Rose and peppermint instead of Air-Wick? While other places are still trying to combat natural odors with chemical fragrances, the Jenneralm has a much more natural solution: if it smells bad, a little herb is used!
Writing about the toilet? Why not, after all, we all have to go sometimes and enjoy cleanliness and a fresh scent. We owe our new world of fragrances to the herbal ovens from the Irschenberg-based company Kräuterei. “Replacing synthetic fragrances with natural herbs is a sustainable and natural solution to bad odors for us,” says Jennerbahn CEO Thomas Mühlthaler. “After all, we are also a partner of the nationalpark Berchtesgaden.”
There are now five heaters in the toilets on the mountain and in the middle station. Company founder and sauna master Mario Theis had the brilliant idea in 2019 in the wellness area of a hotel. He consulted a patent attorney and had a worldwide search carried out to see whether similar vaporization ovens already existed. He then registered his patent and built the first prototype. After the coronavirus pandemic, a hotel chain took his first steam ovens off his hands. Business is booming and Mario has sold 1700 ovens to date. Mario has a background in steel container construction – the resourceful founder builds the ovens with a partner company and uses existing systems. For example, the Jennerbahn’s steam ovens contain either a mulled wine heater or a sausage warmer tub! Simple and ingenious.
Today, the last stoves are moving into the toilets at the middle station and the seminar area. Finished with the Jennerbahn logo and stocked with dried organic peppermint. In the toilets at the mountain station, head chef Josef Meneder, who knows a thing or two about aromas, has selected a mixture of thyme, rosemary and orange for the men, while the ladies are surrounded by a hint of rose petals when they come out of the toilet.
What do the guests say? They are delighted and take a deep breath before leaving the “alpine herb garden”. After all, the herbal fragrances rising with the steam have been proven to increase well-being.
This is why the Kräuterei’s ovens are not only found in hotels and spas, but also in many private households. “I sell about 50/50 to companies and private owners,” confirms Mario Theis. “The steam ovens have three components: Air humidification, the healing power of herbs and the natural fragrance.” He produces some of his herbs, bark and wood himself: “I have Swiss stone pine, spruce, mountain pine and a ginger-turmeric mixture. All other herbs are organically grown by partner companies”.
Who knows – soon mountain hikers could rate the Jenneralm not only by the quality of the Kaiserschmarrn, but also by the aroma of the toilets. And if the herb oven should ever break down – don’t worry! The fresh mountain air is just a breath away.
