tatralandia. In Slovakia’s High Tatras TMR owns and operates the resort Vysoké Tatry with mountain areas of Tatranská Lomnica, Starý Smokovec, and Štrbské Pleso, which TMR co-manages. In the High Tatras TMR also owns hotels Grandhotel Praha Tatranská Lomnica, Grandhotel Starý Smokovec, Hotel FIS Štrbské Pleso and A night on Mt. Lomnický štít. In Austria the Group owns and operates the alpine glacier resort, Mölltaler Gletscher, and its sister resort, Ankogel Mallnitz. In Czechia TMR also owns a minority share in Melida, a.s., which leases and operates the Špindlerův Mlýn resort. TMR also leases and operates the ski resort Ještěd, Golf & Ski Resort Ostravice and leases Kaskáda Golf Rezort Brno, where it runs a hotel, a restaurant and a conference centre. In Poland TMR owns and operates Szczyrk Mountain Resort and Legendia – Silesian Amusement Park (Śląskie Wesołe Miasteczko). Real estate projects are mostly focused on development, construction, and selling of apartments and non-residential premises and on hotel lease in the TMR resorts. By the end of 2018 around EUR 350 mil. had been invested into development and modernisation of TMR’s resorts. TMR shares are traded on three European stock exchanges – in Bratislava, Prague, and Warsaw.