Our hotel

Once upon a time... Ours is a story from the heart, and it began a long, long time ago, just like a fairy tale. Nestled in the spectacular heart of the Tauern, we can sense the grounding of the rock, solid and enduring after hundreds of millions of years. And clearly we aren’t talking about the passing of decades, but millions upon millions of years. The first seeds of today’s vision were sown several generations ago, as it really all began with my great-grandfather.

It soon became clear that in this land, surrounded by craggy mountains and steep cirques, broken by gentle green summer slopes turning to swift descents with the snows of winter, everything relied upon the liquid gold that made all life and growth possible. Our water.

As the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein declared: “The aspects of things that are most important for us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity. We are unable to notice the things that are always in front of us.” And so it is with the ultimate elixir of life: water. The life-giving fluid is available in abundance here in the mountains, and it is the basis for all cultivation and settlement.

In the time of our great-grandfather, the water supply network was not yet very well developed in Obertauern, and it did not reach his property. But he was an innovative man and not much inclined to rely on the efforts of others when it came to his own affairs. After a long process of exploration, searching and digging, in the 50s he finally found a spring on his own property, a piece of land which had previously been used as a mountain pasture for his farm – right here, on this extraordinarily beautiful speck of dirt in the middle of the Tauern. Apparently a small, heart-shaped stone drew his attention to the place to dig.

Here in the heart of the Tauern we can enjoy the water of life to our heart’s content, drinking, bathing and splashing about without regard for local water politics or general resources – and we can offer our guests every indulgence in our new wellness area.

It was the effervescent security of this, our own spring, that made it possible for me to live the dream that entranced me as a little girl, during a wonderful childhood on my parents’ farm, and has stayed with me ever since: a dream of a very special hotel. My vision gained shape over the years, and my ideas have crystallised even more in recent times. Stone and timber had to be the essential materials, inspired by the magnificent chalk formations and beautiful forests of our surroundings here in the heart of the Tauern.

Movement is often inspired by a thoughtful pause, music comes out of silence, and sometimes a way of life can give rise to a true affair of the heart.

That’s exactly what happened to me.
The idea of creating something so dear to my heart began to grow.
With the hearty enthusiasm that our family have been demonstrating for generations.

With the heart and soul of my father, our hotelier and architect. With the compassionate heart that my mother gave to the process. And with my heart’s desire to create a different kind of hotel for my guests. It sometimes seems like an alarming balancing act, definitely not for the faint of heart, but really it’s just a matter of energy, openness towards the unknown, curiosity for the unexpected and a combination of warm-hearted sincerity with an Alpine lifestyle and hearty, optimistic enthusiasm.

And now, there you have it – our heartfelt wish for you:

the Tauernherz!
A winter holiday to warm the cockles of your heart 

Katharina and Florian Hofer, with Isabella