Traditional European Healing

Ancient knowledge about the healing power of plants rediscovered

Knowledge about the healing, sometimes almost magical effect of many herbs has a long tradition in Salzburg's Pinzgau region. In the Middle Ages, all sorts of ointments, tinctures and oils were made from plants. This knowledge was passed on and written down from generation to generation, but few know that many ingredients for natural medicine can be found right outside the front door.

TEH – Traditional European Healing Method

The association TEH – Traditional European Healing Method was established in order to preserve this ancient healing knowledge. Nutritional scientist Karin Buchart is the driving force within the project. When she began to take a closer look at the knowledge about herbs, she made two exciting discoveries:

Medicinal herbs have long been closely associated with cooking. Old cookbooks can therefore also be read and used as a pharmacopoeia.
Many medicinal herbs and plants widely grow in the gardens of SalzburgerLand.

Today, farmers, monastery gardens and numerous award-winning chefs belong to the association. More and more herb lovers seek training to become TEH practitioners, all with one aim: to keep knowledge of the power of herbs alive. Guests benefit from this knowledge in many ways, whether on a tour through local herb gardens, in a cooking class, the production of natural cosmetics or during a herb workshop with tips for everyday home use.

Culinary tip: Award-winning chef Johanna Maier from Salzburg is the most prominent TEH practitioner. Since completing her TEH training, the Filzmoos native has been experimenting with great passion and creates excellent culinary delights using numerous herbs from SalzburgerLand.

Herb gardens and more

A specially grown herb garden can teach you so much about them. Luckily, SalzburgerLand has many where visitors can learn and gain useful knowledge.

One of them is Untereggs Kräutergartl in Adnet, for example. The whole family was involved in the development of the garden. You can see at first glance that the skilled landscape gardener Magdalena Brunnauer lent a professional hand. The terraced garden in a sunny location has an excellent climate for a variety of plants. Herb seminars can be taken and their own products such as the Salzburg forest salt are on sale.

If you’re interested in learning more about herbs, it is also well worth visiting Hoadabauer in the farming village of Embach. From the beginning of May, the herb garden is freely accessible every Friday and Saturday afternoon. Simple wooden signs inform visitors about the effect and usage of the individual plants. Hoadabauer farmer Erika Schwab-Röck will happily share her knowledge over coffee and cake or homemade bread. Their own herbal products are sold at the farm.

KräuterKraft Hof Thurerhof in Seeham with owners Claudia and Hans Dirnberger is a natural paradise. The central element of the house’s courtyard is the organic garden. An idyllic pond is surrounded by thematically arranged herbal mounds between meadows and fruit trees. There is a cold-and-flu mound, a relaxation mound, a ladies’ mound and a men’s mound. The products from the herb garden – teas, liqueurs, jams, herbal salts and much more – are available at the organic farm shop.
The growing interest in the healing forces of herbs is also reflected in numerous events in SalzburgerLand. Those interested can combine their holidays with any of the engaging seminars.

TEH herbalist days are offered in Salzburg’s Saalalachtal valley. The multi-day packages include, for example, a daily herbalist breakfast, wild herb campfire cooking or joint herb walks including the exchange of secret recipes.

Karin Buchart, Founder of TEH - Traditionellen Europäischen Heilkunde

Tip: If you want to know more about traditional herbs SalzburgerLand, then the Culinary Pathway for herb lovers is for you!

Examples of medicinal herbs and their effect

The most important home remedy ingredients from Salzburg’s Saalachtal valley, home of traditional European medicine, include some resins, honey, arnica, pine, calendula, St. John’s wort, elder, hay flowers, yarrow, birch and nettle.

Here, a few examples of simple, easy to prepare home remedies:

A tincture made with arnica helps with bruises, contusions, sprains and strains.
Lemon balm, camomile, mallow and calendula, combined as a tea, settles the stomach.
Lemon balm, hops, lavender and valerian make an effective tea for a restful sleep.
A sirup made from spruce needles to remedy a cough uses 1 part spruce needles, 4 parts water and 3 parts sugar.

Household tips

Good to know that …

… you can cool a sunburn by applying a large sorrel leaf.
… you can put a broadleaf plantain leaf between shoe and skin to prevent the appearance of painful blisters while hiking.
… the cooking water from potatoes contains many nutrients that makes it ideal for watering plants.
… you can banish unpleasant kitchen smells by burning sage.
… you can replace the rinsing agent in the dishwasher with citric acid.