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© BSP NockbergeSpeik – the delicate medicinal plant
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© BSP Nockberge
Inconspicuous plant - unusual story
An almost forgotten plant with special abilities: In the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Carinthian Nockberge, speik is still harvested as it was centuries ago.
Speik or Speick, also known as "Valeriana celtica", is a plant species from the valerian genus in the valerian subfamily. The plant is particularly popular due to its balancing effect.
During the flowering period from the beginning of July to the end of September, you can follow in the footsteps of the spittlebush on a hike - with a bit of luck, you will discover the inconspicuous little plant on the mountain pastures of the biosphere reserve.
Special healing powers
The valerian plant has a calming effect on the central nervous system and at the same time stimulates the autonomic nervous system. It relaxes without making you tired and therefore revitalises body and mind. If you take a closer look at the small dried spikenard plant, you will probably find it hard to imagine that this slender green plant with its delicate yellow flowers conceals so many strengths and was once a coveted and precious commodity. But as they say - small but mighty!
© BSP Nockberge
Even 2500 years ago, spikenard was valued in Egypt and the Orient for its intense and aromatic odour and special cosmetic properties.
© BSP Nockberge
In North Africa and Europe, people bathed and perfumed themselves with speik, and brides were even rubbed with speik before their wedding.
© BSP Nockberge
Speik or Speick?
Gradually, however, the inconspicuous medicinal plant fell into oblivion until Walter Rau "rediscovered" it and founded the German company "SPEICK Naturkosmetik" in 1928.
From an idea, fascination and vision, Rau created a unique product: "Speick Soap". This natural, skin-mild soap is a cosmetic revolution - as it is used for body care and not for cleansing. The company is the only one in the world authorised to produce Speick products and has also decided to use the spelling "Speick". Today, Speick is no longer used exclusively for the production of Speick soap, but is used in a wide range of natural cosmetic products from soap to lotion, oils, masks and sun protection.
Speik is a protected species
© BSP Nockberge
Harvest time is from mid-August to mid-September, when the small plant grows at altitudes of between 1900 and 2300 metres. 
© BSP Nockberge
Speik has been a protected species since 1936 in order to protect the rare plant from extinction after centuries of overexploitation. Today, Speik can only be harvested in the Nockberge Biosphere Park in the Bad Kleinkirchheim region, where you will find the ideal Speik soils.
Only two mountain farmers, the Huber family and the Steiner family, share the licence. For the mountain farming families from Carinthia at an altitude of around 1600 metres in the Nockberge mountains, the spit is only a small source of extra income, but the work is arduous.
© BSP Nockberge
© BSP Nockberge
Harvest speik - but do it right!
However, the valerian plant cannot simply be dug up. A special claw is used to carefully pull the speik and its roots out of the ground. However, you need a trained eye to do this, as the speik in the ground is barely recognisable to a layman.
It is not possible to harvest more than one kilo of speik in one working day. What is harvested is then placed in the old troad box next to the farmhouse and laid on special wooden beams to dry and turned regularly. The intense odour of the speik gives the troad box a very special fragrance. It takes three weeks before the Speik is ready for processing and is collected by SPEICK employees.
© BSP Nockberge
With measure and purpose
The harvest is limited to a maximum of 25 kilos per season and is monitored by the biosphere reserve administration. At first, the quantity sounds small, but only very little of the intensely fragrant plant is needed for the soaps and oils. On the contrary, when harvested in moderation, it even has a positive effect on the survival of the plant, as a scientific study by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna has shown.