We are an association of distinguished historic hotels and inns in South Tyrol. We are ambassadorsof timeless hospitality.

Historic: The history of this place dates back more than 500 years. It has counted numerous illustrious guests, including Michel de Montaigne, Emperor Maximilian I, and Cosimo de’ Medici. How come?

What where the origins of the old name, ‘Goldener Adler’?

Christoph: The eagle is Tyrol’s heraldic animal. There used to be a lot of houses bearing that name: Black Eagles and Red Eagles, but the golden one was the most valuable.

How did the place come into your family’s possession?

Christoph: That happened around the year 1984, when the whole town was whispering about the Finsterwirt, the restaurant my parents ran at the time, having bought the Goldener Adler. Even close acquaintances congratulated my parents; they seemed to be the only ones who had not heard of this supposed takeover. They asked Elsa Knoflach, the owner. She said: ‘If I ever sell the Adler, then only to the Finsterwirt.’

So they actually bought it?

Christoph: The Finsterwirt didn’t have any rooms. My parents used to send their guests over to the Goldener Adler, while Elsa Knoflach recommended the Finsterwirt to hers. She wanted to sell her business to someone who would continue to run it as a guesthouse. After all, it had been one ever since the house was built in 1500. Elsa then negotiated a kind of pension into the contract. Every year, she would come to live at the Goldener Adler for 14 days, and my father brought over her meals every single day during her stay.

Entering the Adler one is instantly amazed.

Christoph: That’s exactly the first impression that convinced my parents to buy the place. Guests are struck by the architecture immediately: The vaults, wow! The atria are special, too. In the olden days, they were a popular means of getting light into the house. Architects come from far-away places, just to see how they were arranged.

When you reconstructed in 2023 with local architects bergmeisterwolf, you carved out the Adler’s aesthetic essence, shedding light on some historical elements.

Christoph: We want to pay our respects to history by pushing it to the fore, uncovering historical details and giving them space to take full effect. For example, who needs a red carpet when the historical stone floor beneath it is much more interesting?

Over the centuries, the building has had many owners, each of whom added a couple of elements¾until every single corner of the house was crammed. In reconstructing, we wanted to create a new sense of minimalism: no unnecessary furniture, not too many colours, and only a small range of materials, specifically travertine, concrete, oakwood, and lime plaster.

Silvana: The reduction helps to focus on the architectonics. Beige and cream tones bring out the building’s structure. The walls here, for example, are not even, they have always borne life and history¾which only now can develop its full effect.

In other words, today’s gold is reduction. The same goes for the name…

Christoph: It has been our vision to create a place of peace and quiet in an urban environment. How often do we talk of nesting, of taking refuge in nature? Why not in town? One goes about town all day, to enjoy arts and culture, to shop, to eat and drink. Why not rest here as well?

We all spend such a big part of our lives on tablets and smartphones that we need some time for ourselves for a change. It was out of this need that we reconstructed the former alcoves in the rooms. Guest can sit in these spaces of light, read a book, and listen to the sounds of the River Isarco¾while being in the middle of town.

Silvana: When a guest comes back after a day in town, they will find a pleasant warmth and quiet here. There is nothing that would distract or overwhelm their eyes. This is also why we chose not to put any pictures into the rooms: The eyes need to rest, especially after the many impressions of the city.

How did you redesign the alcoves?

Christoph: We found an old engraving in our restaurant, the Finsterwirt, that showed the building. It had lots of alcoves, many more than today. It was based on this engraving that bergmeisterwolf started to design the new alcoves. We wanted their modern reconstruction to be visibly not simply copying, but re-imagining history, in the way of a tribute.

What has not changed about the Adler after reconstruction?

Christoph: The most important thing is that we were able to keep many of our long-standing employees, who know the building inside out. The team has passionately supported us even in times of change, from clearing out all the stuff to putting it back again. I see that as a sign of mutual appreciation. In terms of construction, the foundations have survived, as have some historical highlights, such as the kilns, the stairs, the railings, and the floors. We were even able to uncover a small fresco on the south façade. The entire façade is actually covered in them, but we only had the time and money to reveal the one.

In clearing out and putting back things, how did you choose what could stay and what had to go?

Silvana: We took everything to a huge warehouse. I went there many, many times to weed things out. Many heavy pieces of furniture no longer fit the new concept of peace and quiet, so we found new purposes for them. It was a piece-by-piece process. Some of the pieces are still in motion.

Are there areas of the place where the overall concept is reflected in details?

Silvana: The entrance area would definitely be such a spot. It has everything that represents the place: oakwood, travertine stone, cream fabrics and glass that resembles our historical crown glass windows. We worked with a local glass manufacturer to develop it. He heated the glass, placed the old crown glass panes on top and pressed down just enough so that a pattern could emerge on the glass. As a result, no pane and no door is the same, every single one is hand-made.

How has your relationship to the building changed since you acquired it?

Christoph: Through my family I have always been part of the building. Now that it’s ours, we enter in a different way, we see things differently. Reconstruction was a chance to accept and advance this beautiful, but heavy legacy that is the Adler. As owners of a historical building in a historic town centre we bear the responsibility of preserving it for everybody.